Gold Mettle

First, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony all took turns torching Argentina on Friday (playing well was the best revenge for Carmelo). Then, Team USA went out and earned first in a grueling gold medal game against the size of Spain, featuring the Gasol brothers and naturalized Spaniard Serge Ibaka. It was a tall order, but in the end, the team with only one true center prevailed over one with a trio of them, reaching the heights that were presumed but not promised.

Ironically, as an object was being hung around their necks, a great weight was being lifted off their shoulders. If you had any doubts whether the precious metal was regarded as a precious medal by the players, all you had to do was look at and listen to Kobe Bryant afterwards. In his long consolation hug with Lakers teammate Pau Gasol, a man thought of as callous was conspicuously compassionate. It was a reminder that the Olympics bring out the best in everyone.*

*except that psycho, private part-puncher, Nicholas Batum.

An A-Paul-ing Move

Yesterday, the NBA played its version of Deal or No Deal, rescinding a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers in exchange for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom (Gasol was to be re-routed immediately to the Rockets for Luis Scola and Kevin Martin, one more live body and a future draft pick). If the Lakers had been able to pull off the move, it would have been the second time in three years that the flagship franchise fleeced another small-market team to acquire a superstar (the prior one being Memphis for Gasol), which is probably why David Stern put his wingtipped foot down. Since the league owns the Hornets, they are free to veto any of the team's transactions, so Stern said "no" to NO. Hornets GM Dell Demps discovered that making moves in the Big Easy isn't very easy.

The trade was like a light switch: it was on, it was off, the whole time surging with power. Allegedly, other owners blew a fuse over the news (with Dan Gilbert, aka "the Cleveland calligrapher," putting his feelings into writing again), angered that a West coast equivalent of the Heat was being assembled (Andrew Bynum being left out meant that the Lakers still had an asset to offer for Dwight Howard), causing the commissioner to refuse the exchange. The only comment thus far from the league is that that trade was rejected for "basketball reasons." As opposed to what, rugby reasons? It was within Stern's rights, but was it the right thing to do, to interfere to that extent? Pay no attention to the man standing behind the curtain, even if he's left the curtain partially open so the public can peek in. No one was left more shocked by the turn of events than Chris Paul, who expected to bring his electrifying play to L.A. After not letting Paul bolt, the least Stern can do is check on Paul's current condition, providing an outlet for him*.

*If we are guilty of using too many electricity puns, we accept the charge.

Bored Games

Even though we're more excited for the return of the NBA than LeBron is to win free fries in the McDonald's Monopoly game*, there is a downside to the lockout ending. Kevin Love and Blake Griffin must cease their intense Jenga matches. They'll have to settle for putting up bricks on the court when training camps open on December 9. Sorry! guys, but it's time to resume sinking shots instead of battleships.

To the players who went abroad: Trouble has been thwarted, so get a Clue, come back from the far corners of the Earth and stop putting yourself at Risk of injury. Love and Griffin aren't the only NBA stars engaged in a Trivial Pursuit. We gather that, based on his background, Pau Gasol is tough to beat in Operation.

And Glen Davis, leave knitting and popsicle stick projects to the very old and very young, respectively.

*You'd think a man whose nickname is "King James" would endorse a certain burger chain with a more regal theme.