(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[Axel The Great]

You won Spurs but lost to Sixers? What's wrong with Speights, I never saw his posting big numbers
MANU 41?

Yep, Speights' explosion was really unexpected, Manu's was as well, but not really surprising considering the fact that he was making up for Duncan's absence.

What's stupid about it? The fact that I made your team lose or that you had a bad game? Either way, you'll get your chance in the NBA.

Both! Can't wait for the NBA man. Oh also, happy (late) b-day.

Thanks man! In the NBA, your player will be a lottery pick because you tallied the most points in the prediction game I discontinued (counted up all points, you had ~119 total, most by anyone).

Strange week. I mean, the Sixers seem beatable whilst the Spurs are tough to contain. Mareese Speights had a nice outing.

What I notice is that K-Mart has top-consistency in his shooting. He's barely on fire (like .70) but he also seems to be above .500 almost every time. Really good to have such a consistent force on offense.

Sixers just put in a bunch of effort for the W. Not too concerned though as I kicked their asses back in Houston. Yeah, Martin's really been efficient. I've never seen anyone dominate on offense that way; his PER is a league-leading 31.4

Season almost to a close! Next is the Elite Eight recap, and the Final Four preview.

[Axel The Great]

Elite Eight Recap


East Regional Championship
5. Arizona vs. 2. North Carolina
The Arizona Wildcats proved that their victory over Duke was not a fluke (cool rhyme). They took down Duke's longtime rival the North Carolina Tar Heels, in a close ball game 76-71. Derrick Williams was the high-point man with 25 points, also grabbing 8 boards and blocking a couple of shots. Dexter Strickland top scored for UNC with 22 points and dishing out 9 assists. North Carolina led almost the whole way, with the lead growing to 14 with six minutes left in the first half. The Tar Heels were up by nine at halftime, but in the second half, the Wildcats went on a 12-4 run to start and narrow the margin down to one.

The intensity of both teams ramped up in the second half, as both teams traded bucket after bucket, before Harrison Barnes hit a huge three-pointer to put UNC up by five with three minutes remaining. Derrick Williams, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, had something different to say. Williams was fouled in transition by Tyler Zeller (12 points, 11 boards), but he converted the bucket and the free throw. Arizona got a stop at the other end, and Williams nailed a heavily contested corner three to give his Wildcats the lead. Arizona would not relinquish the lead from there, as they closed out the game with free throws, Williams going 4/4 in the final minute to advance to the Final Four. Harrison Barnes' struggle was a contributing factor, as he shot just 3/10 and scored only 14 points, seven of which came from the free throw line.

West Regional Championship
3. Texas vs. 4. Butler
Butler wants to go to the NCAA Final for the second straight year, and the effort they gave this game was real evident of that. The Butler Bulldogs held Texas to 31% shooting from the field, en route to a 62-54 win. Despite shooting such a low percentage, the Longhorns had many offensive rebounds, with Tristan Thompson and Jordan Hamilton hitting the glass hard for a combined 10 offensive rebounds. Hamilton had 19 points and 9 boards, while Thompson had 13 points and 13 boards. Butler went on a 14-5 run in the final five minutes of the game to close out Texas, whom had no answer for Matt Howard. The senior had 23 points and 12 rebounds, really anchoring Butler's defense.

Shelvin Mack had 16 points and 7 assists, while Shawn Vanzant chipped in 13 points of his own. Butler did not shoot the ball well either (38%), but they forced 17 turnovers from Texas which led to 12 steals. Cory Joseph contributed 7 of those 17 turnovers, and was held to 8 points and 2 assists. Butler goes to the Final Four for the second straight year, and will be facing the Arizona Wildcats whom are riding Derrick Williams' shoulders.

Southwest Regional Championship
1. Kentucky vs. 3. UConn
Kemba Walker continues to be too much for anyone in this tournament. The Kentucky Wildcats first had Brandon Knight guarding him, then changed plans and threw Terrence Jones on him, then even tried Justine Jones. Despite different defensive matchups, Walker managed to score 28 points and dish 8 assists to will his UConn Huskies to a 79-73 victory and head to the Final Four. Brandon Knight once again struggled, managing just 12 points and going 4/15 from the field. It was Justine Jones who kept Kentucky in the game. JJ had 23 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists, but the effort he gave unfortunately wasn't enough.

