NBA: Oden having surgery in hopes of reviving career (The SportsXchange)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 15:50:12 PDT)
Former No. 1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden reportedly has undergone a controversial procedure to try to kick-start his waning basketball career.

Greg Oden underwent the same knee procedure that served Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez so well (Ball Don't Lie)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 14:05:22 PDT)
It's become apparent that former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden is going all-out, in his attempts to recover from the litany of knee injuries that limited him to just 82 total games in five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. The free-agent center, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard , underwent the same knee treatment that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez underwent in Germany to correct their balky knees. The technical difference is that Oden had his procedure performed in New York. The sad difference is that both Bryant and Rodriguez are in their mid-30s, and have championships to their credit. Oden, at age 24, has no such pedigree. Only potential, as it's always been, cruelly cut down by a series of unfortunate maladies that resulted in an NBA-unprecedented third microfracture surgery. Oden has been in the news quite a bit since the Blazers released him in March. He was the subject of some discussion as to the Portland staff's role in his botched recovery, his admission to drinking heavily and struggling with the pressures of his status as the top pick in the 2007 draft, and his willingness to (of course) want to play for the downright center-less Miami Heat all hit our site this spring. Now, according to Broussard , he went to great and experimental lengths in order to strengthen those knees for one last attempt to cash in on that tantalizing potential. Here's Chris :

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, ‘Jeopardy!’ is no place for your dirty mind (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
(Fri, 18 May 2012 09:10:55 PDT)
Of all the foes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has faced in his illustrious career as a basketball player, actor, author and ambassador, there's one he has yet to vanquish: Alex Trebek. The NBA's all-time leading scorer appeared on an episode of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" back in October 2009 and famously flubbed a clue seeking the name of the former UCLA Bruins and Portland Trail Blazers big man whom pilot Roger Murdock said he dragged up and down the basketball court in a classic line from the 1980 comedy "Airplane!" The answer, of course, is Bill Walton. Despite having played the pilot and delivered the line himself, Kareem offered his own name . People laughed a lot. [Related:  Top 10 worst dressed NBA draft picks ever, featuring Jalen Rose ] Luckily, Kareem's not someone who takes offense at perceived slights or holds grudges , so it didn't become some whole big thing. Still, when he was invited back to "Jeopardy!" to take part in the popular quiz show's "Power Players" Week — a five-night stand in Washington, D.C., featuring 15 celebrity contestants from the field of politics, literature, journalism and entertainment — you'd figure he had a measure of redemption on his mind. The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers legend would not only defeat CNBC anchor David Faber and Fox News commentator Dana Perino in this competition for charity, but he'd look good doing it. Well, about that ... That answer + that bow tie + Faber coming away with the win = another couple years of stewing for Kareem, I suspect. Oh, well. At least we're all thinking about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watching pornography now. I'm sure he feels really good about that. Video via retronewfoundland . Hat-tip to Jim Weber at Lost Letterman .

NBA union seeks arbitration over Bird rights issue (The Associated Press)
(Tue, 15 May 2012 20:26:58 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The NBA players' association said Tuesday it is seeking an arbitrator's ruling in hopes that Jeremy Lin and three other players maintain valuable rights in free agency.

NBA Playoffs Schedule (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Mon, 14 May 2012 05:58:00 PDT)
The first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs is now behind us, after the Los Angeles Clippers closed out their series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

LeBron James wins 2012 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (NBA)
(Sat, 12 May 2012 13:41:53 PDT)
LeBron James wins 2012 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award

NBA MVP Award Winners (NBA)
(Sat, 12 May 2012 11:08:00 PDT)
NBA MVP Award Winners

Blazers F Aldridge has surgery on right hip (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 10 May 2012 20:25:26 PDT)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Trail Blazers say forward LaMarcus Aldridge had surgery on his right hip.

Pacers' David Morway emerges as a frontrunner for Blazers GM job; to meet with owner
(Thu, 10 May 2012 11:02:03 PDT)
Top candidates in GM search hint that Portland is changing team-building strategy

NBA Roundup: Allen won't sell Blazers, Oden to sit out 2012-13 (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 09 May 2012 17:55:21 PDT)
Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen said he won't sell the team, but called the 2011-12 season the most disappointing he's had in 24 years as owner.

Greg Oden discusses his five years in Portland, and the time he ‘pretty much became an alcoholic’ (Ball Don't Lie)
(Wed, 09 May 2012 15:00:17 PDT)
In a "shocking" interview, former No. 1 pick and ex-Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden said that bad influences in his life caused him to drink too much a couple of years ago, that he remains befuddled  people are so infatuated with him because he played only 82 NBA games in five potential seasons, and that he may have rushed back too early from his various knee ailments after listening to a Portland medical staff that has been discredited in some outlets . This is a candid, evocative interview from former AAU teammate and professional [storm]-stirrer Mark Titus , but I hardly think any of the revelations could be termed as surprising. A must-read, to be sure, but who is actually taken aback in discovering that Oden is frustrated, bemused and, in some points, regretful of the series of unfortunate events that have befallen him since the Trail Blazers selected him first overall out of Ohio State in 2007? Here's one particularly noteworthy passage : It's almost like a cloud has been following Greg since high school. He even had bad luck with the 2007 draft, landing in the same class as Kevin Durant. Experts spent two months comparing them and picking apart Greg's résumé, which didn't stop Portland from selecting him with the first overall pick. That summer, his right knee started bothering him and doctors determined that he needed microfracture surgery. Greg's rookie season was over before it even began. Portland fans, who endured the injury-ravaged careers of Bill Walton and Sam Bowie, freaked out. What those fans didn't know was that Greg's heart was still aching because of [best friend from high school, Travis Smith]'s death; he was already headed down a destructive path of drinking and "doing things I shouldn't have been doing" (his words at dinner). The knee surgery only made things worse.

