Read the fine print

His name was buried at the bottom, in the fine print underneath the headlines celebrating Player of the Week honors for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

In the others nominated category the name Stephen Jackson caught me off guard like one of those Manny Pacquaio right hands.

A week after being the scourge of all things basketball, the Bobcats' Jackson makes the nominees list for Eastern Conference Player of the Week without so much as a second glance from the folks that were fussing about him just a few days ago.

What a country.

What a league.

And what a difference 2,706 miles makes.

Jackson is producing like normal for the Bobcats (he's averaging 17.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals while playing with the swagger we've all become accustomed to seeing from him). He's also given the Bobcats the No. 1 scorer and late-game go-to-guy that was missing before the trade went down.

While Jackson is starting fresh under Larry Brown and with a new group of teammates, the Warriors are busy doing the same, per Adam Lauridsen on Mercury News' Faste Break Warriors Fan Blog.

He labels the new look Warriors as "Younger, Faster and Bigger" without Jackson. Friday's win over Portland inspired much of this newfound optimism. But there's another test on the horizon. And it's against another Western Conference heavyweight Tuesday in Dallas .

This provides these Monta Ellis-led Warriors one more opportunity to prove they are not who we thought they were.

Whatever your opinion, it'll be interesting to see how the fortunes of all involved evolve over the course of this season.

A little more Tea Time reading and viewing (twitter style) for you afternoon pleasure:

Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com still isn't impressed with the Celtics.

David Steele of Fanhouse on the latest chapter of Magic-Bird.

Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic on Ben Wallace almost signing those papers.

Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune says Chris Paul is walking in New Orleans.

Kevin Durant of the Thunder on, well, Kevin Durant (for the first time)!

Shannon Brown's got hops, just in case you hadn't heard.

Steve Smith of NBA TV with Smitty's Top 5.

Shaquille O'Neal for 60 seconds is better than no Shaq at all.

Nate Robinson doing his best Ricky Davis impression.

Devin Harris is back and with authority.

-- Posted Nov. 23, 2009, 4:50 p.m. Question or comment? E-mail Sekou

It's foolish to even think it out loud.

Why would anyone in this day and age take less when they're guaranteed more, actually much, much more in this particular instance?

But from the mind and fingers of Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard to your eyes comes a most radical idea for the reigning King (LeBron James) of basketball:

"In 1997, when Apple cofounder Jobs returned to the company as interim CEO, he famously accepted a salary of $1. It was a symbolic act, sure, but a potent one, the message being that he cared more about the growth of the company than the thickness of his wallet. Granted, he could do this because he would also receive a bazillion stock options, but that's the point. If I were advising LeBron -- and clearly I'm not, or I'd be typing this on a gold-plated keyboard from a yacht in the Antilles -- here's what I'd tell him: Forget pursuing a maximum deal next summer, and announce that you'll sign for the league minimum, the NBA's equivalent of a buck. It sounds crazy, but it actually makes business sense."

You have to read Ballard's SI column to believe it. And then you might have to read it again, as I did, to believe he had the intestinal fortitude to write something this crazy/ingenious (I love the idea, for the sheer lunacy of the premise if nothing else).

When you're done, if we all get together and click the soles of our Air Jordans three times LeBron might even consider reading it, though the economist in me doesn't see this ever making it past the lovable, hair-brained-never-gonna-happen-in-this-lifetime stage.

More from Ballard:

"Consider: At 24, after six seasons as a pro, James has made more than $90 million in salary. Throw in the $28 mil a year he makes in endorsements and other goodies, and he's already grossed more than a quarter of a billion. So you tell me what's more valuable to LeBron James Inc. in the long run -- three years of max salary (around $50 million) or the cachet that comes from a) winning title after title as the linchpin of a superteam; b) being seen as the first star athlete to say, "It's not about the money," then back that up; and c) generating worldwide media buzz, if not the next best seller by Michael Lewis? "I think it's very smart," says one Western Conference general manager. "LeBron's personal brand is worth way, way more than any salary he could draw from a team. It's myopic to think otherwise." Then the G.M. laughs. "I'm just hoping he doesn't agree and do it."

