NBA Lockout

One of the reasons the NHL players eventually accepted a hard salary cap: the league implemented revenue sharing for the first time. A similar system, used by the NFL, is often cited as the reason pro football can thrive in tiny markets like Green Bay, Wisconsin.

But NBA teams do not split local most local revenue, which could give a significant financial edge to teams in big markets. Some players -- such as Indiana's Danny Granger -- have cited that disparity as the reason teams like the Pacers haven't been able to compete at the highest levels.

The owners may not buy that argument, for a variety of reasons.

First off, you'd have a hard time drawing a direct correlation between market size, income and on-court success. No team makes (and spends) more money than the Knicks, and they've been awful for the better part of the last decade. Los Angeles is an enormous market, and the Clippers are arguably the least-successful team in American sports history. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are the league's model franchise, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are thriving.

Well, they're thriving on the court at least. As Tom Ziller of SBNation points out, the biggest determining factor of a team's financial success seems to be market size; where pure profit is concerned, it's better to be an inept team in Los Angeles than a successful team in San Antonio.

And you wondered why Donald Sterling stays in the business.

Also worth noting: the league does have a form of revenue sharing already in place: the dreaded luxury tax. Of course, the players would almost certainly prefer a more direct form of wealth redistribution -- like the 60-40 home-away split of ticket sales used by the NFL -- over a system designed to punish teams for exceeding certain salary levels.

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Most Embarassing High School Photos of NBA Stars

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2011 NBA Draft

Updated January 04, 2012

Basketball fans look to the future, and the NBA's stars of tomorrow learn where they'll be playing at the annual NBA Draft.

Where: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
When: June 28, 2011, 7pm Eastern

Madison Square Garden has traditionally hosted the draft, but the "World's Most Famous Arena" will be under renovation for the next two summers, which forced the league to look for another venue.

Newark's Prudential Center will host the festivities in 2012. Sites for 2013 and beyond have not been announced. Television: ESPN
Radio: ESPN Radio

Format

Two rounds of 30 picks each. The order for the first fourteen selections is determined at the annual NBA Draft Lottery, the remainder determined by won/loss record. The team with the best record gets the last selection in each round.

Eligibility

Any player wishing to make himself eligible for this year's draft must reach his 19th birthday during the 2011 calendar year.

The deadline for college underclassmen and international players to enter the draft is April 24 - 60 days before the draft itself. NCAA players must withdraw before May 8 to maintain eligibility; international players have until June 13 to withdraw.

• Key Dates - NBA Draft 2012

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Report: LeBron Wins Third MVP

LeBron James will be named the 2012 NBA MVP, a source tells the Associated Press. It will be James' third trophy, which adds him to an illustrious list of three-time winners that includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and Moses Malone.

• Report: LeBron takes third MVP award.
• 2012 NBA Award Winners

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NBA Playoffs: First Round

Playoff basketball brings a whole new level of intensity, but this season, the postseason might offer players a much-needed break. After a lockout-compressed 66-game regular season that had teams playing three games in three nights or four in five at times, the television-friendly playoff schedule will allow teams to actually rest a bit between games.

Teams to Beat

The Chicago Bulls finished with the NBA's best overall record and are the top seed in the playoffs. That's particularly impressive given the fact that Derrick Rose was in and out of the lineup due to a variety of injuries. But top seed status doesn't necessarily make Chicago the favorite to come out of the East... there's a team from Miami with a remarkably talented (but somewhat top-heavy) roster that will have something to say about all that... and don't discount the Boston Celtics' chances at making one more run to the Finals.

In the West, the Spurs are the top seed once again... just like last year, when they were upset in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies. But the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder might be the team to beat, while the Los Angeles Lakers - like the Celtics - try to make one more run.

Most Intriguing Matchups

The first-round series between the Knicks and Heat will generate a lot of buzz due to the combined star power of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. And the Knicks have been one of the league's hottest teams since Mike Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni. But their lack of a true point guard - Jeremy Lin's injury will keep him out for another two weeks or so, and Baron Davis is a shell of his former self - will probably doom New York to another first-round exit.

The most evenly-matched series might be the four/five pairing in the West: Clippers vs. Grizzlies. The Grizzlies squeaked past the Clips in the season's final week to take over the four seed and home-court advantage; that could be big, as Memphis is excellent at home.

