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Most NBA players who've entertained playing overseas this season have gravitated towards hoops hotbeds like Spain, Italy, Turkey and China. Very few have considered the United Kingdom, a land where soccer and cricket are clearly more popular. They also have a grand history of bear-baiting, although I'm pretty sure that's been frowned upon for at least a few decades.

Because of their status as second-class franchises, British hoops teams don't necessarily have the money to pay NBA stars. Ron Artest, however, is interested in plying his trade in England. In order to sign him, the Cheshire Jets will have to get creative in how they'll afford him. That's exactly what they intend to do. From Marc Stein for ESPN.com (via EOB):

Jets director Peter Hawkins told ESPN.com Thursday that his team, in an attempt to offset the monetary limitations it faces compared to clubs from bigger leagues in Europe, will try to get Artest prominent TV work in England, should he agree to join the Jets.

"You'll appreciate that we haven't got the means to entice someone of Ron's standing on financial grounds," Hawkins said. "Our commitment is to help raise Ron's profile in the UK in order to help him develop his music and movie career over here while playing basketball."

One possibility, according to a source with knowledge of the Jets' plans, is trying to find Artest a role on a British soap opera.

There's not yet any sort of deal in place for Artest to play for the Jets, but he intends to cross the pond next week to see if they can work something out. If this soap opera gambit ends up in a contract, I think the show-in-question and any payment from the Jets should be written off as charity for tax purposes. Because it would be a special gift to the entire world.

120524534On a random Thursday night in winter, I look forward to two things: good NBA games on TNT and NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup. So, after watching Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith make fun of each other's advanced ages, I flip over to The Peacock to catch up with the hilarious comedy "Parks and Recreation," in which the employees of small-town Indiana government contend with bureaucracy and their own personal hangups. It is one of the best comedies on TV right now and you should definitely watch it if you don't already.

The series also has a basketball connection. Former NBA great Detlef Schrempf has appeared twice as himself, first as a special guest on a city-wide telethon and second as an in-house consultant/basketball player for Tom Haverford's Entertainment 720 media group. In the fourth season, Schrempf will be joined on the show by a current NBA player. He tweeted the news on Tuesday while filming another appearance:

Lots of fun on the set of Park & Rec. Aziz Anzari & Ben Schwartz are hilarious! Gotta give it up for Roy Hibbert for his first acting gig!

Indeed, let's give it up for Roy! Based on the events of the third-season finale, I am going to guess that Tom and his Entertainment 720 co-mastermind Jean-Ralphio bring in Hibbert as yet another in-house consultant/basketball player, perhaps so Schrempf will not get bored as he shoots baskets. It's a genius move, and exactly the kind of move that can turn a boring old office into a fully functional interactive workspace and dreamatorium.

On Monday, we brought you two highlight videos from Earl Clark's charity game in Louisville, a contest that some observers/bloggers called "the funniest game ever played." That designation was well-earned, too. Most games don't feature Terrence Williams dunks after which he takes off his jersey and throws it to the ground. Or J.R. Smith blocking a child's shot and walking away like he'd just swatted LeBron James at the rim.

It turns out that these two plays were not outliers, but rather indicative of the party atmosphere that surrounded this game. For further proof, watch the video above in which Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard takes the inbounds pass as a point guard and goes coast-to-coast for the drive and one-handed slam. Sure, the other team isn't playing much defense, but neither do the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This tactic could be worth trying in a real game. Magic point guards Jameer Nelson and Gilbert Arenas are shoot-first players anyway, so the team won't miss a beat.

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At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.

Taj Gibson: Every time I watch full metal jacket, Makes me what to Join the Army hahah

LaMarcus Aldridge: I bowled so good last night I might turn pro now! Lol then I won't go overseas

Patrick Patterson: After going to China and coming back home, I can see why they kickin our ass. #justsaying

Speedy Claxton: Only at my house would the chinese delivery guy come N and play ping pong.... Btw I killed him

Martell Webster: Hey world, During this lockout, I think I'm going to become a porpoise ranger. Have fun with that yahoo sports.

