Here’s an update for one of our Jocks Behind Bars members. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was in court today and avoided any jail time after pleading guilty to weapons and driving charges.

After the plea, West was sentenced to eight months of electronic monitoring, two years probation and 40 hours of community service by a Prince George’s County Circuit Court.

Police said in September 2009, the NBA star was speeding when he cut off one an officer. After getting pulled over, they discovered two loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun and an 8½-inch Bowie knife in West’s vehicle.

Where the hell is an NBA basketball player going with artillery like that?

West’s attorney said his client was moving the weapons from one home to another after the player’s mother wanted them removed from the one property.

The NBA may consider a suspension and, or, other disciplinary actions against West after they “review the court’s decision.”

It’s been a rough week for Cavs owner Dan Gilbert that included the team’s superstar LeBron James deserting Cleveland to go play for their rival Miami Heat. There is speculation that the 26-year-old West may have seen his last day in a Cavs uniform. With this arrest and conviction coupled with the player skipping a bunch of practices and team meetings in the past and the domestic violence report his wife filed against him in October, well, you get the message.

According to sources, West has been battling a bi-polar disorder and has been seeing the team’s psychologist. Lucky for him, with today’s sentencing, he won’t have to do it from a jail cell.

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

CLEVELAND, OH. – Michigan State Spartans basketball coach Tom Izzo is one of the top basketball coaches in the country and his ability to make sound decisions is one of the reasons. That same attribute may keep him behind a bench surrounded by Spartan green instead of NBA Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys.

Michigan State AD Mark Hollis has announced that Dan Gilbert has expressed a strong interest in his coach, Izzo, although he has not been given an offer yet. But who is Gilbert? The main interest that will put a guy behind that Cavs bench may need to come from LeBron James but only IF he is in the land of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next season.

Gilbert is a Michigan State alum and thinks Izzo walks on water but until James thinks the same AND has a contract signed, we may see Izzo left hanging in quasi-land.

In 15 years as an NCAA coach, Izzo has won a national championship and led his Spartans to 6 Final Fours but regardless of his ability to win and lead, many do not expect him to take the Cavs job unless James has signed on the dotted line. On the flip side of that, regardless of his resume, he may have to wait for LeBron’s approval anyways.

To wad up and throw away his current contract that has him locked in until 2016 for a total rebuilding scenario without LeBron in Cleveland would be like trading in a Bentley for a Yugo.

The Cavs have remained one of the top teams and contenders in the Eastern Conference with James on the court but have still failed to win a title even though they have opened their wallet and surrounded James with a variety of talent over the years.

That being said, if James leaves for a larger NBA market like New York or Chicago, then Izzo may prefer to stay put in Lansing where Spartans fans are pacing the floor, awaiting this decision.

The LeBron sweepstakes has taken center stage even to the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers NBA Playoff Finals and now Izzo’s name has been thrown into the fiasco.

Teams like his Cavs, the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets are drooling over the image of seeing James suit up in their buildings, salivating over the idea of having him suit up in their uniform.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has basically thrown away a few seasons creating enough cap space while it was earlier that rumored Derek Jeter and Jay Z would get involved in the recruiting mission.

In the Windy City, a billboard sits at Grand Ave. and La Salle St. that says “Chicago wants LeBron.” LeBron probably won’t even be driving in that area in Chicago but that’s how much hype surrounds his free agency.

Politicians are even getting in the mix with Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland leading a group of people singing a song entitled “Please Stay LeBron,” and President Obama suggesting where James should sign.

With this circus atmosphere surrounding LeBron and the Cavs, Izzo may have to wait for the official offer that may only come after James signs and APPROVES him as coach.

Izzo may not be used to players making coaching or organization decisions like that but welcome to the NBA . . . before even getting there, Mr. Izzo.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Rumors will be flying in this NBA off-season about what jersey LeBron James may land in.

