1.
National Basketball Association
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The National Basketball Association is the major mens professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier mens professional basketball league in the world. It has 30 teams, and is a member of USA Basketball. The NBA is one of the four professional sports leagues in the United States. NBA players are the worlds best paid athletes by average annual salary per player, the league was founded in New York City on June 6,1946, as the Basketball Association of America. The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3,1949, the leagues several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, the Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1,1946, in Toronto, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, the first basket was made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that leagues 1948 title, Following the 1948–49 season, the BAA took in the remainder of the NBL, Syracuse, Anderson, Tri-Cities, Sheboygan, Denver, and Waterloo. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as arenas and smaller gymnasiums. The process of contraction saw the leagues smaller-city franchises move to larger cities, the Hawks shifted from the Tri-Cities to Milwaukee in 1951, and then to St. Louis in 1955. The Rochester Royals moved from Rochester, New York, to Cincinnati in 1957, japanese-American Wataru Misaka broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks. He remained the only player in league history prior to the first African-American, Harold Hunter. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships, to encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. If a team does not attempt to score a goal within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped. In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, russells rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics, led by Russell, Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in the NBA from 1959 to 1966
2.
Basketball
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Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s
3.
NBA on ABC
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The NBA on ABC is a presentation of National Basketball Association games produced by ESPN, and televised on the American Broadcasting Company. ABC originally broadcast NBA games from 1965 to 1973, in 2002, NBA games returned to the network as part of a contract signed with the league, along with ESPN. ABC then airs up to nine games during the first five weeks of the NBA playoffs, ABC first signed a deal with the National Basketball Association to become the leagues primary television partner in 1964, the networks first game telecast aired on January 3,1965. For much of the 1960s, ABC only televised Sunday afternoon games and this meant that ABC did not have to televise a potential NBA Finals deciding game if it were played on a weeknight. In 1969, ABC did televise Game 7 of the Los Angeles Lakers–Boston Celtics series in time on a weeknight. The following season, ABC aired the 1970 NBA Finals in its entirety, commentators for the original NBA on ABC included play-by-play announcers Keith Jackson and Chris Schenkel, and analysts Jack Twyman, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell. Curt Gowdy also served on play-by-play for half of the 1967–68 season, jerry Gross and Jack Twyman called that particular broadcast for the network. ABC would continue to televise Christmas games through 1972, the remainder of these broadcasts were based from Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Chris Schenkel did play-by-play for ABC during this period with the exception of 1970, Jack Twyman remained as color commentator for the broadcasts up until 1971, when the position was assumed by Bill Russell. ABC lost the broadcast rights to the NBA to CBS after the 1972–73 season, from the 1984–85 through 1989-90 seasons, the ABC Radio Network was the official, national radio broadcaster of NBA games, succeeding the Mutual Broadcasting System. ABC Radio was in return, supplanted by Public Interest Affiliates NBA Radio Network, commentators included Fred Manfra on play-by-play and Oscar Robertson, Dick Vitale and Earl Monroe on color commentary. Other announcers included Marv Albert and Chick Hearn on play-by-play and Rod Hundley, Johnny Most, in late 2001, the NBA was in the midst of putting together a new broadcast and cable television deal. At the time, conventional wisdom was that NBC would renew its broadcasting contract with the league. As predicted, NBCs offer to the league was lower than the previous agreements amount, had the NBA agreed to the networks offer, it would have been the first sports league to experience a decline in rights fees. However, the NBA rejected NBCs offer and after the exclusive negotiating period with the league expired, ABC. ABC and ESPN reportedly paid an average of about US$400 million a season, technically, ESPN pays the NBA for its broadcast rights and buys time on ABC to air select games In all, the contract allowed the NBA to increase its rights fees by 25%. Each season, ABC begins its NBA coverage with a Christmas Day doubleheader, from 2004 to 2006, ABC insisted on carrying a Christmas game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. Since 2009, ABCs Christmas Day doubleheader has featured a video featuring Mariah Carey performing her hit 1994 single All I Want for Christmas Is You
4.
NBA on TNT
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The NBA on TNT is Turner Network Televisions coverage of the National Basketball Association, produced by Turner Sports since 1989. TNT airs many of the NBAs marquee games, in recent years, fans have reckoned it as what NBC was during that networks coverage of the league. TNT would seem to be the NBAs preferred carrier as well, from 2003 to 2005, TNT also airs most of the big games during the regular season, and TNT studio content is streamed to NBA. com via the TNT Overtime section. Ernie Johnson Jr. has been TNTs NBA studio host since the 1990-1991 season, currently, Johnson is joined by Kenny The Jet Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille ONeal. The NBA postgame show which features the four, Inside the NBA, has gained popularity in recent years for the chemistry, occasionally, Johnson, ONeal, Smith and Barkley are joined by Chris Webber, Kevin McHale, David Aldridge or Reggie Miller. TNTs playoff coverage is nicknamed 40 Games in 40 Nights, ESPN airs the other Conference Final, with weekend coverage of the ESPN-covered series and the Finals being broadcast on ABC. For the first round, TNTs coverage of the playoffs is not exclusive, regional networks can still carry a local call. After the first round, only national coverage from TNT or ESPN/ABC is produced, starting in 2000, the NBA spread out playoff series so that only two series would play per day. TNT would air doubleheaders on most weekdays, while TBS would air one doubleheader per week, with the advent of the new NBA television deal in 2003, TNT has aired playoff games alone, including some weekday tripleheaders. The tripleheaders, which were criticized by fans and many in the media, consisted of one game at 6,00 p. m. another at 8,30 p. m. After 2003, the NBA and TNT discontinued the tripleheaders, instead settling for a doubleheader on TNT, however, when Turner Sports acquired NBA TV in 2008, the network abandoned airing the lone non-national Thursday game, instead leaving it up to the local sports networks. However, TBS may still air the start of the game in case the ongoing first game on TNT extends beyond the tip-off time of the second game. Other than their regular Thursday schedule, TNT also airs NBA regular season games on Martin Luther King Day, during which tripleheaders were still used. However, in 2011, ESPN opted to air one matinee game on MLK Day, Albert and Steve Kerr called the game. In addition, NBA TVs Fan Night games gave way to TNT on select Tuesday nights, normally the studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley would stay in the TNT Atlanta studios for all of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. The substitute studio hosts will also be on hand for Inside the NBA and the other games pre-game and halftime presentations, on May 11,2011, Turner Sports broadcast its 1, 000th playoff telecast. In July 2011, it was announced that Shaquille ONeal would join as an analyst, for the 2012–13 season, Charles Barkley occasionally filled in as a game analyst for select games. During his studio absences, Chris Webber served as a studio analyst
5.
NBA on ESPN
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The NBA on ESPN refers to the presentation of National Basketball Association games on the ESPN family of networks. The ESPN cable network first televised NBA games from 1983 to 1984, ESPN2 began airing a limited schedule of NBA games in 2002. ESPN on ABC began televising NBA games in 2006, on October 6,2014, ESPN and the NBA renewed their agreement through 2025. ESPN on ABC is the broadcast home of the NBA, ESPN airs NBA games on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Most NBA games on the ESPN cable network air on Fridays at 8,00 p. m ET and 7,30 p. m PT as part of Coast to Coast doubleheaders. Games on Wednesdays are mostly single games, televised at 9,00 p. m ET, ESPNs presentation of games is referred to as NBA. The telecast also was known as ESPNBA. Unless specified, ESPNs NBA broadcasts are not exclusive, in local sports networks may still air the game in their home market. Likewise the first round coverage is not exclusive. Most Conference Final games are televised on ESPN itself, with usually Game 4, outside of the Conference Finals, ESPN airs playoff games only on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. ESPN airs the NBA Draft each season, as well as the NBA Draft Lottery, the game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat on December 17,2010, was the first NBA game ever aired on 3D, courtesy of ESPN 3D. The network aired 14 NBA regular season games, as well as playoff games. Starting with 2006–07 NBA season, ESPN used ABCs theme music from two years prior, making it the time the network had used its corporate siblings NBA theme. Following the branding merge, ESPN began to use variations of the used on ESPN Monday Night Football for their NBA broadcasts. With an updated graphics package debuting on Monday Night Football during the 2008-09 season, on March 14,2010, the graphics were refreshed and used in the NBA on ABC Sunday Showcase. ESPN then used the refreshed graphics for their NBA telecasts the following day, starting with the 2010-11 season, timeout indicators were added to the score banner, adopting the feature from ESPNs college football broadcasts. Beginning with the 2011 NBA Playoffs, a composition of ESPNs theme Fast Break was introduced for the postseason. The score banner and other graphics retained their design, and the composition of Fast Break remained as the theme song for the regular season
6.
