Orlando Woolridge played in the 1989 NBA Finals for the L.A. Lakers. (GETTY IMAGES)

Orlando Woolridge passed away at his parents home late Thursday night in Louisiana at the age of 52. He had a chronic heart condition.

Woolridge was a high flying athletic player during 13 seasons spent with seven different teams over the course of his career. He was drafted sixth overall by the Chicago Bulls and played for the team for five seasons. He left Chicago when the Bulls decided to focus on running their offense through Michael Jordan since they had very similar playing styles.

In 1988-89 after two seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Woolridge decided to head to Los Angeles and come off the bench for the Lakers.

“I just love it when we go up in the transition game, up and down the court, Magic (Johnson) looking for the open guy,” Woolridge told Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn shortly after joining the team in 1988. ” I get excited when we start playing like that. That’s the way I love playing.”

He averaged just under 10 points per game on the L.A. Lakers squad that got swept by the Pistons in the NBA Finals in 1989.

His best season was in 1990-91 when he played for the Denver Nuggets, averaging 25.1 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. For his career, he averaged 16.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 851 games.

Darren Jacks is a contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Send him an email at: djroxalot@hotmail.com

The Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. will host the Nets one last time Monday night before the team moves to Brooklyn next season. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

For the past 35 years, the New Jersey Nets have been the laughing stock of the NBA. It may sound too harsh, but it’s cold hard fact. The Nets are the Clippers of the East (we’re talking about the pre-Blake Griffin era). The history of the Nets franchise is about as ridiculous as the last two seasons of “Jersey Shore.” Absolutely nothing funny about it.

The team’s official scorer Herb Turetzky summed it up best in a well-written piece by The Associated Press writer Tom Canavan.

“If there is one word that describes this team’s time in New Jersey, it’s misfortune,” Turetzky told AP. He will work his 1,177 consecutive home game on Monday. “Every time we seemed to be building something to get up to respectability some crisis came up.”

Turetzky is absolutely correct. Outside of a huge first-round upset in 1984 against the Philadelphia 76ers and trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, the “misfortunes” of the Nets read like a graphic novel.

The lack of fan support led to severe financial woes, and oftentimes visiting teams would outnumber Nets fans in the arena. Michael Ray Richardson, one of the best talents in the league, couldn’t defeat his drug problems and his off-the-court demons ended up costing his NBA career. The promising career of Drazen Petrovic was cut short by a fatal automobile accident in 1993. One Nets employee calls Petrovic’s untimely death as “the tragedy of all tragedies.” And one fatal gunshot that resulted in prison term for former player Jayson Williams still haunts the team, so much so that Williams wasn’t invited to the Nets’ final home.

Based on those gut-wrenching tales, it’s hard to blame the Nets for trying to leave behind their haunting past. It’s like the Lutz family leaving the Amityville house. There may not be reported paranormal activities at Izod Center (formerly  Brendan Byrne Arena and Continental Airlines Arena) but horrific events seem to follow the Nets like a bad dream.

After Monday night, the Nets’ time in New Jersey will come to a merciful end as the team plays host to the 76ers. It will be the final time New Jersey can call the Nets their home team. When the 2012 NBA season commences, the Nets will move to Brooklyn and play their home games at the state-of-the-art Barclays Center.

The move gives the Nets a fresh start. And, given their sad history, if any team deserves a break it’s the Nets. They badly need to shed their ugly New Jersey past and hope for a better future in Brooklyn.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is still a member of the Denver Nuggets. But for how long? (GETTY IMAGES)

The proposed deal by Nets general manager Billy King that would send All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey was not accepted by the Denver Nuggets, according to NBA front-office informed sources.

Online betting fans should take into consideration that Anthony is one strong candidate to win the regular-season MVP, while Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant are two other big favorites.

The Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Bobcats were the other teams involved in the trade. However, sources close to the situation said that the Nets were no longer prepared to wait for a decision, and due to this the four teams involved are now concentrating on the work of their respective training camps.

Also, it has been reported that King had given the Nuggets until last Tuesday to finally accept or reject the original offer, which would have also brought Jazz veteran Andrei Kirilenko, Nets rookie Derrick Favors, and two future first-rounds picks to the Nuggets.

For his part, Nets first-year coach Avery Johnson said that Favors has not been distracted by the conversations of the trade.