SLAP! Excuse me, I just hauled off and slapped myself.

There are still two rounds to go in these NBA playoffs and the media, including us, are already absorbed in the LeBron sweepstakes.

Last time I looked there were four NBA teams that earned some press time by advancing to their NBA Conference Finals. Boston, Orlando, Phoenix and the L.A. Lakers all deserve the attention since they . . .

Forget that, back to LeBron.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers were given a shocking quick exit courtesy of Kevin Garnett and the Celts last night, Celtics fans was throwing in their two cents and giving a national television audience their prediction raising the roof with a chant:

“New York Knicks. New York Knicks!”

James had a statistically good night throwing up a triple-double, 27 points, 19 boards and 10 assists.

‘Throwing up’ may not be the best description pertaining to LeBron’s scoring; it seems more suitable for describing the symptoms Cavs fans may be having after another early ouster from the playoffs and the realization James may have played his final game in Cleveland.

When asked, James did not lay out any detail as expected about slam-dunking in another NBA uniform but he also did not suggest he will stay in the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame either.

“It’s all about winning for me, and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that,” James said. “But at the same time I’ve given myself options to this point.”

If LeBron does pack his bags, his final game could not have been a worse going away party. He was actually booed off the court after the Celtics took it to the Cavs blowing them out 120-88.

So where does ‘King’ James land? And I use that name lightly after his failure in this year’s playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls make a lot of sense since they have a foundation in place and plenty of championship history with Michael Jordan’s No. 23 jersey hanging in the rafters. Derrick Rose is one of the top point guards and Joakim Noah is developing along at a nice pace.

The Bulls gave away John Salmons and their No. 1 pick to the Fear the Deer group in Milwaukee and many believe that was solely to free up a butt-load of cash to bid on LeBron.

Miami is a part of this buzz as well and the timing of Pat Riley going to the press and declaring he may be interested in coaching again may not be a coincidence. Besides, they have the hottest cheerleaders on the planet who make every game feel like a sexy Halloween night.

Finally, the Celtics fans’ prediction, the New York Knicks. James has come right out and said New York is his favorite city and Madison Square Garden is his favorite NBA arena to play in and the Knicks have been clearing cap room for quite some time preparing to make a maximum offer to James.

If James is serious about wanting to be the first billionaire athlete in the universe, then the Knicks would almost have to be the place.

For sympathy reasons we will mention the train-wreck New Jersey Nets and give honorable mention to the L.A. Clippers because we have a really smart writer on staff here who lives on the west coast and thinks they may be prepping for the auction.

This summer will be one of the most interesting NBA off-seasons for sure, oh and BTW, I almost forgot to mention, the NBA Conference Finals start this weekend.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

New York? Chicago? Miami?

Rumors will be flying in this NBA off-season about what jersey LeBron James may land in.

SLAP! Excuse me, I just hauled off and slapped myself.

There are still two rounds to go in these NBA playoffs and the media, including us, are already absorbed in the LeBron sweepstakes.

Last time I looked there were four NBA teams that earned some press time by advancing to their NBA Conference Finals. Boston, Orlando, Phoenix and the L.A. Lakers all deserve the attention since they . . .

Forget that, back to LeBron.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers were given a shocking quick exit courtesy of Kevin Garnett and the Celts last night, Celtics fans was throwing in their two cents and giving a national television audience their prediction raising the roof with a chant:

“New York Knicks. New York Knicks!”

James had a statistically good night throwing up a triple-double, 27 points, 19 boards and 10 assists.

‘Throwing up’ may not be the best description pertaining to LeBron’s scoring; it seems more suitable for describing the symptoms Cavs fans may be having after another early ouster from the playoffs and the realization James may have played his final game in Cleveland.

When asked, James did not lay out any detail as expected about slam-dunking in another NBA uniform but he also did not suggest he will stay in the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame either.

“It’s all about winning for me, and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that,” James said. “But at the same time I’ve given myself options to this point.”

