NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the remainder of the NBA season Wednesday, and ESPN.com learned that Arenas has agreed not to appeal the punishment.

Stern’s disciplinary actions were announced Wednesday afternoon after Arenas met face-to-face with Stern for the first time since the gun incident that put Arenas’ future with the Wizards in doubt.

The Washington Post first reported the length of the Arenas suspension, and a source with knowledge of the meeting told ESPN.com that Arenas told Stern that he expected and deserved to be suspended for the rest of the season.

Another source divulged to ESPN that Crittenton has not yet agreed to accept the suspension and that his counsel and the players union are in discussions on how they might challenge it.

Click here to read the full article – By Marc Stein and Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com

Nate Robinson says he’ll be defending his slam dunk title at All-Star Weekend because he’s required to do so under NBA rules.

LeBron James won’t be trying to unseat the champion, and it’s not clear why he changed his mind.

Less than a month before the NBA holds its signature event, Robinson threw a potential monkey wrench into the All-Star festivities when he declared Monday he’ll be participating in the dunk contest because “the champion has to go back.”

“The NBA, they asked me: ‘Do you want to do it?’ And at first I wasn’t sure. This is my fourth time doing it, so I know people probably get sick of seeing me dunk, but like I said, the champion’s got to go back,” Robinson said after scoring 27 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

“And I guess, hopefully, I mean if I don’t win it, it’ll be good because I don’t want to go back no more. But if I do [win], and they want me to go back again, I guess so. Keep going until I lose,” Robinson said.


Click here to read the full article – By Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com

Of the 119 players on the NBA’s 3-point accuracy chart this season, the Indiana Pacers might be surprised to learn who ranked next-to-last.


Dwyane Wade might not stay there much longer.

Only a 27 percent shooter from long range, Wade made his first four attempts from beyond the arc — including one that counted after goaltending, of all things — and scored a game-high 32 points as the Heat easily beat the Pacers 113-83 on Tuesday night.

“I’ve been feeling good about my shot lately,” said Wade, who topped the 11,000-point mark for his career on a second-quarter layup. “I think my first shot was a 3, which I normally try not to do. But I was in rhythm, shot it, hit it and after that the confidence was up.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Shaquille O’Neal has a plan to save the NBA’s All-Star dunk contest: Bring back the superstars and do it for devastated Haiti.

Following Tuesday night’s win over Toronto, O’Neal was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year’s event. That’s when he offered his idea. He would like to see former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with James.

“As his manager, I will only allow ‘Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out,” O’Neal said. “If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.

“The guys that are in it, no disrespect to them, but there won’t really be any competition for LeBron. I want to see Kobe. I want to see Vince and I will allow my client to enter.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett returned to practice Tuesday, engaging in full activity for the first time since hyperextending his surgically repaired right knee late last month.


By all accounts, Garnett looked fluid and he even expressed a desire to return to game action as soon as possible, though Celtics coach Doc Rivers indicated it will come no sooner than Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. Boston is waiting to see how the knee responds in the next few days before making a decision on that contest.

“Felt good to be back with the guys today, [my] first real practice, it felt good,” Garnett said.

Asked if he would push Rivers to put him in the lineup Wednesday night on the road against the Detroit Pistons, Garnett joked, “It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t … [But I'm] being smart about injuries, so they don’t get worse. I think I learned that last year the hard way. I’m trying to be patient and actually listen.”

Click here to read the full article – By Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com

Shaquille O’Neal had one regret about moving into elite NBA scoring air. It should have happened long ago.


O’Neal became the fifth player to score 28,000 career points, and the Big Diesel made his enormous presence known at both ends of the floor as the Cleveland Cavaliers began a long stretch of home games with a 108-100 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

O’Neal reached the major milestone with a layup in the first minute. He was proud of the achievement, but felt it was overdue.

“I’ve missed like 5,000 free throws,” O’Neal said. “If I had at least hit half of those, then I would be at 30,000 right now.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz traded comebacks in the fourth quarter before the least experienced player on either team completed the final rally.

Once Sundiata Gaines let go of his 3-pointer and the buzzer sounded Thursday night, there was no chance for the lead to change again. Utah 97, Cleveland 96.

It was the first career 3-pointer for Gaines, a rookie who was just signed last week to a 10-day contract and was playing only his fifth NBA game.

“He has a little swag in him and believes in himself,” said Carlos Boozer, who fouled out and had to watch Gaines’ winner from the bench. “I tell you what, he made us a believer in him, too.”

LeBron James had led the Cavaliers on a 22-4 run earlier in the fourth quarter and put the Cavs up by six with 32.5 seconds left, but Cleveland couldn’t clinch it from the free-throw line.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has been charged with a felony in connection with last month’s locker room confrontation with a teammate.

But, Arenas has reached a plea agreement that would result in little or no jail time, several sources close to the case told The Washington Post. The newspaper had reported if convicted, Arenas could face a maximum five years in jail and a fine.


Arenas is expected to plead guilty Friday afternoon before D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin, The Post reported. His court appearance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET.

Arenas, who last week was suspended indefinitely without pay by NBA commissioner David Stern, was charged with carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

The charges were filed in D.C. Superior Court in an “information,” a document that generally signals a plea deal. The charge came directly from prosecutors and not in the form of an indictment.

“We are aware of the charge filed against Gilbert Arenas today and will continue to follow the ongoing legal process very carefully,” the Wizards said in a statement issued Thursday. “We will also continue to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA.”

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Dirk Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history — and the first European — to hit the 20,000-point milestone.

The Dallas Mavericks’ perennial All-Star power forward passed the milestone at the 10:57 mark of the fourth quarter Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, the 876th game of Nowitzki’s career. He hit a 14-foot baseline jumper off a pass from Jason Terry, giving him 17 points for the game and 20,001 in his career.

Lakers star Kobe Bryant is one of five other active players with at least 20,000 points. The others are Cleveland’s Shaquille O’Neal, Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson and Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Click here to read the full article – By Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com

Kobe Bryant dealt with an aggravated back injury like any multimillionaire, superstar athlete would — he called his longtime massage therapist in Santa Monica, got him on a red-eye flight to Texas, then spent more than three hours Wednesday morning going through a deep-tissue treatment.


And after all that, Bryant played only 11 minutes in the first half and took one measly shot, a 3-point attempt that never had a chance of going in.

Yet Bryant somehow went from stiff to loose after halftime, playing the entire second half to avoid from tightening up again on the bench, and added to his lengthy list of dramatic finishes by making the go-ahead basket with 28 seconds left, sending the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com