EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Never has a 10-64 record been as celebrated as it was last night at the Izod Center in New Jersey as the dreadful Nets beat the hobbling San Antonio Spurs 90-84 to avoid owning the worst record in an NBA season in the history of the league.

That record for least wins will continue to be owned by the Philadelphia 76ers who did it in 1972 after finishing that season 9-73.

Much of the season, the Nets appeared as sure as a slam-dunk to take the record after starting the season with an NBA-record 18-game losing streak and actually played one game at the Izod Center in front of only 1,016 fans.

Monday’s game seemed like an unlikely time for the Nets to get the win they needed. The Spurs entered the game after consecutive wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics but that’s why we play the games.

In Monday’s contest, despite shooting a dismal .376 from the floor, the Nets ‘took over the game’ . . . did someone actually just say that? The Nets ‘took over the game’ in the 4th quarter; going on a 15-4 run. The win was the Nets’ first over the Spurs since the teams met in the 2003 playoffs.

After the final buzzer, the crowd celebrated as the Nets’ public address announcer yelled into the mic, “We got ten! The Nets win!” but the Nets treated the team’s 10th victory more like a relief than a celebration.

“We don’t want to be a part of the worst team in history, so it’s exciting to get 10 wins, but it is 10 wins, you know what I mean?” point guard Devin Harris said. “We’re not going to jump through the roof because we won 10 games.”

“It’s a relief, you don’t want to go down in history as the worst team ever,” Keyon Dooley said.

“It’s a big relief. It’s a big relief,” chimed in guard Courtney Lee. “Now we can go out and ball and have fun and play.”

Bitch-Slap-Of-the-Week N.J. Nets – Sports Climax

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™ 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Not even a month has transpired since Mike Dunleavy relieved himself of one of his Clippers positions. He stepped down as coach but stayed on as the team’s GM, hoping it would make matters better. It didn’t.The team didn’t pick up its play for interim coach Kim Hughes. They went from seven to 14 games under .500 after the switch and are no where near being respectable, never mind a playoff contender.

On Tuesday, via written statement the team announced it had severed ties with Dunleavy: “The Clippers want to win now,” read the team’s statement. “This transition, in full conjunction with a full commitment to dedicate unlimited resources, is designed to accomplish that objective.

Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday that the team was informed after its 113-87 road loss in Orlando and Chris Kaman, the team’s center barely shrugged his shoulders.

Leaving aside the rampant speculation that with both coach and GM positions open the team is ripe for the picking, exactly who would want to pick it?

As Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times wrote this morning, it won’t be above some to suggest that LeBron James could sweep into town, choose men to fill the jobs and make LA his personal playground.

The one position that isn’t open and still might be the stumbling block to making any changes to the team is that of owner. But at this point, without someone to blame, Donald Sterling might have left himself exposed to be named as the root of all that is problematic.

No one is left as a buffer. Gone since last year is Elgin Baylor, GM for decades who exited with sad stories to tell about what he characterized as racial discrimination and disrespect for his position. Dunleavy whose tenure with the team extends some seven seasons has been shown the door.

Will anything make a difference in what has been called the Clippers Curse? They have a basis for a good team n place despite Dunleavy’s trade deadline move to dump the league’s best rebounder, Marcus Camby.

To quote Hillel the Elder, if not now, when?

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. 

© 2010 Sports Climax^TM

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. 

MIAMI, Fla. – Miami Heat guard Carlos Arroyo was arrested on February 26, 2010 after police complained he did not comply with their requests after pulling him over on his way to practice,

According to The Miami Herald newspaper, Arroyo was arrested in Coral Gables and faces charges for a traffic violation and resisting arrest without violence.

According to police, Arroyo was driving slowly and impeding traffic then did not pull over as a motorcycle cop made several attempts for him to do so.

The police documents stated a few extra units were called and after the NBA player pulled over, he “attempted to resist” being cuffed.

Arroyo was also accused of being confrontational and by the looks of his mugshot (pictured here) that reveals a bunch of nicks and scratches on Carlos’ face and neck, it may have been the cops who were a little overzealous.

