Take A Seat: Gilbert Arenas Suspended Indefinitely

NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today that Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas will be suspended indefinitely for his recent involvement with handguns in the nation’s capital.

If you haven’t heard about the latest news surrounding Gilbert (or you just so happen to be living under a rock), Arenas was being investigated by the NBA, the FBI, and D.C. Metro Police for having handguns stored in his locker at the Verizon Center (located in Washington D.C.). Why he brought the guns to the arena is irrelevent (he said it was to get the guns out of his home and away from his kids) in this case because you are NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A HANDGUN IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. And then, to add insult to injury, reports surface that Arenas pulled one of the guns on a fellow teammate in the locker room over an unpaid gambling debt.

Gilbert Arenas acted as if the whole thing was one big joke and I’m glad to see David Stern lay the law down on him. Although Stern said he thought of waiting for the justice system to take its course first, he decided to act early (pro-active). Arenas is suspended without pay and it will cost him about $150,000 for every game that he misses due to suspension.

This could quite possibly be a blessing in disguise for the Washington Wizards franchise. If the new ownership of the Washington Wizards can find some way to void the absurd $111 million contract that Arenas possesses, that would certainly give the management team more money to work with in order to better build a contending basketball team. The worst move the Wizards made (aside from the drafting of Kwame Brown and many others) was when they were convinced into giving an $111 million contract to an egotistical guard with rubber knees. Now we can only hope that the contract including something about maintaining good behavior, having morals, acting as a grown man, and avoiding stupid situations.

Here’s to hoping Gilbert Arenas came with a receipt.

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian Getting Married

This is not a joke. But it should be.

Lakers star Lamar Odom was first rumored of dating reality star (better known as Kim’s sister) Khloe Kardashian just two weeks ago. And now? The two are ready to tie the knot! In fact, the two are planning a rush-wedding in order to exchange vowels and finish up their honeymoon before Odom heads away to camp for the upcoming season.

What’s the rush?? After such a short time of actually knowing one another, why in the world is Odom willing to split his recently signed $33 million contract? And I’m not buying that whole, “…when it’s true love, you just know…” That saying is for people who arent muti-millionaires. “Khloe is smart and beautiful and that is very hard to find,” Odom said.

Yea, yea, yea – think about your CASH Lamar!!

MJ Still Has It: Hall of Famer’s Current Girlfriend

Michael Jordan was cool in college. He was cool the day he was drafted. He was cool when he retired. He was cool when he came back, and then came back again. Damnit! He’s still cool today!

Jordan’s current girlfriend has been seen everywhere with him lately, most recently accompanying him at his Hall of Fame induction. So, who is the lucky lady? Yvette Prieto, a 30-year-old Cuban model from Miami. The two have reportedly been dating since the summer of 2008, but the recent rumors of the two getting married and Prieto being pregnant has given her a little more attention. 

And it’s not like this is new spotlight stardom for Prieto. Before MJ, she dated Julio Inglesias (I guess he sings too..?) and the two were all over the Spanish tabloids. It can only make me wonder….is this woman after the cash? Sure they’ve been dating since 2008, but having a child with the most famous athlete in the world is a sure-on cash cow! Additionally, I don’t want to sound rude or offensive but I may have no choice, Prieto is an unmeasurable upgrade from Jordan’s last wife (ew..).

Allen Iverson Finds A New Home

Future NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson signed a one-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies today worth a reported $3.1 million, a deal that Iverson claims is his  ”rookie season again”.

It’s great to see Iverson with a new team, a team that invites him and a team that he doesn’t mind playing for. However, winning an NBA Title was obviously not in A.I.’s mind. The Grizzlies? C’mon. Couldn’t you chat with the Celtics? Wouldn’t you rather be a legit title contender with men your own age rather than winning 35 games with a group of young guys that are attempting to gain the spotlight you once had?

Good luck Mr. Iverson. (And you’re still required to practice)

Shaq Does Pro Wrestling, Provides Amusing Photo

Shaq thought wrestling was “real“.

Although I find this idiotic and absurd, in Shaq’s defense, he looked pretty good for approaching 40-years-old.

Boston Celtics Taking Tips from Hometown Patriots?

The New England Patriots are known for picking up what some teams would call their “leftovers” and signing them to veteran deals. The expected result, the potential output, of these “old timers” is never guaranteed. However, Bill Belichick and the Pats always take a chance. And you know what? It always works. The 2009 veteran signees, Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor, are yet to be seen. But you can bet that they will perform ten times stronger than anywhere else in the league.

Just down the road, in Boston, the Celtics and general manager Danny Ainge seem to be taking a page out of the Patriots book. Two seasons ago, the Celtics brought in veterans Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett as a result of a blockbuster trade. Ray Allen was a proven and respected player in the NBA, KG was a proven and respected player in the NBA, and the Celtics were ready to win ‘now’. The team already had Paul Pierce and they wanted him apart of the puzzle, especially because of his valuable experience.

Now, amongst the many trade rumors that cloud each and every summer, Boston is reported to be the likely new home of NBA veterans Rasheed Wallace and Grant Hill. Wallace is leaving Detroit and is considered “old” by many teams. Grant Hill has been plagued with injuries for the majority of his career, hence creating the “old man” tag that he wears proudly. With Ray Allen set to become a free agent in 2010, and KG’s recent injury report, the Celtics are seemingly taking the Patriot Approach in order to win NOW.

