Letter of the Law: The NBA From A to Z

A to Z.

It sounds like the 1952 NBA All-Star Game, which featured Paul Arizin and Max Zaslofsky.

It sounds like the 1971 champion Milwaukee Bucks, who had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Zopf.

It sounds like the history of Lithuanian centers, from Arvydas Sabonis to Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

It also sounds like a good way to take a look at the 2009-10 NBA season:

A is for Allied Van Lines. One wonders if Miami guard Quintin Richardson, traded four times during the offseason, will be hired as a spokesman for the company.

B is for belly. The one on Sean May is gone. May, once a 300-plus pound Blobcat, got down to 261 for Sacramento and earned the final $100,000 to fully guarantee his seasonal contract.

C is for cape. The one Dwight "Superman'' Howard wears got stepped on in the NBA Finals. Howard, who averaged 15.4 points in Orlando's NBA Finals loss to the Lakers, compared to 20.6 during the regular season, will look to bounce back while keeping his cape out of harm's way.

D is for doughnut. With Houston's Yao Ming out for the season with a broken foot and Phoenix's Shaquille O'Neal now docked in Cleveland, the hole at center for the West in the All-Star Game might be as big as one in the roof at Cowboys Stadium. Then again, that hole will be shut for the All-Star Game, and perhaps the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or Minnesota's Al Jefferson can close the West's hole at center with a strong start.

E is for envy, as in the green variety. Boston supporters weren't overjoyed seeing Lakers coach Phil Jackson win his 10th title to break the tie he held with Celtics legend Red Auerbach. But Gang Green is hoping to topple Kobe and company to regain the crown won in 2008.

F is for France. With the addition of Dallas rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, from Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean island, the nation has reached double figures. There are 10 Frenchies in the NBA, by far the most from any foreign country. But Frederic Weis, whose draft rights are held by New York, still might be too embarrassed to show up in America after being posterized by Vince Carter during the 2000 Olympics in what the French call "le dunk de la mort'' ("the dunk of death'').

G is for generous. The NBA Register has continued to list Denver coach George Karl at his one-time playing weight of 190. He's about 75 pounds north of that.

H is for honeymoon. No, Richard Jefferson didn't have one after abruptly canceling his wedding last summer by e-mail. But playing for San Antonio, where the forward was dealt during the offseason from the Bucks, sure might seem like a honeymoon after a year in exile in Milwaukee.

I is for Israel. Sacramento rookie Omri Casspi is the first player from the nation to make the NBA. Casspi was in the Israeli Army, but says there's no truth to the rumor he was a sniper. One wonders if, when Casspi is battling foes in the paint, that might have been a good rumor to have kept intact.

J is for Jackson. New Lakers acquisition Ron Artest is wearing No. 37 to honor the number of consecutive weeks the late Michael Jackson spent at No. 1 on the album chart with Thriller. It should be noted Artest now plays for a pretty good Jackson, with Phil's 10 titles double the number of No. 1 albums Michael had.

K is for King. Shaq has come to the Cavaliers with his goal being a "ring for the King.'' But, if that isn't reached, will LeBron James abdicate the throne at his Cleveland castle next summer when he can become a free agent?

L is for long. It's been a long time, 1990-91 to be precise, that the NBA had a season without the guy with the longest full name in NBA history. Finally retired is Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo, known to his friends as Deke.

M is for Mexico. New Jersey forward Eduardo Najera might be a hero from there, but he didn't score the most points in the NBA last season for a player from Mexico. That would be guard Tyronn Lue, a native of Mexico, Mo., who, with Milwaukee and Orlando, outscored the injury-riddled Najera 183-79.

N is for never. That's how many times, since moving to Los Angeles in 1984, the Clippers have had a Rookie of the Year. This is despite in the past quarter-century having gone into 11 drafts with a top-four selection, including three times picking a guy No. 1. Forward Blake Griffin, taken No. 1 by the Clippers last June, isn't helping the chances of the drought ending by being out for the season's first 1 1/2 months because of a broken left kneecap.

O is for Obama. The nation's first fan favors the Chicago Bulls, but Washington coach Flip Saunders is looking to come up with a team good enough that the guy in the White House will want to go to the Wizards' house.

P is for podiatrist. There might be a lot of nervous ones working on Yao's broken left foot. Only a billion Chinese are following his recovery.

Q is for Quinn. Miami guard Chris Quinn, who now has gotten into 168 games, broke Brian Quinnett's NBA record last season of 138 for most career games by a player whose last name begins with Q. Seems Heat officials forgot to stop the game and give him the ball.

R is for rusty referees. Let's hope the officials, locked out the entire preseason while the replacements ran games, don't pull too many hamstrings early in the season.

S is for Siberia. With the Nyets, er Nets, about to be owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, one wonders if players who don't perform up to par will be threatened with exile to Siberia.

T is for Thurston Howell III. It only seems he's the Cavaliers owner. Rather, it's Dan Gilbert, who throws around money much like the millionaire who was shipwrecked on Gilligan's Island.

U is for The Unanswer. There's been no indication that aging and ailing guard Allen Iverson will be The Answer for Memphis.

V is for vowel. Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala never should need to buy one on Wheel of Fortune. He's got all five vowels in his name, and he further shows his versatility on the court.

W is for Williams. At 11, it's by far the most popular NBA surname. Nine return from last season, Terrence is a rookie and Jason has come back after a year retired. An all-Williams lineup would be very strong on the perimeter with guards Deron and Mo and small forward Marvin, but quite weak in the post with Shelden and Sean being the best available.

X is for X-ray. Houston's team picture has been more like an X-ray in recent years. While Yao will miss the entire season, at least Tracy McGrady eventually is expected back.

Y is for youngster. Philadelphia guard Jrue Holiday is about to get into the NBA Encyclopedia as the league's first player to have been born in the 1990s. Holiday joined the world June 12, 1990, just in time to see Detroit two days later wrap up a second straight NBA crown.

Z is for Zephyr. Golden State coach Don Nelson, a rookie forward on the 1962-63 Chicago Zephyrs before the team moved to Baltimore, is the last remaining Zephyr active with the NBA.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.