After going down to the precinct to cheese for a mugshot, Arroyo was allowed to leave after he promised to appear in court.

Heat president Pat Riley released a comment saying he had no comment: “We are aware of the traffic stop involving Carlos Arroyo this morning . . . and we will have no comment at this time.”

Carlos also made a statement:

“I was in my car on the way to practice this morning when I was stopped by the police. This incident led to me being arrested for the very first time in my life”

“I sincerely apologize to my fans, family, the Miami Heat and the entire South Florida community for the negative publicity that has arisen from this morning’s events. I am confident that once all of the facts come out in a court of law, this matter will be resolved in my favor.”

Now we’re not legal experts here at Sports Climax but we did stay at a Holiday Inn once and this whole ordeal looks and sounds a little out of whack.

A Hispanic male driving down the road too slow.

The Hispanic gets pulled over.

A bunch of cops are summoned and rush to the scene.

The Hispanic dude gets cuffed, dragged down to precinct and the mugshot portrays a few subtle Rodney King-like similarities.

Stay tuned to Jocks Behind Bars for any further updates.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

When is the last time we saw a team in the NBA nearly mathematically eliminated from the playoffs at All-Star break? With an embarrassing 4-48 record, the dreadful New Jersey Nets are almost there.

With 32 games left on their schedule and sitting about 22 games behind the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, the players should be considering dusting off their golf clubs and getting ready for summer.

Nothing like having a record-setting season including owning the worst start in NBA history. The Nets started out 0-16 then fired their head coach Lawrence Frank. That didn’t seem to help much as the team lost their next two games to set a record for the worst start in NBA history, 0-18.

Since then the team has continued to struggle to hit the net and have gone 4-31. Yeah I know, that’s about as bad as it can get . . . or is it?

Last night after a storm dumped more than a foot of snow on the Jersey area, only 1,016 fans were able to make it to the IZOD Center to watch their team hit just 39.2% of their shots from the field and drop another one into the loss column.

With just a few rows of seats occupied, the arena had the aura of a high school game being played in an NBA arena and the lack of performance by the Nets didn’t help the scenario much either.

Normally the Bitch-Slaps in this column contain a few backhanders and can be heard in the other room but not wanting to haul off and backhand a franchise when their asses are dragging this far down in the dirt, we’ll deliver a single open-handed SLAP!

And on a final note, hats off to those faithful fans for showing their support to the NBA’s most dreadful show on court.

There are nude photos circulating on the Internet that purport to be taken by Greg Oden and feature the Portland Trailblazers’ injured star in all his manly glory.

When the photos first made their way into the media, Oden’s management company promised legal action against any sites that displayed the pictures. That made me think there was a pretty good chance they were real.

Since then, Oden has stepped up to the mic and apologized admitting the photos are of him and taken 1 1/2 years ago with his cell phone and sent to a former girlfriend. 

“I would like to apologize to everybody: Portland, the fans, the organization,” said Oden. “It was very embarrassing.”

It appears to be another big week in NBA-land and we’re only a few days in. On Monday, Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton accepted a plea bargain in the gun case that surrounded the team and its star Gilbert Arenas.

Crittendon agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful possession of a firearm unlike Arenas who was tagged with a felony count and probable incarceration.

The case got interesting when it was revealed by Mike Wise of the Washington Post that Crittenton pulled out his own weapon in the team’s locker room in response to Arenas displaying four hand guns.

Wise reported that multiple sources told him Crittenton loaded the gun while engaging in banter with Arenas. But the prosecution’s court filing said they couldn’t confirm those facts. Thus, a judge agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation of one year unsupervised probation, a small fine and community service, specifically mentoring children in the District of Columbia.

The significant difference between the two situations that might have led authorities to recommend probation after a plea to one misdemeanor count rather than the harsher penalty for Arenas is Crittenton’s absence of prior gun offenses.

As was reported at the time of Arenas’ court appearance, he already had one strike against him on that front after a 2003 misdemeanor plea to gun possession in California. Crittenton might want to take note that the second time around, should there be one, will come with more than probation .

