This has been a scary stretch for the NBA. Last week, Cleveland's LeBron James suffered a finger injury that was first feared to be a break but turned out to be a sprain. And then on Sunday, San Antonio's Tim Duncan hurt his knee and his ankle. As was the case with King James, Duncan's injury isn't as bad as was first feared when MRI examinations came back negative. 

For a league that's built on personalities and individual star power, losses like James and Duncan can kill fan interest quicker than, say, a referee-gambling scandal. Already, Washington's colorful Gilbert Arenas is out for an extended period and the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Portland's Greg Oden -- the most anticipated rookie in years --- has been out for the season since before the season because of knee surgery.

Meanwhile, James and Duncan (left) were two of the marquee players in last year's NBA Finals. If those two were missing from the nightly highlight clips, it would be up to Dallas owner (and fellow blogger) Mark Cuban to shoulder the load all by himself.

Photo credit: Eric Gay/AP