Yes, and looks like the Spurs will be champions again.

Because the last time the NBA went through a lockout season, the San Antonio Spurs earned their first title in franchise history. And while the 2009 NBA basketball season is still a month away, they’re already talking about another strike.

The lead negotiator and spokesman for the NBA referees union said a lockout appears ”imminent and unavoidable” following the latest breakdown in talks.

Lamell McMorris said the officials made another $1 million in concessions in their proposal, but believes it’s evident the league is not interested in further discussions. The officials then headed home after spending the last 24 hours meeting in Chicago.

The contract between the NBA and its officials expired Sept. 1 and the sides have been trying to reach a new two-year deal. McMorris said they largely agree on salaries, but the union has balked at the league’s attempt to change retirement benefits.

Without a new deal, replacement officials will be used when preseason play opens Oct. 1. The NBA last began a season without its regular referees in 1995-96, when the caliber of officiating was roundly criticized.

”We’re prepared to be locked out by the NBA but also remain…”

They have to, otherwise, it’s an early vacation and they’ll have all the time to blame the referees.

The 2009 NBA Playoffs just keep on getting better and better each day. We already know that the Cavaliers have postponed the inevitable when they defeated Orlando in Game 5 to keep their season alive. In the West, well, the Lakers on Friday have the opportunity to do what the Magic failed at in Cleveland, finish off the competition.

You read it, the NBA Playoffs continue this Friday as the Los Angeles Lakers, up 3-2 in the 2009 NBA Western Conference Finals, will have a chance to return to the NBA Finals by finishing off the Denver Nuggets. However, since the Nuggets will be home for Game 6, it won’t be easy.

The Denver Nuggets need this elimination game to be played on their own floor too since every bad call imaginable in basketball was slapped on them in Los Angeles. Well, that’s what some of the Nuggets claim anyway.

According to one Nuggets player who refuses to identify himself for fear of retribution from the league, the Los Angeles Lakers paid the referees officiating Game 5 in Los Angeles to give them the game and the 3-2 advantage.

”The Lakers paid $50,000 to win that game. They got their money’s worth.”

The Nuggets complaining about the officiating…

A SWEEP. That’s what two teams are going for this Monday night.

Apparently, we already have two teams on the verge of advancing to the conference finals at this point of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. In the East, for the second straight series, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one win away from sweeping their opponents away. In the West, the Denver Nuggets are a win away from turning the ”Wright Way” into their first conference finals stint in years.

For all ya’ll who have no idea what you just read, let me explain, starting with probably the more obvious choice of sweeping their rivals this Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Already up 2-0, LeBron James scored 47 points in his best performance yet of the postseason as he led the Cavaliers to a 97-82 win in Atlanta to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. The newly crowned 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player became the first Cavalier ever to score that many points (47), grab that many rebounds (12) and dole out that many assists (eight) in a playoff game. Yup, LeBron did all that in Game 3, sending the Atlanta Hawks into the 0-3 hole they may never climb back up from.

Cleveland’s 97-82 win in Game 3 saw LeBron James eclipse his previous high in these playoffs when he came up with 38 points against the Pistons in an opening-round sweep. He also…

That’ll be this Thursday. And yes, one of the three Supermen we have in the NBA these days won’t be playing.

In case you are wondering, we have three Supermen in the NBA. Unfortunately, only one qualified for the 2009 NBA Playoffs. The first one who called himself the Man of Steel was Shaquille O’Neal, his Suns did not qualify for the postseason. We heard about Rudy Gay calling himself Superman in Memphis as well, his Grizzlies are still far from being a playoff team.

And FINALLY, we have Dwight Howard. And thanks to the elbow he unleashed on Samuel Dalembert in Game 5, he got his ass suspended and won’t be playing in Philly where his Orlando Magic try to close things out against the Philadelphia 76ers.

You read it, the Orlando Magic won’t be having Superman after the self proclaimed Man of Steel elbowed 76ers center Samuel Dalembert to the head. Heck, Howard was so hell-bent in throwing all those elbows that he even got his teammate Courtney Lee to catch one of ‘em, taking him out of the game as a result.

Initially, I thought the NBA was about to give Dwight Howard the free pass since he was only given a technical foul when he got Samuel Dalembert. The referees could’ve ejected Howard in Game 5 and we would’ve had a different result. Can you imagine the Philadelphia 76ers having the 3-2 series lead heading back to the Wachovia Center?

Instead, the refs let Dwight Howard stay on the floor…

Yep, apparently, since he’s this new big shot property of basketball, he thinks referees should just let him run with the ball as much as he wants.

You read it, with the 2009 NBA basketball season now at the midway point with the start of the new year, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James started 2009 complaining to the officials on how they should just let him take extra steps with the ball just because he needs an extra step or two to do one of his ‘’signature moves.”

The controversial ”LeBron James move” cost the Cleveland Cavaliers a game too when the self-proclaimed king of Cleveland basketball was called for a traveling violation while driving for what would’ve been a tying layup with 2.3 seconds left. The Cavs lost to the Washington Wizards, 80-77.

Understandably, LeBron James was shocked that the referees will slap him with a traveling violation for taking more than the two steps that the league rules allow. Of course, losing to the Washington Wizards, arguably the worst team in the Eastern Conference right now, should piss him off as well.

”Bad call,” LeBron James, who had 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, said. ”We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game, and it was clearly a good play.”

Yes, LeBron actually thought he never traveled when in fact, the replay clearly…

Orlando got to a ”magical” start before Chauncey Billups hurt his magical hamstring.

That was the scene before the Magic defeated the Pistons, 111-86, in Game 3 to cut Detroit’s lead to 2-1 in the second round of the 2008 NBA playoffs. With Billups now injured, the Magic will be looking to tie this series in Game 4 still to be played in Orlando.

The Pistons were coming into Game 3 looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead and sweep the Magic in Orlando again. Unfortunately for Piston fans, Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis got all his spells from the three point arc working for him.

Jeez… That could very well be an understatement too as Rashard Lewis scored a playoff-high 33 points to lead Orlando to their first win in round number two. Yep, watching this guy virtually kill the Pistons all by himself was unbearable to watch, for Piston fans like me anyway.

The Detroit Pistons stood there in awe as Lewis went 5-6 from three-point country, leaving Rasheed Wallace dumbfounded. (And talking a lot to the referees as well for that matter…)

The Magic jumped on the Detroit Pistons right from the get-go, leading 30-16 after the very first quarter. Although the Pistons kept it close before halftime and again in the third, the Magic…

I don’t know. Maybe these guys just want to keep losing this season to give themselves a better shot of landing the overall No.1 pick in the draft.

But then again, that is still a long way from here with still more than half of the 2007-08 NBA basketball season left to play. The fact of the matter is, Miami made a horrendous mistake here and I reckon this trade will haunt them for the next two years.

Sure, Shaquille O’Neal has been having his fair share of injuries and health issues this season, however, he is still the guy that brought these sick fucks from Miami their first NBA world championship EVER and to trade a guy like that away is just plain stupid.

It is expected that Miami Heat head coach AND head honcho, Pat Riley, will be interrogated like an Iraqi terrorist why he traded one of the most dominant forces in the game away to the Phoenix Suns, choosing to rebuild around Dwyane Wade, a guy who relies on referees to let him shoot as much as he wants behind the foul line.

Ugh…

”It was a very, very hard decision for me. When Shaq came to the team four years ago, I always felt it was forever. We won a championship with him. We wish him nothing…”

Because c’mon, these sick fucks just can’t win period. Hee hee.

Dwyane Wade, after the referees let him again spend the most time in the free throw line, scored 42 points. Despite that, Miami still lost its 14th straight game, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-90, to become owners of the most pathetic losing streak this 2007-08 NBA basketball season.

It was a LeBron James – Dwyane Wade match-up as the two resumed their rivalry in Miami. LeBron and his Cleveland Cavaliers had no idea that their Eastern conference rivals are now playing like stupid fagots.

Wade’s game-high 42 points couldn’t stop the Miami Heat from snapping their pathetic losing streak that has now stretched to a woeful 14 games. LeBron James had 28 points and 5 assists, typical LeBron night, to lead his Cavs for the win. It was also LeBron’s first win in Miami.

”D-Wade played incredibly well,” LeBron James said, ”but we made more plays.”

Next up for Miami is the defending NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs. He he… Right now, the Heat are at a dismal 8-32. Yep, 8-32 for crying out loud. My grandmother and her friends can do better than…

These days, NBA Commish David Stern can only wish he had MLB’s steroid issues or NFL’s Michael Vick instead.

Yep, with news about NBA referee Tim Donaghy being investigated by the FBI for betting on the games he officiates now out of the open, NBA Commissioner David Stern is probably fucked, thinking how in the hell can he save the damn league now.

With all the problems the NBA has gotten itself into the past few years, (e.g. Pistons-Pacers brawl, the JAILBIRD Blazers, Ron Artest and Tim Hardaway’s anti-gay slur, not to mention John Amaechi being gay…) this entire ”NBA Ref bets on games” thing is by far the one that could destroy the damn league for good.

Think about it, every single time say, Rasheed Wallace, argues a call, ‘Sheed can ask, ”What’s the matter with you ref? How much did you wager on this game anyway?!?” It’s going to be crazy once the brand new 2007-08 NBA basketball season gets here folks and that’s all thanks to NBA referee Tim Donaghy.

Tim Donaghy, one of NBA Commissioner David Stern’s referees, officiated NBA games for 13 seasons before resigning two weeks ago. (Probably because…)

Sorry, I guess I can’t do better than Syndicate’s ”Jazz find energy and solution to beat Spurs at EnergySolutions Arena” thing.

After Game 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah, I guess it wouldn’t matter now. Sorry Synd’ but in case you missed it, the Utah Jazz finally lost at the EnergySolutions Arena in the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

Yep, the Utah Jazz bowed at the EnergySolutions Arena for the first time this postseason to the San Antonio Spurs, 91-79, to let San Antonio take the commanding 3-1 lead and be that much closer for a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals.

Manu Ginobili scored 22 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs past the Utah Jazz, 91-79, and overcome the superb scoring performance of Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams, scoring a game-high 27 points in the loss.

Ginobili, like what he did to me in the 2005 finals, pissed off the entire Utah Jazz nation by virtually FLOPPING his way for the pivotal win in Game 4. He just kept on falling down to the ground without anyone touching him and to make matters worse, the dumb retards calling themselves referees were all falling for it.

Sheesh…

Utah Jazz players and coaches were complaining furiously to the referees. Hell, the usually mild-mannered…