The Confessions of an NBA Scorekeeper Gawker's Tommy Craggs talks with an ex-scorekeeper for the Vancouver Grizzlies, and reveals the subjectivity of stat keeping in the NBA. This guy once gave Nick Van Exel 23 assists just because he felt like it.
posted by reenum on Dec 11, 2009 - 12 comments

The Donald Sterling Rule "Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling lives by his own rules. And the only one that matters, apparently, is this: all bad deeds go unpunished. Over the last six years, nearly two dozen L.A. residents have sued Sterling for engaging in racist housing practices and Jim Crow-style bigotry. In a 2003 deposition, the 76-year-old real estate mogul admitted to paying a former employee to have sex with him in an elevator. Three years ago, the U.S. government charged him with "willful" mistreatment of African-American and Latino tenants, and earlier this month, he agreed to pay the Dept. of Justice nearly $3 million to settle a federal racial-discrimination housing lawsuit, the largest award ever for a case of its kind." So why, asks California's Tenants Together, has the NBA said nothing about Sterling's less than sterling behavior? [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco on Nov 27, 2009 - 27 comments

Transcending The same year Jackie Robinson started playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Wat Misaka became the first "person of color" to play in the NBA. Though he only played three games with the New York Knicks. [more inside]
posted by drezdn on Nov 26, 2009 - 5 comments

The book the NBA doesn't want you to read. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was convicted of passing inside information on NBA games to gamblers, for thousands of dollars. He has written a book purporting to reveal many explosive scandals about NBA officiating (detailed excerpts). It was scheduled for publication by Random House (cached Amazon page), then cancelled after an alleged lawsuit threat by the league. [more inside]
posted by msalt on Oct 29, 2009 - 47 comments

Basketball doesn't have baseball's numerous simmering controversies over Hall of Fame inductees, but the greatest basketball player denied enshrinement may be 11-time ABA and NBA All Star center Artis Gilmore. At 7-foot-2 plus 4 inches for his towering afro, they called him "The A-Train" for his powerful but unpretentious play, and today on his 60th birthday he still owns career records in the NCAA (22.7 rebounds per game) and NBA (59.9% field goal percentage). OK, I only posted this so I could link to these three photos. [more inside]
posted by planetkyoto on Sep 21, 2009 - 12 comments

Ron Artest--now wearing #37 for the LA Lakers in honor of Thriller's 37 weeks at #1 on the charts--has dropped what should only be described as the definitive Michael Jackson tribute song. (audio possibly NSFW) [more inside]
posted by pokermonk on Jul 9, 2009 - 39 comments

She did it again. The Orlando Magic took no chances as they extended their undefeated record at home in the playoffs. The Magic remain undefeated when Gina Marie Incandela sings the national anthem(YT). Since first singing the national anthem for them in February, the team has won every game she sings at. Five years ago she was diagnosed with PDD-NOS autism and she now is a poster child for early intervention(YT). Not to get in a rut singing only the national anthem, Gina has released a CD single.
posted by geekyguy on May 30, 2009 - 30 comments

Wayman Tisdale is dead at age 44. The 2nd pick in the 1985 NBA draft, he played for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and the Phoenix Suns. His first love was always music, retiring in 1997 to focus on a successful career as a jazz bassist. He released eight albums and was well sought out as a studio musician. [more inside]
posted by uaudio on May 15, 2009 - 16 comments

Tom Friend's retrospective of Chauncey Billup's career is as fine a profile of leadership, tenacity, and redemption as comes along in American sportswriting. [more inside]
posted by Roach on May 11, 2009 - 22 comments

For those who might be unaware: One of the great basketball games concluded last night in thrilling fashion during triple overtime. It is only par for a series that has gone into overtime for the fourth time in games in six games (one of which was double OT, and last night's aforementioned triple OT). The heroic moments and failures of players are too numerous to count at this point, but five of the six games have been decided by 11 points... TOTAL. On Saturday 8PM EST, what is arguably one of the greatest series ever, will conclude with the final game 7. [more inside]
posted by Lacking Subtlety on May 1, 2009 - 56 comments

How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero on Apr 13, 2009 - 130 comments

The selfless NBA stats geek, by Michael Lewis. Michael Lewis previously on mefi [more inside]
posted by jourman2 on Feb 14, 2009 - 32 comments

Dallas Mavericks owner, celebrity dancer, Dairy Queen manager, and bloviating billionaire Mark Cuban has been accused of insider trading. In its complaint, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Cuban of selling his entire stake in Momma.com (since renamed) to avoid a $750,000 loss in 2004. But not even the government has a gag big enough to cover Cuban's mouth. On his blog, Cuban says the SEC is picking on him and presented an excerpt of a deposition of Mamma.com's CEO. And Cuban would like you to believe that he's being politically persecuted for his support of the 9/11 conspiracy film, "Loose Change." Cuban's Magnolia Pictures, which redacted Redacted, was said to be interested in a distribution deal.
posted by up in the old hotel on Nov 19, 2008 - 42 comments

