The Knicks are already being thrown around as Iverson’s next destination but unless he’s starting and getting meaningful minutes it’ll end the same as Memphis. I don’t wanna see Iverson go out like this especially since I believe he has some game left. The problem is AI doesn’t have the night in, night out carry a team ability anymore but you can’t tell him that. He could be a solid contributor coming off the bench on a contender. He’d obviously rather start for some scrubs.

Grizzlies waive Iverson; could Knicks be interested? [Newsday]

Here’s a look at some classic Allen Iverson:

Blowing the Whistle supposedly airs the NBA’s dirty laundry regarding officiating. The excerpts talk about a star system, fixed games, and orders to extend series which would be shocking if these some tales hadn’t been floating around for years. Referees hold grudges? You’re kidding. Star players get the benefit of the doubt? GTFOH..

I’m not saying Donaghy is completely full of shit but the level has at least reached his mouth. My problem with Donaghy is that he had a chance to spill his guts, under oath, and all he did was give up a couple of gamblers.

The two alleged co-conspirators, identified by prosecutors as James Battista, a professional gambler with the nicknames “Baba” and “Sheep,” and Thomas Martino, also appeared in court Wednesday. They were ordered released on $250,000 bond after their arraignment on charges of conspiracy to defraud the NBA.

Battista’s lawyer, Jack McMahon, said a grand jury is expected to hear the case and, if indicted, his client intends to plead innocent.

“Mr. Donaghy walked away with a nice situation for himself. He is the linchpin and he seems to have worked his way into a nice situation,” McMahon said. “I don’t know if that is fair.”

If Donaghy created a nice situation for himself by snitching on two nobodies, how well would he have done for turning in all of the people mentioned in his book?

When Jose Canseco dropped Juicedpeople said I would sue if he mentioned me and I wasn’t using roids. Canseco survived.

Triumph, the first publisher for Donaghy’s book, backed out due to “concerns over potential liability” although a Donaghy rep says legal pressure was brought by the NBA. Either way, a book publisher wouldn’t be scared to print the truth. Why would Triumph be afraid of an NBA lawsuit if the book was on point?

I’m sure the refs make side bets and swallow the whistle at times but it’s the same as any other sport. The grand conspiracies by Donaghy contradict themselves, the league favors big market teams-the league wanted San Antonio over Phoenix, and even the casual NBA fan knows some variation of many of Donaghy’s examples. He reads like a bitter felon that’s looking for some starting over money.

Hello everyone, my name is Will and I’m a … Clippers fan. Yup, I’m a diehard supporter of that basketball team from Los Angeles. If you’re wondering why I sound like someone at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting it’s because being a fan of one of sports most ridiculed franchises isn’t something you always find yourself yelling to the world.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love (II) my team and will always follow and support them, there’s a certain badge of honor us members of ClipperNation wear, and that comes from acknowledging how utterly bad our experiences have been and still sticking by the team.

We’re a throwback to true sports fan and a testament to loyalty. A really strong testament to it, because unlike the spoiled, diva-like “trendy” fans of the popular team across the hall (Hi Lakers fans!), there is no bandwagon to jump on. We chose to support this team because we love it, not because of trying to look cool, front run or whatever other reason drives the Staples center to over-tanned, text-message crazy capacity for Laker games.

Clippers fans have every acceptable reason to switch their allegiances and support a more successful franchise but instead choose to stay true to their roots. Think about it, the Clippers are a prime example of what can go wrong in sports.

Infamous owner with a less than stellar record – Check.

Bad luck – Check.

As I told you all in my first YBB post, I’m LA born and raised and I’ve never liked the Lakers. Before I get into this running Diary of a Clipper Fan series, I want to put a few things out there. I think Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, by far, and I grew up admiring him and his last Bulls 3-peat team. Those guys crushed the competition and nobody had the determination or killer instinct MJ had. Since I’m an 80’s baby my run of watching Bulls success was very short lived, and I was basically left supporting an east coast version of my Clippers after 23 hung it up. I love players who do it for the love of the game or reasons other than the fame. People like Bill Russell, Alonzo Mourning, Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand ( :( ) and more.