“Favors has been one of our best players so far,” Johnson said. “He’s doing a nice job.”

In addition, the negotiation included players such as guard Devin Harris, who would have gone to the Bobcats, and forward Boris Diaw, who would have been traded to Utah.

The Nets could try again in the future to obtain Anthony with a more attractive financial offer for the Nuggets, including the participation of other teams.

Nuggets coach George Karl, a big supporter of the continuity of Anthony on the team, gave him an “A” for the effort and professionalism shown after practice.

This latest opportunity may have closed for Anthony, but it won’t be the last time we’ll hear trade talks involving the Nuggets forward.

Carmelo Anthony is reportedly unhappy with his situation with the Nuggets and is considering a move elsewhere. (2KSPORTS)

Carmelo Anthony is considering a move to New Jersey, that is according to reports by ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. The deal reportedly involves Nets first-round pick Derrick Favors, some expiring contracts and draft picks.

If those reports are accurate, and they all seem to be building up steam, then the Denver Nuggets could be well on its way out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference; not only this season for years to come. Anthony is a franchise player in the Association, and you’re not going to get fair market value unless you get another All-Star in return. In this case, the Nuggets are banking on that Favors will be a starter (which is still unknown) and hope that those draft picks can land them a young stud to build around for the future. Based on those uncertainties, the Nuggets will languish in mediocrity until they find a suitable replacement for Melo.

Anthony seems to be unhappy in Denver. During the Nuggets’ disappointing playoff series against Utah, Anthony expressed his frustrations publicly. ““I’m trying to do everything I can in my power to beat the Jazz. But, at the end of the day, I need some help,” said Anthony, who scored a game-high 39 points in Denver’s 117-106 loss in Game 4, but the rest of his team managed just 67 points.

Anthony added: “I’m not sitting here pointing fingers, but as a unit we gotta do this together. I can’t do it by myself. I’m frustrated at the level of play. The energy, the intensity is not there. We start off the game good, then for some reason we’re down 10 or 11 points. You know, [Carlos] Boozer down there is pushing our big men out of the way.”

Without naming names, Anthony’s piercing criticism were directed at his big men: Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen. All three were thoroughly outplayed by the Jazz big men, including little-used center Kyrylo Fesenko.

“Fesenko … Fesenko! I mean don’t get me wrong he’s playing extremely well,” Anthony said, “he’s playing with a lot of confidence. But … Fesenko!”

Even though he’s not on the same level as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, Anthony is a legitimate superstar; one of the 20 best players in the league. He is almost 30% of Denver’s offense and his impact on the floor is hard to duplicate. The Nuggets reached the conference finals with Anthony and Chauncey Billups leading the way. Without Melo, the 34-year-old Billups will be hard-pressed to shoulder the load by himself.

A number of others teams, including the Knicks, Bulls, Rockets, Clippers and Warriors, have been pursuing Anthony as well. However, sources on several of those teams were pessimistic that they could match what the Nets have to offer.

After watching how James and Chris Bosh devastated Cleveland and Toronto, respectively, by leaving without much compensation, the Nuggets are determined to get something in return for Anthony. Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri just lived through the Bosh saga as a member of Toronto’s front office before taking the Nuggets job.

Anthony has basically ignored Denver’s offer of three years, $65 million all summer, a sure-fire sign that he has decided that Denver is not in his future and would prefer to play elsewhere.

Two-time NBA champion Jordan Farmar recently wrapped up his third annual Hoop Farm basketball camp at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. He was joined by his former Lakers teammate Luke Walton on the fourth and final day of camp, and the two joined the campers in a little game of knockout.

Farmar ended up winning the game, but Walton came in third. He was knocked out by an 8-year-old kid named Robby. All in good fun though, right?

The Hoop Farm not only taught youngsters how to play the game and be a good teammate but it also promoted healthy eating habits and the importance of green living. All proceeds from the camp will be donated to The Jordan Farmar Foundation, which aims to improve the lives of children through efforts that promote health, hope and healing. There were about 200 participates at the 2010 Hoop Farm, some of them foster kids. For four days, the kids did basic basketball drills, performed yoga and learned how to become eco-friendly thanks to a special presentation by the Alliance for Climate Education.

