Ramble On... Items from the Notebook

With the NBA Finals in the books with a disappointing five-game victory by the Los Angeles Lakers over the upstart Orlando Magic, the basketball world turns its lonely eyes to the 2009 NBA Draft, to be held June 25th in New York.

Here are a few news items and some observations to ponder before the NBA Draft:

NEWS ITEM:  Delaney's book, COVERT, My Years Infiltrating the Mob , is now out in paperback.  The book's motion picture right were also recently optioned by a very prominent exec producer/producer in Hollywood.  Good news for COVERT has travelled quickly and was recently reported by:  AP, The Sporting News, CBS Sports.com, CNN/Sports Illustrated.com among many others.  Monday's industry must-red - "The Sports Business Daily" ran a piece from th various news publications:

See:

REF READING: Bob Delaney isn't officiating in the NBA finals for the first time in nine years, sidelined by a late-season injury.

The veteran referee got some news to cheer him up during his recovery.

Delaney's book, "Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob" was recently released in paperback, and the motion picture rights to the book were optioned by Appledown Films and Scott-Burns Productions.

Delaney has been an NBA referee for 22 years. His book tells the story of his years as a New Jersey state trooper working undercover to infiltrate organized crime. 

NEWS ITEM: HS Player to head to Israel for Euro-ball before potential NBA stint in 2011:

The NBA collective bargaining agreement and thus league rules call for players to have at least one year out of college before they can become eligible to play in the bigtime.  That rules gets considerable attention and is the root of sports arguments from the shores of every country or territory that broadcasts the NBA to the pretending not to be corrupt college basketball offices scattered throughout the NCAA's ranks (i.e. see the latest in USC's efforts).

One option for a player is to head overseas.  Here is such a story, courtesy of the AP:

SAN DIEGO -- Jeremy Tyler’s jump from high school to an overseas professional basketball league is progressing to the point that his agent is negotiating with a team in Haifa, Israel.

The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Tyler announced in late April that he was skipping his senior season at San Diego High to play overseas. He had hoped to be able to make a decision by Friday, his 18th birthday.

“We’re pretty close,” said Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company executive who is advising Tyler and his family. “There’s no hurry. They don’t start playing until next December. He’s in good shape. We know we have something.”

Tyler would become the first American-born player to leave high school early to play professionally overseas. When he’s eligible for the NBA draft in 2011, some see him as a potential No. 1 pick overall.

Haifa representatives recently saw Tyler work out in Santa Monica and are negotiating with his agent, Arn Tellem.

Tellem, who’s based in Los Angeles, didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Tyler wasn’t available either. He was out shopping with friends, said his father, James.

“I wish it was yesterday because I’m tired of the having the suspense of finding out where he’s going,” his father said Friday.

Shortly after Tyler made his announcement, Vaccaro said eight teams from Europe, Israel and China had expressed interest.

James Tyler said representatives from two Israeli teams and one from Rome have seen his son work out. A trip to work out for a team in Spain is on hold while Tellem negotiates with Haifa.

“There were five or six teams at one time that came rushing in trying to do a deal,” James Tyler said. “I just prefer to have it over. I want him to start focusing. The good thing is, he’ll have enough time to know what they’re doing and start working on things they’re going to be asking of him. I’m just tingling to see where he’s at so he can start working on those things.”

Jeremy Tyler averaged 28.7 points during his junior season, but said high school ball had become boring.

Some observers are against his move, but others, such as Hall of Famer and fellow San Diegan Bill Walton, have spoken out in support of Tyler.

NEWS ITEM: JESSICA SWIMMIN' with the SHARKS...

I thought this was an interesting story:

OKLAHOMA CITY – Police have decided against pursuing a criminal vandalism case against Jessica Alba over some posters that were plastered around downtown Oklahoma City.

Police Sgt. Gary Knight said none of the owners of property on which the posters were placed wanted to press charges against Alba, who has apologized.

Police never interviewed the 28-year-old co-star of the "Fantastic Four" movies, "Sin City and "Good Luck Chuck." She is in Oklahoma City shooting a movie, "The Killer Inside Me."

Police found the posters — aimed at raising awareness about sharks' declining numbers — glued to a downtown bridge, utility boxes and a billboard for the United Way charity.

Knight said it is typical not to pursue vandalism charges when property owners don't want to prosecute.