Basketball finds redemption a world away from lure of the lucre

LAST night was due to be the start of the new NBA season in the US.

Instead the controversial lockout of its increasingly tetchy players will begin its 125th day this morning.

The nightmare scenario for fans became all the more definitive on Friday when commissioner David Stern cancelled the rest of this month’s games, confirming what everyone knew or feared: a full 82-game regular NBA season was now not going to happen “under any circumstances”.