I visited Farmar at his basketball camp and he was kind enough to grant me a one-on-one interview. From our conversation, he talked about the success of his Foundation and the Hoop Farm, and more importantly his basketball future.

“I’m really excited at this stage in my life, in my career,” says the newest member of the New Jersey Nets. “A new start for me, playing a different style of basketball for an organization who is rebuilding. We have an owner who is committed to winning; we brought in a new coach who won before and he’s gonna try to get us back to his winning ways.”

Even though Farmar is no longer with the Lakers, he will remain a favorite son of Southern California. He attended Woodland Hills Taft High School, played for Ben Howland at UCLA for two seasons and was an integral part of two NBA championships (2009 and 2010) with the Lakers.

Farmar says he has no hard feelings toward the Lakers’ organization and wished his former teammates the best. “I’m gonna miss the organization, I’m gonna miss the city, my family, and my teammates. We became really close in my four years here. We did some amazing and special things …. I wish them the best.”

Having lived in SoCal all his life, living on the East Coast will be a big change. But I got the sense that Farmar – who reportedly signed a three-year deal worth $12 million – is definitely looking forward to his move to New Jersey – or I should say Brooklyn.  “Being in that region, the New York-New Jersey area, it’s a great place to live, so much culture, so much to do. I’m just really excited for the opportunity,” he said.

Farmar pointed out that first-year Nets coach Avery Johnson has big plans for him in terms of his role on the team, and Johnson loves the championship experience he’ll bring to the young Nets. He also hinted that he and Nets guard Devin Harris may play together in the backcourt at certain times.

“He was a huge part of my decision-making process,” Farmar said of Johnson. “He and I spoke directly for the majority of the negotiation. He assured me that I was the one he wanted to try to help restore the organization. He liked the fact that I’ve won, that I’m competitive and my skill set. Playing for him, who was a point guard and understands the game the way I do, will help me improve.”

Because Johnson runs more conventional screen-and-roll sets on offense, Farmar won’t have to deal with the restrictions of the triangle offense, which oftentimes didn’t allow Farmar to fully utilize his point-guard skills.

“I’ll get a chance to be what I am on the floor, and that’s what I’m really looking forward to,” Farmar said.

For more information on Hoop Farm or The Jordan Farmar Foundation, visit www.farmarlive.com.

Personally, it would be more entertaining to see some girl named Snooki from Poughkeepsie get punched in the face by a liquored up dude at a club in Seaside Heights than witness the Nets play at the Izod Center in East Rutherford.

We have a situation: the Nets are HOR-RI-BLE.

The crew that Nets GM and interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe has assembled on the court is more dysfunctional than having eight strangers living in the same house while filming a reality TV show for MTV.

The Nets are a woeful 4-40 for the season and are on pace to supplant the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers as the worst team in NBA history.

New Jersey has been so pitiful this season I began to toy with the idea of pitting the Nets against a very good college basketball team. It is a legitimate claim at this point, and an age-old question that could spark a lot of debate.

Here’s an interesting matchup: New Jersey Nets vs. Kentucky Wildcats. The worst team in the NBA vs. one of the best teams in college basketball. The game would be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington and it would have to be a 40-minute game.

A tale of the tape:

— The Wildcats are 19-1 and currently the No. 1 team in all the polls. They boast four players who average double figures in scoring. The Nets are 1-11 in January despite having six double-digit scorers.

— The Wildcats have two NBA-worthy forwards in Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins, who are both averaging 15 points per game. Cousins is a physical player and leads UK in rebounds with a 9.5 average. The Nets counter with 6-foot-11 forward Yi Jianlian and 7-foot center Brook Lopez, who leads New Jersey in points (19.0), rebounds (9.4), field goal percentage (49.7 percent) and blocks (2.0). Lopez should be able to handle any Wildcat in the paint. Edge goes to the Nets.

— In the backcourt, the Wildcats are led by freshman sensation John Wall, considered by many experts as a top-five pick in the NBA draft whenever he decides to leave Lexington. He could land in New Jersey if the Nets earn enough ping-pong balls. Wall has been so good this season this might be one position the Wildcats could have a small edge. A John Wall-Devin Harris showdown is worth the price of admission.

