Best and the Worst of 2007 in the NBA

Perhaps the 2008 motto for the NBA should be: "It can only get better!"

The ratings for the 2007 NBA finals were the worst in history. The league's New York City franchise was in disarray and embarrassing facts about the Knicks were aired in federal court in '07. Worst still, the biggest scandal during David Stern's 23 years as commissioner came to light last summer, as longtime NBA referee Tim Donaghy was arrested after an investigation by the FBI. It is alleged that Donaghy bet on games he officiated and made calls affecting the point spread in those games. He has pleaded guilty two two federal charges related to the investigation and is awaiting sentencing.

It wasn't all bad, though. Here are some of the bests and worsts in the NBA during 2007:

Best moment for Utah Jazz fans: May 9, 2007

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at EnergySolutions Arena was beginning, but Utah's starting shooting guard wasn't in the building. He had a good excuse, though. Derek Fisher had been in New York with his family, including baby daughter, Tatum, who had undergone surgery for her cancerous eye that very day. As the Jazz and Warriors tipped off, Fisher was on a plane trying to get back for the game.

He arrived at the arena after halftime, quickly dressed in his uniform and entered the game late in the third quarter to an enormous ovation by the Utah fans. He then went on to hit a huge 3-pointer and a couple of foul shots in overtime to help the Jazz to a 2-0 series lead. It was a series of events that, if they weren't true, would have seemed too unbelievable for a Hollywood movie.:

Worst moment for Utah Jazz fans: Nov. 30, 2007

Derek Fisher, a Utah Jazz hero just a few months earlier, gets booed every time his name is announced or he touches the ball during a game at EnergySolutions Arena. Fisher had asked out of his Jazz contract during the offseason so that his family could be closer to the medical specialists Tatum needed. He signed with the Lakers. Many Jazz fans, apparently, didn't believe his reason for leaving, treating him worse than any other Laker — even Kobe Bryant.:

Best summer: Tony Parker