An anonymous NBA player says guys around the league are pissed at Stephen A. Smith because of his column about Allen Iverson’s problems with gambling and alcohol. Smith’s article is titled “Iverson needs more than a prayer” because according to his numerous NBA sources AI is headed for self-destruction.

The combination of alcohol and gambling – and a once-promising career in tatters because of the first two – won’t culminate in anything short of disaster if help does not arrive in short order.

Iverson will either drink himself into oblivion or gamble his life away.

His statements aren’t going over well in the Philadelphia 76ers locker room.

From ESPN Insider:

Guys around the league are pissed at Stephen A. Smith right now for his most recent column on Allen Iverson, the one in which he claimed Allen is going to drink and/or gamble his life away. One of my NBA friends in Philly says a bunch of Sixers can’t wait for Stephen A. to show up in their locker room so they can have words with him.

I thought Stephen A.’s article said more about how far AI has fallen than anything else. Nobody takes Stephen A. Smith seriously anymore, but the minute he says something about Iverson it’s treated as the gospel. In April 2009 spokespeople for two Detroit casinos said Allen Iverson was never banned from their establishments. Maybe Stephen A. has some new information. As for the drinking… Look, that’s not the point right now. This is about the Sixers following through with the Code Red on Smith.

NBA Player X: Lay off Iverson [ESPN Insider]

The Heckling Society of Gentlemen have returned with what they’re calling “The Final Chapter” of Stephen A. Smith being heckled at the NBA Draft. Stephen A. is no longer with ESPN so putting an end to the series makes sense, but do we really want to get rid of moments like “The People’s Princess?” No.

There’s no heckling of the actual Stephen A. Smith but watching the sock talk to Thabeet, Rubio, Hansborough, and others is enough.

Good stuff from the Heckling Society. Now go follow them on Twitter.

Stephen A. Smith Heckled at the 2009 NBA Draft: The Final Chapter [Rockin' Steady]

Stephen A.Smith is one of the countless number of pundits on television, sports or otherwise, that gets paid to spout opinions that they may or may not truly believe. In Stephen’s case, he believes everything he says and thinks every word is important.

SAS put down his Blackberry and Cheezy Doodles for a few minutes to join Chris McKendry on Sportscenter before game one of the Cavs/Wiz series. The conversation covered the NBA playoffs, Isiah Thomas, and the New York Knicks. After Chris McKendry made the mistake of calling the Knicks a dog of a team, Stephen A. set her straight and then explained how to fix New York’s embarrassment of a basketball team.

Let’s stop that stuff about the dog. We’re calling them dogs because of their record but if you took LeBron James off of the Cleveland Cavaliers what are the Cleveland Cavaliers? They couldn’t shine the New York Knicks’ shoes despite how bad they’ve looked this year. You’ve got talent, what you’re lacking is a true point guard and a leader. If you get a leader to put along with the talent that they have, the New York Knicks can actually be respectable. Keep in mind y’all, the Atlanta Hawks are in the postseason this year.. They’re not even a .500 team. Trust me. The New York Knicks will be able to compete for a playoff spot if they got a leader. Derrick Rose. Memphis. I keep saying that. Derrick Rose Memphis. I don’t care what you gotta do. Fix the ping pong balls, do something. Get him. Get him.

I’m sure David Stern had no problem with the broadcast partner of his league suggesting that the draft lottery is fixed or be fixed.. After all, it was Stern who fixed the ’85 draft.

FFwd to the 4:40 mark for the envelopes being brought out, and about the 5:30 point to see the bent Knicks envelope.

Whether the 1985 NBA draft was rigged or not, it was worth it for Patrick Ewing. I don’t see the Knicks getting the same ROI for Derrick Rose.

Tags: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN, 1985 Draft, New York Knicks

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvJGghOuFlQ]

The crew over at Deadspin dropped this classic video. I’m pretty sure the hand puppet will be getting it’s own show on the “Ocho”, or he might hang back and see how things shake out at Cold Pizza First Take. If you’ve got 6 minutes to spare, do yourself a favor and watch this video. And don’t forget what these guys did last year.