UConn had a slim 3-point lead heading into the final minute of the game, 72-69. Brandon Knight hit a clutch 16-foot jumpshot to bring his team within one. Then, Kemba Walker scored his third triple of the night; a stepback pull up three over the outstretched arm of Terrence Jones (12 points, 8 rebounds). That put the Huskies up 75-71, which sealed the deal. Once again, what was a great tournament run for Kentucky ends early in the Elite Eight, and one must wonder what would've went down had Turkish center Enes Kanter not been declared ineligible to play by the NCAA. UConn moves on to the Final Four in search of a third championship.

Southeast Regional Championship
1. Kansas vs. 14. Fresno State
The Cinderella story of the tournament has come to a close; Brad Halstead and the Fresno State Bulldogs have been wiped out, literally. The Kansas Jayhawks were led by big man Markieff Morris, who had game highs of 24 points and 13 rebounds, paving the way for a 78-63 win. Fresno State had a very stagnant offense, shooting just 33% from the field. Brad Halstead managed 19 points (7/16 shooting), 8 rebounds and 5 assists, but the rest of his teammates just didn't show up. Center Greg Smith had only 10 points (3/9 from the field) and 8 boards, while Kevin Olekaibe had 12 points (4/13 from the field) and 4 assists.

Meanwhile, Kansas shot 48% from the field, despite Marcus Morris' 13-point struggle. The swingman shot just 4/12 from the field, as he was bothered by Halstead's tough defense all game. After going through the third-seeded Notre Dame, the sixth-seeded Florida State, and the second-seeded Pittsburgh, Fresno State's upset run has hit a dead end as they just ran into a superior Kansas team who overpowered their defense. With the only blowout game in this year's Elite Eight, the Kansas Jayhawks move on to the Final Four to take on Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies.

[The X]

Can't believe the Bulldogs (Fresno State that is) made it that far, but it hard to come to an end eventually. I'll take UConn to win it all over Butler

[kibaxx7]

Yeah, Butler is having some nice tournaments lately...

In the NBA, your player will be a lottery pick because you tallied the most points in the prediction game I discontinued (counted up all points, you had ~119 total, most by anyone).

That's what I'm talking about!

[Axel The Great]

Can't believe the Bulldogs (Fresno State that is) made it that far, but it hard to come to an end eventually. I'll take UConn to win it all over Butler

That's not a far-fetched prediction. We'll see how UConn and Butler do against Kansas and Arizona respectively. Fresno St. has a Live-generated player (Brad Halstead) from my first story, everyone liked his character so I'm implementing him into this story too.

Yeah, Butler is having some nice tournaments lately...

In the NBA, your player will be a lottery pick because you tallied the most points in the prediction game I discontinued (counted up all points, you had ~119 total, most by anyone).

That's what I'm talking about!

I've ran some sims ahead to see how the draft order goes, and I remember the last sim I did you were drafted 7th(?) overall by the Cavs and led rookies in minutes and you were behind Kyrie Irving in scoring among rookies.

For everyone else in the 2011 draft, here's how some of the sims go:

George Koukoulis always gets taken by the Suns in late lottery. Perhaps they seek a SG to replace VC all the time.
Xavier Nelson always gets taken by the Lakers 18-20 overall. They need a point guard with Derek Fisher retiring and he's the best PG available after Irving, Knight, Walker, etc.
Liam Washburn and Valdis Iesalnieks get taken in the early second round. Should change as I'll give them a boost in ratings to be taken earlier than that.
Justine Jones and Zee Otoo also get taken in the first round after the lottery, but Otoo is projected as a second round draft pick. Oh well, doesn't matter as I'd like to get everyone taken in the first round anyways.
Willie Lewis one time got taken by Dallas and transitions from late first round to mid-second round. Will look to change that as well.

Next is the Final Four preview, recap, and who wants to see (or read) the take down of David Stern?

[hova-]

Take him down, man!

[George7]

Can't wait to read this!

[Bucket]

Can't wait for playoffs and draft. 2nd round?

[Axel The Great]

(30-8) 4. Butler vs. 5. Arizona (30-8)
Butler's hard-nosed defense and effort got them this far in the tournament. They began the game by bringing the double-team on Derrick Williams, which limited his contributions on offense. Butler was able to force three turnovers from him in the first half, as they had a seven point lead at halftime. Arizona was shooting just 39% from the field at halftime, but thanks to Lamont Jones, whom had a game high 24 points, Arizona kept themselves in the game with the three ball. The Wildcats shot 11/25 from downtown for the game, with Jones contributing three of those triples.

