‘HAVE YOU STOPPED BEATING YOUR WIFE YET?’ NBA COMMISH LASHES OUT AT HOST FOR ASKING IF DRAFT IS FIXED

Things became heated during an interview on “The Jim Rome Show” after Rome decided to ask NBA commissioner David Stern a question regarding the league’s draft lottery.

“You know, New Orleans won the draft lottery,” Rome said, “I know that you appreciate a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy. Was the fix in for the lottery?”

Apparently, Stern didn’t appreciate Rome’s line of questioning and responded with Groucho Marx’s classic no-win question: “Have you stopped beating your wife yet?”

Needless to say, things didn’t go very well from there.

“It was a marked difference from the pair‘s usual collegial attitude displayed on Stern’s regular appearances on the program,” writes Deadspin’s Timothy Burke. And to be fair, as Burke notes, Rome didn’t actually ask a loaded question. He asked if and not when the lottery had been fixed. There is a difference. Still, despite the fact that the interview is pretty awkward, we have to admit that we laughed. Not because Rome has the type of personality that practically begs to be asked trick questions, but because the interview reminds us of this.