Those guys were blue-collar to the utmost, and although the Clippers may not have always had those type of guys, aside from Brand and a few others, we’ve definitely had our share of oddballs, journeymen, underachievers and draft busts. Sure not all of them panned out, but those who suited up for this team and competed every night, despite the incessant losing and lack of support from the owner and management, were admirable.

I’m a fan of the sport above all and the Clippers were always the right team for me. The team has hopelessly languished at the bottom for its entire existence, so that weeded out all the potentially superficial fans and helped create an actual community of basketball fans. There’s definitely a special aura involved with being a Clipper fan, us who would show up early or stay late after a game to meet a Keith Closs, Brian Skinner, Troy Hudson, Cherokee Parks, etc. Call us crazy or whatever, but we sure are dedicated.

At places like ClipperBlog, ClipsNation and Clippers TopBuzz, we’ll all gather and analyze losses, bash missteps, and share our foolish optimism. Other sites like FireDunleavy.com are an example of the passion and disgust associated with moves that fans have to deal with and the lengths they’ll go to try and change the franchise’s direction. Call us proverbial losers all you want, but you have to respect our enthusiasm and commitment. Similar to other long-suffering fans in both the NBA and other major leagues, our experiences helped grow a stronger appreciation for both our team and sport. Just look at Bill Simmons, who suffered through the Red Sox curse for most of his life and naturally fit right in with us once he moved to LA.

In the next installments of this diary, I’ll delve further into our troubled history, explain why we haven’t been able to shed our loser label, and chronicle some of our worst moments. I’ll also cover our current form and how we lucked out (knock on wood) drafting guys like Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon and shedding Zach Randolph.

For the time being, we’re back in the same state of cautious excitement and hope that lead to videos like this when Baron Davis agreed to sign with us and presumably join Elton Brand or when we had a young core of Darius Miles, Elton Brand and Lamar Odom and dared to dream of winning. You know, before it all fell apart.

Until our glorious days of winning arrive, we’re left crossing our fingers, yelling at our substitution patterns and hoping to erase the memory of what happened on June 24, 1998 from our nightmares. Such is the life of a Clippers fan.

-Will

“Diary of a Clippers Fan” will be published every Wednesday during the regular season and on various Wednesdays during the offseason.

Lakers fans need not be too concerned about his priorities, because he also Tweeted that he’s been working out and plans to come back bigger and stronger. Even in his elbows.

He added photographic evidence of his workout results, for those interested.

It’s no guarantee the Laker signing will work out well on the court, but we sure know that Ron Artest and Hollywood’s bright lights should be an off the court hit. And if we’re lucky this might lead to Ron Artest rapping in Chinese.

-Will

Los Angeles has long been known as the city with the enticing bright lights of Hollywood and its star-studded population, so it’s only natural that we’d be famous for loving winners. This brings us to what’s going on in the City of Angels right now with the LA Lakers holding a commanding 2-0 series lead in this year’s NBA Finals – citywide euphoria and anticipation for another championship parade with streets full of happy Purple and Gold fans.

When it comes to winning traditions, few franchises in sports as a whole – let alone the NBA – have one as longstanding and proud as the Lakers. Their hated rival Boston Celtics are the only team with more titles (17 to LA’s current 14), but the Lakers have the most Finals appearances with 30 and most playoff wins. Given that reputation, there’s not only an expectation of championships, but an almost cocky belief that title 15 is a done deal. Get in your car and drive any part of LA County from the Valley to Long Beach and you’re guaranteed to find hundreds of car flags, jerseys, hats, crazed fans and more, all gearing up for a new banner at the Staples Center.

Trust me when I say this contagious Laker-mania isn’t only affecting common fans. Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson and Snoop Dogg are just a few of the notable names who root for Kobe and company, and the huge block party has already gotten started. That’s what’s great about Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of places to celebrate, and Snoop’s locale of choice was the Playboy mansion. The Doggfather hit Hef’s spot to perform his catalog of classics and I’m willing to bet that everyone singing along is more than just a little bit happier thanks to the prospects of a new parade in Southern Cali.