Smart? I think so.  It worked for them two years ago, and it works for the Patriots.

Why did Ron Artest hop in the shower with Kobe Bryant?

Ron Artest is a little loose in the head, we all know that (see: Palace Brawl). But is he weird enough to hop in the shower with Kobe Bryant after a game? They weren’t even on the same team!

CBS reports,

Kobe said that after the Lakers lost game six of the ‘08 NBA Finals in Boston by 39 points, he was alone in the shower, just fuming. He heard somebody walk in and assumed it was one of his teammates, or maybe a staff member. Instead, he looked up, and it was Ron Artest (to this day, Kobe has no idea how Artest got into the locker room).

“I want to come help you,” Artest said. “If I can, I’m going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title.”

Are you kidding me? I guess it’s a good thing that Artest finally landed in LA, otherwise he’d be peeking in on Kobe all the time. Luckily for Ron Ron, he can shower with Kobe after every game next season.

Lamar Odom to leave L.A.?

CBS Sports is reporting that the Portland Trailblazers are strongly pursuing Lakers’ forward Lamar Odom.

Odom played a crucial role in the Lakers’ title run and he was a top priority for the team during the offseason. However, Trevor Ariza was also atop the Lakers’ priority list and he ended up in Houston within days.

If I were the Lakers, I’d be a little afraid. Of course if you’re the Lakers that’s a draw within itself, but Portland is no slouch. They’re young, they’re exciting, and they’re on the rise. Aldridge, Oden, Outlaw, Roy, Rudy Fernandez, and a possible Lamar Odom. Sounds like a solid spot in the West if you ask me.

It was earlier reported that the Blazers were most interested in Knicks’ free agent forward David Lee, but current rumors have changed that.

I know the Lakers scored Ron Artest (which is a massive addition) but the loss of Odom is a massive loss. Not necessarily by looking at the box score, but when you watch the Lakers play, Odom is a horse.

Not Quite A Trade: Rockets and Lakers Swap Forwards

The NBA free agency period continued to surprise people around the league, and continued to disappoint the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was reported yesterday that Lakers’ forward Trevor Ariza was leaning towards leaving L.A. and not even thinking about a hometown discount. And that’s exactly what he did. ESPN has reported that Ariza has agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets that would pay him $5.8 million per year. With the addition of Ariza, the Houston Rockets look pretty good on paper. Yao (although he may not play), Artest, Ariza, Battier, Brooks, McGrady, etc.

But wait…not so fast.

A majority of reports had surfaced in recent days stating that Ron Artest was content with the Houston Rockets and that he planned on staying in Texas. However, the Lakers thought otherwise. The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to terms, according to ESPN, with former Rockets’ forward Ron Artest. The deal would pay Artest a reported $18 million over just three years…not too shabby.

So now you look at the Rockets roster and it doesn’t look so appealing. Sure Ariza is a nice addition, but you lost a much better and much more proven Ron Artest. Yao Ming is likely to miss all of next season, if not his whole career, and the rest of the starting line-up is consistently on the trading block. McGrady is getting older, always suffering from injuries, and always has his name thrown into trade talks. Aaron Brooks has had his name thrown into offseason trade rumors. Shane Battier is always a hot commodity because of his defense and shooting ability, making him all the more worthy of a slight filler in a trade proposal. All of sudden, with the loss of Artest, the Rockets don’t look so sexy.

As for the Lakers, they look all the better. Ron Artest is a ..::..HuGE..::.. upgrade for the team whether they lose Ariza or not. Artest has lockdown defense and he has the ability to score. What more could you ask for? His attitude seems to have improved and he appears more mature than ever before in his career.

Although I feel the Rockets really lost a good one in Artest, the real loser amongst these two signings is the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs had both Artest and Ariza on their radar and now they’re both un-signable. If there is anything good out of this for the Cavs, at least both Artest and Ariza stay in the West and away from the Cavs’ 2010 run at the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers have missed out on Charlie V, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza, and most likely Rasheed Wallace, meaning they have slim pickins’ for a free agent this offseason. The Lakers improve and the Rockets begin their slow downward spiral (maybe).

Busy Market in Motown

The Detroit Pistons were expected to be busy come free agency time, but perhaps not this busy.

• Free agent shooting guard, and former Bulls’ swingman, Ben Gordon has agreed to terms with the Pistons. The deal is reported to be a hefty $55 million over five years for Gordon, who will take over and fill the loss of Allen Iverson (if that’s even considered a loss).
• Free agent power forward, and former Bucks’ big man, Charlie Villanueva has agreed to terms with the Pistons. The deal is reported to be $40 million over five years for Villanueva, who will take over for the departing Rasheed Wallace.

What do these signings mean for other teams? Well, Gordon was definitely leaving Chi-town and Detroit was the likely suitor. No surprise there. But as for Charlie V., that leaves out at least one important team – the Cavaliers. It was reported, strongly reported, that the Cavaliers would make a serious push to try and sign Villanueva in order to get the long guy with three-point shooting ability. However, with Villanueva’s recent signing, the Cavs will likely shift their interest toward Lakers’ forward Trevor Ariza.

The Lakers’ original plan was to try their best to retain Ariza, but his agent has made it very clear that Ariza will not accept any hometown discounts of any kind. And with the $5.5 million that the Lakers reportedly offered Ariza, he is a little upset with the organization. Therefore, if he wants to go then the Cavaliers will listen. A deal should be worked out shortly.

What a great time this is for sports!