Don't worry.

He won't!

-- Posted Nov. 23, 2009, 1:48 p.m. Question or comment? E-mail Sekou

When the schedule makers start moving pieces to make room for you, it's official.

You have arrived.

Friday night's Milwaukee at Oklahoma City game has replaced the Suns-Timberwolves game that was originally slated for ESPN's airwaves.

That means in addition to those Thanksgiving leftovers and the shop-'til-you-drop exhaustion hangover from Black Friday, you can wrap your eyes around two of the league's hottest and most dynamic young talents in Bucks rookie playmaker supreme Brandon Jennings and Thunder scoring machine Kevin Durant.

The Bucks-Thunder game air immediately after the 7 p.m. Wizards at Miami game on ESPN.

In case you missed it, Jennings is leading all rookies and ranks in the top eight of the league in scoring (25.3) while also averaging 5.5 assists for the surprising Bucks (8-3).

Durant, meanwhile, continues his climb up the league food chain. He's averaging 27.1 points and 6.9 rebounds for a Thunder team (7-7) that's making a strong early playoff statement in the rugged Western Conference.

Not sure what you have planned for Friday night, but if you're going to spend it anywhere near the tube, you can't miss this holiday treat.

-- Posted Nov. 23, 2009, 12:18 p.m. Question or comment? E-mail Sekou

I love my parents, my siblings and all of my extended family.

I love everything about being a Smith and all the drama and glory that comes with it.

But if Lakers owner Jerry Buss is ever looking to adopt a 30-something, male child without any known medical issues and a reasonable appetite, I'd be willing to go through whatever rigorous application process necessary to become a part of the family.

(Sorry mom and dad but you understand the Lakers mystique. Shoot, you were Showtime Lakers fans in the heart of Bad Boy country anyway.)

And who wouldn't want to be a Laker with a whatever-it-takes-to-win patriarch like Buss running the show (the man is spending $112.7 million this season to try and win a second straight NBA title)?

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times spent some quality time with Mr. Buss and shares it with all of us aspiring Buss children: "Buss, 76, said he thought the team had spent wisely, though the lump sum is undeniably large.

"It doesn't thrill me," he said. "I don't like to be singled out for that particular purpose, but I feel in this situation it was necessary. When it's necessary, we're going to do that."

And why is that? Why cut greatly into profit margins that, in Buss' words, came close to $30 million or $40 million last season when the Lakers won the championship with a total payroll of $86 million, including luxury taxes?

Apparently, the man likes to win.

"We want to win as many championships as we possibly can," Buss said. "We're still a few shy of our rival and our intention is to catch them. . . . My son Joey, when he picked up the trophy, he announced our clear-cut rival, and it's kind of obvious our whole family feels that way."

Where do I sign up?

A few other feel good stories to kick off Thanksgiving week:

Shaquille O'Neal is pulling double duty in Cleveland these days. It's not his on-court work that is drawing the attention in Cleveland, writes Margaret Bernstein of the Plain Dealer: "Good-naturedly, O'Neal autographed his name at least 100 times, on torn paper, basketballs, clothing or whatever else fans thrust at him. For Phyllis Pratt of Cleveland, he scrawled his name on the cardboard box that bore her canned goods, pasta and stuffing, as a souvenir to the grandson who couldn't make it. Shaq, known for doing "the dozens" on his Twitter account, kept up a running joke with the teen volunteers around him as he grinningly compared people in line to the stars they look most like: "The dad on Fresh Prince," "Tupac," "Tommy from the Martin show." "The kids enjoy seeing him. They watch him all the time and now, to meet him in person, he's just like one of us," remarked Sheena Jones, a Cleveland Heights mother of three."

***

In some circles what Orange County Register columnist Randy Youngman writes about here is considered California dreaming: "How would Hornets point guard Chris Paul look in a Lakers uniform in a couple of years? Paul, 24, is the Hornets franchise player in the first year of a four-year, $68 million contract extension, so he is presumably untouchable. But the Hornets made the mistake of axing Scott without consulting Paul, who was very upset by the move  so upset that he has told friends he'll leave when his contract runs out after two more years, after the 2011-12 season. (The final year is a player option, so it's moot.) It's all speculation, but ask Kobe what he thinks of the possibility of Paul someday becoming a teammate."

