FanHouse Nate Robinson

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Desperation oozed from every pore. If New York-area basketball hasn't reached its nadir, it's only because the NBA has a silly rule that some team must win. Otherwise, who knows how low this charade might go? The players might be the ones slipping paper bags over their heads, to match the fans' embarrassment as they sit in the stands and try not to rubberneck.

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Just after the first quarter buzzer sounded at the Meadowlands, Nate Robinson of the Knicks turned and fired a three-pointer at the basket of the New Jersey Nets. The shot went in, and, being as the period had already ended, the basket was waved off by the official.

No harm done, right? Uh, wrong. Mike D'Antoni was furious at Robinson for even trying such a stunt, especially with it coming so closely after the buzzer.

(UPDATE: Apparently, D'Antoni holds a grudge: he kept Robinson on the bench for the rest of the game.)

Knicks! Nets! NBA action at its finest. Video of the shot and the exchange, after the jump.

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Knicks have slowly climbed their way out of salary cap hell -- but all that got them is a season in NBA purgatory.

Instead of making moves toward actual improvement, the Knicks are blatantly looking past this season to next summer when they hope to strike it rich with the famed free agent class of 2010. But while Donnie Walsh's long-term strategy may eventually pay dividends, it offers little hope in the interim that the Knicks might rise above last year's fifth-place finish in the Atlantic.

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The Knicks finally came to contract terms with their two marquee restricted free agents on Thursday, signing both David Lee and Nate Robinson to one-year deals.

If there are any Knicks' fans out there who are worried that Lee and Robinson may be looking to eschew team play in order to put up big personal numbers, thereby increasing their free agent value for next summer, fear not! Donnie Walsh had your back when he handed out these contracts, because they contain a million dollar bonus for each player if the Knicks manage to make it to the playoffs.

The start of the NBA season is right around the corner, and that means the much-anticipated release of NBA 2K10. The video game hits stores nationwide on Oct. 6.

FanHouse attended the 2K10 launch party in New York City on Thursday, and spoke to Nate Robinson about re-signing with the Knicks, Andre Iguodala about the greatest moment in NBA2K history, and Brook Lopez about his new boss. Check out the video below.

Nate Robinson will remain a Knick, reports Alan Hahn of Newsday, and this is hardly a surprise. Robinson's agent Aaron Goodwin told FanHouse last week that the guard would certainly be in Knickerbocker blue next season. Hahn reports Nate will sign a one-year deal at some amount above the $3 million qualifying offer which has been on the table since July 1. Fellow restricted free agent David Lee is expected to follow with a similar deal.

One item that might get some attention in the coming days is that Robinson can veto any trade involving him this season. No-trade clauses in the NBA are extremely rare -- only Kobe Bryant has a full-blown no-trade negotiated into his contract. But Nate isn't unique, and this clause hasn't been specially negotiated into his contract. All restricted free agents who sign a one-year contract with their incumbent teams (qualifying offer or otherwise) receive the same veto power.

Every Tuesday this offseason, two of our NBA experts will go at it with a Debate in the Paint. This week, the topic is which team did the least this summer to improve.

If the New York Knicks want to get their fans excited about the 2009-10 season, they better be planning some good halftime shows. Or maybe free beer at every home game. Or prizes to those who boo the loudest.

When the only additions to the roster are Darko Milicic and two rookies who will take a few years to develop, you need a creative marketing department.

It's hard to imagine a high-profile team doing less.

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Despite having two NBA seasons under his belt, Spencer Hawes is a current University of Washington student, taking summer classes to finish the degree he began under the league's age minimum rule. Nate Robinson attended UW earlier this decade before becoming the NBA's favorite dunker. Saturday, as the Huskies knocked off No. 3 Southern Cal, Hawes and Robinson were there. Acting like high school kids. Which is really awesome. (Thanks to Ben Golliver for the vid.)

Need a veteran point guard? There's still plenty to choose from in free agency.

The list, though, did get shorter with the news that Mike Wilks will sign a non-guaranteed contract with the Atlanta Hawks.

"I think he's got a decent shot to make the team,'' Wilks' agent, Bill Neff told FanHouse on Wednesday. "They don't have a lot of guards.''

SEATTLE -- After dropping 35 points in a local all-star game and winning a 3-point contest shooting left-handed in a searing Garfield High School gym, Knicks guard Nate Robinson had no answers regarding his professional whereabouts in a few months.

Robinson, a restricted free agent, has yet to agree to a contract next season with New York, leaving him uncertain of his future just two months before training camp begins. Robinson received a two-year offer from the Greek club Olympiakos but remains unsigned.