With Labor Day now come and gone, it feels like I spent half my summer writing up news items on NBA players --current and former -- getting in trouble with the law in serious and non-serious ways. I compiled a list of the various indiscretions that occurred since the NBA lockout went into effect on July 1 and found that former members of the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers kept popping up. Former Blazers on the list: Derek Anderson Darius Miles and Zach Randolph. Current or former Lakers listed: Andrew Bynum, Shaquille O'Neal, Matt Barnes, Samaki Walker, Jay Vincent and Javaris Crittenton. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

Reports about a "Lockout League" to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, have floated out over the last few weeks. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Portland Trail Blazers point guard Armon Johnson will participate in the league -- along with dozens of other NBA players -- in games run and coordinated by Impact Training. Johnson played his high school ball in Reno and college at Nevada. He averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 assists in 7.3 minutes per game in 38 appearances for the Blazers as a rookie. He also spent time with the D-League's Idaho Stampede. Online video streaming of the games will reportedly be available. For more details on the league, click here. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter

My tribute to Brandon Roy's heroics in game 4. I Know I'm kinda late, just wanted to see what my fellow Blazers fans thought. Check it out, thanks.

NOTE: The link has been updated to reflect Wednesday's news Once again, the two sides wouldn't say anything about what they had discussed, but the fact that they are committed to meeting again bodes well! Today's best quote: "Hunter, who long held a pessimistic view of the negotiations, said he thought clearly "there's more than enough time" for a deal to be reached that would allow this season's schedule to remain intact."

This is a nasty dunk by Nic Batum i found over at GetBangedOn

Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum and France defeated Serbia in overtime, 97-96, in their fifth EuroBasket Group B game in Lithuania on Monday. The win gives France the No. 1 seed in Group B with a record of 5-0; Their win over Italy on Sunday had already assured their advancement to the next round of the tournament. France finishes the group play round as one of only two teams -- along with Russia -- to remain undefeated. Here's a boxscore. Here's video of a nifty Batum dunk off a cut and hand off via YouTube user nbainfos. Batum had his head bashed on the floor during the second half and wound up wearing a fairly dramatic head wrap when he returned to the court. Picture courtesy of Sebastian Pruiti of NBAPlaybook.com. EuroBasket.com quotes Batum talking about playing through the pain. ----------------------------- Serbia's Milos Teodosic reached in and was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Nicolas Batum. It was Teodosic's fifth foul and he exited the game but Batum, who had to wear a head dressing over an open cut beside his right eye after a nasty fall, missed both free-throws. ... Neither side was short of heroes in this spectacular game, with Nicolas Batum scoring 18 points on some of the most explosive moves ever seen at a EuroBasket. In another game, Batum might have come out because he needed stitches. "I said, 'No stitches during the game,' Batum said. "I don't want to come out this game." ----------------------------- Batum finished with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes on 7-for-12 shooting. San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker bounced back from a thigh injury to lead France with 24 points, two assists and six steals. -- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter