For the past 20 years, there have been few sport & sponsor partnerships as strong as that of McDonald’s and the NBA. Both are historically American brands that grew dramatically worldwide over the past couple decades. The partnership resulted in some enduring advertising images of NBA stars chowing down on Mickey D’s foods. The two just seemed to go together.

(Always a trendsetter)

But now, amidst this historically bad economic climate, the partnership has come to a close. The NBA and Taco Bell have announced a four-year agreement for the purveyor of wretched Mexican-themed “food” to serve as the official fast food sponsor of the NBA. It’s like David Stern is stomping all over my childhood TV commercial memories while wearing a sombrero.

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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…

The Knicks have found a new coach, and that poor guy is Mark D’Antoni.

The deal hasn’t been announced by the team, but sources are confirming that both sides have reached an agreement.

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Former NBA player and Duke standout Christian Laettner will be inducted into the The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame on June 12th.

Wait, so Laettner’s Polish? All this time I thought he was gay.

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• Ryan Parker is back with his latest song, an ode to sports blogs in the wake of the Will Leitch/Buzz Bissinger fiasco. We were happy to be mentioned.

• ODENIZED has his take on the Bruce Bowen - Chris Paul mini-melee from last night’s game (with video). Read more…

Reports coming out of Los Angeles indicate that Kobe Bryant will be announced as the NBA’s most valuable player.

This would be the first time the Lakers guard received the award, and would cap off a fascinating season for Bryant, both on the court and off. Read more…

Remember Tim Donaghy? Of course you do, he’s the creep who admitted to fixing and betting on NBA games. C’mon, you know who he is. This chump:

(Donaghy prepares for prison)

With all the Sonics moving, playoff starting, and award awarding going on, this newest news might have slipped through the cracks. One of Donaghy’s friends, Thomas Martino, has “admitted to paying Donaghy in exchange for betting tips on N.B.A. games, including those that Donaghy officiated.” Not good, Tim. Read more…

A big deal has been made out of Kobe Bryant’s latest shoe commercial, the one where he jumps in place while an Aston Martin may or may not have been driving under him.

As it turns out during their game against the Hornets last night, the Lakers guard can still jump in games, too. And in a big way. Read more…

Soon to be sentenced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is getting a heaping helping of the addition of insult to jail time as his estranged wife is trying to hit him with a restraining order, the ASSOCIATED PRESS reports.

Kim Donaghy claims Tim hit their children, spied on her e-mail account and threatened her with bodily harm.

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