***

One win doesn't cure all that ails the Celtics these days, but it certainly doesn't hurt anything either. Oh, and having superstars that trust in each other makes crunch time a breeze, too: "Watching Pierce's plan play out perfectly felt better for Rivers. "It's a good thing because he saw it,'' Rivers said. "And Kevin needed that shot, I'll tell you.'' Pierce chalked the call up to a scorer's instinct. "Some of them work,'' he said. "Some of them don't.'' Garnett coming through in the clutch, no matter how he had played, was never in doubt for Pierce. "He's that type of player,'' Pierce said. "You're talking about a Hall of Fame player who's missed millions of shots. He's going to keep playing and keep shooting the ball. He stepped up big for our team when we needed it."

***

The grassroots movement to shine a light on the Thunder has reached the mainstream, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman highlights here: "The Thunder's home game against Milwaukee on Friday will be broadcast nationally on ESPN, the NBA announced Sunday."

***

Who knew Udonis Haslem could make such a huge difference for the Heat? That's the question Mike Wallace of the Miami Herald was asking after the Heat cooled off the Hornets: "It's a shame that the guy has so many near-haters out there. As I've said all along, you can love Michael Beasley without having to bash on Udonis Haslem. Can't we all just get along? Haslem's jumper with 15 seconds left lifted the Heat to a 102-101 victory over the feisty New Orleans Hornets on Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat snapped a three game skid, with Haslem missing a two of those games with a shoulder strain."

***

The rise of the Wizards predicted by so many in the offseason was either greatly exaggerated of extremely premature. Like many others in D.C., Tom Knott of the Washington Times is pointing fingers: "Everyone can point a finger to the cause of the team's 3-9 start, some of those fingers belonging to the would-be player-coaches in the locker room. The grumbling is to be expected given the Wizards' expectations going into the season. Those expectations have been supplanted by a lack of resolve and continuity. If it is not the absence of defense in Oklahoma City, it is the absence of rebounding in San Antonio. Either shortcoming undermines a team's best intentions. That is assuming the intentions of the Wizards are acceptable. You could argue otherwise."

***

A little lift from Nazr Mohammed was all the Bobcats needed to snap their seven-game losing streak. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer shares Mohammed's "Wally Pipp" moment: "Mohammed didn't find out he was starting until about 11/2 hours before game time, when center Tyson Chandler took himself out of the line-up because of back spasms. In what looked like one of those Wally Pipp moments, Mohammed made 8 of 10 shots from the field, charging an offense that looked frozen in place throughout the losing streak."

***

Maybe the week ahead will be better than the weeks past for the Nets. Or maybe not, as Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger makes painfully clear: "We already know what's going to happen if the Nets go 0-4 or maybe even 1-3 on this trip: The coach will be released, in an announcement that will appease a few fans and a few people in the organization. And none of them know any better; otherwise they'd be more interested in asking Rod Thorn why he has pinned this 0-17 or 1-16 to his coach rather than to himself or his owner. We're not going to bother reviewing any of circumstances that led to this, because you already know them. But it should be noted that this isn't about Frank at all, even if there are a few people within the organization who want him whacked -- there's even a minority owner who has been yammering about it for at least two years, and management has to talk the guy off the ledge every two weeks."

***

Raptors fans won't let up with the boos on Vince Carter. And Carter won't let up on Raptors, per Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Carter led the Magic to a fifth consecutive win with a 104-96 triumph against the Raptors, ultimately silencing a crowd that has booed his every return to Air Canada Centre the past five seasons. Carter scored 24 points, including a show-closing beat-the-traffic 21-foot jumper with 37 seconds left. The shot gave Orlando a nine-point lead and Carter another round of satisfaction. Since forcing a trade from Toronto to New Jersey in 2004, he is 6-4 against the Raptors in the regular season. Two game-winning shots came as a member of the visiting Nets."

-- Posted Nov. 23, 2009, 9:15 a.m. Question or comment? E-mail Sekou

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