Late in the Lakers 19-point loss against Boston on December 30, Lamar Odom was angry. He was not only pissed off at the fact that he had to wear short-shorts for the entire first half, but he outraged over the fact that he’s had a disappointing basketball career due to nagging injuries.

So what better way to get rid of his anger than to take it out on Ray Allen, right?

Right…well, according to Odom.

In an inexplicable move, Lamar Odom tackled Ray Allen to the ground while Allen was bouncing the ball near the three-point line. Odom wasn’t trying to stop the clock and send Allen to the line, he wasn’t trying to make a play on the ball…it seemed as though it was his sole purpose to tackle Allen into the stands. And he did just that.

“I’ve never had any bad history with Lamar,” Allen said Tuesday. “After the play happened, a couple of his teammates came back on the floor and just wanted to make sure I was all right. … It was just uncalled for.”

“I just thought he (Odom) lost his composure,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I didn’t think it was intended at Ray. Whoever had the ball was getting that. It wasn’t anything personal. Odom’s a good kid, a good guy.”

Lamar Odom is a very good basketball player, but he’s also proved to be a headcase. If you can’t keep yourself from tackling an opponent in a non-contact sport even when the game is completely out of reach, then how do you expect the guy to keep his composure when it matters most?

Odom has proven to be absent minded on the basketball court in the past, as well as in real life. It’s fortunate for him that Ray Allen wasn’t injured and life will carry on as usual after his 1-game suspension. It’s unfortunate for the Lakers that nothing will change for Odom and his thoughtless playing style.

As you probably know by now, TJ Ford was hit across the head by Al Horford on a layup attempt yesterday and crashed to the floor, where he laid motionless for what seemed like an eternity.

TrueHoop has done a very complete article on the event… what everybody has failed to mention, however, is how utterly shameful the Atlanta Hawks’ fans were. I’m not blaming Al Horford, because he was the first person to cringe after Ford hit the floor, but I’m not condoning the actions of the Hawks fans either.

Seconds after Ford smacked his head on the hardwood, you could see a number of Hawks fans in the background cheer - some waving their hands back and forth as if to say “not in our house, TJ.” Okay, maybe they never understood the severity of the situation right away, so I’ll let them off the hook.

Minutes after, while Ford still laid motionless with players and coaches from both teams praying, Al Horford was sent away to a chorus of cheers, high fives, and fans pumping their fists (all visible on television). Okay, maybe they were just comforting their youngster and not meaning to applaud the stupid act that he had just committed.

A few minutes after that, when TJ Ford was finally taken away on a stretch and Jose Calderon went to the free-throw line to shoot the flagrant foul free-throws, Hawks fans showered him with jeering and boos like fans always do to a shooter. This is where, in my opinion, it crossed the line.

Not only were the Hawks down 10 or so points at the time, but there was just over a minute left in the game. The players and coaches from both teams seemed more concerned about Ford than they were about the game, yet the fans could seem to care less.

There comes a point in time where people need to realize that it’s just a game. When your team is down by 10 with just over a minute left in the game and one of the opposing team’s players crumbles to the floor in a possible career-ending injury, it’s that time.

Hawks fans were, in my mind, absolutely classless in the way they reacted. I don’t like to see a player go down, but even more than that - I don’t like to see fans or players disrespect the seriousness of these types of situations.

Steve Nash recently stated that he will not play for Team Canada this summer, even if they manage to qualify for the Olympics without him. Not only is this a slap in the face to Canadian fans everywhere, but it’s also a slap to his own reputation.

To really understand the pain and rejections that Canadians feel because of this, you first have to step into the mind of a die-hard Canadian basketball fan. Every time something good has come to this country, in regards to basketball, it has been quickly taken away.

