Turnovers Ding Magic in OT

He's reached verbal agreement with club: source

(NEWSER) - Kobe Bryant won’t be resting on his laurels during the NBA lockout . The Los Angeles Laker has verbally agreed to a $3 million contract to play with Italian club Virtus Bologna for the first 40 days of the Italian league season, a source tells the AP . Bryant grew up in Italy and has been there this week for endorsement deals. He is due back in the US for labor talks today but is expected to return to Italy next week with a work visa, according to the source. More»

Miami's loss shatters James' reputation

(NEWSER) - Sports columns everywhere are thick with schadenfreude today after LeBron James yet again vanished during the fourth quarter to hand Dallas the NBA title . Here’s what people are saying:

• LeBron is still royalty, but he’s not a king—he’s “an emperor with no clothes,” writes Mark Heisler of the LA Times . “James came out firing and making … then faded into the mists.” The Mavericks have exposed him, and everyone will keep him out of the lane from now on.

Meanwhile Dan Gilbert rejoices over Mavericks win

(NEWSER) - LeBron James gave his detractors a whole new reason to hate him in his post-game press conference last night, essentially telling them that he’d rather have his life than theirs. “At the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail … they gotta wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today,” he said. “They got the same personal problems that they had today. And I’m gonna continue to live the way I wanna live.” More»

Drops the news in online video

(NEWSER) - Shaquille O’Neal is ending his Hall of Fame NBA career—not that he’s told the Celtics. The Big Diesel/Shamrock announced his retirement in a brief video posted online today. “We did it. Nineteen years, baby,” he said. “I want to thank you very much, that’s why I’m telling you first, I’m about to retire.” When ESPN asked why he’d announced it that way, he replied, “Once a businessman, always a businessman. I am the emperor of the social media network.” More»

NBA star has apologized after slamming referee

(NEWSER) - Kobe Bryant not only unleashed a gay slur against an NBA ref last night, he did so in view of TNT's cameras. After outrage mounted today, the league fined him $100,000 and called his actions "offensive and inexcusable." Bryant got ticked off at referee Bennie Adams when he got a technical foul. After yelling "Bennie!" from the bench, Bryant shook his head and mouthed the words "f**cking f**got," reports TMZ . More»