A "nuclear winter" may be upon us. And here, that means that the Nets, as they push their move to Brooklyn, may have played their last game in New Jersey. Does it matter? It definitely matters if Deron Williams has played his last game as a Net.
Following through on their disclaimer of interest, eight NBA players representing themselves and 400 of their colleagues, filed anti-trust suits in Minnesota and California Tuesday afternoon.
Despite the dour labor news that came Monday, Avery Johnson and Billy King helped the Nets unveil their "Brooklyn Experience" trailer outside of Borough Hall on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a group of seven Brooklynites filed a suit in federal court against Forest City Ratner Companies, claiming that the developer fell short on promises to train and find employment for them in the construction field.
It's looking more likely that Mario Elie will be joining the Nets as an assistant coach. David Aldridge first mentioned the possibility two weeks ago, and now the Kings have hired two new assistants, Keith Smart and Bobby Jackson. Sam Amick of SI tweets that Smart will be replacing Elie.
It's "nuclear winter"! It's "completely broken". Anti-trust lawyers are everywhere. Woe is us. But there's at least one optimist out there, someone who has found scraps of hope in the ashes. Henry Abbott of ESPN's True Hoop (and a New Jersey resident) thinks it will end well.
It's not the NBA and it's even the Euroleague, but Deron Williams scored 31 points and handed out six assists as Besiktas beat Sundiata Gaines' B.C. Armia by 21 in Istanbul Tuesday. Gaines had 13 and 8 in the EuroChallenge game. It was Besiktas' 12th straight win and stopped Armia's five game streak.
Forbes, which chronicles what the rich do with their money, thinks that a lost season could actually help the Nets financial picture, that they're one of five teams in the NBA that will lose less money this year than they would if the team actually played games. The financial picture was laid out a few days back by Mike Ozanian.
The day has been filled with bad news, but if you're looking for some hope, Gary Sussman and the D-League staff have a bit to offer: the inside story of how the Springfield Armor got their man, 6'10" Chris Taft, in the D-League Draft.
With dozens of players standing behind him, Billy Hunter went nuclear against the NBA Monday afternoon, saying collective bargaining had broken down irreparably and the the union had notified all 30 teams that it is dissolving. The players will now file an anti-trust suit against the league, almost certainly ending any chance of a 2011-12 season.
