Wizards' Gilbert Arenas receives sentence for gun incident

On Friday, Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas received his sentencing for December 2009's gun incident in the locker room. According to the sentence handed out by DC Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin, Arenas will serve one month in a halfway house, perform 400 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine.

The gun incident occurred in the Verizon Center locker room back on December 21. A dispute had arisen between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton over a gambling debt worth just a few hundred dollars. Arenas brought several handguns into the team's locker room, laid them out near Javaris' locker along with a sign that said "PICK 1".

Due to the incident, Arenas was suspended by the league for the entire season to set a strong precedent for this situation. At his sentencing, Arenas apologized and said he wakes up daily wishing this never happened. In another recent pro sports gun incident, NFL star Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants was carrying an illegal firearm in his pants, when the gun went off and shot him in the leg. The NFL wide receiver was sentenced to 2 years in prison due to NY's gun laws. Some people, including the prosecutors in the Arenas case feel he got off lightly, avoiding any major jail time.

Read more about Arenas' sentencing here at ESPN.com

E! True Hollywood Story Basketball Wives

A recently broadcast episode of E!'s True Hollywood Story "Basketball Wives" showcased what it's like to be the wife of a NBA star these days. Various NBA players and basketball wives were featured in the inside look at professional basketball relationships. Included on the show were Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, Dwyane Wade, Charlie Bell, Jason Maxiell and Kiki Vandeweghe among others.

Milwaukee Bucks star Charlie Bell and his wife Kenya were just one of the couples spotlighted on the show. The couple first met in college, when a shy Charlie Bell kept calling Kenya and finally got his first date with her. The two stuck together since then. They discussed the ups and downs of Charlie getting signed one minute, then cut or traded the next. It went from the good life right back to not knowing how they were going to pay for life. They talked about having a nice apartment fully furnished and then before they knew it having to use food stamps to get food. Bell was traded between the Suns and Dallas Mavs, and eventually signed with a team over in Italy. His wife discussed how she had made the decision to marry Charlie for better or worse so she decided to make the move to Europe with him.

The E! Hollywood Story "Basketball Wives" also offers an in-depth look at the Siohvaughn Funches Dwyane Wade story and has insight on other relationships including those of Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson. The show is next scheduled to air at 12 AM EST on E! right after All-Star Saturday should be wrapping up.

Siohvaughn Funches Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union + E! story

Dwyane Wade & Siouvaughn Funches

A recent E! Hollywood Story show called "Basketball Wives" discusses NBA couples and has brought the spotlight onto the Siohvaughn Funches Dwyane Wade marriage-deterioration. They were among one of the several NBA Player wives pairings on our Love & Basketball wives list published a while back. However, things in their marriage took a turn for the worse as Wade filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart. In fact the divorce came about in late 2007 after the birth of their second child. During the grueling divorce proceedings, Wade's estranged wife has even gone as far as to accuse D-Wade of giving her herpes and abandoning their two children Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade and Zion Malachi Airamis Wade. This prompted a huge lawsuit with Wade suing his former wife and two of her lawyers over the accusations he claimed were false.

BREAKING: Siohvaugn Funches-Wade arrested!

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E! ran one of its inside look shows about what it's like to be married to an NBA superstar, with Siouvaughn Wade and her mother both appearing on the show. Siouvaughn said she started to lose her identity and became more like "Dwyane's wife". She even said it felt like she & Dwyane forgot God and their marriage vows. Their marriage remained rocky into 2007 when they had Zion, their second son. That's about when the divorce proceedings started up in November 2007. Siouvaughn Funches headed back to Illinois with her two children. A friend of Funches said that she would receive calls from one of the children crying for his father. The E! report says that Wade says he wants to do what's best for his children in this situation.


(image source: NY Times)

Rumors have been ongoing that since divorcing Siohvaugh Funches Dwyane Wade started dating Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union. Gabrielle appeared in a recent issue of Jet magazine and discussed dating a younger man. The couple was seen in the spotlight heading to Miami beach for a stroll back in December of 2009, and has been seen together on several other occasions during which Union's publicist tried to block out camera shots.

See NBA action live in person...Check out Miami Heat NBA tickets listings!

