GEORGE COHEN: MAN IN THE MIDDLE

The NBA has a messy divorce on its doorstep. The NBA players association want their share of the basketball-related income (BRI) and don’t want to be capped on their spending habits, while the owners claim they are out of money and blame the players for maxing out their credit cards. So, with billions of dollars … [Read more…]

DERON WILLIAMS’ TURKEY DEBUT

Deron Williams, the most recognizable NBA player playing overseas during this ridiculous lockout, scored 11 points and had five assists in a recent Turkish league game. Playing for Besiktas, the New Jersey Nets point guard was just 2-for-10 from the field in 23 minutes in a 107-69 victory over Bandirma Kirmizi, one of the least-talented … [Read more…]

SWEET LOU SHINES IN PHILLY VS. D.C.

Lou Williams scored 53 points in Saturday’s exhibition at Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., featuring D.C.-area players against ballers from the Philadelphia area. Let me say that again . . . Lou Williams dropped 53 points in a game! I hope 76ers coach Doug Collins was watching because we may never see Sweet … [Read more…]

2011 LOCKOUT SEQUEL TO ’98 LABOR STRIFE

Back in 1998, the NBA suffered a huge financial setback and public relations black eye when the league wiped 32 regular-season games and the best it could do was put together a 50-game schedule that started in January. Union executive director Billy Hunter was asked who won or lost in the collective bargaining war and … [Read more…]

VIDEO: DREW TEAM TOPS GOODMAN

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward and Washington, D.C. product Kevin Durant has been on a tear this summer, but his OKC teammate Los Angeles native James Harden has been straight up ballin too. Harden, who attended Artesia High School (Calif.), went head-to-head with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and held his own. But Kobe … [Read more…]

SFL CLASSIC: TEAM LEBRON VS. TEAM WADE

With the absence of a new NBA collective bargaining agreement – and neither side isn’t budging at this point – basketball fans are stuck with glorified scrimmages organized by the league’s superstars. The latest installment of this very expensive pickup game is Saturday night’s exhibition game in Miami featuring a team led by LeBron James … [Read more…]

BARKLEY: NBA OWNERS MAY SIT OUT YEAR

After a nonproductive day on the collective bargaining table with the players’ association NBA commissioner David Stern and his deputy Adam Silver said on Tuesday that the 2011-12 NBA preseason has been wiped out, and if no new deal is in place by Oct. 10 then Stern has no choice but to cancel the first … [Read more…]

WHY ITALY MAKES SENSE FOR KOBE

Kobe Bryant recently said it would be a dream to play in Italy. Well, that dream could soon become reality as Virtus Bologna says it has reached a verbal agreement with the 33-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar that would pay him $3 million to play 10 games in 40 days in the Italian League. Assuming … [Read more…]