The Stephen A. Smith Hecklers Return. Courtesy of Deadspin

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I was watching NBA Shootaround on Friday night while waiting for the Warriors/Jazz game to get started. Stephen A. Smith dropped some interesting information:

I’ve spoke to several people in the league, believe it or not Kobe does have an abundance of friends in this league contrary to popular belief and they all said to me, you know what, he is completely disgusted and you can’t even measure the level of hostility he’s feeling towards the Lakers organization right now.

Go on…..

Listen to this.. Kobe Bryant, ever since he resigned with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to everything that I’ve heard he wanted Baron Davis before he got traded to Golden State. They didn’t get him. He had an opportunity to, they didn’t get him. He wanted Carlos Boozer because Larry Miller, the owner of the Utah Jazz, was on the outs with Carlos Boozer, they wanted to move him, the Lakers didn’t get him. He wanted Ron Artest, they didn’t get him. And then even when Kwaaameee Broooown was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for his best friend on the team at the time, Caron Butler, he didn’t learn about it until after the trade was consumated. Having spoken to Mitch Kupchak, the general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers in fairness to him, couldn’t reach Kobe earlier in the day, but I’m telling you everything that I’ve been hearing, if you think for one second that he is in love with Los Angeles, he loves winning more than he loves Southern California. He almost went to Chicago in a sign and trade, tried to force a sign and trade before he signed. You understand? He has absolutely no problem leaving if the Los Angeles Lakers, specifically owner Jerry Buss doesn’t get his act together. Do not be surprised at all if this stuff continues if Kobe Bryant some time around next year is asking to be traded.

 Now let’s be real.. Kobe’s not leaving the Lakers. Mitch Kupchak won’t let that happen. Not that he couldn’t let it happen, he has turned the Lakers  from contenders to first round whipping boys of the West elite, but he’s not gonna let Kobe get away. This has all the makings of a well timed leak of information from the Kobe camp. Like Stephen A. said, Kobe did talk about going to Chicago, and there were also the Suns and Clippers rumors when Kobe was a free agent. He didn’t leave then and he’s not leaving now.

The heir apparent to the Laker ownership throne, Jim Buss (son of Jerry) was on AM570 in Los Angeles this week and said not so fast on the Kobe trade talk:

Bryant needs to be aware that any trade involving him would require the other team to surrender its best player. For example, trading Bryant to Cleveland would cost the Cavaliers LeBron James. Any trade would markedly weaken Bryant’s new team, giving him no greater guarantee of a championship than he has with the Lakers.

Well.. That seems to take a little steam out of the Kobe trade talks, but KB can opt out of his deal in two years. He was asked about that in this exit interview and had this to say:

I’ve been a Laker fan my whole life. I hate to even think about me going someplace else.”

Notice he didn’t say “I won’t go someplace else”, he said he would hate to think about it. If the Lakers front office sits on their hands this offseason, I’m sure Kobe won’t mind entertaining the idea of bouncing.

I would bet the house that L.A. is gonna go out this summer and make a huge deal. Jerry West is no longer with Memphis so maybe he can do some consulting.. Teach Mitch how to pull off some of those miracle deals. I don’t know if it’ll be K.G., Jermaine O’neal, Jason Kidd, or any other name we’ve heard over the past few years but something is gonna happen. I would try to hold on to Lamar and Luke Walton (free agent), but I would trade anybody, ANYBODY, anybody else on the roster to become an elite team. Yes even Andrew Bynum. The young fella has shown some flashes but by the time he’s fulfiling his potential (if ever) Kobe will have some serious miles on his body. Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers don’t have that kind of time.

**YBB Kobe Update 5-29-07**

Meet the new Buss. Courtesy of the LA Times

Report Card/Exit Interview: Kobe Bryant. Courtesy of the LA Times

Listen to Kobe’s Exit Interview here.

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