If LeBron does pack his bags, his final game could not have been a worse going away party. He was actually booed off the court after the Celtics took it to the Cavs blowing them out 120-88.

So where does ‘King’ James land? And I use that name lightly after his failure in this year’s playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls make a lot of sense since they have a foundation in place and plenty of championship history with Michael Jordan’s No. 23 jersey hanging in the rafters. Derrick Rose is one of the top point guards and Joakim Noah is developing along at a nice pace.

The Bulls gave away John Salmons and their No. 1 pick to the Fear the Deer group in Milwaukee and many believe that was solely to free up a butt-load of cash to bid on LeBron.

Miami is a part of this buzz as well and the timing of Pat Riley going to the press and declaring he may be interested in coaching again may not be a coincidence.

Finally, the Celtics fans’ prediction, the New York Knicks. James has come right out and said New York is his favorite city and Madison Square Garden is his favorite NBA arena to play in and the Knicks have been clearing cap room for quite some time preparing to make a maximum offer to James.

If James is serious about wanting to be the first billionaire athlete in the universe, then the Knicks would almost have to be the place.

For sympathy reasons we will mention the train-wreck New Jersey Nets and give honorable mention to the L.A. Clippers because we have a really smart writer on staff here who lives on the west coast and thinks they may be prepping for the auction.

This summer will be one of the most interesting NBA off-seasons for sure, oh and BTW, I almost forgot to mention, the NBA Conference Finals start this weekend.

CLEVELAND, OH. – LeBron James was presented his second consecutive NBA MVP, joining nine other NBA players who have won the award in back-to-back seasons.Those familiar names are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and Bill Russell.

Three of those stars, Russell, Chamberlain and Bird actually took the trophy home three times in a row.

James’ win comes at the heels of a season where he compiled the most impressive stats of his 7-year career that included 29.7 PPG, 7.3 rebounds and 8.6assists.NBA Commissioner David Stern presented the hardware to James Sunday at the University of Akron.

The Cavs star received 116 of a possible 123 first-place votes blowing away all the other candidates. Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant came in second but was picked first on only four ballots.

One piece of the puzzle for James’ career that remains missing is an NBA Championship. The Cavs have surrounded James with several different player combinations and have yet to find the right mix to bring Cleveland its first NBA Championship.

The most recent group includes Shaquille O’Neal who has won titles for the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The Cavs are considered by many as this year’s favorite after winning 61 games this season snagging the top seed in the playoffs.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

CLEVELAND, OH. – Word finally came down on LeBron James’ injury to his elbow and as expected, the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar will take the court on Saturday for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series against the Boston Celtics.LeBron practiced left-handed layups and short jumpers at his team’s practice today after being checked out by team docs Wednesday night in Cleveland. An MRI and X-rays were performed and the diagnosis is said to be a bone bruise accompanied by a strain.

“The best thing about it is there’s no structural damage. The docs have given me clearance that I can’t hurt it worse,” James said.

Although he’s been given the green light to play, James will continue receiving daily treatment and the team has scheduled another MRI for next week.

“We’re just being very [cautious] right now,” James said. “I didn’t do much shooting [today].”

The Cavs moved into this next round of the NBA Playoffs after they eliminated the Chicago Bulls in 5 games of a best-of-seven. Finishing that series in short fashion is exactly what the Cavaliers needed so James will be required to play less games over the stretch of these playoffs.

Knocking off the Celtics may not as easy. Many are expecting this to be a knock-down drag-out fight between these two hungry teams. The Celtics are out to prove they weren’t one-time wonders while the Cavs are still searching for their first title with James.

“If I am limited during the [Celtics] game, then I’ll be smart about it,” James said. “That’s what I was able to do in Game 5 [against Chicago]. I was very limited in shooting long-range shots, so I started going to the hole in the fourth quarter.”