Series-by-Series Breakdowns

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 8. Philadelphia 76ers

Getty Images / Jonathan Daniel

The Bulls are an outstanding regular season team, partly because they play with playoff-style intensity every night. That allowed them to overcome the absence of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah for much of last season and the injuries to Derrick Rose, Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng this year. The only question: will that laser-like intensity continue to be an advantage when everyone is in playoff mode? Can the Bulls take their play to another level? The Sixers probably don't have the talent to force that... but a conference semifinal or final opponent might.

2. Miami Heat vs. 7. New York Knicks

Getty Images Sport - Mike Ehrmann/Staff

This series has it all. Star power. History. Unfortunately, what it doesn't have is a point guard wearing a Knick uniform. If the Knicks were completely healthy, their depth and Tyson Chandler's presence in the middle might have been enough to send Miami home early.

3. Indiana Pacers vs. 6. Orlando Magic

Getty Images / Andy Lyons

Indiana is the best team that no one's talking about... but if Dwight Howard was healthy, they'd probably be the underdog in this series. Of course, Dwight Howard is far from healthy - back surgery ended his season weeks ago - and without the big man, Orlando just doesn't have the talent to compete in the postseason.

4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

The Celtics have the higher seed, by virtue of their Atlantic Division title. But the Hawks finished the regular season with a superior record, and they'll have home court advantage in the series. That's a big deal - the Hawks are very tough at Philips Arena. Unfortunately, all-star center Al Horford apparently won't be able to return for this series.

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. 8. Utah Jazz

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

The Spurs are the top seed in the West... just like last year. But last year, they lost in the first round to the Memphis Grizzlies, becoming just the second top seed to lose to an eight since the first round was expanded to seven games. It can't happen two years in a row... can it?

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

A team on the way up against a team on the way down. The defending champs are in transition, as Mark Cuban tries to clear cap space for a run at Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. But that won't help the Mavs deal with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and a very talented Oklahoma City team that could make their first of several trips to the Finals.

3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Denver Nuggets

Getty Images Sport / Ronald Martinez

The Lakers missed out on Chris Paul. They lost Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson and alienated Pau Gasol. And yet, here they are... with another Pacific Division title under their belts, ready to make one more run at the Finals. Kobe Bryant may be the oldest superstar in the game today... but he was second in the league in scoring. The Denver Nuggets are one of the most entertaining teams in the league, but it's hard to see how a frontcourt featuring JaVale McGee and Al Harrington will be able to deal with the Lakers' size.

4. Memphis Grizzlies vs. 5. Los Angeles Clippers

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Chris Paul makes the Clippers a very dangerous team... but the Grizzlies have an outstanding frontcourt, home court advantage, and the opportunity to build on last year's impressive showing.

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2012 Olympics: Men's Basketball Teams

As reigning world and Olympic champions, Team USA will enter the London Olympics as major favorites. And rightfully so; with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other NBA superstars expected to participate, Mike Krzyzewski's club will be absolutely loaded.

But Coach K's club won't be the only team in London with NBA talent. In fact, most of the twelve teams participating in the men's basketball tournament will sport a few names very familiar to American basketball fans. Here's a look at the field.

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2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap

In a game largely devoid of defense, the top scorers thrive. And Kevin Durant is one of the best in recent memory. Oklahoma City's superstar wing scored 36 points on 14-25 shooting and added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while leading the West to a 152-149 victory and taking Most Valuable Player honors.

Kobe Bryant added 27 points, and moved past Michael Jordan into first place on the all-time All-Star game scoring list in the process.

Blake Griffin became just the third player in all-star game history to post a triple-double, with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. But his best play may have been his steal of a LeBron James pass with seconds remaining, to help ice the game for the West.

James led the Eastern Conference stars with 36 points, and was white-hot (6-8) from three-point range.

All-Star Injuries

Bryant suffered a broken nose, courtesy of a hard foul by Dwyane Wade. Luol Deng played just six minutes; he left the game after falling on his injured left wrist and did not return.

Bryant's Laker teammate and fellow starter Andrew Bynum also saw only limited action; Bynum received an injection in his oft-injured knee earlier this week.

All-Star Scoring Records

Bryant's 27 points give him 271 in all-star play, most of any player in NBA history. Michael Jordan is now second with 262.

Bryant also passed Kareem Abdul Jabbar (251) and Oscar Robertson (246) on the all-time list during the game.

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