Lamar Odom getting married to Khloe Kardashian

The recent buzz has been all about Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom, not for his recent championship ring with the Lakers, not for his $33 million contract extension signed in July, and luckily not for any off-court legal problems. The recent news is that Lamar Odom is getting married to Khloe Kardashian, famous sister of Kim, from "Keeping up with the Kardashians" and "Khloe and Kourtney take Miami", both of which air on the E! television channel.

Well known celeb-diva, paparazzi booty queen, Kim Kardashian, who was most recently linked to running back Reggie Bush of the NFL's New Orleans Saints told People.com:

"They're very, very happy," Kim told People.com. "They are literally inseperable. Khloe thinks he's amazing and makes her laugh and smile constantly."

The news may come as a big shock to many fans of either of these stars. According to reports, Odom met Kardashian at a party in Los Angeles and the two really hit it off. They dated for just over a month, and soon were engaged. A wedding is tentatively planned for Sunday September 27th, 2009. The reason for Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian getting married so quick wedding is due to Odom's upcoming schedule involving the NBA season. All's fair in Love & Basketball, but don't we see so many Hollywood style marriages end fast? I guess it's good to start fast and get it over with quicker? Feel free to leave your thoughts on this recent NBA transaction off the court for Lamar Odom...

(Sources: latimesblogs.latimes.com, people.com, usmagazine.com)

Delonte West arrested for Weapons Charges

Cleveland Cavaliers star Delonte West was just recently arrested in Prince George's County of Maryland area on weapons charges. The NBA guard apparently had a total of three guns on his person and was stopped after cutting off a police officer, while riding a three-wheeler motorcycle (not a tricycle).

According to the Washington Post:

Delonte West, a guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was driving a three-wheeled motorcycle north on Interstate 95 near Route 214 in the Largo area when he cut off a Prince George's County police officer, authorities said. The officer pulled him over, and West told the officer that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband.

That prompted the officer to call for backup, and investigators found that West was actually carrying three guns: a Beretta 9mm in his waistband, a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a shotgun in a guitar case slung over his back,

The 26 year old West lives in the area and was formerly a high school basketball player there. His charges included speeding and two counts of carrying a handgun. Delonte was released on his own personal recognizance. There's no word on why West had the three weapons or where he was headed with them, but he definitely gives new meaning to the term "shooting guard".

(Story Source: WashingtonPost.com)

Lebron James on The Daily Show

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Lebron James was a special guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart a few days ago. The appearance was brief yet comical. The reigning NBA MVP was there in conjunction with a new book coming out called "Shooting Stars" which he co-authored with Buzz Bissinger.

Lebron spoke about the new book which covers his meteoric rise to basketball fame while he was playing high school ball for St. Vincent Mary's. Stewart asked how Lebron's former teammates are handling his success, and Lebron said they are excited for him. James said they've all kept in touch and his friends still got to see him play.

Stewart also ribbed Lebron about coming to New York when he presented him with an "I love New York" coffee mug, Shake Shack burgers and then a Tyranosaurus Rex vertebrae from the Natural Museum of History. Stewart then mentioned they have a great team called the Knickerbockers, and said all they get you in Cleveland is into the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame".

Watch video footage of Lebron James' appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart below.



Check out more information on Shooting Stars by Lebron James & Buzz Bissinger at Amazon.com!

Michael Jordan's 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame Moment

(image source: NBA.com)

Finally, his Airness has taken his rightful spot amongst the greatest legends on the hardwood, ever. Many have called Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time, and on Friday, September 11th, 2009, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan's career made the #23, the Chicago Bulls and finesse basketball all part of the art form. His greatness extended from beyond the hardwood floors but to pop culture and mainstream commercials such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, Nike and others. MJ and his symbolic Jumpman logo became a iconic household symbol. Air Jordans by Nike became a status symbol, and basketball became the game everyone wanted to play. All thanks to inspirational players which included Michael "Air" Jordan.

The ceremony Friday night had to be moved from the traditional Hall of Fame venue to a bigger-capacity Symphony Hall which accommodates around 2,600 people. Jordan's Hall of Fame speech in Springfield, MA, was full of quips, comments and recollections of what made him the elite basketball player he became. He discussed being cut from his high school team in the 10th grade, and being restricted from appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a college freshman. Jordan also put everyone one notice "There's not going to be another Michael Jordan".

