City Of Cleveland Shoots Down Lebron Billboard

Has the shine worn off LeBron James in Cleveland? From the latest development from Cleveland city leaders and Nike, it appears that’s a possibility.

Lebron James Downtown Cleveland Billboard Spiked By City Officials

The CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER reports today the Cleveland Planning Commission refused to approve a 10-story mural of James on a downtown building because it was “overt” advertising. Of course, that didn’t stop the same commission from approving a Nike billboard of the same size featuring James two years ago.

Why did Cleveland officials spike ‘Bron’s new massive downtown billboard?

View Results

Read more…

Book It, Done: Shaunie Kicks Shaq To The Curb

All across America gigantic underpants are flying at half-staff today as it is learned that Shaunie O’Neal has filed for separation from her large, Cleveland Cavaliers-playing husband. This just a day after it was alleged by one web site that Shaq was canoodling with Gilbert Arenas‘ fiance, Laura Govan.

Shaquille, Shaunie O'Neal

The site YOUNG, BLACK AND FABULOUS, which needless to say I have bookmarked, has some quite graphic emails purportedly sent back and forth between Shaq and Govan. And the papers that Shaunie O’Neal filed on Monday are just as graphic, with terms such as “community assets” and “separate property.” Anyway, Shaq’s back on the market, ladies. Form and orderly queue. Read more…

Is Shaq Shaqing Up With Gilbert Arenas’ Fiance?

Sorry if this ruins your holidays, but it seems as if Shaquille O’Neal has been cheating on his wife instead of practicing his free throws as he should be doing. At least this is according to the site YOUNG, BLACK AND FABULOUS; the first place I check for all of my NBA news. Who is Shaq trysting with? Laura Govan, who also happens to be Gilbert Arenas‘ fiance and the mother of his two children.

(The Gilbert Arenas, Laura Govan, Shaquille O’Neal love triangle offense)

YBF claims to have sources who confirm the O’Neal-Govan shenanigans — Shaqnanigans? — and the site has something even more salacious, it says: Emails between the two lovebirds. Here’s one now!

Shaquille O'Neal email

Read more…

Indicted: Delonte West Could Soon Get Plaxico’d

Ruben Castaneda of the WASHINGTON POST reports that a Prince George’s County grand jury indicted Delonte West on six weapons offenses Tuesday stemming from a September incident in which he was arrested “on the Capital Beltway with three loaded guns and an 8 1/2-inch bowie knife.”.

Delonte West returns

26-year-old West is also charged with reckless and negligent driving.

While all charges are misdemeanors, that doesn’t mean that West won’t suffer the same fate as Plaxico Burress. Read more…

Cool! NBA Owner Once a Bookie Busted By Police

The state of Ohio soon faces a vote on whether to legalize full-fledged, Vegas-style casinos, and one of the leading proponents of “Ballot Measure 3″ is Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert. If the proposition passes, Gilbert will own downtown casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland, raking in hundreds of millions each year.

Dan Gilbert

(Brah, get some rest)

But the idea has plenty of detractors. Detractors who have dredged up an ugly episode from Gilbert’s college days at Michigan State.

Are casinos just what Ohio needs to revitalize the state’s urban cores?

View Results

Read more…

NBA: Gambling Is Bad. NBA.com: Gamble In Ohio!

One of the reasons why there’s no NBA team in Las Vegas is that David Stern and the rest of the league are utterly terrified of the effect that the gambling mecca would have on its players. There’s the inevitable point-shaving, and who knows how many glassy-eyed, hung over players who had been up gambling for 16 hours straight we’d have on our hands.  And jail time. Lots of jail time. It’d be bad, right?

Dan Gilbert
(He seems thrilled.)

Oh, funny thing though. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has a decidedly different view of gambling and its potential effects. Why else would he be providing his support to “Yes on Issue 3,” which would put casinos in Ohio? Check that - right in downtown Cleveland, which just so happens to be where the Cavaliers play. Opposite day!

Read more…

A Braylon Edwards-LeBron James Feud? Awesome

It’s a scenario that would be totally rejected as an “Entourage” spec script, but since this is real life, and Cleveland, it’s totally believable. The Browns’ Braylon Edwards supposedly slugged a friend of LeBron James outside of a nightclub late Sunday night, and now James is sniping back at Edwards via Twitter.

LeBron James, Braylon Edwards

Edward Givens has told police that Edwards assaulted him outside of View nightclub in Cleveland at about 2:30 a.m. this morning. Givens, who said that he went to Lutheran Hospital this morning for a black eye, a cut and a headache, is friends with LeBron. This is what LeBron has to say about it via a sportswriter’s Twitter account: Read more…

Cavs Sitting On A Powder Keg With Delonte West

As we mentioned on SbB Live last night, Delonte West missed his second straight day of practice for the Cavaliers, apparently holed up in his apartment and not answering the phone. Well, now make that three missed practices (out of a total of three), as West didn’t show up for this morning’s workouts, according to the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER’s Brian Windhorst.

Delonte West

The Cavs are saying that West is “attending to personal matters,” which translates to he hasn’t been taking his meds for what is reportedly bipolar disorder. If that’s true, the Cavs have bought themselves a lot more trouble than they likely realize. Read more…

Meet The Russian Who Will Bring LeBron To Nets

At this point the speculation surrounding LeBron James leaving the Cavs has become folklore; like Bigfoot sightings, or Chad Ochocinco shutting up for five minutes. But if there’s one man who can lure The King from his Clevelandly realm, it’s the man below; a Russian billionaire who once played professional hoops and flips jet skis to relax. It’s like I have a twin!

Mikhail Prokhorov

Who is Mikhail Prokhorov? Think of the New Jersey Nets as owned by Goldfinger, or the alternate James Bond villain of your choice. Russia’s richest man, who made his $9 billion fortune mainly in nickel and gold production and nanotechnology development, has been called Russia’s most eligible bachelor. He’s fond of traveling the world in his private jet with beautiful women in tow, and was once arrested in an investigation of a high-end prostitution ring.

Read more…

Nash Annoyed With Shaq’s Behind-The-Back Move

If the 1980s taught us anything, it’s that all is fair in love & war, and business = war. Shaquille O’Neal must have been paying attention when he was growing up. Did you watch the first episode of the new reality show “Shaq Vs.,” in which O’Neal is pitted against different sports celebrities in their own games? At least one person — Steve Nash — thought that show looked very familiar.

Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal

That’s because it was Nash’s idea, and Shaq stole it.

If you watched the credits following Tuesday’s debut episode (and I pity you if you’re that deathly bored), you may have noticed that Nash is listed as an executive producer. That’s what you get — plus a bundle of cash, I presume — when you mention your idea for a new reality show to a friend, and that friend “borrows” the idea and makes his own show. Come on, Shaq!

Read more…