nballin

The Lakers’ Trevor Ariza and the Clippers’ Baron Davis can now get their groove on right across the street from their home court, Staples Center. Both have invested in the Conga Room, a 2-level night club set to open Dec. 10. The club is neighbors to the Nokia Theatre, Staples center and the rest of the massive, $2.5-billion L.A. Live complex. The Grammy Museum just opened around the corner.

a view from inside the new Conga room - looking out you can see Staples Center

Other known celebrity investors include Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Smits, Paul Rodriguez, and Sheila E.

Popularity: 1% [?]

it’s about time KG got tagged up. He got away with taunting Jose Calderon a week ago.

for some reason this clip reminds me of Bogut’s ghost slapping at the free throw line from last season (click here).

from the Boston Herald

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended one game without pay by the league for his role in Saturday night’s scuffle with the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Garnett struck Bucks center Andrew Bogut in the face with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Celtics [team stats]’ 102-97 win at the Bradley Center.

The suspension was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Mark Cuban is all over the internet at this moment – not because his Mavericks finally won a game (now 3-7 after beating the Knicks) but instead for insider trading charges.

A civil complaint was filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In its complaint, The government alleges that in June, 2004 Cuban sold 600,000 shares of Canadian search engine company Mamma.com after he learned it would be making a stock offering.

The SEC says when the stock offering was publicly announced, Mamma.com’s stock price dropped more than 9 percent from the previous day’s closing price. As a result, the SEC says, Cuban avoided losing more than $750,000.

Cuban made a quick post on his blog, www.blogmaverick.com. He doesn’t say much but instead paste’s a copy of a letter signed by his legal team.

I wish I could say more, but I will have to leave it to this, and let the judicial process do its job.
November 17, 2008
RE: SEC Civil Action in the United States District

for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division

Mark Cuban today responded to a civil complaint filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States District for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. In its complaint, the Commission charges that Mr. Cuban engaged in violations of the federal securities laws in connection with transactions in the securities of Mamma.com Inc.

This matter, which has been pending before the Commission for nearly two years, has no merit and is a product of gross abuse of prosecutorial discretion. Mr. Cuban intends to contest the allegations and to demonstrate that the Commission’s claims are infected by the misconduct of the staff of its Enforcement Division.

Mr. Cuban stated, “I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions. The staff’s process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Barack Oballa grabs a steal, dribbles behind his back, and dishes the rock to a teammate for the assist. He’s looking good. OKC could use another point guard. Hell yeah, Obama for Earl Watson. I’d take that.

Popularity: 1% [?]

LeBron’s heartfelt reaction to Obama’s historic victory.

Chris Bosh’s reaction (click on the link below, I could not find an embeddable video for this):
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2008/11/05/chris-bosh-on-barack-obama-a-huge-moment-in-american-black-and/

Popularity: 1% [?]

Remember this guy…Steve Francis? He USED to carry the Rockets team on his back, now it’s Obama’s name.

Popularity: 1% [?]

42-year-old Kevin Johnson, a former NBA All-Star guard for the Phoenix Suns, has been elected mayor of Sacramento, CA. Johnson, a Democrat with conservative social views, defeated two-term incumbent Heather Fargo in a run-off election. With all of the precincts counted, Johnson carried 57 percent of the vote and Fargo had nearly 42 percent.

Johnson became the city’s first black mayor and during his victory speech echoed Barack Obama’s landmark presidential triumph.”Sacramento also made history today in electing its first black mayor,” Johnson said Tuesday night. “Both Obama and myself, we ran on a promise and the theme of change. No more business as usual.”

Throughout his campaign, Johnson got support from basketball icons Shaq O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley.

What I remember most about Kevin Johnson:

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ken Mink has just become the oldest baller in the world. At the ripe old age of 73, Mink scored 2 points Monday night for Roane State Community College. The AP reports that Mink entered the game with about 16 minutes left in the second half and attempted one shot in about three minutes. Seven minutes later, he went back in the game, was fouled and made two free throws.

“I found myself on the free-throw line 52 years after my last college game,” Mink said. “I said, ‘Just relax and shoot it like you know how to all day long.’ I just floated the shots in there. I’m in the books now. I can relax a little bit.”

He played ball during the 1955-56 season, averaging 11.8 points a game. However, he never made it to his second-year season because he was expelled for a prank he claims not to have committed.

Popularity: 1% [?]

A 34-year-old woman has been charged with stalking Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton.  Stacy Elizabeth Beshear of El Segundo was arrested Sept. 18 after she pulled up to Walton’s car and pretended to fire gunshots at him with her hand.  Beshear has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor count of stalking. A Nov. 6 trial date has been set in the case.

District attorney spokeswoman Jane Robison said Beshear faces up to a year in county jail if convicted. Walton said Beshear has been harassing him since late last year.   He told The Orange County Register she waited outside his Manhattan  Beach home numerous times and wrote on his car with a marker after  he refused to sign an autograph.  Walton said Beshear is “not all there in the head.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Si.com’s Lang Whitaker named the Clippers in his recent article ‘Five teams with the most tortured fans’.

Clippers:

Founded in Buffalo in 1970, the Clips are approaching their 40th anniversary and have still yet to win even a division title. Hang in there, Clipper Darrell.

Also mentioned in the article, the Atlanta Hawks

The last time the Hawks won an NBA championship was 1958 — 50 years ago.

Click here to see the full story

Popularity: 1% [?]