San Antonio Spurs player George Hill found himself apologizing profusely to the public for nude pictures of himself that appeared online recently. Apparently,the pics were taken last year and appeared on the site thedirty.com.

"A year ago, I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions," Hill, 23, said in a statement from the Spurs on Tuesday. "I have matured and learned from this episode. I would like to apologize to my girlfriend, my family, all of our great fans and the Spurs organization."

In the meantime, the San Antonio Spurs have put their lawyers on the job. They are working to have the photos removed, issuing "cease and desist" orders to the website, which have been ignored. The team is attempting to cite trademark infringement and also claim that the photos were "disseminated illegally and without permission."

Thedirty is not being shaken by the Spurs' legal attacks. "Trademark law does not apply to criticism of celebrities making fools of themselves," they wrote.

It just seems that NBA players love putting nude pics of themselves on the web (well, at least their so-called "friends" do). NBA star Greg Oden of the Portland Trailblazers ended up apologizing for a similar incident earlier this year. Seems that these guys have to learn that in the age of the Internet, you can't just have your you-know-what out there for anybody to see.

Personally, I find myself amazed at what my students will put on their Facebook pages. While the web opens the door for self-expression, the truth is that you can also be opening the door for a lifetime of embarrassment. The pictures you put out there of yourself can be easily downloaded and copied, and while you might have posted the images while you were a wild 20-something, they will still be available to the world when you are a calmer 30-something, trying to be a mother and wife.

NBA players must be especially careful, since their public images are part of the multi-billion dollar brand of the league. My opinion: If you are not ready for something to be seen or read on CNN, then don't post it anywhere on the Internet. Bottom line.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.