NBA TV
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The network also serves as national broadcaster of the NBA D-League and WNBA games. NBA TV is the oldest cable network in North America to be owned or controlled by a sports league. As of February 2015, NBA TV is available to approximately 57,129,001 households that subscribe to cable, the highest measured audience was a Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs regular season game on April 10,2016 with an average 2.6 million viewers. After Time Warner shut down the news network CNN/SI in 2002. On October 8,2007, it was reported that the National Basketball Association would transfer the operations to Time Warners Turner Sports division. In a story published by Hoopsworld, NBATV, Surprisingly there has been said about the NBAs decision to sell off NBATV to one of its media partners. Talks had gone on for sometime as ESPN/ABC and Turner both explored scenarios with the league, ultimately it seems Turner has won out, and will take over operation of the leagues flagship cable channel, that reaches some 12 million subscribers. The exact changeover date is not clear, but several months ago a Bloomberg report cited sources saying senior level producers were offered contract buyouts in September. Turner took over the operations on October 28,2008. DirecTV believed the move will make the channel available to an eight million subscribers. Like DirecTV, Comcast estimated that an eight million customers would effectively gain access to the channel. Verizon FiOS added the channel and NBA League Pass to its systems on September 23,2009. The network also signed new agreements with Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Dish Network on October 22,2009. With all of the carriage deals, the NBA estimates that it would increase NBA TVs overall subscriber reach to 45 million cable. On October 29,2010, AT&T U-verse reached a deal to carry the channels standard definition. NBA TV carries at least 90 regular season games per season, live games on NBA TV are subject to local blackout restrictions, since NBA TV does not hold the exclusive broadcast rights to any of its games. Games carried by NBA TV are also carried by each teams local rights holder, either a sports network or a broadcast television station. Beginning with the 2012-13 season, the score box displayed during NBA TVs game coverage changed to a banner format oriented horizontally across the screen, however, the network does not use timeout or bonus indicators like that seen on the score graphics used on ESPN and TNT
7.
2009 NBA draft
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The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25,2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The Los Angeles Clippers, who won the lottery on May 19,2009. However, he missed the entire 2009–10 season due to surgery on his left kneecap. Tanzanian-born Hasheem Thabeet from University of Connecticut was drafted second by the Memphis Grizzlies, Thabeet became the first player born in Tanzania to be drafted by an NBA team. James Harden was drafted 3rd by the Oklahoma City Thunder and this made him the first player to be drafted by the franchise as the Oklahoma City Thunder whose franchise moved from Seattle to OKC in 2008. Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio was drafted 5th by the Minnesota Timberwolves, 23rd pick Omri Casspi became the first Israeli player to be drafted in the first round, and later he became the first Israeli to play in the NBA. The 2009 draft marked the first time three sons of former NBA players were selected in the top 15 picks of the draft, stephen Curry, son of Dell Curry, was drafted 7th by the Golden State Warriors. Gerald Henderson Jr. son of Gerald Henderson, was drafted 12th by the Charlotte Bobcats, austin Daye, son of Darren Daye, was drafted 15th by the Detroit Pistons. The draft also marked the first time a high school player who skipped college to play professional basketball in Europe was selected in an NBA draft. Brandon Jennings, who skipped college to professional basketball with Italian team Lottomatica Roma, was drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the draft. Of the 60 players drafted, four were freshmen, nine were sophomores,12 were juniors,22 were seniors, and 13 were international players without U. S. college basketball experience. The University of North Carolinas Tar Heels had the most players selected in the draft and this marked the second time ever that four Tar Heels players were selected in the first two rounds of an NBA draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves had the league-high four first-round draft picks and the first time in history that the team held two top-10 draft picks. The Timberwolves also had two draft picks and became the team with the most draft picks in the 2009 draft with a total of six draft picks. The Houston Rockets and the Orlando Magic were the only NBA teams who did not have a draft pick this year, ^ a, Nick Calathes was born in the United States, and has dual U. S. and Greek citizenship by birth. He had represented Slovenia internationally in 2008, before switching to Turkey. ^ d and these players were not selected in the 2009 NBA draft but have played at least one game in the NBA. The basic requirements for eligibility are, All drafted players must be born on or before December 31,1990
8.
Blake Griffin
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Blake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners, when he was named the Consensus National Player of the Year as a sophomore, Griffin was selected first overall by the Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft, and has since been a five-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA selection. Griffin had a high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father. Griffin played two seasons of college ball for the Sooners before entering the 2009 NBA draft, when he was selected by the Clippers, during the final pre-season game of 2009, he broke his left kneecap, had surgery, and missed the entire 2009–10 season. Griffin made his NBA debut as a rookie the following season, in which he was selected as an All-Star, won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, in 2011, Sports Illustrated called him one of the NBAs 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time. Griffin was born on March 16,1989, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Tommy Griffin, who is of Afro-Haitian descent, and Gail Griffin, as a result, Griffin is bi-racial. His father was a center and track standout at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Griffin and his brother, Taylor Griffin, were home-schooled by their mother from first grade until Taylor was in the tenth grade. Growing up, Griffin was good friends with future NFL quarterback Sam Bradford, bradfords father owned a gym where Blake and Taylor played basketball. Before deciding to focus on basketball, Griffin also played baseball as a first baseman and football as a receiver, safety. In 2003, Griffin followed his brother to Oklahoma Christian School and they played together during the 2003–04 and 2004–05 high school seasons, winning two state basketball championships. In his freshman year, the Oklahoma Christian Saints posted a perfect 29–0 season and won the Class 3A boys state championship game at the State Fair Arena against Riverside Indian School, 55–50. In Griffins sophomore year, the Saints repeated as Class 3A state champions, defeating Sequoyah-Tahlequah 51–34, the team finished the season with a 24–2 record, with Griffin averaging 13.6 points per game. He was later named to the Little All-City All-State team in what was his high school season with his brother. Taylor went on to accept a scholarship to college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. During the summer of 2005, Blake was a member of the Athletes First AAU team, where he played against Kevin Durant and Ty Lawsons AAU team, during Griffins junior season, the Oklahoma Christian basketball team was moved down to Class 2A from Class 3A. As he began his season with the Saints, he was quickly developing as a player. He scored 22 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and recorded 6 blocks in the finals as Oklahoma Christian defeated Washington High School, 57–40
9.
Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers, often abbreviated as the LA Clippers, are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. The franchise was founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves, one of three teams to join the NBA that year. The Braves moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego in 1978, in 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles. Through much of its history, the failed to see significant regular season or playoff success. The Clippers fortunes turned in the early 2010s with the acquisition of core players Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Chris Paul. In 2013, the franchise won its first division title, as the made the playoffs for the ninth time in franchise history. They repeated as champions in 2014. They played their games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, along with another Buffalo team that would begin play that year. After two bad seasons, the Braves fortunes started to change under coach Jack Ramsay and star forward/center Bob McAdoo, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring three consecutive seasons and was named the leagues MVP in the 1974–75 season. The Braves qualified for the three times in a row, losing thrice to the eventual Eastern Conference champions. As a result, after an attempt to sell the team to an owner who intended to move it to South Florida. Brown, Jr. who decimated the roster, traded away all of its stars. Eventually in 1978, Brown dealt with Celtics owner Irv Levin so they would trade franchise ownerships, southern California resident Levin then decided to move the Braves to San Diego, something the league would have never allowed him to do with the Celtics. In 1978, San Diego welcomed the relocation of the Buffalo Braves franchise because the city had lost their Rockets to Houston seven years earlier, when the Clippers moved to Los Angeles in 1984, they kept their nickname. Playing at the San Diego Sports Arena, the Clippers posted a record of 43–39 in their first season in California under new head coach Gene Shue and it would be the Clippers last winning season for 13 years. It was also in that first season in southern California that long-time announcer Ralph Lawler began his association with the club. The 1979–80 season saw the Clippers begin to struggle despite adding center Bill Walton, Walton missed 68 games due to foot injuries
10.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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The Cleveland Cavaliers, also known as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the leagues Eastern Conference Central Division, the team began play in 1970. Many past and present top NBA players, including LeBron James, Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, the franchise has won five Central Division championships, three Eastern Conference championships, one NBA championship, and have reached the playoffs 20 times in their 46-year history. The 2016 NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors marked the first time in Finals history a team had come back to win the series after trailing three games to one, the Cavaliers began play in 1970 as an expansion team. Their 46-year history has been marked by stretches of strong play and periods of poor play. In the 1970s, under the ownership of Nick Mileti, the team won its first division title in 1976 and they won Game 7, 87–85, on a shot by Snyder with four seconds to go. Injuries, particularly an ankle injury to Chones, led to this teams demise, as the Cavaliers would lose the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics, 4–2. It is widely believed among both Cavaliers fans and players that the Miracle team would have won the 1976 NBA Championship had Chones stayed healthy, the remainder of the 1970s were marked by early playoff losses and eventually Fitchs resignation. The early 1980s were marked by Ted Stepiens ownership, Stepien also oversaw the hiring and firing of a succession of coaches and was involved in making a number of poor trade and free agent signing decisions. The ensuing chaos had an effect on both the Cavaliers on-court performance and lack of local support, losing over 50 games in three straight years. The 1981–82 and 1982–83 combined to lose 24 straight games, which at the time was the NBAs all-time longest losing streak, george and Gordon Gund purchased the Cavaliers from Stepien in 1983. The team was in a transition as they went through nine head coaches from 1980 to 1986, during the 1986 offseason, the Cavaliers acquired Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper and Larry Nance. The Cavaliers entered into a period of decline from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s, the team appeared in the playoffs the next two years, but could not get past the first round. In the 1997 off-season, the team added Shawn Kemp and Wesley Person, as well as a class that included Derek Anderson, Cedric Henderson, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas. This team lost in the first round of the playoffs in 1998, in the early 2000s, the team added Andre Miller, Lamond Murray, Chris Mihm and Carlos Boozer, but could not make it to the playoffs. The 2002–03 season saw the Cavaliers finish 17–65, tied for the worst record in the NBA, the Cavaliers luck changed as they landed the number 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft. With it, the team selected heralded forward and future NBA MVP LeBron James, in 2005, the team would be sold to businessman Dan Gilbert. That year, the team also hired head coach Mike Brown, over the next few years, the Cavaliers built a team around James and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas by adding players including Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, and Anderson Varajao
11.
