Now That NBA Lockout Is Over, Roger Mason Can Laugh At Himself

As far as folks who were actually involved in the final negotiations that ended the NBA lockout, Roger Mason had the best instant reaction. From his Twitter account:

I Love Christmas! How U?

Mason, you'll remember, inadvertently tweeted to the world a message that read "looking like a season. how u" back when the lockout was just a baby lockout. Everyone read it as either a concession that the season was toast, or that there was a deal to be had before games were missed.

Instead of either, "how u" became an incredible recurring laughline, primarily by CBS Sports reporter Ken Berger, whose sanity has slowly dissipated over the course of the stoppage. (Staking out marathon negotiating sessions to receive a two-sentence statement can do that to a man.) Now, "how u" will only be funny in select instances. Mason's passes the test. The next test: who will be the first NBA announcer to use it in a live game? I'm bet Walt Frazier can drop one. "Mason with the three! How u."

Basketball!