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.

NEW YORK – The results of the fan balloting are in for the NBA All-Star game and this year like most other years reminds us how the best or most deserving players do not always make it to the game.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson was voted to start for the Eastern Conference alongside Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. Garnett has missed a good portion of the season and A.I. well, we know all about A.I.

He’s only played in 19 games and is having the worst season in his career averaging just 14.8 point a game for the 76ers.

“I just want to thank everybody for their support this season and it’s an honor that the fans have voted me into the All-Star Game as a starter,” said Iverson. “The fans are who make us and make the NBA so popular. This year is even more special because I’ll be representing a city and fans that I love and a team that has been such a big part of my life throughout my career.”

Other starters for the East are Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

James became the first player to obtain 2.5 million votes three times and will start for the East for the sixth time in his career.

“The fans still love and see what I do every night and they appreciate it, and I appreciate them for electing me as an All-Star starter,” said James. “It’s still special.”

Steve Nash and Tim Duncan also earned enough votes to gain starting positions for the Western Conference. They will be joined by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire and Denver forward Carmelo Anthony.

The reserves will be chosen by votes from the head coaches in each conference and will be announced on Thursday.

The game will be played on Feb. 14 game at Cowboys Stadium where a record crowd of 80,000 are expected to see the game.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

WASHINGTON – Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty Friday for carrying a pistol without a license in D.C. That charge is a felony and the player awaits to see what effect the felony conviction will have on his personal life and NBA career.

In December, Arenas admitted to storing guns in his locker at the Verizon Center and an incident occurred with teammate Javaris Crittenton around that same time.

NBA commissioner David Stern has suspended Arenas indefinitely after the player made a sarcastic gun gesture before a game in Philadelphia while he was awaiting the investigation to be completed.

Arenas’ defense attorney Kenneth Wainstein said that prosecutors agreed not to seek a sentence longer than the low end of sentencing guidelines which indicates Arenas would spend no more than six months in jail.

The three-time All-Star said the guns were in his locker to keep them away from his children and went on to say he was not aware it was a violation of D.C.’s gun laws.

According to earlier reports, Arenas and Crittenton had an ongoing conflict concerning a gambling debt. Their dispute escalated to the point Arenas pulled the weapons out while in the locker room and displayed them for Crittenton to see. Some reports said Arena left a note that said, “Pick One” for his teammate to see.

If Arenas avoids jail, this incident and conviction is sure to jeopardize his NBA career at least in the short run. There is speculation that the Wizards may attempt to skate out of the $111 million contract they signed with Arenas recently.

Related Articles:

Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week Arenas & His Guns – Sports Climax

Stern Suspends Arenas Indefinitely – Sports Climax

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax

Gilbert Arenas should stick to basketball and leave his comedy routine off the court because he and NBA Commissioner David Stern clearly have a different opinion on what is funny and what is not.

While on the court prior to a game in Philadelphia, Arenas pointed his fingers at his teammates like they were pistols, making reference to the attention that has been given to him since he pulled an unloaded weapon out of his locker during a dispute with another teammate.

That theatrical move raised a few eyebrows including Stern’s who took offense to the Washington Wizards players’ gun gestures and suspended the player indefinitely while the federal authorities continue to investigate the player for an incident involving gun possession.

Stern originally said he intended to wait for the federal and local investigations to be completed before taking action, and requested the Wizards organization to do the same. He suddenly changed his mind after the incident in Philadelphia and levied the suspension.

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us,” Stern said in a statement released by the league. “I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action. Mr. Arenas’ ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

After hearing of the suspension, reality set in and Arenas was quick to apologize.

“While I never intended any harm or disrespect to the NBA or anyone else, my gun possession at the Verizon Center and my attempts at humor showed terrible judgment. I take full responsibility for my conduct. Earlier today, I called Commissioner Stern to apologize, and I hope we will be able to talk soon.”

Related Articles:

ESPN – Arenas Suspended Indefinitely

Sports Climax – Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week Gilbert and His Gun

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax