Sorry, Blake Griffin—No. 1 NBA Picks Usually Bomb

(NEWSER) - Women get excited over dresses at the Oscars. J.E. Skeets of Yahoo Sports gets excited about suits at the NBA draft. Here are his picks for the best- and worst-dressed players at last night's big event:

• Best Dressed: Brandon Jennings—"What's not to like?"
• Worst Dressed: Hasheem Thabeet wasn’t a disaster, but "shiny light grey on a seven-foot-three-inch frame is not a great look."

(NEWSER) - College basketball Hall of Famer Wayman Tisdale died today at 44, ESPN reports. Tisdale was diagnosed with bone cancer last year, and his right leg was amputated. The 6-foot-9 forward was an All-American all 3 years at Oklahoma, and went on to spend 12 years in the NBA. He was also a talented jazz bassist who toured with notable musicians and released eight albums. More»

Cocaine killed the athlete 22 years ago, but the impact lingers

(NEWSER) - Twenty-two years ago, Celtics legend Larry Bird called the sudden death of new Boston draftee Len Bias "one of the the cruelest things I've ever heard." The legacy of the Maryland basketball great, whose NBA career ended with cocaine use just two days after it began, retains its nuance and potency even now, writes Michael Weinreb for ESPN. More»

Mayo scandal shocks few, and penalties remain slight

(NEWSER) - The NBA can't stop agents from scurrying around high school and college basketball these days, offering illegal gifts to sign young players. Although the players are getting younger—more go pro right out of high school—punishments for players and agents alike remain slight, the New York Times reports. More»

Jazz wins eighth straight, LeBron returns to lift Cavaliers

(NEWSER) - The Orlando Magic won their fourth straight game last night, taking advantage of a slumping, injured Indiana Pacers squad for a 121-115 win, reports the Associated Press. The loss was the sixth straight for Indiana, which has been without star forward Jermaine O'Neal for eight games. Dwight Howard led the huge Magic offensive effort with 24 points and 12 rebounds. In other NBA action: More»