Orientation isn’t much of an issue in this league

In the wake of John Amaechi’s revelation that he’s gay, it’s clear no active player would dare come out -- because the press would turn his life into a living hell.

Whether his teammates would care remains to be seen. In Amaechi’s case, no one is too upset.

“I could care less,” TNT’s Charles Barkley told ESPN. “... I’ve played with two or three gay guys but that’s their personal business and I could care less.”

With an ongoing political debate about gay marriage, there are indeed places where Amaechi would be ostracized. However, sexual orientation, which might be a bigger problem in football and baseball, isn’t one of the NBA’s issues.

The never-to-be-forgotten Bison Dele, nee Brian Williams, played eight seasons amid constant rumors that he was gay. (He was lost at sea along with a girlfriend.)

Whatever teammates thought, no one on his five teams ever said a word about playing with him. On the contrary, his size (6 feet 10) and skills kept him in demand despite mood swings so severe that he was treated for depression as an Orlando rookie.

As endearing as he was moody, and one of the great quotes in NBA history, he walked away in 2000, leaving a contract with five years and $35 million still on it.

Clank city

I guess I can squeeze in some basketball: With LeBron James making 52% of his free throws over 12 games, Cleveland is last in the NBA but former Cavalier Mark Price, a career 90% free-throw shooter, has some valuable advice: “The majority of free-throw improvement comes in the off-season.”

Great. If they really work this summer, maybe they’ll be better next season.

Don’t mess with Texas

Dallas owner Mark Cuban is still the most fun of anybody in the NBA for everyone but David Stern and people who actually have to deal with him.

Angered at Dwyane Wade’s shot at Dirk Nowitzki (“He wasn’t the leader that he’s supposed to be in the closing moments”), Cuban blogged:

“Is this the DWade of some of the lamest, boring commercials known to man?

”... Great leadership D-Wade. Your coach sat players for being fat. I guess you couldn’t lead them away from the buffet.”

Cuban, who loves to zing newspapers for errors, compounded the insult by misspelling Wade’s name “Dwayne” throughout, perhaps intentionally.

Thanks for coming anyway

Joe Johnson said he left Phoenix for Atlanta “to be a part of something special. ... I remember that stuff everybody used to say about nobody wanting to come here.”

With the Suns’ success and Johnson’s missing the East All-Star squad despite his 25.5-point scoring average, nobody had better tell him that everybody is still saying it.

East is east ...

Skeptics (hello) are, uh, re-evaluating the Pistons, who started 11-3 with Chris Webber.

Besides giving them a passing center who gets everybody shots, his mere arrival cheered up Rasheed Wallace, who didn’t think much of Nazr Mohammed, wanted help up front and was giving off bad vibes that have gone away.

... and West is west

Inheriting the problems of Dwane Casey, who suspended Ricky Davis, Minnesota Coach Randy Wittman benched Davis and Mike James in the second half of a loss at Houston, saying, “I ain’t going to watch that and keep the status quo.”

The next game Wittman took a look at the rest of his roster and started Davis, who scored 24 points as they blew out Golden State.

Famous last words

Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni on their recent struggles: “We’re good when we don’t think we’re that good.”

-- Mark Heisler