SHOCKING!!! Sleeping Pills Overdose For Former Black NBA Player & Coach Isiah Thomas

Police were reportedly sent to the home of former New York Knicks head coach and president Isiah Thomas early Friday morning in response to a call that Thomas had overdosed on sleeping pills.

WCBSTV in New York reported Friday afternoon on the overdose. The television station said that Thomas was rushed to a White Plains Hospital for treatment, but his condition is not yet known.

Thomas was fired by the Knicks on April 18 by new president Donnie Walsh, ending his disastrous two-year tenure as head coach. The Knicks went 23-59 last season, giving Thomas a record of 56-108 in his two years after replacing Larry Brown.

Walsh, who took over as president on April 2, kept Thomas in the organization as a consultant, however.

The Knicks made the playoffs just once with Thomas running the basketball operations, losing to New Jersey in a first-round sweep in 2004.

Following the tumultuous 2005-06 season with Brown, Thomas took over the head coaching duties in 2006-07 and had the Knicks within striking distance of a playoff spot at 29-34 when he was rewarded with a contract extension. The Knicks went on to win just four of their final 19 games.

Thomas' tenure with the Knicks was also marred by the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders.

A Hall of Fame player with the Detroit Pistons, Thomas also spent three years as coach of the Pacers and has a five-year record of 187-223.

New York, NY (Sports Network) -

Brothers Are Quick To Come Out Of Retirement When The Checks Stop Coming In, Right Shawn Kemp?

Baller Shawn Kemp has finalized a deal to come out of retirement to play in Italy. The 40-year-old former NBA superstar who was with the Cleveland Cavaliers will play for Premiati Montegranaro this season. With eight kids by six different women, you know this black man had to do something.

As ballineurope.com points out, the game to circle on your calender is Dec. 21 in Rome when Kemp's team plays Pallacanestro Virtus Roma featuring Brandon Jennings.It will be the matchup of Kemp, one of the first NBA stars out of high school, against Jennings, a first team USA TODAY All-USA basketball selection, who chose to skip college and go to Europe to get ready for the NBA. USA Today

Racism from the Spanish Olympic Basketball Team?

By Jayar Jackson

In anticipation for the Olympics in Beijing, the Spanish basketball team took a picture for an advertisement a courier company had carried in a major Spanish newspaper. In the picture, all the players pulled the sides of their eyes, making the well known "slant eyed" look that mocks Asians' most recognizable feature.

No one on or associated with the team or the courier company that ran the ad seemed to find anything offensive or distasteful about the photo that included a Chinese dragon in the middle of the basketball floor. But many Chinese and other Asians didn't have to look very long to see racism oozing through the page.


The first thing to wonder is "what the hell were they thinking?" These guys aren't isolated to a small village that preaches hate and racism against anyone not like themselves. One of their star players, Pau Gasol, is a very popular NBA player, currently with the Los Angeles Lakers after spending over 6 years with the Memphis Grizzlies. Such a traveled individual must realize how the Chinese, the host country for the Olympics, would take this gesture. Even if he was riding off of the comradery of his fellow Spaniards, as he pulled his eyes back and laughed for the cameras, he must have been thinking in the back of his mind that this won't be something others will understand.

So this begs the question, are the Spanish so racist that they don't even realize it? Or, are the Spanish are just so accepting of other races, ethnicities, and cultures that their offbeat humor is nothing more than a simple joke? Does it really mean that the Spanish Basketball Federation, the courier company, and the newspaper that ran the ad are all so hateful and racist that they would boldly put this highly offensive image out there as they head to China? What is Spain's history with Asian countries...do they have something against the Chinese?

While reading discussions about this touchy subject, I found that some defenders of the Spanish mindset point out that Asian people's eyes ARE slanted and wonder why they are so offended when it's pointed out. Maybe everyone else is being a little ultra P.C. The Spanish always brazenly make fun of others and some say they see it all in good fun, harboring no ill will.

Then again, as I read this story, I got some flashbacks of stories out of Spain where football (soccer) players were mocked and called ugly racist names. As Black players touched the ball, fans would make monkey noises and bananas were thrown in their direction. Sure, those were a bunch of rowdy, out of control soccer fans, typical in some countries in Europe, but what about Luis Aragonés?

The Spanish football manager was caught on tape in front of a bunch of reporters referring to the French player Thierry Henry as "that Black shit." Although he apologized saying he hadn't meant to offend anyone, he continued to defend his comments.

There are racist people in every country in the world, Spain included. They have their preconceived ideas as to what others are like, painting them in a negative light to prop themselves up. This slanted Chinese eyes picture the national team took has to be categorized as racially insensitive. They may not disrespect and hate their Chinese hosts for the Olympics, but they don't seem to care that some jokes are not acceptable, whether they see the offensiveness or not. In the end, some Spanish people are obviously racist and they simply don't deserve a reputable organization to legitimize their hateful beliefs.

The WNBA Gives Us a Good Ol' Fashion Cat Fight

DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) — A late-game brawl Tuesday in the Los Angeles Sparks' 84-81 Women's National Basketball Association win over the Detroit Shock saw three players an assistant coach ejected.

The incident began after a made free throw by Los Angeles, when Sparks rookie sensation Candace Parker got tangled with Shock's Plenette Pierson and both fell to the floor.

Pierson then charged Parker, who threw the Detroit center to the court.

Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn came off the bench, apparently trying to restore order. But he incited more trouble when he inadvertently knocked Los Angeles forward Lisa Leslie to the floor.

Story comes courtesy of AFP.

Out Of Shawn Kemp's Eight Kids By Six Women, Junior Starts Coming Into His Own

Former Sonics superstar Shawn Kemp has only had sporadic communication with his 17 year old son Shawn Jr., a top-ranked recruit with offers from Alabama, Cincy, Georgia and Ole Miss.

Realizing it's time to man-up (or get a piece of the action should his seed goes pro) Shawn Sr. has invited his son to work out with him in Houston this summer.

Kemp Jr. has the nose, the ears, and the forehead of his father, but junior's overall mien is friendlier. He is 6-foot-9. Raised by his mother, Genay Doyal, in Marietta, Ga, he has a four-star rating from Rivals.com, and is ranked 83rd overall in the class of 2009.

While he is not the Shawn Kemp of Supersonics fame and paternal infamy, he is Shawn Kemp Jr., the eldest child of the former NBA forward, and one of at least eight kids -- with at least six different mothers -- fathered by the elder Kemp. Out of the Reign Man's scattered DNA has grown another power forward who has played his way onto the national recruiting radar.

With scholarship offers coming all over the place, in the winter of 2009 he'll likely make his college debut. And in his first televised playing time, the network will surely show flashbacks of the first Shawn Kemp. "Some people say I play like my dad," Kemp Jr. said. "I do what I do, but I'm trying to be my own person, too."

Unlike his father -- who was kicked out of Kentucky in 1988 before playing a game, but was still taken in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft by Seattle -- Junior is not yet forecasted as a major pro prospect.

Kemp has too much of everyone's favorite recruiting buzzword -- "upside" -- to be ignored, though. That begins with his growth potential. Junior's feet, size 19 already, come with a 7-1 wingspan. Kemp said doctors have told him he should become a 7-footer by the age of 21.

With limited exposure to the game, Kemp Jr. didn't start playing hoops competitively until the eighth grade, but has quickly developed into a dunking force.

Goyal, who grew up in Bellevue, Wash., said she met Kemp's dad in 1989, just weeks after he had arrived in Seattle as a 19-year-old NBA rookie. Although they never married, they jointly decided to name the boy Shawn Kemp Jr.

They would regularly attend Sonics games for the first few years of his life, and "while he was somewhat conscious of it," Doyal said, "I don't think it really kicked in for [Shawn Jr.] that he had a famous father." Story continues...

U.S. Olympic Basketball "Dream Team" Or Nightmare?

Pistons Tayshaun Prince, The New Face of Team USA

Basketball "Roll Players" and "Team Basketball"

It has been eight long years since the U.S. team won a major basketball championship. During that time, our basketball swagger has diminished. Our supremacy has vanished. Our nation's inner hoopster has been sadly humbled.

So the choice was either to abdicate the basketball hoop to Argentina and pursue team handball as a specialty, or do something about it. Yesterday the march towards respect started with the addition to Team USA of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Redd.

Is this enough to get the job done? In the past we thought superstar names were all we needed, and when I think about that first Dream Team of the 1992 Olympics, the names that stick out are Bird, Magic, Stockton, Malone. Yes superstars all of them, but also four players with a high basketball IQ and a large concept of "team basketball". The main thing missing from every team since and the thing that has caused every ugly defeat Team USA has had since that Olympics.

Read Mercury News Staff Columnist Ann Killion as she takes us back to that first Olympic Dream Team and shows the changes in personnel selection to get the team concept back.

Shaq's Payback Video Disses Kobe For Breaking Up O'Neal Marriage

Is Shaquille O'Neal seriously trashing Kobe Bryant in the now famous rap video, or is it just fun and games?



Everyone talking about it. But the question is: Is this playful Shaq who's making a life commentary like Wil Smith's infamous "Parents Just Don't Understand". Is this a restart of the hate that fueled the East coast/West coast fude and deaths of rappers Tupoc Shakur and Biggie Smalls?

I say it is Shaq finally coming out against Kobe for being a snitch and ruining his marriage to Shaunie. Take a listen and you decide. Sports reporter Steven A Smith is on the phone and softens the video's meaning, but what is very clear is that Shaq finally lays blame for his martial problems on Kobe.

You see, it was Kobe who when arrested in Colorado for molestation, told Colorado Police that "He shouldn't be arrested, because Shaq was always abusing women and then paying them off with cars and expensive gifts." The Colorado investigators promptly got on a plane, flew to Los Angeles, and came to Shaq's home to ask he (and his wife Shaunie) if the sex and shut up gifts were true. Now Shaunie is no fool she knows her man.

But at this point she was made a fool in public. When Shaunie heard of these expensive gifts for bimbos, she started squirrelling her own money away in secret investments and bank accounts. Come on ladies we know she was wrong... but we understand. What's a girl to do? Shaq found out about the Shaunie's secret stashes and the rest is to be divorce court history.

Knicks Ex-Coach Isiah Thomas Says Goodbye!

Are We Jumping The Gun? Nah!!!

Mike Dunleavy tied a career high with 36 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat New York 132-123 on Wednesday night, sending the Knicks to a franchise record-tying 59th loss in what in all liklihood will be Isiah Thomas' last game as coach.

New Knicks president Donnie Walsh hasn't promised Thomas he'll keep his job, and Thomas gave Walsh another reason to fire him. The Knicks allowed their highest point total of the season.

Earlier in the day, Pacers co-owner Herb Simon announced he'd become more hands-on in operating the franchise, naming himself chairman and CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment.

Pacers fans booed Thomas during pregame introductions, even though the NBA great who use to kiss Magic Johnson on the court before the Detroit Pistons and Lakers went head up coached the Pacers for three seasons. [AP]

Bow Down To The Jayhawks!

The Kansas Jayhawks rallied from nine points down in the second half to force overtime and ultimatley defeat the Memphis Tigers 75-68 for the NCAA title.

It was the first title for Kansas since 1988, when Danny Manning, now an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, led them to an upset of Oklahoma.

Check out Kansas rallies to win NCAA championship

March Madness Is Here As Stephen Curry leads Davidson to Stunning Upset Over Number 2-Seeded Georgetown

Brothers Are Ballin', You Know What That Means!

Davidson's Stephen Curry, who scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half, drives around Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. (yes, THAT Patrick Ewing) in the first half of their second-round NCAA Midwest Regional game on Sunday.

Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half, and 10th-seeded Davidson ends up ralling from a 17-point deficit to stun No. 2-seeded Georgetown, 74-70.

UCLA 53, Texas A&M 49
Stanford 82, Marquette 81 (OT)
No guarantees for NCAA's top-seeded teams
Last year's heartbreak teaches Xavier
Memphis narrowly beats Mississippi State
Tennessee holds off pesky Butler
Western Kentucky locks out San Diego
Virginia finishes off UCSB, 86-52

Stephen Curry looked tired. His soft, feathery shot was clanging off the rim. The slender, baby-faced sophomore seemed to be just another in a long line of stars bottled up by Georgetown's ferocious defense.Davidson's run was certainly over. A good season was coming to a fitting end against one of college basketball's elite programs.

Then, as quickly as Curry can get off a turnaround three-pointer, the Wildcats staged a comeback.

Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half, and 10th-seeded Davidson rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to stun No. 2-seeded Georgetown, 74-70, at Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, sending the Wildcats to an improbable spot in the round of 16. [NY Times]

NBA Bad Boy Allen Iverson Stops Playing Games And Takes His Game To Another Level

Black Baller Decides It's Time To Man Up!

In this corner... Allen Iverson, in his Denver Nuggets uniform, a Band-Aid covering a cut above his left eye, resolutely walking through the door of the postgame interview area, past a cordon of TV cameras, tape recorders and security, the final steps of his path roped off from the assembled reporters.

And to everyone's dismay, the former 76ers star guard was open, thoughtful, informative, patient.

This wasn't the Iverson who, before facing the Sixers in Denver in January, said, "I don't care anything about them," and said that despite having been with them for 10 years "they kicked me out as if I had been there 1 day."

This was a gracious, contemplative Iverson. The warrior in him would have to wait until the game started.

"I'm 32 years old now, simple as that," Iverson said before last night's 115-113 Sixers win. "That's the only answer I can give you. I don't make the mistakes, do some of the things I was accustomed to doing anymore. I don't want to be that person that I used to be.

"But I don't regret any of it, because I feel like going through what I went through here, my ups and downs, helped me to be the man I am today . . . I would never want to throw away the experience I had in Philadelphia. I don't regret anything, but I'm just not that same person.

"I still make mistakes off the basketball court. I still turn it over on the basketball court. But I think I'm a better person, a better player at this point in my life."

He dealt with the media for 15 minutes, 6 seconds, then left to complete his preparation for his first game against his former team in his former arena. When he came through the tunnel leading to the court to warm up, he ran directly to center court, kissed the Sixers logo and waved to however many people were already there.

When public-address announcer Matt Cord - who usually low-keys the visitors' lineup during introductions - began a louder, more complete introduction of Iverson, it was virtually impossible to hear his final words. The sellout crowd was already standing, applauding, cheering wildly. The ovation lasted 1 minute, 5 seconds and might have gone longer had Cord not begun introducing Iverson's backcourt mate, Anthony Carter. As a frame of reference, when Charles Barkley returned to the Spectrum for the first time with the Phoenix Suns in 1993, his standing ovation lasted 42 seconds.

Through it all, Iverson remained stoical. He walked a few steps in different directions. Finally, he cupped his hand to his ear, a signature move from the best days of the Iverson Era. The sound level rose.

He said he wanted the entire experience to be positive. And it was. There were Iverson jerseys all over the stands. There were also some Andre Iguodala jerseys. And at least one Thaddeus Young jersey. You knew Iverson was taking it all in. Meanwhile, his mom, Ann, sat courtside in the second row near the Nuggets' bench, signing dozens of autographs.

The story continues...

The NBA All-Star Weekend Has Sonics Baller Daniel Gibson Taking Rookies Out To The Woodshed!

Gibson's Got Something For Ya!

The Sonics' Kevin Durant was the star of the rookie team, but Cleveland Cavalier Guard Daniel Gibson was the star of Friday night's Rookie Challenge.

Gibson made a record 11 three-pointers, many coming right in front of Cleveland teammate LeBron James, and scored 33 points to lead the NBA's sophomore stars to a 136-109 victory over the top rookies.

The 6-foot-2 Houston, Texas native walked away with an MVP award, and had the look of someone who has another trophy coming during All-Star weekend in New Orleans.

The game was the first event in the National Basketball Association’s all-star weekend. Gibson, 21, said afterward that having James seated courtside along with Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers had spurred him on.

He'll compete in the three-point shootout tonight, and will be hard to beat if he shoots the way he did against the defenseless rookies. He finished three points shy of the game record, set by Amare Stoudemire in 2004.

"My confidence will be high from tonight and hopefully I didn't use them all up," Gibson said.

Portland's Brandon Roy, a former Washington Husky, added 17 points and seven assists for the sophomores.

The rookies led late in the first half before Gibson's surge began. He drilled back-to-back threes to turn a three-point deficit into a three-point lead, then quickly added three more to give the sophomores a 55-44 advantage.

"Once he gets in the zone, once he hits two or three, he gets it going. He hit 11 tonight," said the Sonics rookie Kevin Durant, who like Gibson played at Texas. "I'm very happy for him. He went from a second-round pick to win an MVP in the rookie-sophomore game."

Durant had team highs of 23 points and eight rebounds for the rookies, and Sonics teammate Jeff Green added nine points and five rebounds.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant will start for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game, and Jason Kidd will be in the lineup for the East. Probably.

The Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets had agreed to a deal on Tuesday that would have sent Kidd to Dallas, but Mavericks forward Devean George exercised his right to block the trade, placing both franchises in limbo.

Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki said he didn't expect the failed trade to splinter the Mavericks' locker room. "I think that's where the leaders of this team have to make sure it doesn't happen," Nowitzki said. "If the locker room gets separated, there's no way we're going to achieve our goal. So, you know, deal or no deal, we've got to make sure that the troops are ready to go."

When asked specifically about George, Nowitzki said: "Devean has been a great guy. I guess he's looking out for himself a little bit, but sometimes that's what this league is all about. I feel like we need to get healthy."

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant lobbied hard to get Kidd last summer. He understands Nowitzki's pain. "I saw him walking around," Bryant said of Nowitzki. "I don't know how he's feeling, but if I was that close to getting Jason Kidd, I'd be a little [upset]."

While Bryant said he'd "rather not play" tonight due to a torn ligament in his right pinky, NBA rules will have him suiting up and dragging his butt our on the court.

In other news:

• Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Pat Riley are among the finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Holdovers Chris Mullin, Adrian Dantley, Don Nelson and former Sonic Dennis Johnson are among the 15 candidates. The others: Richie Guerin; Johnny "Red" Kerr; Dick Vitale; Pistons owner Bill Davidson; former women's coach Cathy Rush; former Duke coach Victor Bubas; and Togo Soares and Maciel Ubiratan Pereira of Brazil.

The class of 2008 will be announced April 7.

• Detroit Shock All-Star forward Swin Cash likely will be traded to the Seattle Storm soon as Tuesday, when WNBA free agency opens, the Detroit Free Press reported. [AP] [Washington Post]

UCLA Gets Punked As USC Takes Down Their Nine Game Winning Streak With 72-63 Loss

We're always down with college basketball because it's the one sport where young brothers are showing they got game and some level of academic proficiency. And since 3 Bros is LA based, we've got to give the latest on this historic crosstown rivalry.

Davon Jefferson scored 25 points and O.J. Mayo added 16 points for the Trojans, who upset the fourth-ranked Bruins, 72-63, this afternoon at Pauley Pavilion, ending UCLA's nine-game winning streak.

Josh Shipp led the Bruins with 21 points and freshman Kevin Love had 18 points and 12 rebounds, his ninth double-double in 18 games.

Mayo tossed the ball toward the ceiling and jumped on teammate Daniel Hackett at the buzzer. He and Love briefly embraced after the first of two meetings this season between two of the country's best freshmen.

UCLA (16-2, 4-1 Pac-10) trailed early in the second half, went on a 20-7 to take a 57-51 lead, then got outscored 21-6 over the final 6:18. Want all the game highlights? Done.

Lakers & Celtics: Those Butt-Huggin Gold Numbers From The 80's Weren't The Only Thing That Came Up Short!

(Lakers forward Trevor Ariza notices the loose ball)

A return to the 'short shorts' of the 1980s proved to be the high point of the night for Laker fans.

It was a surprisingly long process to finally get to the "short shorts" exhibition the Lakers unveiled Sunday against Boston. First and foremost, the players had to sign off on a return to the 1980s NBA look, if only for one night. Some of them wore the shorts at recent practices just to be sure they knew what they were getting themselves into. Lakers in their sexy short shorts.

Celtics 110, Lakers 91 / Rivalry that once was, not back just yet

"I think it's cool," forward Lamar Odom said before the game. "It'll be fun for the fans too. I expect them to laugh maybe two to three minutes straight."

Black NBA Baller Avery Johnson Is Definitely On The Come-Up!

Avery Johnson: From Last to First to the Spurs Rafters

Long before he was known as the Little General, Avery Johnson was merely trying to hold onto an NBA roster spot. The undrafted rookie out of Southern University, who had bounced around the USBL, Seattle and Denver, saw his dream deterred once again, this time at the hands of a young San Antonio Spurs assistant coach named Gregg Popovich.

“I was the one who cut him,” said Popovich, who was on Larry Brown’s staff at the time. “I went down to his apartment, sat down with him and his wife and gave him the bad news. It was some time over the Christmas holiday, pretty darn close to Christmas, and it was the toughest thing I ever did as a coach.”

That was 16 years ago and the irony isn’t lost on Popovich who visited Johnson at his home this past summer to deliver the news that the organization wanted No. 6 to hang in the rafters next to the likes of other Spur legends Johnny Moore (00), James Silas (13), Sean Elliott (32), George Gervin (44) and David Robinson (50).

“It just shows you the kind of relationships that can be established in sports,” said Popovich. “Thinking back 16 years ago and to turn around and do this is really special for me.”

Johnson’s journey to the AT&T Center rafters on Saturday night is truly an amazing one. The first six years of Johnson’s NBA career saw him play for five different teams. It was a vagabond NBA life that even included being cut on Christmas Eve by the Nuggets. Yet Johnson didn’t just persevere, he ultimately thrived. The man refused to listen to his doubters, many of whom questioned whether he can lead an NBA team.

“You don’t have to be first to come in first,” said Johnson, now in his fifth season as Dallas Mavericks head coach, and who recently became the fastest coach in NBA history to reach 150 wins. “You can be last and still come in first. And I was last. I didn’t get drafted. I didn’t play on my high school team. I wasn’t one of the star players. I didn’t go to a big school. I got cut. So a lot of years I was last. But you can go from last to first. Hopefully my dishonor can encourage young people to know not to give up, that you can go from last to first.”

Johnson forever earned a spot in Spurs lore when he hit the biggest shot in franchise history. It was Game 5 of the 1999 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks and Johnson silenced the 19,763 fans at Madison Square Garden by calmly nailing an 18-footer from the left corner with 47 seconds remaining to clinch the Spurs first-ever NBA title.

The man who once got cut by the Spurs on the same day he served as a groomsman in David Robinson’s wedding was now a champion. Johnson went on to play 10 seasons for San Antonio and eventually became the franchise’s all-time assists leader.

Yet the squeaky voiced point guard who had told him teammates to get their game face on a time or to is as beloved for his work in the San Antonio community as he was for his inspirational play. Whether it was his involvement in the midnight basketball leagues, helping build a family life center or the countless school visits, Johnson made a huge impression.

“It is really a big honor because you go and work in a community on and off the court and you’re not necessarily the one who scores all the points or dunks or the one who is real big in stature,” said Johnson. “But you go and try to be honest and you work hard and you try to have as much of an impact as you can, and in return you get honored years later. So it’s really a thrill for my family and my friends that were all a part of my playing days in San Antonio.”

By John Hareas

While Don Imus Plots His Return, Isiah Thomas Is A Black Man Who Still Is On The Ropes

Some Folks Learn Their Lessons, And Some Don't

The sports world is still calling for Isiah Thomas' head following a civil jury's awarding of millions of dollars to Anucha Browne Sanders. He very well could be one who deserves to be immediately dismissed by the New York Knickerbockers organization from his lofty general manager post. Testimony has leaked out and Rev. Al Sharpton, not surprisingly, has weighed in--as have so many others from coast-to-coast.

The only problem with the whole 'affair' is that the definition of sexual harassment is still hazy. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that from boss to employee advances, inappropriate language, etc. can be construed as sexual harassment. However, from employee to employee it's not clear at all. If Thomas asked Browne Sanders to kiss him, that is totally inappropriate. If he demeaned her with vile language, that also is inappropriate. But, society is so quick to weigh in without the benefit of all the facts. Unlike a Michigan radio station's "Imus Test" mocking gangs and ebonics in a way that was clearly designed to slam black folks, this situation is a little more nuanced. Even Sharpton, who had called for a protest outside Madison Square Garden (the Knicks' home) until Thomas apologizes, has now admitted that not all of the information on Thomas' taped interview reached the public.

Don Imus And Isiah: America's New Moral Compass?

So, why not wait before making hasty judgments? Did Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson learn that from jumping on the bandwagon that vilified the Duke University lacrosse players accused of raping a black woman? Sometimes, it appears, very few lessons are ever learned.

This article is from the Collier Corner

Wonder If Kia Vaughn Told Don Imus To Kiss Her Nappy Butt Before Canceling Her Legal Court Date?</

Rutgers Sistah Sees the Light, Drops Bizarre Lawsuit

From The Collier Corner

Kia Vaughn, one of the Rutgers University women's basketball players, egregiously insulted by Don Imus, has dropped her lawsuit against the controversial radio and television personality.

Imus, who has straddled that fine line of parody and decency for many years, finally crossed it last spring when, on his MSNBC program, he called the Rutgers women's basketball team some "nappy-headed 'hos." The team had come close to winning the NCAA women's championship and had their stellar season overshadowed by Imus' remarks.

But, how did Vaughn figure that she, more than the rest of her team, was overly traumatized by Imus' comments? Imus has made a career of insulting people and institutions.

Did a lawyer get to her and find some obscure law that would suggest that she'd been irreparably damaged by what he said about the entire team, not her?

Well, the good thing is that common sense seems to have prevailed. She's back on the ground, ready to go on with her life and Imus is still in the background, though he's very likely to resurface on the airwaves again.

Are you okay with that?

Is Black NBA Star Derek Fisher Reteaming With The Lakers?

Let's Break Open The Champagne Now!!!

NBA star Derek Fisher is back in L.A., and rumors are swirling that he will be rejoining the Lakers.

As a purple and gold fan, this would be GREAT!!!

Fish was released by the Utah Jazz at the end of last season so he could have the necessary time to care for his one-year-old daughter, Tatum, who was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer earlier in the year. According to TMZ, this move will allow him to play, and most importantly, be able to care for his little one.

We're going to keep Derek prayed up, in terms of his family both on and off the court1

Former NBA Ref Tim Donaghy Pleads Guilty To Felony Charges, Faces 25 Years On Lockdown!

"Hi, I'm Tim and I'm Addicted To Gambling"

This just in! Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has officially fouled out!

With his 13 year career derailed by a severe gambling addiction, Donaghy took another step toward recovery moments ago by pleading guilty in U.S. federal court in Brooklyn on felony charges that he bet on games he officiated.

The disgraced father and husband faces up to 25 years in prison.

Donaghy has been cooperating with prosecutors who are building a case against other individuals whom he may have provided inside information to on games he officiated, the sources said.

No other NBA officials or players are suspected in the betting scandal stemming from Donaghy detailing which players were injured, who was refereeing which games and other insider information typically not initially known to the public

Part of his sentence will include psychiatric care for gambling. He is currently taking medication for depression.

DETAILS>>>

KOBE (I'M STILL A LAKER) BRYANT SAYS MARRIAGE NOT ON THE ROCKS

Rumors have surfaced that basketball star Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa's six-year marriage is on the rocks.

But the Lakers guard says that the reports are 100 percent false.

The NBA player has been traveling in Europe with his family, which includes two young daughters, and has been working out with Team U.S.A.

The brother says he has no idea how the rumors got started because he and his Latina wife Vanessa are happily married. Bryant goes on to say that he initially wasn't going to respond to the reports but then felt compelled to set the record straight.

Ok, we'll give Kobe a pass... for now. But let's keep it real, it ain't like this marriage has had a great track record.

Updates to follow...