Shelvin Mack had 18 points in the game, and Matt Howard had 16 points and 10 rebounds. However, their shooting wasn't up to par as Mack shot just 6/16 from the field, while Howard went 5/13.

In the second half, Derrick Williams got it going. He scored three triples in the second half alone, en route to a 22 point, 12 rebound game. Williams scored 14 points in the second half, including a huge and-one over Howard to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game at 66-65 with a minute and a half left in the game. Butler could not convert a single bucket from then on, as Arizona pulled off yet another upset 70-65.

"They gave the same amount of effort they've given all season long. As the opposing team, you must give the same amount of effort if not more, to beat a hard-nosed team such as Butler," said Lamont Jones.

Butler once again falls short of a title, as they just couldn't contain Derrick Williams for the full 40 minutes of play. Arizona now moves on to the NCAA Final in search of its second championship, the first one coming in 1997.

(34-4) 1. Kansas vs. 3. UConn (32-9)
And so Kemba Walker's monster season continues. The star point guard had 25 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in a close, overtime ball game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

Neither team ever got a hold of a double-digit lead, and both teams shot well over 45% from the field. Markieff Morris had a bit of a struggle against UConn's bigs, being held to 13 points and 8 boards on just 4/10 shooting. Alex Oriakhi helped out a lot in the making of that stat, as he had three blocked shots in the game, two on Markieff, but also, he made every shot difficult for him. Oriakhi contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds of his own, as both teams were tied at the end of regulation at 74 points apiece.

Marcus Morris nailed a tough fadeaway jumpshot from the right baseline to tie the game with four seconds remaining. UConn could not get the ball in Walker's hands and had to settle for a Jeremy Lamb floater which just rolled off the rim at the buzzer.

Kansas got the first two buckets of the overtime period, as Tyshawn Taylor hit a three and Marcus Morris hit a 14-foot fadeaway jumpshot. Back came the Huskies with a three from Jeremy Lamb (19 points, 5 assists) and a quick transition bucket from Kemba Walker tied the game with just two minutes left in OT.

In the final minute, Walker missed a three, but Alex Oriakhi came out of nowhere for the emphatic putback dunk to put UConn ahead 81-79. Marcus Morris silenced UConn fans by nailing a pull up three off the dribble with just nine seconds on the clock to take the lead 82-81. After a timeout, the ball was put in Lamb's hands, as Walker came off a screen to receive the ball at the win. He then maneuvered his way to the paint, put up a soft 13-foot floater that hit nothing but net, and put Connecticut up 83-82 with 0.8 seconds left.

Kansas got a good look in those 0.8 seconds. They inbounded to Marcus Morris, who attempted a catch-and-shoot that hit back iron and bounced out at the buzzer, signaling defeat for Kansas. The point guard Kemba Walker has become a hero for the UConn Huskies, as they go to the NCAA Final to take on Arizona.

"It's been a great run. Nothing more rewarding than winning a hard-fought overtime thriller. We're ready for what's coming in the Championship game. It's too late to lose now,"a hopeful Kemba Walker said as his teammates celebrated the victory.

[hova-]

I'll go with Walker and the Huskies.

[kibaxx7]

Me too, Huskies FTW!

[Axel The Great]

I guess many would like for me to imitate RL. Fair enough, the preview is next, and the recap of the final will be tonight.

[Axel The Great]

NCAA Final Preview

(30-8) 5. Arizona Wildcats vs. 3. UConn Huskies (32-9)

It has all come down to this. 68 teams began the tournament in search of a championship, but now only two teams remain. The University of Arizona and the University of Connecticut. Wildcats vs. Huskies. When the tournament started, I don't think anyone predicted this as the championship game, but these teams have knocked out some heavy favorites to get this far, so they are well deserving of it.

Both teams are riding a superstar's shoulders and will hope that they produce at the level they've been producing so far this season. The matchup to watch is Kemba Walker vs. Derrick Williams. While these two play different positions and therefore won't be banging bodies, they are the breakout stars and the reasons why their respective team is playing in this game.

Derrick Williams of Arizona averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds, and shot a jaw-dropping 60% from the field, including 57% from beyond the arc in the regular season. He was named Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Year this season, leading the Wildcats to a 30-8 record in the regular season. He has not disappointed in the tournament. He's averaging 24 points, 11 boards, and a block in five games played so far in the tournament. Arizona has had to go through the University of South Carolina (88-67), UCLA (71-67), Duke (68-67), University of North Carolina (76-71), and Butler (70-65). Upset after upset, the Arizona Wildcats now find themselves up against yet another tough opponent, the UConn Huskies.

Kemba Walker has paved the path for the UConn Huskies through his scoring and dishing, along with his speed on the fastbreak. He leads the tournament in scoring at 28 points per game, and also adds in 8 assists per game. His speed in transition is unparalleled; that's where he gets a good chunk of his points. In the regular season, he averaged 23 points, 5 assists, and two steals per game, while logging in about 38 minutes per game. Walker has led the Huskies through the University of Houston (78-71), Marquette (75-65), Kansas State (87-82), Kentucky (75-71), and Kansas (83-82). After going through some close, tough high scoring games, UConn will have to keep up the same consistency to have a fair chance of winning it all.

If Walker nor Williams can get it going offensively, then each team's second-tier scorers will need to step up. Jeremy Lamb has been impressive for the Huskies so far in the tournament. He's helped lighten the scoring load for Walker, and has benefited from clean looks that Walker creates with his penetration. For Arizona, Lamont Jones has also played well. Jones was the reason Arizona kept themselves alive in the first half of their game against Butler. He was able to step up when Williams wasn't playing well, and let the star swingman pick up where he left off in the final minutes of that game.

Arizona's three-ball is a dangerous weapon, so dangerous even their frontcourt can make it with consistency. It will be tough for UConn's bigs to extend their defense that far away from the basket to defend the three-ball. It would be smarter for Arizona to launch those threes because UConn has the size advantage down low; Alex Oriakhi and Tyler Olander are both 6'9". Oriakhi averaged two blocks per game in the regular season, and is averaging three blocks per game in the tournament. If the outside jumpshots fall for Arizona, and especially Derrick Williams, it will be a long night for UConn's bigs.

Meanwhile, UConn's strength is Kemba Walker, and he loves to run the fast break. He is dangerous in transition; he can finish in traffic, and can also find his teammates in transition for easy baskets. Arizona will have to get back on defense after every offensive possession to limit the fast breaks. If the fast break is stopped, Walker can still penetrate using his speed and quickness to get past his man and either pull up for a jumpshot off the dribble, or drive to the hoop in search of contact to get to the free throw line. Walker and Williams lead the tournament in free throw makes and attempts, so whoever can make their free throws will be a key factor in deciding the outcome of the game.

A sellout crowd is expected to attend this game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. It is very possible that we are seeing two future NBA studs compete for the NCAA Championship. Whether Walker or Williams wins, it probably won't be the last time these two face off while on opposing teams.

[Houndy]

Go Walker! And yeah, my rating is better than dat

[Axel The Great]

NCAA Final Recap

(30-8) 5. Arizona Wildcats vs. 3. UConn Huskies (32-9)
Arizona vs. UConn

A raucous crowd of 70,000+ showed up at Reliant Stadium in hopes of a thriller NCAA Final, and a thriller of a game they got. UConn pushed the tempo from the get-go, pushing to a 12-4 start to the game. Arizona's Derrick Williams answered with a three, his first of three on the game. That was a momentum-swinging three, as Arizona surged to a 16-5 run to make the score 20-17 with 10 minutes gone by in the game.

Arizona shot 45% from the field, getting a good bunch of their opportunities off second chance points. Arizona also went 10/23 from beyond the arc, compared to UConn's 7/21.

Kemba Walker chased down a long rebound on a miss by Lamont Jones and pushed up the court with the ball, right by all five Arizona players, went up for a layup over Derrick Williams, was fouled and finished the play. He converted on the free throw to tie the game at 20, marking the beginning of what would remain a very competitive game.

UConn went into halftime clinging to a slight 48-46 lead, thanks to Walker's 16 first half points. Williams had 13 at the half, but had a half-high 7 boards, three coming on the offensive end. UConn coach Jim Calhoun said in a halftime interview that "Getting the ball off the backboards would actually help the team. I don't know why my players aren't doing that."

In the second half, UConn did just that. They limited Arizona to just three offensive rebounds in the second half compared to eleven in the first. They continued the onslaught of fastbreaks, as they had 20 fast break points total, shooting 47% from the field for the game. UConn started the second half on a 16-6 run to take a 64-52 lead. Things looked grim for Arizona.

