What's the worst thing a sports league can do after a successful, exciting season? Impose a lockout and haggle publicly about money for five months. The two sides, led by NBAPA executive director Billy Hunter and NBA commissioner David Stern, averted disaster by reaching a deal to save a 66-game season. But the positive momentum of the past few years was lost. We'll see if the NBA can get it back.

An NBA commissioner is supposed to look out for the best interests of the entire league. But when David Stern usurped the role of New Orleans general manager Dell Demps and vetoed a trade of star guard Chris Paul to the Lakers, then brokered a deal sending Paul to the Clippers, Stern seemed to care about only one team, the NBA-owned Hornets. By doing so, he created a conflict of interest and damaged the credibility of the league, which is the worst thing a commissioner can do.

It was bad enough that the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals. But the way they went out was classless and ugly. Ron Artest (left) and Andrew Bynum (right) each committed flagrant fouls on Dallas guard J.J. Barea, leading to an ejection for Bynum and a five-game suspension to start the 2011-12 season.

Jerry Sloan abruptly resigned on Feb. 10, midway through his 22nd season as Utah's coach. Though he dismissed speculation that he left because of conflicts with players -- he'd clashed with star guard Deron Williams the night before -- it was still a sad, inappropriate end for a Hall of Famer with 1,221 wins (third in NBA history) and the longest tenure as coach of one team in league history.

The Cleveland Cavaliers figured to be much worse without LeBron James, but their collapse last season was painful to watch. In one stretch, they lost 36 of 37 games, including an NBA-record 26 in a row. They didn't earn their first victory of 2011 until mid-February.