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
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The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA, until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points, each vote is worth seven, each third-place vote is worth five. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting, the player with the highest point total wins the award. As of May 2016, the current holder of the award is Stephen Curry, every player who has won this award and has been eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times, both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times, while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times. Russell and James are the players to have won the award four times in five seasons. Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson each won the three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and Stephen Curry have each won it twice. Only two rookies have won the award, Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959–60 season and Wes Unseld in the 1968–69 season. Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, Tim Duncan of the U. S. Virgin Islands, Steve Nash of Canada, Stephen Curry in 2015–16 is the only player to have won the award unanimously. Shaquille ONeal in 1999–2000 and LeBron James in 2012–13 are the two players to have fallen one vote shy of a unanimous selection, both receiving 120 of 121 votes. Since the 1982–83 season, every winner was from a team won at least 50 games in the regular season that year. Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award General Specific
12.
LeBron James
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LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also selected to 13 NBA All-Star teams,12 All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams. James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St, mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. After graduating, he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft, James led Cleveland to the franchises first Finals appearance in 2007, losing to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in a highly publicized ESPN special titled The Decision, James played four seasons with the Heat, reaching the Finals all four years and winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, he led Miami on a 27-game winning streak, following his final season with the Heat, James opted out of his contract and returned to the Cavaliers. Off the court, James has accumulated wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. His public life has been the subject of scrutiny, and he has been ranked as one of Americas most influential. He has been featured in books, documentaries, and television commercials and he also hosted the ESPY Awards, Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the 2015 film Trainwreck. James was born on December 30,1984 in Akron, Ohio to a 16-year-old mother, Gloria Marie James, who raised James on her own. Growing up, life was often a struggle for the family, as a youth, James played Amateur Athletic Union basketball for the Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars. The team enjoyed success on a local and national level, led by James and his friends Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, the players were inseparable and dubbed themselves the Fab Four, promising each other that they would attend high school together. In a move that stirred controversy, they chose to attend St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, a predominately white private Catholic school, as a freshman, James averaged 21 points and 6 rebounds per game for the St. Vincent-St. The Fighting Irish finished the year 27–0, winning the Division III state title, as a sophomore, he averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 rebounds with 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals per game. For some home games during the season, St. Vincent-St, mary played at the University of Akrons 5, 492-seat Rhodes Arena to satisfy ticket demand from alumni, fans, and college and NBA scouts who wanted to see James play. The Fighting Irish finished the season 26–1 and repeated as state champions, for his outstanding play, James was named Ohios Mr. Basketball and was selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team, becoming the first sophomore to do either
13.
Kevin Durant
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Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. Durant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and he has also been selected to six All-NBA teams and eight All-Star teams. Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect and he played one season of college basketball for the University of Texas, where he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. In the 2007 NBA draft, he was selected with the second pick by the Seattle SuperSonics. After his rookie season, the relocated to Oklahoma City. Durant helped lead Oklahoma City to the 2012 NBA Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in five games and he played nine seasons for the Thunder organization before joining the Warriors in 2016. Durant was born on September 29,1988 in Washington, D. C. to Wanda, when Durant was an infant, his father deserted the family, Wanda and Wayne eventually divorced, and Durants grandmother Barbara Davis helped raise him. By age 13, his father re-entered his life and traveled the country with him to basketball tournaments, Durant has one sister, Brianna, and two brothers, Tony and Rayvonne. Growing up, Durant wanted to play for his team, the Toronto Raptors. During this time, he began wearing #35 as his number in honor of his AAU coach, Charles Craig. Prior to the start of the season, he committed to the University of Texas, at the conclusion of the year, he was named the Washington Post All-Met Basketball Player of the Year, as well as the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 McDonalds All-American Game. He was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect of 2006, for the 2006–07 college season, Durant averaged 25.8 points,11.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. The Longhorns finished the year with a 25–10 record overall and a 12–4 record in conference, Durant was the first freshman ever to win any of the National Player of the Year awards. On April 11, he declared for the 2007 NBA draft. His jersey was retired by the Longhorns. Durant was selected with the second pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first career game, he registered 18 points,5 rebounds, on November 16, he made the first game-winning shot of his career in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. At the conclusion of the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year behind averages of 20.3 points,4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game
14.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder competes in the National Basketball Association as a member of the leagues Western Conference Northwest Division, the team plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunders NBA Development League affiliate is the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder is the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues based in the state of Oklahoma. The team was established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1967–68 season. The SuperSonics moved in 2008 after a settlement was reached between the group led by Clay Bennett and lawmakers in Seattle, Washington following a lawsuit. In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, in Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009–10 season. The Thunders previous incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics, were formed in 1967, in their 41 seasons in Seattle, the SuperSonics compiled a 1745–1585 win–loss record in the regular season and went 107–110 in the playoffs. The franchises titles include three Western Conference championships and one NBA title in 1979, the sale of the SuperSonics and Storm was approved by NBA owners the following October. In 2007, Bennett announced that the franchise would move to Oklahoma City as soon as the lease with KeyArena expired. In June 2008, a lawsuit brought by the city of Seattle against Bennett due to his attempts to break the two years of the Sonics lease at KeyArena went to federal court. Nearly a month later, the two reached a settlement agreement. The terms awarded the city $45 million to get out of the lease at KeyArena. On September 3,2008, the name, logo. The name Thunder was chosen in reference to Oklahomas location in Tornado Alley and Oklahoma City as the home of the U. S. Armys 45th Infantry Division, the Thunder participated in the Orlando Pro Summer League featuring their second-year players, potential free agents and rookies. The players wore black and white jerseys reading OKC-NBA against an outline of a basketball. The Thunder played several games before the 2008–2009 regular season. The Thunder made their first appearance in Billings, Montana on October 8,2008 in an 88–82 preseason loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder played their first Ford Center game on October 14 against the Los Angeles Clippers. In their regular-season home opener, the Thunder faced the Milwaukee Bucks, earl Watson scored the first points of the season with a layup
15.
Boston Celtics
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The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 and one of eight NBA teams to survive the leagues first decade, the Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League s Boston Bruins. The franchises 17 championships are the most of any NBA franchise, as a percentage of championships won, the Celtics are the most successful franchise to date in the major four traditional North American professional sports leagues. The Celtics have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the Finals, including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010, four Celtics players have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. Their mascot Lucky the Leprechaun is a nod to the teams Irish heritage, in 1950, the Celtics signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player. The Celtics struggled during their years, until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. In the franchises early days, Auerbach had no assistants, ran all the practices, did all the scouting—both of opposing teams and college draft prospects—and scheduled all the road trips. One of the first great players to join the Celtics was Bob Cousy, Cousy eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags, but when that franchise went bankrupt, Cousy went to the Celtics in a dispersal draft. After the 1955–56 season, Auerbach made a stunning trade and he sent perennial All-Star Ed Macauley to the St. Louis Hawks along with the draft rights to Cliff Hagan in exchange for the second overall pick in the draft. Auerbach also acquired Holy Cross standout, and 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year, Russell and Heinsohn worked extraordinarily well with Cousy, and they were the players around whom Auerbach would build the champion Celtics for more than a decade. With Bill Russell, the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, Russell went on to win 11 championships, making him the most decorated player in NBA history. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, however, with the acquisition of K. C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers, during that time, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals five times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry that has spanned generations. In 1964, the Celtics became the first NBA team to have an all African-American starting lineup. On December 26,1964, Willie Naulls replaced an injured Tommy Heinsohn, joining Tom Satch Sanders, K. C. Jones, Sam Jones, the Celtics defeated St. Louis 97–84. Boston won its next 11 games with Naulls starting in place of Heinsohn, the Celtics of the late-1950s–60s are widely considered as one of the most dominant teams of all time. Auerbach retired as coach after the 1965–66 season and Russell took over as player-coach, with his appointment, Russell also became the first African-American coach in any U. S. pro sport
16.
Orlando Magic
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The Orlando Magic is an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise has played in the NBA playoffs for more than half of its existence. Orlando has been the second most successful of the four expansion teams brought into the league in 1988 and 1989 in terms of winning percentage, after fellow Floridian team Miami Heat. In September 1985, Orlando businessman Jim L. Hewitt approached Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams as they met in Texas on his idea of bringing an NBA team to Orlando. Intrigued by the project, Williams signed on as the front man of the investment group one year later as he left the 76ers, on June 19,1986, the two held a news conference to announce their intention of seeking an NBA franchise. At the same time Hewitt and Williams decided to hold a contest in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper to get names for their new franchise. Out of a total of 4,296 submitted entries, the names were subsequently narrowed to four, Heat, Tropics, Juice, the last one, which had been submitted by 11 people, was picked after Williams brought his 7-year-old daughter Karyn to visit in Orlando. On July 27,1986, it was announced that the committee chose the Magic to be the new name of the Orlando franchise in the NBA, the name Magic alludes to the citys biggest tourist attraction and economic engine Walt Disney World, along with its Magic Kingdom. Hewitt added that You look at all the aspects of Central Florida, and you find it really is an exciting place, a magical place. Many, including Williams himself at first, thought that Miami or Tampa were better locations in Florida for a franchise, given Orlando was a small town lacking a major airport and a suitable arena. Meanwhile, Williams gave presentations to NBA commissioner David Stern and the owners of the teams of the league that the town was viable. The Magic were one of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA in 1987 along with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, the Magic became the first ever major-league professional sports franchise in the Orlando area, following an expansion fee of reportedly $32.5 million. The Magic hired Matt Guokas as the teams first coach, who helped the Magic select 12 players in the NBA Expansion Draft on June 15,1989. On June 27,1989, the Magic chose Nick Anderson with the 11th pick in the first round, the very first game played was an exhibition game on October 13,1989 against the then reigning champions Detroit Pistons, which the Magic won. Anderson was quoted as saying the atmosphere and the people watching the game was like Game 7 of the NBA Finals. On November 4,1989, the Magic played their first season game at the Orlando Arena against the visiting New Jersey Nets, the Magics first victory came two days later, as the Magic defeated the New York Knicks 118–110. The inaugural team compiled a record of 18–64 with players including Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, in the 1990 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick
17.
Los Angeles Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association, as a club of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA, as of 2015, the Lakers are the second most valuable franchise in the NBA according to Forbes, having an estimated value of $2.7 billion. The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the states nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes. The team was propelled by center George Mikan, who is described by the NBAs official website as the leagues first superstar, after struggling financially in the late 1950s following Mikans retirement, they relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season. Led by Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, Los Angeles made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, but lost each series to the Boston Celtics, beginning their long and storied rivalry. After the retirement of West and Chamberlain, the team acquired another center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had won multiple MVP awards and this team featured Hall of Famers in Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, and a Hall of Fame coach, Pat Riley. After Abdul-Jabbar and Johnsons retirement, the team struggled in the early 1990s before acquiring Shaquille ONeal, led by ONeal, Bryant, and another Hall of Fame coach, Phil Jackson, Los Angeles won three consecutive titles between 2000 to 2002, securing the franchise its second three-peat. After losing both the 2004 and 2008 NBA Finals, the Lakers won two championships by defeating the Orlando Magic in 2009 and Boston in 2010. The Lakers hold the record for NBAs longest winning streak,33 straight games,21 Hall of Famers have played for Los Angeles, while four have coached the team. Four Lakers—Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, ONeal, and Bryant—have won the NBA MVP Award for a total of eight awards, Minneapolis sportswriter Sid Hartman played a key behind the scenes role in helping put together the deal and later the team. Inspired by Minnesotas nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes, Hartman helped them hire John Kundla from College of St. Thomas, to be their first head coach, by meeting with him and selling him on the team. The Lakers had a roster which featured forward Jim Pollard, playmaker Herm Schaefer, and center George Mikan. In their first season, they led the league with a 43–17 record, in 1948, the Lakers moved from the NBL to the Basketball Association of America, and Mikans 28.3 point per game scoring average set a BAA record. In the 1949 BAA Finals they won the championship, beating the Washington Capitols four games to two, the following season, the team improved to 51–17, repeating as champions. In the 1950–51 season, Mikan won his third straight scoring title at 28.4 ppg, one of those games, a 19–18 loss against the Fort Wayne Pistons, became infamous as the lowest scoring game in NBA history. In the playoffs, they defeated the Indianapolis Olympians in three games but lost to the Rochester Royals in the next round, during the 1951–52 season, the Lakers won 40 games, finishing second in their division. They faced the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which won in seven games
18.
