A day after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers’ arch rival Boston Celtics by hitting a fifteen footer over guard Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant had a chance to repeat his heroics against the Memphis Grizzlies and their former GM Jerry West.

It couldn’t have been a more storybook, climactic scene, as West was instrumental in Kobe’s development and left the Lakers organization to pump life into the fledgling Grizzlies during the mid 2000s.

Alas, it was a bittersweet loss for the Lakers, who ended their eight game road trip 5-3 in Memphis on a low note.

Kobe did his part to keep the Purple & Gold afloat, coincidentally passing his former mentor on the all time Lakers scoring list.

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By now you know all the hoopla surrounding the biggest fight since Ali/Frazier and if you don’t, you’re dwellng in some Comcast deprived cave.

Over the weekend, well on Friday, the subject Mayweather/Pacquiao came up and ESPN host, Brian Kenny reran a clip that aired earlier in the day. In it, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach offered that his fighter is against taking the blood tests because he “just doesn’t feel right for a few days.”

Roach also suggested that Mayweather is scared, as others have, to fight Pacquiao and that’s the reason why he’s attempting to alter the Nevada Boxing Commission’s rules for this particular bout.

The interest in the following clip, comes when boxing guru Teddy Atlas enters the fray. He allows that the casual observer on the streets of New York (or any city in America) is wondering aloud why Pacquiao would walk away from a $30 million payday.

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Mayweather released a statement last night regarding the flopped fight. He pretty much calls Manny a bitch and offers that the dude simply doesn’t want to take a blood test inside of 30 days.

Throughout this whole process I have remained patient, but at this point I am thoroughly disgusted that Pacquiao and his representatives are trying to blame me for the fight not happening when clearly the blame is on them.

First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to whip his punk ass. Before the mediation, my team proposed a 14-day, no blood testing window leading up to the fight. But it was rejected. I am still proposing the 14-day window but he is still unwilling to agree to it, even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off.

The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests. In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever. I know the people will see through their smokescreens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight.

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After meeting with a retired federal judge – Daniel Weinstein – for an insane 9 HOURS yesterday, Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao,” were unable to come to terms for the superfight the entire boxing world wants to see.

The back story is old hat by now. Mayweather wants both fighters to submit to Olympic style drug testing. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t feel the need to do so because he’s never had to before AND has never failed a drug test.

Most know the reason Money wanted Manny to submit to Olympic style testing, has to do with his camp’s suspicion that the Phillipine born fighter uses performance enhancing drugs.

Pacquio filed a defamation suit against Mayweather and his handlers to rebuke their claims and collect a few chippers in the process.

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New York – NBA commissioner David Stern has indefinitely suspended Gilbert Arenas, saying the Washington Wizards guard is “not currently fit to take the court” for a game.

Stern said in a statement Wednesday that Arenas’ actions will “ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse.”

Because Arenas violated NBA rules by bringing guns into Washington’s locker room, Stern decided to punish Arenas now. He said the suspension begins immediately.

“We fully endorse the decision of the NBA to indefinitely suspend Gilbert Arenas,” the Wizards responded in a statement on Wednesday. “Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable. Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing. This is also unacceptable. Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so.”

Stern says he originally planned to wait for the criminal investigation to be completed before taking action, and had directed the Wizards to do the same.

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