Notice anything odd about Scot Pollard's feet? John Grieshop/Getty Images

This is not about Ron Artest asking to take a break from the Pacers to promote an album, or Doug Christie's reality show, or even Karl Malone allegedly "hunting for little Mexican girls." Those are the stories we know, the moments that found press and attention on their own.

Every morning, I get to my office, get online and try to read every NBA team's local newspaper. Since I write a daily NBA column, it's the best background info available. And it's also usually where the really good stories are buried. I prefer these little things, the goofy and ridiculous moments.

So, after chronicling these strange things all year, here are my favorite true NBA stories from the '04-05 season that you might have missed.

To make sure Gary Payton reported to training camp on time, Celtics GM Danny Ainge chartered a Gulfstream IV jet to Los Angeles and personally escorted him back to Boston.

Scot Pollard disclosed that he has different sized feet.

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After the Hornets banned personal trainers from their practice facility, Baron Davis did his pre-practice stretching on a gym mat on the sidewalk outside the facility.

The Rockets visited China this year, which allowed things like this to happen.

The Washington Wizards had a date night in which a lucky fan won a night out with center Brendan Haywood.

The NBA banned Vince Carter from wearing an iPod during pregame warm-ups.

Rasheed Wallace had his championship ring re-sized to fit his middle finger.

When the Mavericks had an off day in Miami, little-used reserve Dan Dickau accidentally shut a taxi door on Dirk Nowitzki's hand.

A screenwriter who'd just moved to Los Angeles was walking down a street when he found Vlade Divac's wallet in the gutter.

According to the police report in Detroit after the Pistons-Pacers brawl, one woman said the chair-thrower was a local male exotic dancer who uses the stage name Low Key or Kool Kat Daddy.

After the Knicks fired assistant coach Dick Helm and replaced him with Brendan Suhr, less-experienced assistant Mark Aguirre attempted to upgrade his seat from behind the bench and had an in-game staredown with Suhr.

Under a listing for Charlotte Bobcats tickets, the Charlotte Yellow Pages mistakenly ran a number for a phone sex hotline.

Shaquille O'Neal sold his house in Los Angeles to a Japanese rock star from a band called Boowy.