"You guys are constantly trying to find that next Michael Jordan," Jordan said. "First of all, you didn't find me. I just happened to come along and next thing you know, here I am."

Amongst Jordan's fellow Hall inductees were David Robinson, John Stockton and current Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Jordan was presented by another basketball legend and UNC alumni, David Thompson.

Of course the internet was also buzzing about Jordan's girlfriend, Yvette Prieto. Reportedly, Michael and Yvette, a 30 year old Cuban model, have been dating since 2008, with the duo rumored to be getting married soon. See a picture of the couple here. For years, Jordan had been married to Juanita, with the couple divorcing in 2002 due to "irreconcilable differences". Much like MJ's retire-return to the court career, the couple came back together, then officially ended the marriage in 2006. The couple has three children, sons Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and daughter, Jasmine.

Jordan joked at one point that he still loves the game and you just might see him one day playing in basketball shorts at age 50. The crowd laughed, but Jordan told them to:

"Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

While Jordan may have been joking during his suggestion of a possible third un-retirement at age 50, most fans are content with what Jordan has already given to the sport for many years. His legacy lives on as current players continue to hold their own careers up to Jordan's.

A key closing moment of Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech discussed exactly what the game meant to him:

"The game of basketball has been everything to me," Jordan said. "My refuge. My place I've always gone when I've needed to find comfort and peace. It's given me my most intense pain and my most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction."

Read more about Jordan and the Hall of Fame at Google AFP News

Reggie Miller Banner warns 'No Married Women'

Recently a beach plane towing a banner across the skys from Malibu to South Bay in California carried an interesting message. It wasn't your typical advertisement or some clever marriage proposal, instead it was aimed at former NBA Indiana Pacers star (current TNT NBA analyst) Reggie Miller. The banner read: "Reggie Miller stop pursuing married women". Several beachgoers noticed the Reggie Miller warning banner high up in the sky as they were attending the AVP Hermosa Beach Open down below in Malibu area. Miller is also a resident of Malibu, but there's been no word if he saw the expensive sign.

Apparently the banner was purchased by Alex von Furstenberg, a Malibu resident and surf shop owner, who even took out a restraining order against Miller for pursuing his wife Ali. Miller also reportedly chatted with Ali recently, and after waiting for her to leave the local Country Mart followed her down Malibu's PCH highway pleading to see her again.

Miller claims that Ali sent him some provocative photos of herself via text message, seen here at TMZ.com. Miller also claims he ended things with her in April, but she reconnected in May asking why he ended things. The next day he supposedly got an angry call from her husband.

According to eurweb.com and Hollywood Street King:

"While Miller has yet to comment on the allegations, reports say he and von Furstenberg have even had a confrontation about the situation, where Reggie threatened him, saying 'he had friends with guns.'"

HSK quotes von Furstenberg as saying: "I was very upset about Reggie's behavior towards my fiancé. I think people in Malibu share my views that being a famous basketball player should not provide some sort of shield against inappropriate behavior. Reggie sincerely apologized to me on a phone call with Ronald Richards, his attorney, and myself. I cannot comment further on the matter as I believe it has been resolved."

There's more on this story at Diary of a Hollywood Street King (HSK) including a copy of the restraining order and texts.

TMZ Shows Lebron Dunk Video

The highly-searched for Jordan Crawford dunk on LeBron has finally come to see the light of day. Several websites including TMZ and ebaumnation.com are now showing the Lebron dunk video that had seemingly been confiscated by Lebron James' people and Nike. The dunk occurred during Lebron's summer basketball camp pickup game as a virtually unknown player, Jamal Crawford, threw it down on James during the game.

The dunk incident occurred at the LeBron James Skills Academy several weeks ago during a summer basketball camp game. College player, Jamal Crawford, who will be playing for Xavier this coming season, scored the two handed jam on King James. Various cameramen caught the footage including some from CBS. A high school player who was at the event Soon afterwards, all tapes of the "incident" were confiscated. Apparently some footage was not taken care of, as several websites were able to present the video footage as of Wednesday night.

Check out the links below to see the video footage of "The Dunk" we thought we'd never see!

TMZ's presentation of Lebron dunk

Detroit Free Press shows Lebron getting dunked on

Antoine Walker Arrested in Vegas

As Kenny Rogers famously sang, you've got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em...Former NBA star Antoine Walker didn't heed that advice and was arrested in Nevada this past Thursday. The arrest came inside Harrah's casino at Stateline, Nevada. The charges? Walker had attempted to use fake checks and obtain credit he didn't have to the tune of $800,000 from three different Vegas casinos. A deputy on foot patrol was alerted by a Harrah's employee who had seen a TV report about Walker. Walker was arrested at one of the casino bars shortly thereafter.

Originally the former Celtics, Heat and Mavs star was issued a bail of $905,050, later reduced to just over $100,000. Walker is now free on bail but is scheduled to appear in a Las Vegas court on Monday. He had made the trip to Vegas for the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament at South Lake Tahoe.

Apparently, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley aren't the only former all-stars who like to gamble. The difference is neither has trouble getting the funds. Then again maybe this will serve as a wake up call and early lesson for any other NBA ballers who want to get into the gambling scene. Keep your money under the mattress, at least until the stock market rebounds.

Mark Cuban wins Court Battle, Rd. 1

Months ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban avoided a loss of $750,000 from stocks, but selling about 600,000 shares, or a 6.3% stake in the company. The Securities and Exchange Commission brought charges against Cuban for insider trading. Today, Cuban is free of the litigation, for now.

On Friday, a federal judge granted a dismissal of the civil lawsuit against Cuban for insider trading in SEC v. Cuban, 08-cv-2050, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas (Dallas). The company involved was an Internet search engine company known as "Mamma.com, Inc.". Cuban's lawyers argued on his behalf that Cuban wasn't legally an "insider" of the company.

It's still possible the SEC could refile this case, so stay tuned for more madness from the Blogger Maverick, Cuban...

Read more about Cuban's victory in court here at Bloomberg.com.

Converse Wade 4 MIA: D-Wade to Nike?

Last season, NBA superstar and champion, Dwyane Wade, was seldom seen rocking his Wade 4's by Converse on the court. Apparently, Wade has recently cleared up that issue, making it known he plans to jump to the Nike Jumpman line as part of the Team Jordan family. Wade, a Chicago native, will now be on board with other superstars in Jordan's team and the Nike brand including Richard Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James (who has his own line), and Kobe Bryant.

Wade cites the fact that he doesn't know how good Converse will do in the basketball market, and it seemed the company didn't quite know what to did with him. They previously had the Flash campaigns but not much else. Comparing it to Nike's clever marketing for such pieces as "The Lebrons" and the "MVPuppets with Lebron and Kobe", Wade made the logical choice to sign with the top brand for ballers. Wade's T-Mobile commercials with Charles Barkley have also been amongst some of the best made and funniest basketball ads around.

It was reported from CBS4.com from Miami that Wade wore a pair of Converse sneakers at Zo's Summer Groove basketball game this past Sunday, but that may be the last time he's seen doing so.

Richard Jefferson Wedding Fiasco

San Antonio Spurs star Richard Jefferson was all set to marry a former Nets' dancer, Kesha Ni'Cole Nichols. The couple were scheduled to get married at the Mandarin Oriental last Saturday, but the NBA star chose to call the whole thing off the night before. Jeferson became a runaway groom so to speak, leaving Nichols jilted. She immediately called her family and alerted them of the news. Nichols checked into the Mandarin Oriental hotel and was upgraded to a 45th floor suite overlooking Central Park. The Richard Jefferson wedding was priced at around $2 million for the affair. Some guests had already arrived and then discovered that Jefferson was not going to show. RJ, who had called about 2 hours prior to the wedding, made sure his best friend who had shown up for the event was given access to his black American Express card.

A picture here from June 13th, shows the happy couple with Nichols showing off the engagement diamond. Jefferson has yet to give any comments about the incident, and his former fiance/girlfriend has also kept quiet, wishing to move forward with her life. As the famous saying goes, "all's fair in love and war"...or is it "love and basketball"?

(Story Source: NYDailyNews.com)

Also see: The NBA Player's Wives List

Elevator Ernie Johnson Reborn!

