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In case there was any doubt, the Los Angeles Lakers showed they aren’t going to be knocked around during their quest for a third straight NBA championship.
When push comes to shove, they can be physical with the best of them. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks.
Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Lakers defeated the Mavericks 110-82 in a testy affair in which five players were ejected March 31.
In what was a possible preview of a second-round playoff matchup, this one had a postseason flair to it. Early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers’ Matt Barnes and Steve Blake and the Mavericks’ Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood were thrown out following a shoving match under the basket. Los Angeles’ Shannon Brown was later ejected in a separate incident. (ESPN)
— No people, Ron Artest was not involved in the skirmish, get over it. The fact that you think Ron Artest is responsible for everything bad that happens in the NBA is actually rather annoying. On the other hand, this skirmish came at a perfect time for the release of Matt Barnes and Ron Artest’s “Matt Barnes will kill you if Ron Artest doesn’t first.”
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Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has decided to make a surprise comeback. Once again playing professional basketball to help the city woo back the Sacramento Kings.
In a development that shocked the rest of the City Council and the world of professional sports, the 45-year-old former NBA All-Star will join the Kings on court at Power Balance Pavilion April 1 against the Denver Nuggets. The once wily and obviously seasoned Johnson said he is excited to hit the floor again.
It’s been well over a decade since Johnson played his last NBA game for the Phoenix Suns.
Upon hearing the news the former All-Star would be joining the team rookie center DeMarcus Cousins responded with a long pause along with a puzzled look and then said, “Who?” Second-year point guard Tyreke Evans, who wasn’t even alive when Johnson last played, simply snickered at the news and walked away claiming no comment. (Sacramento Bee)
GQ has listed its candidates for best dressed male celebrities this year. Among them, Craig Sager. Yes, the TNT courtside reporter and longtime suit connoisseur has finally cracked the prestigious list.
When told of the news, Sager was delighted, saying, “It’s about time. I’ve always considered myself to be one of the most fashionable men in the world, and I spend a lot of time trying to keep that image. A lot of people, like coach Phil Jackson, take shots at my style. But if you have ever seen him in a suit, you know he has no fashion sense at all.”
Sager said if he wins, he will auction off the suit featured on the magazine cover for charity. (GQ)
— I’m guessing Dom Cherry was a little upset his curtain-and-tapestry-styled wardrobe didn’t quiet make the cut. Good God, someone should take these men to a fashion stylist. Their suits are the best form of birth control on the planet.
A former NBA referee was charged with attacking Hall of Famer and Atlanta Hawks television analyst Dominique Wilkins in a dispute over a clothing bill.
Carlos Campos, an Atlanta police spokesman, said 36-year-old Rashan S. Michel was released early March 31 on $1,000 cash bond after being charged with two counts of simple battery.
Michel confronted the former NBA star while he was wrapping up his broadcasting duties after Atlanta’s 85-82 win against Orlando March 30. He claims Wilkins owes him $12,500 for custom-made suits. (ESPN)
— I can make up some stuff, but seriously, I can’t make this up. It’s not an April Fool’s joke. This is real. I honestly have no words, except N’ique is kind of a big dude, so that ref has some cajones.
*BREAKING NEWS*
The New Orleans’ season of turmoil seems to be continuing. Between losing an owner, being bought by the league and David Stern, a possible move out of the Big Easy, contraction, and the loss of David West right before the playoffs, you would think things couldn’t get any worse. But that’s just what happened today, April 1, when Hornets coach Monty Williams was diagnosed with hazy phrenerurolic brainzanumbrytol.
When asked about the diagnosis, the coach said he wasn’t sure about anything and everything seemed a bit hazy.
When contacted about a replacement for the coach, the league office came down with a surprise announcement. NBA commissioner David Stern announced he will be the Hornets coach for the rest of the season and the NBA playoffs.
