The NBA Draft is always entertaining, and it meets all three Not The Game criteria. 1) It features extensive television coverage, with a lot of analysts. 2) Features interviews and stories about players and their personal lives. 3) Has a lot of technological achievements, such as the way the information is streamed across the screen, and of course, players on cell phones, which is ALWAYS fun.

-We get ushered into the Draft (I’m starting at the 7 o’clock preview show because this is when the talking heads start) by some extremely light footed music. So far, not good.

-The lineup for tonight:

Mike Tirico
Jay Bilas
Screamin A. Smith
Marc Jackson
Stuart Scott (hugs and hand pounds)
Lisa Salters
Dick Vitale (from his home, tough job)
Andy Katz
Rick Bucher
Sal Paolontonio
Rachel Nichols (in black)
Jim Grey
Fran Fraschilla (reporting on all the foreign players no one else cared about seeing)

Phew. That is an intense lineup, and overkill really. Do we really need 13 commentators on a draft? I need to see if this outdid the NFL Draft, I doubt it.

-Where is Dan Patrick? Maybe his spat with David Stern last year kept him out. HERE.

-First of many Steven Aisms. (if you see random quotes without attribution its Steven A.)

“If you’re not gonna win, you might as well make money while losing.”

-Apparently Lenovo has branded every computer at the draft with their logo in size 456 font. Why do draft picks need to have computers in the green room? Do you think they are iming each other? Reading tuckermax.com? Who knows, but its unessacary. What’s next, videogames at their tables?

-Durant’s Mom makes sure his mouth is clean. Priceless.

-The song for the night, “It End Tonight”, by All-American Rejects. Not Bad but I’m not sure this is appropriate for the NBA Draft.

-Joakim Noah is wearing his Sunday best His dad is a no show (cool), but his mom is there. :-)

-Now they have an All-American Rejects song from a Disney album. Ok please, this is enough. I’m waiting for the Wiggles to play at the next commercial break.

-David Stern is out to kick off the Draft. ESPN decides to go with no bugs on the screen at all HERE, not even the “espnhd” sides. Why is this not broadcast in hd? They are just wasting space on the sides. HERE HERE. I do somewhat like the format, but the “whats next” scroll bars are a bit confusing. I do childishly enjoy the moment when MIL, MIN, MIA, and MEM are the four teams on the side. Moving on.

-Draft is officially under way, and the bugs and framing are back. The grey sides make it look better, and this is helping me get over the fact that the video is only about a 1/3 of the screen.

-7:35- Steven A. is petulant.

“You can’t teach 7 foot. YOU can’t TEACH 7 foot.”

Can you teach 7 foot?

-Oden gets picked an announces to Stuart Scott that he wears hand sanitizer. Is that seriously what was going through his mind before he got picked? Man, this guy is quirky. I guess its safe to give a hug and hand pound now, right Stu?

-The Celtics now have Ray Allen, and Allan Ray on their team :-) I once was covering a Villanova game and a student reporter from LaSalle asked Allan Ray if people ever confused him with Ray Allen. Now they are on the same team. Ironic.

-Al Horford is picked by the Hawks, and his dad waves a Dominican flag. Priceless.

-7:55- Celtics deal agreed to, Bill Simmons hangs himself. HERE

-The Chinese sporting authority does not want Yi Jianlianianlianianialianian to go to Milwaulkee, which prompts my friend Matt to say “Who the hell are they?” In all seriousness, can this start World War III? We are already looking for reasons to go after China, can this be the tipping point? Just play ball kid.

Yi speaks horrible English, and has the personality and intensity of Rip Taylor. This guy is going to be a really soft player. He has handlers. Enough said.

-Rachel Nichols is in Charlotte for the second straight year. This is because of one of two reasons.

1) She lives in Charlotte
2) She’s sleeping with Michael Jordan

-Jay Bilas with a great line, “Michael Jordan should have worn a mask when he made this pick, because that was a steal”.

-Brandon Wright says, “I don’t think Jordan wants any right now”.

Two hours later, he was traded.

-Mike Tirico announces that Spencer Hawes has a “God Bless George Bush” bumper sticker. Is he trying to get the guy killed?

-There is a petulant gnome walking players up to the stage. Could they have found a shorter person to walk up 6’7 people?

-Acie Law says he has a “Great set up of parents.” Like he is going for a higher "Parents" rating in NBA Live '08. He also says he has been working on his Draft pose for years. So he came up with this? The thumbs up?

-“Everyone knows Mo Cheeks can coach”

He can?

-The Lebron commercial is really good, I’m convinced he’s a good actor. The part where he looks at his agent and bites his lip is actually good acting, I’m telling you, he’s hilarious.

-The Nets now have a team with Marcus Williams and Sean Williams. This is dangerous for society. Its rare that NBA teams combine theft, and drugs. If its been done before, this site will tell us. HERE

-Marco Bellinelli, tall Italian dude. How many times do you think this guy gets laid? Good looking Italian pro basketball player in America? He is a panty dropper in a suit.

-Dick Vitale wonders if Lakers pick Javaris Crittetnon can handle New York City. Why? Does he vacation there?

-Transcript of parts of Jim Grey’s relentless Interview with Mitch Kupchak.

Kupchak: “We did acknowledge we had a meeting. And it was a week ago”

Grey: “Did you bet on baseball?”

Grey: “By saying no, you are saying Kobe can be traded?”

Grey: “Did you bet on baseball?”

-And to end the first round, my hometown Philadelphia 76ers do this.

Traded Daquean Cook, a 2nd round pick in 2009, and money for a lesser player. Then they drafted Petteri Koponen, a Finnish guard.

All with in the span of 3 minutes.

Great.