With the Arizona side of the crowd silenced, Derrick Williams knew he had to find a way to inject some energy and enthusiasm in his teammates. He did so by driving the lane and emphatically posterizing UConn's Alex Oriakhi. He was fouled as well and converted the free throw. Williams would go on to block Jeremy Lamb's layup on the other end, to set up a three-pointer for his teammate Jammelle Horne (10 points, 4 rebounds) and narrow down the Huskies' lead to just six.

"Double-digit leads vanish in a hurry in basketball, no matter who's playing. Momentum plays such a crucial role that you can't fall asleep and let the opposing team make a big time play," said Williams after the game. With 10 minutes gone by in the second half, the score was 68-63 in favor of UConn. The defensive intensity began to ramp up then, with neither team giving an inch.

Kemba Walker began to lock down on Lamont Jones (12 points, 5 assists), holding him to just 1/4 shooting and forcing him to three turnovers in the last 10 minutes of the game. Walker would end up with 27 points and 6 assists. On the other side, Derrick Williams ended up with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

In the last three minutes of the game, the score was 77-76 in favor of UConn. Williams dished to an open Solomon Hill (10 points, 8 rebounds) for an easy 12-foot jumpshot, to give Arizona their first lead of the half. Walker got to the line on the other end, and sank both free throws.

Free throws played a crucial role in the outcome in the last minute and a half of the game. Hill was hacked with 1:27 remaining in the game and Arizona up 80-79. He ended up missing both free throws, thus wasting an opportunity to extend and protect Arizona's lead. Lamb was able to convert a tough double-clutch layup on the other end to put the Huskies up by one with just 56 seconds remaining in the game.

UConn did an excellent job denying Williams the ball on offense in Arizona's next offensive possession, as the Wildcats were forced to a Lamont Jones contested 18-foot jumpshot which clanked off the back iron. Alex Oriakhi (11 points, 14 rebounds) secured the rebound with 26 seconds left in the game for UConn, which meant that Arizona had to foul. They fouled Oriakhi, a 63% free throw shooter, who hit just one out of two to give Arizona hopes of either tying or taking the lead with 24 seconds remaining.

Off a timeout, Derrick Williams received the ball on the right wing, calling for an isolation. He was fouled on a jumpshot attempt with 14 seconds remaining by Roscoe Smith (8 points, 7 rebounds). Williams made the first, but went in and out on the second, as Smith grabbed the miss and quickly threw an outlet pass to Kemba Walker. Walker was fouled, and he calmly sank both free throws to put the Huskies up 84-81.

Off another timeout, Williams had to throw up a heavily guarded 30-foot jumpshot, which was almost banked in. In frustration, Williams fouled Jeremy Lamb (14 points, 6 assists), whom secured the rebound with just three seconds left, and he padded the lead for UConn by knocking down another pair of free throws to secure UConn's third NCAA Championship. They took it 86-81, marking the end to what was a dream-like tournament run for Arizona.

"The game came down to who could hit their free throws. Our guys did their job and hit them, and they also grabbed that ball off the backboards. I'm proud of the guys and what they did this season. It's been one hell of a ride," said Jim Calhoun who at 68 years old, becomes the oldest coach to win an NCAA championship.

"It was an exciting game. Both teams played to their strengths. They utilized the three-ball, we utilized the fast break. The difference was we were able to cash in on the free throws near the end. What a way to finish my college career," said Kemba Walker, who's most definitely a lock for the Final Four Most Outstanding Player award.

After the hard work that Arizona put into to get to the Final Four, their run ends. The Wildcats players showed good sportsmanship by shaking hands with the Huskies players, but clearly they are not content with being just runner-ups. As the UConn Huskies went up on the ladders to cut down the nets on the baskets, a disappointed and shady Derrick Williams must only be thinking of revenge when it comes time for the NBA.

[rise]

Nice game. Always love when a final game goes right to the end.

[Axel The Great]

Thanks, Z. Games that go down to the wire are the best if you're a neutral fan (die-hard fans would much rather see their team crush opposing ones ).

[kibaxx7]

Great finish for the game. Go Kemba

[hova-]

Kemba is such a cool name. If I wasn't german I'd name my kid Kemba. Would sound pretty akward with my last name though, German is just such a nasty language (still I like it).

