Sports betting is the general activity of predicting sports results by making a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. Perhaps more so than other forms of gambling, the legality and general acceptance of sports betting varies from nation to nation. In North America, for example, sports gambling is generally forbidden except when associated with horse racing (though a few legal sports books exist in Nevada), while in many European nations, bookmaking (the profession of accepting sports wagers) is highly regulated, but not criminalized. Proponents of legalized sports betting generally regard it as a hobby for sports fans that increases their interest in particular sporting events, thus benefiting the leagues, teams and players they bet on through higher attendances and television audiences. Opponents fear that, over and above the general ramifications of gambling, it threatens the integrity of amateur and professional sport, the history of which includes numerous attempts by sports gamblers to fix matches, although proponents counter that legitimate bookmakers will invariably fight corruption just as fiercely as governing bodies and law enforcement do. Here you can find NBA betting odds
According to ESPN, the blockbuster four-team trade that would send Kevin Garnett to the Los Angeles Lakers now is off. But a new three-team deal, which would send the superstar forward to the Phoenix Suns, may be in the works.
The original trade involved the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.
Los Angeles reportedly would have included forward Lamar Odom and center Andrew Bynum in the deal but, according to the report, it was terminated by the Timberwolves, who did not feel it was enough compensation for Garnett.
One of the more interesting changes in basketball uniform design in recent years involves the use of lighter-weight, more comfortable fabrics and subsequently, lighter-weight uniform decoration as well.Not so long ago basketball coaches subscribed to the “heavier is better” theory when ordering basketball uniforms and lettering/numbering. The typical basketball uniform might have been constructed of heavyweight “Dazzle” or a similar fabric with heavy screen-printed plastisol inks or even sewn-on tackletwill letters and numbers. It was thought that the only way to ensure longevity was to use the heaviest, most durable fabrics and graphics available.
With the 21st century comes the advent of lighter-weight materials as well as a new, state of the art decoration method called sublimation. There are now a variety of breathable, yet durable, fabrics available that are designed to “wick” moisture away from the athlete’s body, which is particularly important in a sport as strenuous as basketball. Benefits of sublimation, a decoration method keeping in line with lighter-weight, durable fabric include:
- A minimal increase in garment weight as all lettering and numbering can be dyed directly into the fabric
- A lifespan as long as the material itself
- An almost unlimited array of graphic options that makes producing an elegant uniform as inexpensive as producing a “plain” one
Lighter-weight materials and sublimation have dramatically changed the basketball uniform business. Athletes can now have their cake and eat it too by wearing visually stunning uniforms that are lightweight, comfortable and will last as long as the heavyweight “old-time” uniforms.Today’s basketball player can now wear a uniform that actually enhances performance rather then detracts from it. Any reputable American uniform manufacturer should be able to offer an array of new basketball fabrics as well as screen-printing, tackletwill and particularly the new sublimation system of imprinting. If you buy from a domestic manufacturer you can now wear a custom-made, attractive yet comfortable uniform that can be produced in a reasonable period of time that will last for years and years.
Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker, whose once-promising career was derailed by alcohol abuse, was arrested early Tuesday morning on drunken driving charges.
According to a release from the Connecticut State Police, Baker was charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to stay in an established lane.
Baker, 35, was seen leaving Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard in a black Range Rover. State police spotted Baker driving erratically on Route 2 and he was pulled over in Norwich at 3:36 a.m. EDT.
The NBA finals continue to draw far fewer viewers than last year.
The San Antonio Spurs’ 75-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night received a 6.4 national rating and an 11 share on ABC, down 20 percent from the 8.0/14 for last year’s Game 3 between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.
The Game 3 drop follows a 30 percent plunge for Game 2 and a 19 percent decline for Game 1.
The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among all homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned in to a broadcast among those households with televisions on at the time. A ratings point represents 1,114,000 households.
The Washington Wizards are committed to keeping Gilbert Arenas on the team, even after the All-Star guard said he planned to opt out of his contract.
Arenas told The Washington Post and The Washington Times that he will get out of the six-year, $65 million contract he signed in 2003 and become a free agent.
“As a three-time All-Star and one of the league’s best players, we understand why a player of his stature would like to be compensated accordingly,” Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement.