Goodbye Seattle! Hello Oklahoma! Get ready for the NBA's newest team, the Oklahoma City SuperSonics! Whither Seattle basketball? Methinks not.
posted by parmanparman on Jun 12, 2008 - 78 comments

Sports Business Journal has a detailed look behind the buzz over "The Emperor’s New Clothes: How ESPN’s Multi-Platform Strategy Hasn’t Improved Ratings," a sharply critical PowerPoint presentation making the rounds of sports league offices and advertising buyers in recent months. A good read for folks interested in the business of sports, decreasing TV ratings for many leagues, the blurriness of the ad/news line and the difficulty of measuring eyeballs across media. [via Romenesko]
posted by mediareport on Mar 17, 2008 - 18 comments

Ursa Major, the former home of deceased basketball great (and cocksman extraordinaire) Wilt Chamberlain is for sale. History. Slide shows.
posted by dersins on Jan 25, 2008 - 22 comments

For the first time since 1982, the NBA will require two teams to replay a portion of a previous game. The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat will replay the final 51.9 seconds of their December 19th game because the official scorer ruled incorrectly that Shaquille O'Neal fouled out.
posted by pwb503 on Jan 11, 2008 - 31 comments

Chinese Nicknames for NBA Players. Find out who the Stone Buddha is and whether he can hold off the German Racecar, the Sweet Melon and the King of Dragons.
posted by srboisvert on Nov 2, 2007 - 27 comments

Completely amazing graph of every NBA player for every season in which he played at least five minutes since 1979. Points Per Game are on the Y-Axis, sum total of every other stat on the X-axis, with the data points colored with RGB depending on the player's statistical tendencies during that season. Full explanation of methodology here. Gigantic monitor recommended. Via the always excellent TrueHoop.
posted by Kwine on Jul 12, 2007 - 20 comments

NBA star challenges the industry with a $15 sneaker. Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury skipped the typical endorsement deals and teamed up with retailer Steve & Barry's to promote his "Starbury" basketball sneakers. What makes them so special isn't as much the design or even the name attached to the shoe, but Marbury's idea to sell them for $14.98. And far from just a product endorsement, Marbury is putting his money where his feet are. In addition to waiving endorsement fees and only receiving a percentage of actual sales, Marbury has also worn the shoes on the court since the start of the 2006 NBA season, and both the shoe- and Marbury- have held their own against a shoe ten times its price.
posted by XQUZYPHYR on Apr 4, 2007 - 103 comments

I have a plan that will save USA Basketball.
"these are the very kids who could save American basketball. ...Now, am I 100 percent sure this is feasible (or even legal)? No. But do you have a better idea? Because what we're doing now certainly isn't the answer."
posted by thisisdrew on Sep 11, 2006 - 35 comments

Don Nelson, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, is back to coach the Golden State Warriors again. Excecutive VP, Chris Mullen who played under Nelson at Golden State re-hired him after parting ways with former Stanford coach, Mike Montgomery who was their ninth coach in the past 12 seasons since Nelson's departure.
posted by pwb503 on Aug 29, 2006 - 15 comments

Even after the bad PR brought about by the new balls used in this year's World Cup, the NBA announced today (Draft Day!) a new official game ball to be used starting next season (ESPN coverage). The new ball designed by Spalding is the first official game ball change since 1970 and only the second change in the last 60 years. Vegans will be happy to hear that it's no longer made of leather. Mark Cuban will surely weigh in with an opinion on this...
posted by pwb503 on Jun 28, 2006 - 45 comments

Ever wonder what your favorite NBA player would look like photo shopped into a cheezy family portrait? Wonder no more. (via spofi)
posted by justgary on Apr 5, 2006 - 22 comments

There's an excellent two part dialog between Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell on ESPN's Page 2 this week. The two cover a wide variety of topics such as writing, how a kid with no TV from the middle of nowhere in Canada can be a sports fan, the NFL, the economics of sports, and everyone's favorite NBA GM Isiah Thomas.
posted by togdon on Mar 3, 2006 - 13 comments

Can you score your way out of disgrace? Kobe Bryant's 81 points tonight were the second most points ever scored by a single player in the 59 year history of the NBA, and the most scored since Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point night 44 years ago (when the league was much whiter than it is today). With a new campaign from one time sponsor Nike and sports writers increasingly touting Bryant as a leading MVP candidate, two of the three elements of modern sports superstardom (sponsorship, good press) have returned to Kobe since the rape allegations that threatened to end his career. Will the final piece of the puzzle (public sympathy) be next?
posted by jonson on Jan 22, 2006 - 119 comments

