Now even David Stern has laid off staff — some 80 workers at league HQ. More ominous still, pre-season showcase games featuring freshly-minted gold medalists Kobe and Lebron — ‘member them? — draw sparse crowds in Vegas and Pittsburgh, respectively.

Makes me wonder if anyone from Bob Johnson’s outfit has rung up and insulted Wells Fargo execs yet, demanding that they buy season tix. Bobcat prices are still at least 25 percent too high for this market.