It’s a pretty safe bet that if you make Mark Cuban look like the most refined and respected franchise owner in the room, you are probably not the shining beacon of NBA ownership.  Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street (link is to video) in an interview intended to be about the league’s 9% labor reduction, Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson set a new record for feet in his mouth.

Johnson, who made his fortune primarily as the founder of Black Entertainment Television, opened the segment by making a joke about his team not being good, which is actually true, but certainly not confidence-inspiring coming from the owner.  Later in the segment, when asked what he was doing about ticket prices in the NBA, a question Cuban answered directly, Johnson had this to say (after the jump): Read more…

• Leave it to the Beavers: Once again, Oregon State shocks highly-ranked USC in Corvallis.

This is becoming quite a trend.

• But such a monumental upset is no comfort to OSU alum Steven Jackson, as the Rams RB is too busy lashing out at coach Scott Linehan.

• Pat Summitt may be basketball’s all-time winningest coach, but the Lady Vols leader is no match when it comes to rasslin’ with raccoons.

• How melancholy is the Mariners’ clubhouse? One teammate of Ichiro openly talked about wanting to knock the Seattle star slugger out.

• Despite the Colts’ 1-2 record, Tony Dungy must still be pretty popular in Indianapolis - why else would someone return a credit card the coach left at a gas station?

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The U.S. economy is looking pretty grim at the moment. As Congress bickers over putting together a financial bailout plan, Washington Mutual was seized by the government late Thursday after it became the biggest US bank ever to collapse.

(Charlotte Bobcats mascot Rufus saves gas money by biking to work)

Figures that such financial strain would soon rear its head in the sports world. And that’s bad news for employees of the Charlotte Bobcats, as the young NBA franchise is on the verge of cutting a whole bunch of team jobs.

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The basketball talent normally runs in the family. For the Okafors, that’s definitely the case, as Emeka Okafor excelled at UConn and is now with the Charlotte Bobcats. So does his third cousin, currently in high school, who will commit to the University of Toledo Rockets, the TOLEDO BLADE reports. And what’s his name? Why, Emeka Okafor.

(From left to right: Emeka Okafor, Emeka Okafor.)

Now, this might be extremely convenient at family reunions when you want to gather everyone around (”Emeka! Dinner’s on!”) But for those of us who follow sports or “write” about them, we need some distinguishing marks:

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Larry Brown is apparently heading back to the NBA courtside. A “person familiar to the story” tells the ASSOCIATED PRESS that the oft-traveled coach has agreed to become the Charlotte Bobcats’ next coach.

The Bobcats have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon to make what they say is a “major basketball announcement.” The job opening came about when Sam Vincent was let go on Saturday. Brown’s agent wouldn’t confirm or deny if his client was coming to Charlotte.

If he does sign a contract with Michael Jordan’s co-owned team, it will be Larry’s ninth stop as NBA head coach. But it won’t be Brown’s first pro stint down Tobacco Road. Read more…

Christmas Ape at DEADSPIN (via RUFUS ON FIRE) gives us a momentary reprieve from our onset of carpal tunnel today:

If Charlotte’s WNBA Sting hadn’t dissolved, we doubt this moving picture masterpiece would’ve seen the light of day (video after the jump). Read more…

Wow, we’re leading with the NBA today. Well, there’s good reason, as the Charlotte Bobcats, obviously relieved to be playing in front of real, live people (unlike home games), upset the Celtics last night in Boston 95-83.

In searching for anything remotely interesting about the game, besides the final score, this was all we could find - from Gary Dzen of the BOSTON GLOBE: “Paul Pierce didn’t show up for this one. The usually steady captain broke his new rule and talked to the media before the game. Pierce was just 4-of-14 from the field and finished with 13 points and 3 assists. You can expect him to be quiet before all future home games.”

We’re sure the Bobcats would agree that the only reason the C’s receded last night was Pierce jawing with the rumpled media masses well before tipoff. Sure.

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JORDAN BACK ON COURT, IF ONLY FOR BOBCATS PRACTICE: Michael Jordan has returned to the hardwood - even if it was just for a one-time practice:

The CHARLOTTE OBSERVER bounces news that His Airness worked out with the Bobcats on Tuesday, swishing shots and matching up against some of the younger players.Jordan, now the Bobcats’ managing partner, even stayed true to his Nike roots during the session, by taping over the Adidas logo on his NBA-issued practice jersey.

Does this mean yet another MJ comeback is in the works? Coach Sam Vincent holds out very slight hope: “I don’t think there’d be any chance of talking him into it — but it is Christmas.”But Jordan has other ideas: “He can lobby all he wants. They can’t afford me.”