As a brutal civil war ravages the NBA, loyalist forces are under attack from a fascist coup led by Generalissimo David Stern. Stern promises prosperity and stability to the people of Indiana. [Special thanks to this guy.]
posted by Civil_Disobedient on Nov 24, 2004 - 17 comments

Apologevents Cuban says "Please make me apologize… The FCC as Marketing Partner" and he hits on the latest network trick.
posted by billsaysthis on Nov 17, 2004 - 7 comments

Shaqzilla dethroned. Shaquille O'Neal, who warned Chinese citizen & #1 draft pick Yao Ming to "Look Out, Shaqzilla is coming" (presumably unaware that Tokyo is not part of China), has been dethroned; currently in fan balloting, he is running a distant second to the rookie for starting center in the All Star game. Even though his numbers are effectively double those of Yao's, even though he's a three time NBA Finals MVP.
posted by jonson on Jan 2, 2003 - 27 comments

The US defeated in basketball World Championships by a dominant Argentina team. This breaks the record 58 non-stop winning series since the US allowed NBA players in 1992. I love this, just as I loved all the upsets at the FIFA world cup.
posted by ugly_n_sticky on Sep 5, 2002 - 16 comments

Ralph Nader's at it again. The Nation's Top Consumer Watchdog apparently is a Kings fan. He's taking the NBA to task for the phantom fouls and blatant non-calls in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. Can't say as I blame him though. That was some pretty crappy officiating. But doesn't he have better things to do?
posted by shecky57 on Jun 5, 2002 - 36 comments

If Yao plays in NBA for 10 years, half of his earnings will be enough to host as many seasons of the CBA league. Chinese Basketball Association player in the NBA is required to send big money back home.
posted by Leonard on Apr 30, 2002 - 10 comments

In 1976 four ABA teams joined the NBA. This left 2 teams to be compensated. One team accepted a $3 million buyout. The other team, as per an agreement made 6 months earlier and thought up by the owner of the team, got 1/7 of the other 4 teams television money forever. Has there ever been a better business deal/gamble?
posted by betaray on Jan 24, 2002 - 15 comments

Quest for Evil? A classic case of judging a story by its title. (Hmm, something we are often guilty of here). It seems that the NBA and Lord of the Rings--the movie have partnered together to market their respective product. The NBA is using the idea of the"lord of the rings" to promote the quest for an NBA championship. Um, does anyone else see a problem here?
posted by jacknose on Dec 13, 2001 - 26 comments

Bona fide druggies in the NBA repeatedly gets caught not only breaking league rules, but the law. And like Lamar Odom, not much happens to these young men except they lose tens of thousands of dollars in fines. My question: why have a drug policy in the NBA if you're not going to do much to punish them - especially the super talented, good-looking, nice ones like Odom?
posted by tsarfan on Nov 5, 2001 - 10 comments

Jordan is back. Officially. The question is: does he still have what it takes to reach the top?
posted by kchristidis on Sep 25, 2001 - 30 comments

It's official, Jordan is back in the NBA. He's claiming it's for the love of the game, but I'm guessing maybe the book and the movie didn't do as well as he hoped? Do you think he'll pop back in and dominate the game, or have the Kobes and Iversons of the world passed him by?
posted by mathowie on Sep 10, 2001 - 20 comments

"I can't teach him what it's like to be black," said Van de Perre, who is white. "But I can teach him what it's like to be Canadian and to be a well-rounded human being."

The endgame of a custody battle between a white, single mother with a questionable employment record and a black, married father who played in the NBA. A lower court awarded custody to Blue Edwards, the father, in part because "[the child] would be better off with the wealthy Edwards family which can raise him in black culture".
posted by Big Fat Tycoon on Jun 13, 2001 - 17 comments

The NBA Finals start tonight. I've never been a big fan of watching any sport, but the hometown Sixers have been quite exciting. Now I find myself hoping that they can find a way to win against those smug Lakers and quiet their arrogant, over-confident fans. Anyone else love an underdog?
posted by quirked on Jun 6, 2001 - 35 comments

NBA Finals Fixed, Ray Allen all but makes the statement straight out. I have been hearing this on the radio over the last week or so. Could it just be poor officiating?
posted by vanderwal on Jun 1, 2001 - 36 comments

Why it sucks to be in the media spotlight. Need I say more? Why they felt the need to put this in print for the whole world to see is beyond my comprehension. My God... can you imagine?
posted by fusinski on Apr 25, 2001 - 24 comments

This is something that has been bothering me for the entire NBA playoffs. Watching the Lakers / Blazers series has seriously made me think about this. Portland down 3-1, Lakers come back for a heroic game 7 victory on a Shaq alley-oop? hmmmm... Does this sound fishy to anyone else? Seems more like a script from a Rocky movie than a professional sport. What do you think?
posted by Doomsday on Jun 6, 2000 - 10 comments