Apologies for posting a YouTube that's sound only, but you really need to hear what a gigantic asshole NBA commissioner David Stern is to AP reporter Brian Mahoney.  Mahoney asks Stern if he'll let NBA players (specifically, Dwyane Wade) who compete for Team USA in this summer's Beijing Olympics out of responsibilities to play preseason games in Europe in order to give them a break from all the travel.

Instead of answering the question yes or no, Stern browbeats Mahoney for having a narrow worldview and informs him that places "overseas" are actually closer than cities on the other side of the U.S.

Umm, except not.  I did a little math.  From Miami to Paris — one of the closer European capitals to America — is over 4,500 miles.  On the other hand, Miami to Portland — by next season, the most distant NBA city — is just a shade over 2700 miles.  And that's not factoring in the additional headache of going through customs because you've entered another country.  So basically, Stern lied and treated someone like shit because he dared impose reality on Stern's mission to make the NBA a global brand.  I hope you learned your lesson, Mahoney.

UPDATE: Terrific take on this from manic genius Spencer Hall at The Sporting Blog.