• In the early 1990’s, Canadians were hopeful to have NBA franchises - Toronto and Vancouver both received teams, the latter was taken away.
• Rick Fox, a near-hero in Canadian books, played for the National Team in 1994, but never again.
• Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, two of the most recognizable names in the sport both played for Toronto before, you guessed it, they were taken away.
• Jamaal Magloire, a near-icon for making the All-Star team in 2004, is one of the few players to have been born and raised in Canada, although he has never suited up for the National team.

There have been a handful-and-a-half of Canadians that have been notable NBA players, but Team Canada has been unable to capture an Olympic medal since it placed 2nd in 1936.

To fully realize how bleak the Canadian hoops scene has been, you have to realize that Bill Wennington was good enough to be inducted into the Canadian Hall-of-Fame and that Samuel Dalembert (a guy that technically isn’t even Canadian) is probably the most committed NBA player of the country has ever seen. Levon Kendall is considered the future along with Rob Sacre, or maybe Bol Kong, and Steve Nash is considered an equal to the Queen.

Simply stated, Steve Nash is not only the best basketball player this country has ever been associated with, but he’s also 10 times better than second place. Steve Nash is the reason why basketball is the fastest growing sport in the country and he is the only hope this country has of ever earning another Olympic medal in basketball.

Sure, he’s done his fair share for the country, but it just wrong that he’s not willing to play for the team anymore. Imagine if Wayne Gretzky never wanted to be involved in Canadian hockey, imagine if Warren Moon forgot about his stint in the CFL, imagine if Mike Weir never refused to play at PGA events in his home country.

It’s a shame that Steve Nash, the icon of Canadian sport in the past 5 years, isn’t willing to put in his fair share of time for his National Team when they need it most…and it’s a shame that this article had to ever become a reality.

I’ve decided to change the way HoopsBlogging serves it’s readers. Instead of a (typically) daily post or news article, I’m going to change it to a longer, more thought out weekly post. I’ve decided this for two reasons:

1. Lack of Time
2. I don’t want to report news, I want to cover wider issues.

I hope you continue to visit HoopsBlogging - your source for hoops analysis.

The Celtics just beat the Knicks 104-59.
Yeah, One-oh-Four to Fifty Nine.

I don’t know why I watched the whole game, but I did. Seriously, who sits through such a horrible display of basketball for so long?

If it weren’t for Nate Robinson’s halfcourt three-pointer as the game clock expired, the Knicks would have set a franchise low for points. Instead, they one-upped the futile record while proving to all that they have not just given up on Isiah Thomas, but that they’ve given up on themselves.

I have never seen so much talent do so little. Stephon Marbury is a good player, Zach Randolph is a good player, Jamal Crawford is a good player, and Eddy Curry is a…well, you know what I mean. They have some talent, but completely lack respect for themselves and the game. I don’t understand why New York went out and got the players that they did - good players with poor attitudes - but they did, and it completely backfired on them.

Someone in that organization thought it would be better to bring in big names instead of team players, and they’re paying for it.

As for the Knicks players? I don’t feel all to bad for a bunch of millionaires that don’t have any heart.

They deserve to suck, they deserve to lose, and they deserve to be humiliated. Their performance tonight was the poorest that I have ever seen. It’s amazing how little this team can accomplish with nearly $90 million worth of salary being spent.

Stephen Jackson pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon as he came out firing against the Phoenix Suns last night, leading Golden State to a 129-114 win. Jackson shot the lights out, going 13 of 21 for 32 points. Since returning from suspension, Jackson has brought hope to teammates and fans that this season might turn out alright, after an 0-5 start. The Warriors now sit at 6-6, thanks to a 5-1 performance with Jackson in the lineup.

It was Jackson’s first game home after a suspension due to legal troubles. In the past three years, he has been charged with felony criminal recklessness and a number of other misdemeanors, including assault, disorderly conduct, and two counts of battery [wikipedia].

Picture by Tony Ritz of Suddenly Struttin. Tony’s preview article on the Golden State Warriors won second place in our NBA Season Preview contest.