[Axel The Great]

Thierry •, yep, Kemba's kick ass. Definitely will follow his career when it begins IRL.

hova-, very unusual and cool name. I really don't see why you shouldn't name your kid that though, doesn't sound bad at all. Kemba Hov (that's your last name, right?). Me and my dad's name is Axel (he's from Guatemala) and that doesn't sound much Hispanic/Latino, sounds more European if you ask me. I'd say go for it.

[Axel The Great]

Chapter 14 - Gomez v. Stern Hype

And so here I was, April 4, 2011, the night before I was supposed to go to New York and take part in the Gomez v. Stern court case for the ages. I was still in Houston, but I was on my way to the airport. My flight was booked for two days in NY, just the fifth and sixth of April. I figured that while I was there, might as well visit the great places that NY has to offer.

I was next to Daryl Morey discussing what I would discuss in the courtroom in his car. I was pretty tense, and Morey could sense it. "You'll be fine. The thought of losing shouldn't get to you. This is cold hard proof you've got to offer the judge. You managed to even convince me that Stern is in fact a villain. You'll do fine," he told me, but I still wasn't assured.

I had never been on either side of a court case. I had seen court cases on TV before, but had never been inside a courtroom. I didn't know what to expect.

"Seriously, lighten up. We've paved everything for you. Your flight is booked, everyone at the headquarters including the players wished you luck and are rooting for you, Les even hired and payed a reputable and very competent lawyer for you over there in New York. All you have to do, is plead your case, and hope for the best," Morey continued, patting me on the shoulder.

"You know, I think you're right. Unless I choke like the Mavericks, Stern's reign of commissioner terror is nearing its end. He may have the best lawyer/lawyers out there with the kind of money he has, but I think the evidence I have is just too much," I told him.

"That's the spirit," Morey replied nodding. "Well here we are, the Bush International Airport. Good luck on your flight and on your case. I'll be here to pick you up in two days."

I picked up my briefcases from the trunk, and made my way to the plane gate.

-----------------------------------------------

During the flight, I went over everything I had for the court case. A montage tape of Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, memos and such written by Stern himself when he fixed games, and cassettes which held evidence of Stern telling some referees to fix games this season. All this, while I ate mediocre plane food.

There was also a witness I wanted to make sure arrived in New York safely, but I would call him when I got off the plane as I had no signal.

-----------------------------------------------

In my hotelroom, I was still going over my stuff, I even wrote down a script so I could remember or memorize what to say come time for the court case. It felt like studying for tests all over again.

When the time came for the need of the witness, or testimony to be more specific, I called him. He was a fourteen-year old boy who was with his parents, and Les had also payed for their flight to NY all the way from San Antonio. I went over with him what he needed to say, that there was no pressure, and to answer every question that the judge asked him with confidence, and to say "Yes, sir."

-----------------------------------------------

The next day, I enjoyed a good breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and orange juice that the hotel was serving, then went to explore the city of New York.

I went inside the Empire State Building, saw the Statue of Liberty, and explored the other vast, crowded areas of the city. Night had fallen by the time I had had my fun, so I made my way to the federal court that was a few blocks away from the hotel I was staying at.

Before I went in, I checked my phone on NBA.com; the Rockets were playing the Kings today, and I wanted to check the score. The scoreboard said "End of 3Q" and the Kings were up 80-72.

"Oh come on guys!" I muttered to myself. "We gotta win simultaneously!"

A security guard escorted me to the courtroom, and I saw a lot of people in the audience. I began to shiver because of the pressure. I saw David Stern waiting at the door as well. We looked at each other, and I was on the verge of laughter.

I was here, next to the same Stern that had shaken hands with many greats and first overall picks in NBA Drafts of the past, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan... It was also that face he had when he saw who was responsible for this case. It was of utter shock, like a pig about to be slaughtered. It was priceless.

"Are you by any chance Axel Gomez?" someone asked me from behind. I turned around, and said "Yes, of course. Are you by any chance the random lawyer that was hired by Leslie Alexander?"

"Yes. Patrick Aldridge's the game, but just call me Mr. Pat," he replied, and we both shook hands.

"Settle down everyone!" the judge was heard from inside the courtroom. "Ah, a case of a lot of interest which involves gambling, murder attempt, and fixing games," the judge said. "Axel Gomez against NBA Commissioner David Stern."