Oden discusses 'alcoholic' past; won't play in 2012-13 (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:18 PDT)
Former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden opened up about alcohol abuse and told Grantland.com that he intends to sit out the 2012-13 season.

Paul Allen not selling Trail Blazers (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 09 May 2012 11:50:22 PDT)
Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen said he won't sell the team, but called the 2011-12 season the most disappointing he's had in 24 years as owner.

Allen says Blazers not for sale in letter to fans (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 09 May 2012 11:22:19 PDT)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Paul Allen insists he's not going to sell the Portland Trail Blazers, but says this season is the most disappointing he's had in 24 years as the team's owner.

Bobcats to interview Patrick Ewing
(Mon, 07 May 2012 21:01:50 PDT)
The Bobcats have lined up interviews with assistant coaches Patrick Ewing and Mike Malone to fill their coaching vacancy.

Jason Terry may have ‘broke every broom in the house’ to avoid a sweep of the Dallas Mavericks (Ball Don't Lie)
(Sat, 05 May 2012 10:50:06 PDT)
We're not sure if this is apocryphal (some go-to line that he heard years ago, and is passing along now), or for realsies and completely and utterly true. Whatever the case, the idea that Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry would break all the brooms in his house on the eve of his team's attempt to stave off playoff elimination by 4-0 sweep (get it?) by the Oklahoma City Thunder sounds right up Jason Terry's alley. His goofball, endearing, super-superstitious alley. From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price (who strangely has me blocked on Twitter; not following me is one thing, I totally get that because I'm weird, but I don't think I've ever sent a word — much less a cross word — his way), via SB Nation : "I broke every broom in the house. That's a little superstition, so I don't think there will be any sweeps going on." - Mavs G Jason Terry

Paul Silas, Charlotte Bobcats part ways, beginning a very interesting coaching search (Ball Don't Lie)
(Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:00:22 PDT)
Coming off perhaps the worst regular season in NBA history, the Charlotte Bobcats announced Monday that head coach Paul Silas would not return to coach the team during the 2012-13 NBA season. Rod Higgins, Charlotte's president of basketball operations, announced the separation — it's not a firing, per se, as Silas' contract ran out at the end of the season — in a press release , saying that the "search for [Silas'] successor will begin immediately." "I would like to personally thank Paul for everything he has done for this team under some pretty unique circumstances," Higgins said. "His basketball experience as a coach and a player speak for themselves. We have been fortunate to have someone of his character associated with this franchise and we hope he will continue to be a valuable resource to us in the future." During a Monday afternoon press conference, Silas thanked the Bobcats for the opportunity and said he would not pursue another head-coaching job. "It's time to move on and I'm OK with that," Silas said, according to the Bobcats' official Twitter feed . Silas said he was offered an as-yet undefined consulting role with the team, though most outside observers would likely suggest that the best thing for him, now that he is without a contract, is to run away from the Charlotte Bobcats as fast as your 68-year-old legs can take you . Higgins didn't set a timetable for a hire to be made, but did say the front office is "going to start as soon as this [press conference] is over." General manager Rich Cho said the ideal candidate for the team's head coach would be "someone [...] who wants to be here and [the] opportunity to be part of building this team up going forward." That raises an interesting question: Who the hell wants this job?

Clippers stun Grizzlies, stage 27-point 2nd half comeback for 99-98 Game 1 win (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie)
(Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:30:07 PDT)
An awful lot of sports fans — especially those on the East Coast, exhausted after 7.75 NBA playoff games in less than two days — probably went to sleep somewhere around the end of the third quarter of Sunday's Game 1 between the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers. After 36 minutes of mostly lights-out basketball on both ends of the floor, Memphis held a 21-point advantage over the Clippers heading into the fourth quarter, and they looked well on their way to a convincing blowout win to open their Western Conference playoff series. And then, this happened: From Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press : Chris Paul begged coach Vinny Del Negro to put him back into the game for the fourth quarter and not give up despite being down 21 points. The result was another Clippers comeback — one of the greatest in NBA playoff history. Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Clippers rallied from a deficit that had been as much as 27 to stun the Memphis Grizzlies 99-98 Sunday night in the opening game of their Western Conference series. The key, Paul said, is to keep believing. ''Unfortunately, that's how we play,'' he said. ''We get killed in the first three quarters and in the fourth quarter we like to try to stand up for ourselves, and we found a way to win tonight.''

Woeful Blazers have intriguing offseason ahead (The Associated Press)
(Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:45:01 PDT)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Now the work begins for the Portland Trail Blazers.

NBA Capsules (The Associated Press)
(Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:28:01 PDT)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Charlotte Bobcats couldn't even beat a New York Knicks team resting most of its starters, finishing with the worst winning percentage in NBA history after a 104-84 loss on Thursday night.