By Jan Hubbard As far as I can tell, there is no truth to the rumor than in the last couple of weeks, people who participate in the illegal activity of cockfighting have been naming their roosters “David” and “Billy.” NBA commissioner David Stern and union chief Billy Hunter pecked at each other quite a bit after Stern cancelled the first two weeks of the NBA season. As always, Stern was the aggressor. In a series of radio and television interviews, Stern came
Sheridan column: What they’re fighting over
By Chris Sheridan NEW YORK — So they’ll all be back in the same room together Tuesday, this time with a federal mediator presumably presiding over and standing between the owners and the players. When collective bargaining talks resume Tuesday, mediator George Cohen will be trying to get the main players in the NBA lockout to compromise on the major differences keeping them apart, and it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll have any luck. Positions tend to harden whenever a work stoppage goes past
What Mark Cuban is missing
Thanks to one of my tweeps, @Frankvampire, in Madrid, for passing along this YouTube tape of Rudy Fernandez scoring 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting (3-for-7 on 3s) with two rebounds, four assists and two steals for Real Madrid in an ACB game.
Tweet of the Day: Kevin Durant
@KDTrey5Kevin Durant tix on sale for this Sunday’s game in okc in 10 mins. my team v.@blakegriffin‘s squad. purchase them here durant.is/oVJlNf
Heisler Column: War is hell. Just ask JaVale McGee
By Mark Heisler Ask JaVale McGee if war isn’t hell. I’m not sure who else thinks the situation is “definitely critical,” other than the Wizards center and, of course, the press. It’s definitely not the NBA owners, who laughed their rear ends off at McGee’s, uh, candid reporting at last week’s union meeting in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cutting out an hour early, JaVale told a press throng in the lobby of the Beverly Hilton that “some guys ready to stand strong” but noted, “there were,
Jackson Vroman on Living Dangerously
Former NBA journeyman Jackson Vroman has begun writing a column for HoopsHype.com, and boy, does he have some stories to tell: “I played in Iran 2009 and enjoyed my time in the country. Plus I was a pioneer of sorts there. As you probably know, alcohol is completely illegal in Iran and the fine for even one glass is 80 lashes with a whip and about $1,300 for first offense. They are much stricter on alcohol than drugs because alcohol is
Lawson, Weems, Krstic, Kirilenko viewable today
By Chris Sheridan Are you starved for some basketball? You can get fed this afternoon at 2:45 p.m. EDT when Zalgaris Kaunas (featuring Ty Lawson, Sonny Weems and DeJuan Cllins) plays CSKA Moscow (Andrei Kirilenko, Nenad Krstic, Ramunas Siskauskas, Milos Teodosic) in this season’s Euroleague opener. The game will be streamed on the Web site formerly known as ESPN3. Here is a game preview from Euroleague.net. Two interesting stats: Krstic scored 25 points in his last Euroleague game, in 2004. Marko Popovic (of Zaunas) has made at
Meet the NBA’s possible savior, George Cohen
By Chris Sheridan NEW YORK — Today, we begin to find out if a neutral third party can end the NBA labor stalemate and save an 82-game season. George H. Cohen of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is scheduled to met separately with owners and players today, then will bring the sides together Tuesday to see if they can bridge their differences and come to an agreement to end the NBA lockout. Commissioner David Stern said last week that if a deal is