"Bring them in," the judge told the guards in an official tone.

[hova-]

hova-, very unusual and cool name. I really don't see why you shouldn't name your kid that though, doesn't sound bad at all. Kemba Hov (that's your last name, right?). Me and my dad's name is Axel (he's from Guatemala) and that doesn't sound much Hispanic/Latino, sounds more European if you ask me. I'd say go for it.

Well, my last name ain't hov and isn't no way near. Naming my kid Kemba would be really akward.

Axel is pretty common in Germany and really does not sound Latino, but I'd rather have a german name being anglicized than the other way around.

[Axel The Great]

Well, my last name ain't hov and isn't no way near. Naming my kid Kemba would be really akward.

Axel is pretty common in Germany and really does not sound Latino, but I'd rather have a german name being anglicized than the other way around.

Oh, well whatever works for you. Plenty of other cool names around. Axel is a pretty rare name here, a lot of people that I meet see it as a 'cool' name and want to name their kids that way. Haha. With that it's beginning to get more common, but the only other Axel I know IRL is my father.

Alright the court case against Stern is next. Quick question, would you guys prefer for me to do the story like Chapter 14, or would you rather me do it the old school way?

[kibaxx7]

IMO, C.14 looks better.

[Axel The Great]

Thanks for the feedback, Thierry. Made the minor adjusment.

Disclaimer: The events you are about to read are all a fantasy and are most likely not real. If they are, it is pure coincidence. The events that go on in a court case may not be right here. Please remember that this is just for the sake of storywriting so things may get a little unreal, so no need to make a big fuss about it.

Also, there are parts that link to youtube video(s) as just added visuals to the story. I'd recommend making some time (five minutes at the most) to read this as the video(s) plays an important part to the story.



Chapter 15 Part I - Foul Elbow

"Bring them in," said Judge Jones. Axel Gomez and David Stern walked inside the federal court, and took their seats.

"We are here today, the fifth of April on the year of 2011. The case today, is between NBA Commissioner David Stern, the defendant, against the accuser, assistant general manager of the Houston Rockets, Axel Gomez. Gomez v. Stern," said the judge at the federal court in New York, setting the scene for the case.

"Mr. Gomez, you are here accusing Mr. Stern of rigging and gambling on games in the NBA this season and in the past as well, and also, that he has attempted assault and/or murder," Judge Jones continued. "Plead your case."

"Thank you, your honor. You know, many of us who are close followers of the NBA can recall the controversial series that was the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings," Axel started saying. "Game Six of that series was heavily in the favor of Los Angeles. There were many unfair calls, or no calls, that went on. Any idiot would plainly see that it wasn't just bad officiating."

"I have here, a memo/letter, that Mr. Stern himself wrote to an NBA official, ordering him and paying him extra to officiate the game in the Lakers' favor in order to add a seventh game to the series," Axel showed everyone the memo. "It says:

Dear Mr. Bavetta,

It is in the league's best interests to add a seventh game to the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
This is a perfect opportunity to boost ratings and bring in more money to the league. There's nothing
like watching the two best teams in the league battle it out with all on the line in a game seven. I have
also put a lot of money into this game, $100,000 to be exact, so don't let me down. If the Lakers
successfully take Game 6, I promise a nice juicy $10,000 bonus will be wating for you in my office,

It was also signed by Stern himself. If you take any legal document that Stern has signed in the past, and compare his signature to this one, you will see that they match, exactly," Gomez said, and showed the document to the jury and the judge.

"Preposterous!" Stern yelled, his face reddening. "There is no way that someone like you could've gotten a hold of a document that is almost a decade old! That document is false, I say, FALSE!!! That signature is forged, I say, FORGED!"

"Silence!" Judge Jones said, banging his hammer multiple times. "Mr. Stern, you cannot give outbursts like that in court! Wait your turn to speak if you want to disprove everything!"

"As I was saying," Axel continued, "there is also a reply from the official, that says:

Dear Mr. Stern,

We are pleased to inform you that the Los Angeles Lakers have successfully defeated the
Sacramento Kings. There is now a Game Seven, and will likely boost ratings, as you
planned. I will be coming to collect the $10,000 bonus you promised me within the next few days."

Axel took that memo and showed it to the judge. "Hmm... very interesting. How did you get a hold of this, Mr. Gomez?" he asked.

