(Awkward but useful name drop opening paragraph...)
It is past midnight and crowded in the Koo Koo Room, Mark Cuban is surprised at my lack of interest in doing shots with him, but I'm just trying to chat with Jason Kidd and put in a few minutes behind the ropes with my pal Charles Barkley before heading back to the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta.
This is not some weird fever dream. It's the last day of the 2012 regular season. The Mavericks have lost to the Hawks, so the defending champs will play Oklahoma City (and get swept) in the first round.