Even out of town ballers who’ve already fallen victim to the Lakers this year are in town partying it up, as Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest made clear in a few new videos that hit the net. You know Tinsletown is the new basketball hotspot when even the guy who got up in Kobe’s face and told him he’d “f*&k him up” a few weeks ago is ready to join in on the fun.

Another thing about sports pride in LA (for the Lakers and Dodgers) is that it unites the whole city in ways that most wouldn’t imagine. Everyone from the rich types out in the hills to the diehard fans in all the different neighborhoods can be seen representing for their city and team together. Be honest, what other time would you expect to see a Beverly Hills doctor dancing and screaming alongside a rapper?

Speaking of rappers, this year’s playoff run has inspired quite a few Laker fans with mic skills to show their love and affiliation to the team. Rising signed artists like Watts rapper Jay Rock (Warner Bros Records) and Spider Loc (G Unit) have recorded new anthems praising the team. (Jay Rock Lakers Song | Spider Loc Lakers Song) Others like Carson’s Roccett (Young Jeezy’s CTE West) have filmed themselves enjoying games on YouTube. Internet sensation Twitter has also regularly had keywords like “Kobe, Lakers, Go Lakers!” and more featured as popular trending topics on the site, with thousands of people across the web tweeting about the team every day.

The fanfare has even reached other states, as evidenced by the recent “Kobe Bryant” song by one of today’s most popular rappers and Louisiana native Lil Wayne. The musical ode to Kobe and his skills has garnered hundreds of thousands of combined views since its release last week and has been an instant favorite on LA radio. However, anthems and parade dreams alone don’t bring home titles, as seen by last year, which had a great anthem, but resulted in a humiliating loss against Boston.

And of course this is all happening with the Lakers only halfway toward their goal, and it isn’t completely unprecedented to fathom a Miami basketball team coming back from a 2-0 Finals deficit (Dwyane Wade against the 2006 Mavs ring a bell?), but the people of Los Angeles feel that this team is destined to bring another winner to the city of the stars. If that ends up being the case, get ready for a celebration worthy of LA’s reputation.

- Will.

It’s the first week of June and that means it’s time for the NBA Finals. (Full Schedule) Despite the universal assumption that a Kobe V. LeBron battle of the titans was going to happen, and much to the chagrin of David Stern and the Nike puppet campaign, the King and his jesters court were ousted by a hero turned super villain (at least in Cleveland) – Dwight “Superman II” Howard and his Orlando Magic.

The Magic have lived up to their name this postseason, surprising everyone outside of Florida by continuously beating teams that they were supposed to lose to and showing they weren’t afraid of a little adversity. They dealt with losing hard-fought games at the buzzer (LeBron, Big Baby, Iguodala and Thaddeus Young all did it to them these playoffs) that would have shaken most teams into losing confidence. They handled a semi-controversy when Dwight called out Stan Van Gundy and they went into two of the most difficult road arenas in the NBA and won critical games (games 1 and 7 in Boston, game 1 in Cleveland to break the Cavs 8-game undefeated streak.) So far the Magic have overcome every challenge placed in front of them, leaving them with just one last adversary: the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers have had their fare share of stumbles and troubles this postseason too. Just as vaunted a regular season team as LeBron’s, everyone expected LA to cruise to the finals and there was quite a commotion out West when they were taken to 7 games by the injury-ravaged Houston Rockets and pushed around by the Denver Nuggets. As one of the most talented rosters in the league and with last year’s MVP Kobe Bryant at the helm, they eventually took advantage of their experience and personnel to make all the right crunch-time plays and are looking to make up for last year’s 6-game embarrassment.

Which leads us to this showdown; seven possible games, two teams with two superstars and two coaches looking to break stereotypes and records, pushing to either create or cement their legacies. Make no mistake, just because it’s not 23 against 24 doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot on the line.

Phil Jackson can break his 9-championship tie with Red Auerbach and set a new coaching standard for titles. Kobe can finally start to get the giant “can’t win without Shaq” monkey off his back and prove he’s an actual champion level leader, while Van Gundy and Dwight can go a long way toward silencing all their own critics with yet another huge upset.

And that upset is far from impossible. As much as the Lakers have been tested so far, they might face their biggest challenge with Orlando, who not only boasts a ferocious interior presence in Howard, but gives LA some of the same match up nightmares that faced Cleveland and Boston. Word even has it that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson will play. Who’s going to guard Lewis and Turkoglu? Gasol is too slow and Ariza can only stick to one of them. Walton? Please. If Odom is on his game (a huge if) then LA has a much better chance, but either way it’ll be tough. Especially when Dwight is dominating inside, which will create space for the endless supply of 3-point shooters on the Magic.

Of course that’s only if Orlando keeps hitting its threes, which so far they have been able to do with consistency. It’s hard to see Lewis, Turkoglu, Pietrus and Alston suddenly losing their touch, especially with all the confidence they’ve gained so far. They’re shooting a respectable 37% outside the arc so far as a team (down only one percent from their regular season stats) and Lewis and Pietrus are each shooting at or above 39%. Spacing the floor against a Lakers defense already prone to breakdowns could do wonders for the Magic.

On the flipside, Howard will face his most difficult frontcourt opponents yet as he’ll see something he hasn’t seen so far these playoffs – young, tall and athletic guys capable of staying in front of him and dishing out some hard hits. Bynum, although largely invisible thus far, has a chance to bother Howard and will definitely give out fouls. Odom and Gasol are nowhere near as strong, but their size and relative quickness shouldn’t be underestimated. The pressure will be on Howard to keep hitting his free throws and prove his worth as a go-to bigman.

Speaking of dominant centers, who do you think Shaq is going for? You know he doesn’t want Kobe to win a ring and tie his total, but I can’t imagine he wants the “Master of Panic” and Dwight to get the last laugh and do what he couldn’t in Orlando and win a ring. Anyone down to ask him?

For the Lakers, their keys to victory obviously involve great production from Kobe, but if they want to win their 15th championship they’ll need a lot more from everyone else. Here’s a nifty position by position breakdown of each team’s roster. Their struggles against Denver quickly changed when Odom decided to actually show up and Gasol’s extra touches and fouls blocks in the paint showed a side of them rarely seen. Whether Lakers fans want to admit it or not, their team is notoriously known for being soft, specifically Gasol, so if they want to beat Orlando they’ll need the Pau that doesn’t inspire these Kotex parodies.

In all seriousness though, one of the biggest keys to how the series will swing revolves around how Orlando defends Kobe. Pietrus is their best perimeter defender and in spite of LeBron’s amazing numbers, Pietrus did a great job on him in each game. If Pietrus can stay in front of Kobe and lure him into going solo into Howard and the Marcin Gortat/Tony Battie combo, then they have a good shot. The Magic swept the season series with the Lakers even though Kobe had a 41-point game and a 28-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist effort against them, so there’s a chance Orlando can use the same winning formula that Boston perfected last year.

Whether he admits it or not, this year is a monumental one for Kobe’s legacy. If he loses, he undoubtedly will take a big hit in the “greatest players” debate, and if he wins he moves toward joining the NBA’s all-time upper echelon. That’s a lot of pressure and physical play for anyone to handle, even Kobe, and his 13 years of wear and tear may play a factor.

Given the multiple matchup problems Orlando creates with their 3-point shooting and Dwight’s emergence as a true superstar, this series can and most likely will go at least six games. The Lakers are the favorite and should win it all if they play to their potential, but that’s apparently easier said then done for them, so don’t be stunned if the Magic are the first to four wins. It would only seem fitting if the team that plays not too far from Disney World could start their own NBA version of the popular slogan and bring a title home with them.

- Will.

So who’s the best rapper in the history of the NBA? The folks at Hardknock TV asked Brandon Roy and Amare Stoudemire and they both agreed on the same player-rapper.

Shaq’s the best rapper in the NBA? That’s the only championship he’ll be picking up this summer. And if the Lakers don’t win it all we’ll be in for the “How’s my Ass Taste” remix.