"Very simple. The secretary from our Rockets' front office, has a friend who lives here in New York. Her brother, Miguel Rios, was Stern's assistant for a few months. Why not let him explain the story?" Axel answered.

"Mr. Miguel Rios has been called up to the stand," Judge Jones said. Axel motioned for Miguel to come over in Spanish.

"Will we need a translator?" the judge asked. "No, that's okay," Miguel replied, in his spanish-like accent, and went up to the stand.

"So tell us, Mr. Rios, how did you get a hold of these memos?" the judge questioned him. "Mr. Stern's folder fell down one day, and all his papers spread on the floor. I helped to pick them up, when I came across those memos. I knew they were important to Axel, so I took them," Rios said.

"So how did you come into contact with Mr. Gomez here?" the judge question further. "My sister has friend that lives in Houston, and she knows Axel. He helped me to get job at NBA Headquarters, because Mr. Stern really needed assistant," he replied.

"I was also informed by Miguel that Stern's office was broken into prior to his hiring, and so Stern desperately wanted someone who could look after it," Axel added.

"And what convinced Mr. Stern to hire you?" asked the judge. "He wanted bodyguard. He saw how I'm built, and so I got job," Rios replied.

"Did you really hire Mr. Rios because of his big body, Mr. Stern?" the judge asked. Stern nodded, reluctantly.

"Very well. You can have a seat Mr. Rios, and we'll have officials investigate these documents," Judge Jones said, handing the two documents to one of the guards. Miguel Rios also took his seat. "Anything else you need to add Mr. Gomez?" the judge asked.

"Yes, a lot more. Even with the rigged officiating that went on in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Kings were still able to keep the game close. One must think how the game would've gone had the game been officiated fairly," Axel said.

"There is no proof, whatsoever, that the game was officiated badly," Stern said. "Oh yeah?" Axel replied.

He went over to the courtroom television, and pulled a tape out of his briefcase of evidence. He put it into the VCR, and began to explain the tape. "This here is a bunch of clips put together of some examples of terrible officiating in that game." He explained all of the clips.

The first clip was what ignited the terrible officiating; Derek Fisher fouls Mike Bibby, it does not get called, and Scott Pollard gets a phantom foul call on the other end that led to an and-one by Kobe Bryant.

The second clip was Scott Pollard's last two fouls of the game, which really did not look like fouls at all. It resulted in Scott Pollard fouling out. The referees then went on to crash on Vlade Divac, eventually fouling him out as well.

Axel then showed a very obvious flagrant foul call by Shaquille O'Neal, that was not called as it was supposed to be. It was tagged as just a personal foul. "At such a crucial moment in the game, the flagrant foul would've given Sacramento the two free throws, which they made, and the ball, and with two minutes remaining could've put Los Angeles in a very tight corner," Axel explained.

"Now, if you're still not convinced that this game was rigged, then the prime example of this rigged game, is the 'fouling' of Kobe's elbow. Kobe clearly elbowed Mike Bibby in the face, and yet, Mike Bibby gets called for the foul? That foul would've given the Kings a chance to tie or win the game." Axel said, and showed the final clip of the video.

"Any fool can plainly see that this is not bad officiating. These people are NBA referees because they excel at officiating games and seeing things in slow motion. NBA referees do make mistakes, they are just human, but all of this would've clearly been called the right way had the game been officiated fairly.

"Now you might say, the Lakers did win Game Seven fair and square, but the fact is still there. Game Six was rigged, and it ruined the opportunity for the most deserving team to have a chance at a championship. Had the game been officiated correctly, the Kings would've most likely won that game because of the fight they were putting up against oppression from the referees.

"People wonder why great players like Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby and a great coach like Rick Adelman never won a championship? It's because of you Stern. You acted selfishly in wanting more money, gambling and took it upon yourself to fix the game and add a seventh game to a series, thus denying a deserving Kings team of a chance at the NBA Finals. After this case, I wouldn't be surprised if Sacramento Kings fans end up loathing you, more so than they probably do now. A few years in jail would keep you safe from those daring enough to want to harm you," Axel finished his long explanation, smiling. A buzz began in the courtroom; people were swayed over to Axel's side. Some people even began to cheer for him.

Stern's face, was of utter shock, and shame. The case was not going his way, and he gave Axel a look of the utmost disgust. He had never hated, loathed anyone as much as he did Axel in his life.

"There's more," Axel continued. "There was a certain scorpion incident back in January in San Antonio..."