You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.

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As far as video game franchises go, the NBA 2K rates third only to EA Sports' two-headed football monster of Madden and NCAA Football. In the world of basketball games, 2K has always stood out for its reasonable approximation of real basketball and a boatload of special features that add to the overall experience. Last year's Michael Jordan Challenge was a huge hit, and they're set to do even more this year with involvement from a game mode built around legendary performances by 15 NBA legends.

Unfortunately for 2K Sports, this year's lockout could derail their sales goals for this fall's NBA 2K12. In fact, one analyst predicts a steep drop from last year's 5.5 million units sold. From Eddie Makuch for GameSpot (via PBT and I am a GM):

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia issued an investor note this morning that stated if the NBA lockout does not end, sales of NBA 2K12 will be softer than predicted.

Just yesterday, Take-Two reported its latest quarterly earnings, saying NBA 2K11 has sold 5.5 million copies. However, Bhatia's firm is currently projecting that sales of NBA 2K12 could fall off by 1 million units over last year. Sales at this level would diminish Take-Two's earnings by $40 million, he projected.

However, Bhatia also stated that the "uniqueness" of NBA 2K12 might be enough to make the game a top-performer, regardless of a lockout scenario.

It makes sense that a basketball game would see a dip in sales while its league isn't playing games. Excitement around a basketball season can help move product, and it stands to reason that if people aren't thinking about the NBA, they won't feel a huge need to purchase a video game that's all about the league.

On Monday, we brought you a video of Brandon Jennings throwing a ball off a defender's head and scoring at the Dyckman League in New York. It was fun, surprising, and generally the kind of creative play that makes Jennings an interesting player even as his NBA development has stalled a bit.

No matter the path his career will take, Jennings has at least used this summer to prove he will always have a home in pro-am leagues. Not content merely to throw balls off heads, Jennings recently unleashed another highlight by taking a defender for a ride with several crossovers and a bounce through the legs on his way to a lefty scoop lay-up at the rim. Watch the video above for proof. It's short, so you can even enjoy it several times.

Jennings is still young, so there's still hope that he'll turn into the elite floor general many think he can become. If he never does, though, he'll still be a player worth watching. Because, as the plays show, he's the kind of showman that makes basketball a

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At this point, seemingly half the NBA is on Twitter. It's a wild world of training updates, questions as to which movies they should go see, and explanations of their Call of Duty prowess. Every so often, though, you also get a picture into the more interesting aspects of NBA life. This feature is your window into that world.

Ron Artest: Wow Didn't realize how well Jared Dudley speaks!!!

Julian Wright: This ninja @blakegriffin is a fool! Somebody threw THE worst backboard pass in pickup today and he freaked it!.. We all stopped & left lol!

Detlef Schrempf: On the set of Park & Rec for my annual gig. Hollywood time! :)

Jon Brockman: Am I the only one who uses corn stalks as a way of knowing how much summer we have left? The taller the stalk, the closer it is to fall!

Carmelo Anthony: WHY? I really would like to know your pathetic answer "@DrewUnga: Athletes kill me. RT @carmeloanthony: "sweat baby jesus""

You can also follow Eric Freeman on Twitter at @freemaneric.

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On Friday, we brought you the story of Matt Barnes getting involved in a fight at the San Francisco ProCity Summer Basketball League. It was a bizarre scene, in part because Barnes is from Northern California (the Sacramento area, to be exact) and, well, it's just weird to see an NBA player fight in a gym usually reserved for high school games and rec leagues.

The SF Pro-Am organizers were faced with a decision to make regarding Barnes' eligibility. Would they suspend him for a playoff game or more? Or would they just let him off with a warning, because, you know, he's a professional basketball player and it's not as if he's under contract to play in the next game anyway.

Nevertheless, they decided to suspend him for the first game of the playoffs, as reported by various outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle. Good news, Matt: You can stay home, just like you were probably going to anyway.