From Jacksonville.com:

“All I can do is take a look at the objective factors and does it seem to me that this is what they are preparing for? Yes,” Smith said.

Smith stressed that if the league is shut down, it shouldn’t be called a work stoppage.

“I don’t know what a work stoppage is. I know what a lockout is. A lockout is where guys who want to work can’t work,” Smith said.

DeMaurice is charged up because the NFL owners hired the same lawyer that worked for the NHL during their work stoppage, and because the owners want to re-examine the Collective Bargaining Agreement which was supposed to expire in 2013.

There are always problems for leagues when they’re trying to work out new CBA deals, but I don’t believe the NFL will have a work stoppage. The owners and players know that they’re sport is too valuable for them to miss any games. Just like I don’t believe there will be an NBA lockout in 2010. Neither side will be stupid enough to go through what happened in 1999.

Head of NFL players association warns of lockout [Jacksonville.com]

TOMASSON: Second NBA lockout could be on horizon [Rocky Mountain News]

So here we are in the middle of May, waiting for what most NBA fans figured was a guaranteed Finals showdown between LeBron and Kobe. As much as it seemed like destiny, there are still a few bumps in the road, especially with the way the Los Angeles Lacklusters, scratch that, Lakers have been playing.

If you would have asked most people which Western conference team would have coasted to the Conf. finals with a nearly flawless record behind a dynamic perimeter player and great production from its frontline, I highly doubt anyone would have envisioned someone other than the Lakers. Just look at the criteria: Kobe – great perimeter scorer, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom – great frontcourt.

There’s no doubt as to who would be the easy Western champion right?

Unfortunately for fans of the purple and gold, the answer to that question hasn’t been LA. Not by a long shot. Instead, much to the enjoyment of those in the mile high city, it’s been the Denver Nuggets.

Nene, K-Mart, JR Smith and Chauncey celebrate their run into the Western finals.

Yes, those Denver Nuggets. You know them. I’m sure you’ve heard of their selfish players, their underachieving coach, their “thug” image and their immaturity and lack of defense. If you’ve followed the league at all in the last five years, most likely all you’ve heard about the Denver Nuggets has been bad.

Carmelo Anthony and his coach, fighting or DUI troubles, JR Smith’s me-first attitude, Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s drug troubles, K-Mart’s history of tough hits, and the five consecutive first-round playoff exits all did a number on the Nuggets image. They are also probably the easy winners of Most Tattooed team, with a roster full of guys covered almost head to toe in ink.

In spite of all that criticism and poor reputation, the 2009 Nuggets have bonded around each other, accepted their roles and seemed to thrive in their underdog position. The first-round losing streak? Over.

They’re tough, they’re physical and they love to run. They’re amazing at home and not that far off on the road so far. If they get a chance to step on an opponent’s neck they don’t hesitate to do it. So far they are 8-2 in these playoffs, with both losses coming by only two points each. Only the Cavaliers have been as consistent or better than Denver.

Most importantly, this team looks like it loves to play with each other, the coach seems like he actually cares about his team’s fate (take note Phil Jackson) and it turns out that so far in these playoffs, Mr.Clutch doesn’t rock a 24 jersey, but rather a 15 or 7 instead.

‘Melo calmly stuck a dagger in the Mavs’ playoff hopes with this game-winning 3.

In what was once again supposed to be “the” year Kobe silenced critics of his leadership abilities and championship mettle, the self-proclaimed Black Mamba has seemed to be slinking away into a corner rather than ferociously disposing of his prey.

In his place we’ve seen ‘Melo light up the Hornets and Mavericks with game-winners and a ton of points night after night and watched Chauncey Billups further polish his “Mr. Big Shot” persona with extremely solid overall play.

Some people have called the Nuggets contending for the championship David Stern’s worst nightmare, and it many ways it is. Not only are they not the Lakers, which ruins the immensely marketable match up with LeBron, but these guys aren’t some soft Hollywood socialites either.

The Dallas series made that clear, with an ugly exchange initiated by Mavs owner Mark Cuban’s lack of class and anger boiling over to the point that he personally insulted Kenyon Martin’s mother. It’s a well-known fact around the NBA that Martin isn’t someone you really want to mess with, much less his mother, and the whole situation grabbed big headlines and didn’t end well at all. From K-Mart unleashing a barrage of insults at Cuban after game 4 in Dallas to several members of the Nuggets family having things thrown at them and being forced to leave, it’s obvious that Denver isn’t afraid of getting itself dirty.

K-Mart is one of many Nuggets who are not afraid of physical play.

To put it simply, they don’t exactly look like a team you want visiting the White House, and like it or not, that matters to the suits up in the NBA offices. Sadly, it also matters to many of the fans, as seen by the constant mention of the word “thugs” to describe the primarily black team full of tattoos and mean mugs. It might not be the easiest subject to talk about, but the very loose manner in which the word is thrown around has a not-so-subtle racist context to it. I’m not the only one that sees it either.

As we’ve seen through the first two rounds though, a bad reputation or checkered past doesn’t always mean you can’t succeed, and that’s something that the NBA should be eager to exploit. These Nuggets are the ultimate success story waiting to happen. A tale of a scrappy group of guys who had an endless supply of heart and a desire to win so strong that they overcame poverty, drugs, alcohol and so much more to being only four wins away from reaching the NBA’s highest stage.

Sure they’ve had their bad moments, both in and out of the public eye. But they’re also an example of maturity and growth, of shedding previous stereotypes and becoming better players, teammates and citizens. From K-Mart’s charity work to Chris Andersen’s great story of redemption and J.R. Smith’s evolution into a reliable sixth man, these Nuggets are worth rooting for.

The team’s resurgence has included a bevy of awards, with Billups winning the 2009 NBA Sportsmanship award and making 3rd-team all-NBA with ‘Melo, plus team VP of basketball operations Mark Warkentien was named the 2009 executive of the year, after trading away Marcus Camby. Let’s not forget they finished with the 2nd best record in the West either. Talk about a turnaround.

So even if they keep getting hated on, underestimated or ignored, I’ll take joy in watching the Nuggets push along their path toward a ring. Tattoos, scowls, Mohawks and all.

And if Kobe is lucky enough to get past Houston in game 7, he’ll yet again have a nightmare awaiting him in Colorado with his entire reputation on the line.

- Will.

Cuban referred to Kenyon as a thug while speaking to Martin’s mother which pissed of K-Mart and he vowed to take care of it. He came pretty close during and after the game.

During a break in the action in the third quarter Kenyon Martin approached the sideline and began yelling at some fans sitting near his mother.

“You [expletive] better cut the [expletive],” he shouted, as team personnel tried to pull him back to the huddle. “You’re going to get [expletive] up.”

Martin then said to his mother: “Somebody do something to you, you better tell me. I’m going to [expletive] somebody up.”

Then after the game Kenyon could be seen shouting towards Cuban “You better walk the other way” or something to that effect. Which apparently was all he needed to say because Cuban has offered an apology to Kenyon and his mom.

So at this point I would like to apologize to you and your mom KMart for my comment. I should have not said anything and I was wrong. Hopefully you will accept the apology and we can move on.

When the series comes back to Dallas, your family, and the family of other Nuggets players are welcome to stay in my suite, with my family. Its amazing how tempers mellow when real people talk to each other and realize that its still just a game.

If that isn’t acceptable, I’m happy to provide a suite, free of charge to them as well and place whatever security is needed to make them feel comfortable.

“When the series comes back to Dallas”…. Why not just promise them a trip to the moon, Mark? I know you gotta support your fellas, but this series and feud is over in five.

It is good to see Cuban finally admitting his mistake. Even if K-Mart’s mom had started the confrontation (which she didn’t) Cubes is an owner. He has to be the bigger person. He has to walk away.

Flagrants, technicals, and K-Mart jaws with fans [NBA.com]

An Apology to Kenyon Martin’s Mom [Blog Maverick]

Photo courtesy of Getty Images