By Fitzgerald Cecilio

NBA commissioner David Stern and radio host Jim Rome exchanged verbal jabs on-air after the latter asked if the Hornets' win in the lottery draft was fixed.

The heated exchange started when Rome asked Stern during his program at CBS Sports Network if the lottery was fixed to favor the Hornets.

"I have two answers for that," Stern replied. "The simple easy one, no, the second, a statement, shame on you for asking."

Rome then told Stern that he thought it was his job to ask because people are wondering with the result of the lottery, to which the commissioner replied "no, it's ridiculous, but that's OK".

When Rome remarked that his question was not ridiculous, Stern responded: "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Stern appeared to have made the comment to stress a point about trapping interviewees as Rome has no history of spousal abuse.

"I don't think that's fair," Rome said.

The verbal exchange went on for several minutes until Rome ended the interview, claiming he was running out of time.

Stern has been hounded with issues of rigging the NBA draft lottery to favor the New Orleans Hornets, a team previously owned by the league before it was sold to Saints owner Tom Benson.

Despite having just 13.7 chance of winning, The Hornets bagged the draft lottery and the No. 1 overall pick that goes with, beating the Charlotte Bobcats, who had a 25 percent chance of winning.

The Hornets will reportedly use the No. 1 pick on Kentucky star Anthony Davis. The Bobcats, 7-59 for the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season, could use their No. 2 pick to select his teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Washington Wizards will pick third while the Cleveland Cavaliers will select fourth.

 

 

NBA's David Stern and Radio Host Jim Rome Exchange Verbal Jabs