Years ago, award-winning NBA analyst from TNT, Ernie Johnson, took part in a mini dunking tutorial on a lowered hoop, complete with extra short shorts and a specially made black T-shirt which displayed his nickname. That's right Elevator Ernie Johnson was re-introduced Sunday night as on the air footage prior to the Cavaliers-Magic Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. EJ's co-hosts, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller all had some choice comments poking fun at their colleague's apparel. Ernie also announced that Homage clothing offers a re-created version of the Elevator Ernie Johnson T-Shirt. That's right it can be yours fans for a mere $32. (Ernie's elevator hops not included)

Check out the Elevator Ernie Johnson T-shirt at HomageClothing.com

RIP Wayman Tisdale, Age 44

Former NBA veteran, college basketball star and musician, Wayman Tisdale passed away Friday morning at just 44 years of age. The former Forward/Center had recently lost a leg to cancer, and had been battling the disease for over 2 years. Tisdale was the #2 pick back in the 1985 draft by the Indiana Pacers, after excelling at Oklahoma in college basketball. During his college career Tisdale was an All-American 3 times and holds the record for most points scored by a player through their freshman and sophomore seasons. In addition to the Pacers, Tisdale played for the Kings and Suns, averaging over 15 points and 6 rebounds a game for his 12 season career.

Tisdale retired from the NBA in 1997 and went on to a career in jazz music, during which he recorded several albums and toured with notable stars like Toby Keith.


(Story source: USA Today)

Andrew Bynum and Rihanna Together?

Let the rumor mills and gossiping start, Andrew Bynum and singer Rihanna were recently spotted out on the town together in California. Bynum and Rihanna were reportedly seen sharing an intimate dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on this past Friday. According to what a source told X17 online: "The twosome was "very couple-y, sitting real close to each other in the car" after leaving the venue".

This is the same Rihanna who several weeks ago had forgiven her boyfriend of 4 months, Chris Brown, who beat her up in his car right before the Grammy's on February 8th. 19-year old Brown recently plead not guilt to the charges of felony assault and making criminal threats. The couple had chosen to take some time off away from each other to reflect on the relationship. Apparently Brown and Rihanna are seeing other people now. The couple had reconciled weeks ago, but there's also been recent reports that Chris Brown was seen visiting a tattoo parlour with Girlicious singer Natalie Mejia. Mejia hasn't said they're an official couple but has said things are going well lately between them.

This is also the same Andrew Bynum who plays center for the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been rehabbing a knee injury for months and was also seen at Playboy Mansion party carrying a playmate around on his shoulders. Life is good for the young Lakers star, who really isn't a star on the basketball court like he seems to be out in Hollywood.

(Story source: AceShowbiz.com)

Danny Ainge Heart Attack Scare

The Boston Celtics had a bit of a scare earlier today when Danny Ainge, the president of basketball operations, had a minor heart attack this morning. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where he'll remain for a few days. The former Celtics guard is expected to make a full recovery, but most likely won't be attending Game 1 of the Bulls-Celtics playoff series. Celtics managing partner Stephen Pagliuca provided the Boston Globe with the following info:

"I saw him at about 3:30 p.m. today," Pagliuca said. "I spoke to him and he was already joking about recovering and Eddie House breaking his record [for 3-point percentage in a season] putting him over the top. He was in good spirits. He was with his wife, Michelle, at the hospital. He was in good spirits."

Pagliuca said Ainge, the NBA Executive of the Year last season, probably won't be at Game 1 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series tomorrow night against the Bulls. Ainge did not attend the Celtics' regular-season finale Wednesday night against the Wizards because he was feeling ill.

"We're very grateful that Danny is progressing," said Pagliuca, noting that it was a tough day. "He will bounce back quickly. Danny is a warrior.

Read full story on Danny Ainge here.

Ainge not only manages the operations of the team, including the big moves that brought in stars Kevin Garnett from Minnesota and Ray Allen from Seattle, but he also spent over 7 years playing there. His playing days included 2 championships to which he added another as an executive last year. Wishing Danny Ainge a speedy recovery from Love and Basketball NBA Blog. We fully expect Mr. Ainge will continue to be the heart of the Boston Celtics!

NBA's Paul Davis on Millionaire Matchmaker

Former NBA player Paul Davis, a college basketball standout center and previous member of the LA Clippers roster, is currently looking for the perfect female partner. To get the assist he needed to score in the game of love, Paul Davis appeared on Bravo's reality documentary show "The Millionaire Matchmaker". The show features professional matchmaker Patti Stanger who attempted to help Davis find the right female for him. Her team of helpers includes personal shoppers, date coaches and therapists who give two wealthy clients bigtime makeovers and then send them on handpicked dates especially tailored to the individuals' personalities and expectations.

On the new episode 8 which aired April 2, 2009 on Bravo TV, Patti tried to help a successful Harvard graduate named Alex by giving him a physical makeover to propel his dating success. She also helped NBA player Paul Davis with a major personality makeover. According to reports on the episode Paul had some pretty high expectations when it comes to love but his date on the show with Kimi was successful. The two went to an upscale bowling alley and wagered over who could bowl better. Davis won the bet which gave him the prizes of Kimi cleaning his condo dressed as a french maid, making him sushi and then making him French toast the next morning. Shoot...Score!

According a Chicago Sun Times blog, Davis said the following about the date:

"I would definitely go out with her again. I think, you know, she's a great girl, great personality. And she definitely is somebody, regardless of what happens down the line, just to have a friend in your life -- I really think she would be one of those people."

See photos from the show here

In case you're wondering about Paul Davis' NBA career, he played just 2 years professionally after playing his NCAA college basketball for Michigan State Spartans and finished the 2005 season as leading rebounder. Lindy's College Basketball ranked him as the number 3 center at the time. By his senior year he was averaging a near double-double with 17.5 points and 9.1 rebonds. He was awarded Mr. Basketball of Michigan. In 2006, he went at the #34 draft pick in the NBA draft's second round to the Los Angeles Clippers, wearing the #40. Once the 2007-08 NBA season had ended, Paul Davis became a restricted free agent. The Clippers renounced his rights but resigned him in August 2008. Paul Davis was released from the LA Clippers in January 2009. In 2008-09 he averaged 4.0 points and 2.50 rebounds per game with the Clips. View Paul Davis' NBA.com bio info page.

Andrew Bynum's Playboy Mansion Fun

Los Angeles Lakers Center Andrew Bynum, who's still supposedly rehabbing from knee surgery to help his team was caught in a recent photo from a Playboy Mansion party. In the snapshot here, Bynum is seen with a Playboy bunny seated on his shoulders. The photo and sheer idea of this has outraged many LA faithful already. A blogger over at SI's fannation.com section says it seems Bynum (who was said to be several weeks away from return) is "well on the road to recovery". Bynum's been out of action since February with a tear in a ligament in his right knee.

The Playboy model he was carrying is 34 year old Nicole Narain who was Playboy Playmate of the month back in January 2002. She's been a hip hop honey video vixen for superstar videos from LL Cool J and Fabolous. According to her Wikipedia entry, she weighs just 110 pounds, which isn't a tremendous load for Bynum to shoulder. However the outrage may be more over the fact he was partying it up with alcohol and bunnies rather than resting or rehabbing the injury properly. While it's no Kobe in Colorado type scandal just yet, it definitely isn't the best publicity for the young Center who's part of the Lakers championship hopes in 2009.

Arash Markazi of CNNSI's Fannation.com wrote:

If Bynum isn't healthy enough to play, should he be able to live out his Playboy fantasy in the meantime? Maybe, but while he's rehabbing his injury and the Lakers play shorthanded without him, perhaps it'd be wise for him to keep a low profile and sit out a couple of pajama parties. The grotto and Playmates will still be there. The Lakers can only hope the same can be said for Bynum come playoff time.

On a sidenote, this isn't the first bit of controversy involving Nicole Narain either. Back in 2005, she and Colin Farrel were the stars of a sex tape which became grounds for a lawsuit to prevent anyone from selling or distributing the tape any further. Now Nicole is involved in this much more minor scandal, and it's only with Andrew Bynum. Perhaps this makes it on an episode of Girls Next Door, and if nothing else it's given the former centerfold a bit of a publicity boost right about now. Heff, take note- a Playboy models with NBA stars issue could be a hot seller.