When asked about the move, Stern said, “This has been a lifelong dream of mine and I’m extremely excited. I think between my NBA knowledge and with some help from my officials … er … assistant coaches, we should have a really good shot at the winning the NBA championship. Hopefully, with a trophy in hand, we can find a way to keep the Hornets in New Orleans.” (NOLA.com)
— Well, I suppose we can just pack it in now folks. It was always the commish’s league anyway. Apparently he was heard playing the song below on the conference call and sent Stan Van Gundy a league letter telling him to “say what the fuck you want, Stan. I’m wining it all fat boy.” Like a Boss.
When the Detroit Pistons retire Dennis Rodman’s jersey April 1, two supporters will be on the opponent’s bench in Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau and center Joakim Noah.
“Dennis has always been like a hero of mine,” Noah said before Friday morning’s shootaround. “I’m just really excited for him. It’s very well deserved.”
Thibodeau coached Rodman for two years in the mid-90s as an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs, and he hopes to get a chance to see his former pupil before the game. Like Noah, he had nothing but kind words for one of the NBA’s best rebounders of all time.
“Real smart player,” Thibodeau said. “A very unselfish player. Team player.
“And more of a complete player than he’s given credit for. Everyone knows about the defense and the rebounding, but he was a great screener and he was a great passer. And he could score when he needed to. To me, probably the best thing you can say about him is that he’s a big time winner, too. A fierce competitor. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He had a great career.” (ESPN)
— This is awesome to see, and it will be awesome to see his jersey retired tonight in Detroit. No, this is not an April Fool’s joke. You honestly can’t tell the difference, yet?
After Paul Pierce was fined $15,000 for throwing his gum into the stands earlier this week, many critics seemed to call foul, seeing that Pierce didn’t throw the gum in an act of malice, rather because he had choked on it while running and just wanted to get rid of it.
But, things are not all bad for the Celtics forward. It seems longtime gum manufacturer, Bazooka Joe, has offered Pierce a contract to chew their gum. Details on the contract are slim right now, but apparently the gum company will supply Pierce with multiple bags of gum before games for the rest of the season.
Pierce will then be required to throw gum into the crowd, still in the package of course, before games and before the start of the second half. He will also be required to blow a bubble into the specialized Bazooka cam after every big play or any dunk he completes. Financial details are not yet available, but sources close to the deal say it’s in the multi-million pesos and should be complete before the weekend is out. (Boston Globe)
Well, that’s it folks. I hope you had a wonderful April Fool’s Day, and I hope we made you laugh, even if it was just barely. It’s an easy outro tonight, nothing serious. Have a great weekend, cause some trouble, watch the games and enjoy the rest of Mach Madness. Are any of you still alive in your brackets? Alright, I’m out so until Monday, Dribblers. Have a good one!
Birthdays for April 2
Player Name (playing years)
Bergh, Larry 1969-1969
Biedrins, Andris 2004-
Davis, Bob 1972-1972
Drew, Larry 1980-1990
Huffman, Nate 2002-2002
Livingston, Randy 1996-2006
Martin, Phil 1954-1954
McDaniels, Jim 1971-1977
Morris, Isaiah 1992-1992
Robinson, Chris 1996-1997
Slay, Tamar 2002-
Birthdays for April 3
Brown, Marcus 1996-1999
Closs, Keith 1997-1999
Ellison, Pervis 1989-2000
Farbman, Phil 1948-1948
Hamilton, Thomas 1995-1999
Jones, Charles 1983-1997
Lloyd, Earl 1950-1959
McLemore, Mccoy 1964-1971
McPherson, Paul 2000-2000
Nachbar, Bostjan 2002-2007
Olowokandi, Michael 1998-2006
Schurig, Roger 1967-1967
Smith, Labradford 1991-1993
Stevenson, Deshawn 2000-
Vandervelden, Log 1995-1995
Windsor, John 1963-1963
Birthdays for April 4
Bridges, Bill 1962-1974
Fernandez, Rudy 2008-
Gordon, Ben 2004-
King, Rich 1991-1994
Lackey, Bob 1972-1973
May, Sean 2005-
Medvedenko, Stanislav 2000-2006
Miller, Larry 1968-1974
Senesky, George 1946-1953
Tucker, Anthony 1994-1994
Pro Basketball Talk 