With this injury limiting LeBron’s play, don’t expect a large amount of highlight-reel slam dunks until the elbow finds a way to work itself back closer to normal.

NOTE: ESPN First & Ten analyst Skip Bayless stopped just short of accusing LeBron of over exaggerating about his injury after he elected to shoot a free throw left-handed when the Chicago game was out of reach.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose netted 27 points and Joakim Noah added 21 points and 13 boards as the Bulls took a win in Charlotte 98-89 to secure the final No.8 seed in the NBA Playoffs.

The victory comes at the heels of severe internal conflicts that included a physical confrontation between head coach Vinny Del Negro and GM John Paxton. Throughout this, the Bulls were able to stay focused and end the season with a three-game win streak.

Here are all the Eastern Conference and Western Conference match-ups for the NBA Playoffs.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No.1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No.8 Chicago Bulls

No. 2 Orlando Magic vs. No. 7 Charlotte Bobcats

No. 3 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks

No. 4 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Miami Heat

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 LA Lakers vs. No. 8 Oklahoma City

No. 2 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs

No. 3 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 6 Portland Trailblazers

No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James put on a show in a 113-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

After scoring only five points in the first half, James came out after the break and took over the game, finishing with a triple-double; 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. It was James’ 4th triple double of the season.

Fifteen of those points would come in the 4th quarter during a 22-10 game finishing run.

The win improved the Cavs record to (53-15) while the Pistons who were a force over the past decade fell to a dismal (23-45). The Pistons continue their spiral and have dropped three in a row and eight out of the last ten games.

James, who added a nice piece of hardware to his cabinet after winning the NBA MVP award in 2009, still is in pursuit of an NBA title. James is a free agent after this season and the organization has brought in several players over the years trying to find the right chemistry to bring a title to Cleveland.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™ 

It was reported that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James filed the necessary paperwork to wear a uniform sporting the No. 6, foregoing the No. 23 that he has worn throughout his NBA career.

Here’s the wrinkle: he only has to ask permission if he stays with the same team. Should he move teams he picks whatever he wants when he reaches his destination.

The report noted that he wants to leave the No. 23 for Michael Jordan’s legacy but of course it fails to explain the timing of it all. So there’s that guessing game going on among Cavalier fans which I’m sure is fascinating.

But, as morning dawns in Los Angeles today, Lakers star Kobe Bryant has now heard the news, the man who switched his number from No. 8 to his old high school No. 24. And he did it after winning three NBA championships, long into his career.

Is he smiling, using that knowing grin he sports when something confirms what he thought would happen? Or is he shaking his head wondering what the heck he’s got to do to keep that distance himself from his fellow super star.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

A record-setting crowd of 108,713 jammed into Cowboys Stadium Sunday to watch the NBA Eastern Conference squeak out a 141-139 victory over the West.

Originally designed and listed to support a capacity of 35,000 fans for basketball and 80,000 for football, most of the fans had to watch the game on the giant screen to even have a clue what was happening on the court.

This game went down to the final seconds and ironically it was Dallas native Chris Bosh who scored the winning points, sinking free throws with just five seconds left.

The West got one more possession but Carmelo Anthony, who had a game-high 27 for the West, bounced a 3-pointer off the rim at the buzzer that would have won it.

Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade led the East with 28 points and 11 assists took home the MVP honors.

“I’ve had a little luck in Dallas. Of course, 2006 is very, very memorable, something I dreamed of doing for a long time, winning the NBA championship and I was lucky enough and blessed enough to win the MVP there,” Wade said. “To come and do it again is special.”

Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James added 25 for the East and was in awe of the size of the crowd.

“To be in front of 108,000 fans, that was actually what it was, that was not a false number. You could look up in the stands, and there was not a seat open,” said James. “To be part of history is something that you always wish and dream for.”

The players spent their shoot-around trying to adjust to the gigantic stadium background which is so different from the standard size arenas they normally play in.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax