Friday Hooptalk

Sexual harassment, AK threats, and robberies? That can only mean that a new Hooptalk season has started. Get the latest on the NBA and NBDL every Friday during the preseason on SOS2. ESPN's David Thorpe will start off the year by chiming in on the Isiah and MSG sexual harassment case. Should the league discipline Thomas?

"Nothing should happen until the case is closed. Unless he admits to something improper." I don't know about my readership or Thorpe, but something smells funny about this. And if this incident is giving the league a bad name, then maybe something should happen to the New York uberuler. More about this in next week's edition.

A few days ago on his blog, Jazz star Forward Andrei Kirilenko said on his blog that he wanted out of Utah because he felt mistreated by longtime head coach Jerry Sloan. Now today in reports from the Salt Lake Tribune in the US and from Sport Express in Russia, AK-47 would forgo the remaining 63 million dollars on his contract and play overseas. Kirilenko began his career with EuroLeague power CSKA Moscow. Kelly Dwyer of TrueHoop gave some possibilities for a trade, including to the Warriors for Al Harrington and someone else. Dwyer also suggested an AK for Lamar Odom deal, a deal involving AK and Jarron Collins for Shawn Marion, Ben Wallace, or Antawn Jamison, or a 3 way deal that would have AK going to the Kings, Mike Bibby and Francisco Garcia going to the Clippers, and Corey Magette and Tim Thomas headed to the Jazz. But let's get to some real news.

Two men have plead not guilty in the robbery case of Eddy Curry, and four men have plead not guilty in the home insavion case of Antoine Walker. It shows that black athletes can be victims too, and that nobody is safe from a crime. Joey Crawford has been reinstated as an NBA referee which is good, because his other option for cash may have been a Celebrity Boxing match with Tonya Harding. It's becoming obvious that the Bucks just don't give a damn about what people say. In June, Yi Jianlian is drafted by Milwaukee against his wishes, and they now match the offer sheet of Charlie Bell even though he wanted to go to Miami to be an option at point guard. Though Bell isn't happy now, his agent said that he'll be ready for the start of the season with the right mindset. Elton Brand had his cast removed and will be in a walking boot for the next six weeks in his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He'll then be evaluated by doctors, but is expected to miss a large portion of the '07/'08 season.

D-League Digest
The league now has 14 teams this year up from 12, and with the departure of Arkansas and Fort Worth there are 4 new teams. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants will be the affiliate for the Pacers and Pistons, the Iowa Energy will include the Bulls and Heat, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers includes the Hornets, Rockets, and Cavs, and the Utah Flash will be the affiliate for the Jazz and Celtics. The Austin Toros were bought out by San Antonio and will only be a Spurs affiliate with new black and silver coloring, the LA D-Fenders remain a Lakers owned franchise, and the Bakersfield Jam have changed their colors to red, white, and blue and will be the affiliates for the Kings and Warriors. Here are the other teams and their corresponding affiliates:
Albequerque Thunderbirds- Suns and Sixers
Anaheim Arsenal- Clippers, Hawks, Magic
Colorado 14ers- Nuggets, Raptors, Nets
Dakota Wizards, Grizzlies, Wizards
Idaho Stampede- Blazers, Sonics
Sioux Falls Skyforce- Timberwolves, Bobcats
Tulsa 66ers- Bucks, Mavericks, Knicks