— Kentucky is coached by John Calipari, who was the head coach and executive vice president of basketball operations for the Nets from 1996-98. The Nets have Vandeweghe. This one is an easy call. The edge should go to Coach Cal.

So, in the end, which team would prevail in this hypothetical showdown, and more importantly what should the line be?

Las Vegas oddsmaker Jeff Stoneback said that, despite all of their struggles and atrocious record against the rest of the Association, the Nets are still better than any college team.

“The problem [Kentucky] will have is depth. Reserves on a NBA team are usually stars in college. It’s a whole new ballgame,” said Stoneback, who added that the Nets would be 10-point favorites and the over/under would be around 181.

“It might be close for a while and then the Nets would be able to pull away. It’d be fun to watch though,” Stoneback said.

There you have it Jersey fans. You may have the worst team in the NBA but at least you have the best team in college basketball. That deserves a Jersey Shore fist pump.

CALLING ALL ALL-STARS: The reserves for the 2010 NBA All-Star game will be announced Thursday and six players should be locks: Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Paul for the West, and Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Rajon Rondo for the East. The rest of the roster slots are up for grabs.

Durant is the most deserving to go to Dallas and play in the main event. The former Texas stud is the leader of a young and explosive Thunder that has already surpassed last season’s win total. Durant is third in the NBA in scoring with a career-high 29.3 points per game.

SUN BURNED: Not all is well in Phoenix as the Suns have lost nine of their last 14 and have fallen to 26-21 for the season after winning 14 of their first 17 games.

The Arizona Republic recently reported that the Suns are entertaining offers for All-Star center Amare Stoudemire, who is in the final year of his contract and wants to play for a championship contender. Four teams were mentioned as possible destinations for Amare: Golden State, Minnesota, Cleveland and New Jersey.

Vince Carter scored 16 points in his return to New Jersey but left the game with an ankle injury. (GETTY IMAGES)

With the theme song of the evil Republic playing in the background, Vince Carter was introduced to New Jersey Nets fans in East Rutherford, N.J., on Friday night, but this time as a member of the Orlando Magic.

For the most part, the crowd was appreciative and there were more cheers than boos. The cheers got even louder when Carter drove to the basket and slammed one home early in the first quarter.

But in typical Vince Carter fashion, the promising night turned into disappointment as Carter went down with ankle injury in the second quarter and never returned.

Carter, who has been referred to as Wince Carter for being so injury-prone and overly dramatic whenever he falls on the hardwood, scored 16 points before leaving the game against his former teammates. Dwight Howard more than made up for his absence with 20 points, 22 rebounds and four blocks to lead Orlando to a 95-85 victory.

“I heal like a young guy so I’ll be good tomorrow,” Carter told the Associated Press after sitting out the second half. “Hopefully, I’ll be back Sunday. We’re going to be smart about it. It’s a long season. I’m feeling better now that I am walking on it.”

Carter spent the second half in the trainers’ room and had his ankle wrapped. X-rays were negative.

His night ended with 3:05 left in the first half. Dribbling around the top of the key, Carter stepped on Harris’ foot and immediately fell to the court, clutching his ankle.

Carter needed about a minute before getting up and going to the bench. He stayed there for about a minute and went to the locker room for the rest of the game.

Prokhorov, 43, said he will also fund nearly half of a project to build a new arena in Brooklyn. The NBA board of governors still has to approve the deal but NBA commissioner David Stern he is very much in favor of the historic transaction, a sign that the NBA is serious about building a worldwide identity.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is close to becoming the majority owner of the New Jersey Nets. (GETTY IMAGES)

Stern explained that the deal will help the NBA expand its reach and would ensure that the Nets will have a state-of-the-art arena.

“We are looking forward to the Nets’ move to a state-of-the-art facility in Brooklyn, with its rich sports heritage,” Stern said in a press release. “Interest in basketball and the NBA is growing rapidly on a global basis and we are especially encouraged by Mr. Prokhorov’s commitment to the Nets and the opportunity it presents to continue the growth of basketball in Russia.”

The proposed blockbuster deal, worth $200 million, would give Nets principal owner Bruce Ratner the needed cash to move forward with the centerpiece of his Atlantic Yards development, which includes plans for retail and residential projects.

It would make Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire and former amateur basketball player, the NBA’s first non-North American owner. He has a net worth of $9.5 billion.