This has been the worst year in NBA history. I know that covers more ground than the Sahara, but trust me.

The latest example is the NBA lottery, which is, of course, the dumbest thing in sports, because it is stupid, the asinine brainchild of Commissioner David Stern, who begged to be different when, in this case, different was - and remains - idiotic.

The Chicago Bulls, with the ninth-worst record in the league, won this lottery, so Miami, the team that deserved No. 1, gets to pick second.

That's supposed to make sense?

Drafts were invented to favor teams that have been the worst, not ninth. Lottery supporters claim this keeps clubs from tanking games - remember when Donald T. Sterling announced the Clippers must finish last so they could draft Ralph Sampson? - but does it?

If teams are tanking games, which obviously doesn't mean you're going to get that high a pick anyway, it's Stern's problem. If a coach, such as Miami's Pat Riley, is off scouting while his horrible team is failing, it's Stern who should put a stop to it. If teams aren't using their best players, it's Stern's job to look into it.

The lottery stinks.

Next: Trades. Memphis sent Pau Gasol, its best player, to the Lakers. Minnesota sent Kevin Garnett, its best player, to the Celtics. It's doubtful either the Lakers or the Celtics were going to win a championship without those guys, but that isn't all of it.

What were these franchises saying to their paying customers by trading away what few attractions they had? What would people around here think, if, last season, when the Chargers began 1-3, they traded LaDainian Tomlinson to Dallas?

The NBA is more than L.A. and Boston. To allow these trades to take place was a joke, Mr. Stern. Attractions attract. When a city loses them, why should it bother anymore?

The league has a history of finding enough wool to pull down over eyes (see shepherds Auerbach, Red, and West, Jerry), but there's a difference here. Smart is one thing, stupid is another. Fans of the small fry deserve better than this.

Next: Referee Tom Donaghy bet on games, a black eye on the NBA mug the size of Jupiter. Why should we trust the NBA anymore? Anybody who bets on a pro basketball game certainly has to be out of his or her mind.

Stern has been in office almost a quarter century. He often has been credited with saving the NBA - he certainly helped with internationalization of basketball - but Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan saved pro basketball.

Stern has been commissioner quite long enough. Find someone else and move the league office to Oklahoma City. Or Vegas. Yeah, that's it. Vegas. ...

All you need to know about the NBA is that the Lakers came from 20 points down midway through the third quarter of their opening Western Conference finals playoff game to defeat the Spurs - one of the finest teams and perhaps the best-coached. ...

All you need to know about the NBA is that Kobe Bryant, league MVP, took two shots in the first half of that game. I will buy no explanation, but will not blame Stern ...

I'm against replay in baseball, with one exception, using it to determine whether a home run really is a home run. We don't need umpires apologizing after games. They have enough problems, what with LASIK doctors lined up for miles ...

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