Phoenix Suns
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The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association as a team of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. Since 1992, the Suns have played their games at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix. The Suns began play as a team in 1968. The franchise owns the NBAs fourth-best all-time winning percentage, winning 55 percent of its games, as a result, based on their all-time win-loss percentage, the Suns are the team with the highest winning percentage to have never won an NBA championship. The Suns were one of two franchises to join the NBA at the start of the 1968–69 season, alongside the Milwaukee Bucks, the team played its first 24 seasons at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, located northwest of downtown Phoenix. Besides, part of the group were entertainers, such as Andy Williams, Bobbie Gentry and Ed Ames. There were many critics, including then-NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy, who said that Phoenix was too hot, too small and they paid an entry fee of $2 million. Suns was preferred over Scorpions, Rattlers, Thunderbirds, Wranglers, Mavericks, Tumbleweeds, Mustangs and Cougars. Stan Fabe, who owned a printing plant in Tucson, designed the teams first iconic logo for a mere $200. However, they were disappointed with the results, in the 1968 NBA Expansion Draft, notable Suns pick-ups were future Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich and Dick Van Arsdale. Jerry Colangelo, a scout, came over from the Chicago Bulls as the Suns first general manager at the age of 28. Both Goodrich and Van Arsdale were selected to the All-Star Game in their first season with the freshly minted Suns. Goodrich returned to his team, the Lakers, after two seasons with the Suns, but Van Arsdale spent the rest of his playing days as a Sun. The Suns last-place finish that led to a coin flip for the number-one overall pick for the 1969 NBA draft with the expansion-mate Bucks. Milwaukee won the flip, and the rights to draft UCLA center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while the Bucks went on to win the NBA Finals in 1971 and reach the Finals again in 1974, the Suns would not go to the Finals until 1976. The 1969–70 season posted better results for the Suns, finishing 39–43, the next two seasons, the Suns finished with 48- and 49-win seasons, however they did not qualify for the playoffs in either year, and would not reach the playoffs again until 1976. They also drafted center and eventual fan favorite Alvan Adams from the University of Oklahoma, the Suns and Buffalo Braves made a midseason trade, with Phoenix sending forward/center John Shumate to Buffalo in exchange for forward Gar Heard
19.
2010 NBA Finals
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The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, the Lakers defeated the Celtics, four games to three, to win the franchises 16th NBA championship. The 64th edition of the series was played between June 3 and June 17, was broadcast on ABC, and was watched by an average of 18.1 million people. The Celtics earned their berth into the playoffs by winning the Atlantic Division, the Lakers won the Pacific Division to earn their berth. Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest brought the Lakers close to victory in Game 1, a record breaking performance from Ray Allens eight three-point baskets ensured the Celtics a Game 2 triumph. Derek Fisher’s 11 points in the quarter helped the Lakers win Game 3. The Lakers avoided elimination by winning a decisive Game 6 with 24 points contributed by their bench, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals for his second consecutive trophy. This was the first NBA Finals to go the seven games since 2005. The Lakers had won the previous season’s NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic for the franchises 15th championship, the Celtics won their previous NBA Finals appearance against the Lakers the year before. This was the 12th Finals played between the two rival teams. The Celtics won nine of their previous 11 Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in 1959,1962,1963,1965,1966,1968,1969,1984, and 2008, while the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987. The regular season series was split, with each winning on the opponents court by only a point. As the No.4 seed in the Eastern Conference, they eliminated the No.5 seeded Miami Heat in five games during the first round in the playoffs, in the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics went on to eliminate the Orlando Magic in six games. In reaching the Finals the Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to do so with a regular season road record than home. After the Lakers won the Finals in the year, the team management wasted no time in making changes to the roster. Their most notable offseason player change was when Trevor Ariza departed to the Houston Rockets for free agent Ron Artest, longtime assistant coach and former head coach Kurt Rambis left the organization to pursue a head coaching opportunity with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers finished the season as the Pacific Division champion. On February 1, Kobe Bryant moved past Jerry West into 14th place on the NBAs career scoring list and he also surpassed West to become the Lakers franchise scoring leader
20.
Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
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The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of nine media members, the person with the highest votes wins the award. In at least one NBA Finals, fans balloting on NBA. com accounted for the tenth vote, the award was originally a black trophy with a gold basketball-shaped sphere at the top, similar to the Larry OBrien Trophy, until a new trophy was introduced in 2005. Since its inception, the award has given to 30 different players. Michael Jordan is a record six-time award winner, magic Johnson, Shaquille ONeal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James won the award three times in their careers. Jordan and ONeal are the players to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Johnson is the only ever to win the award, as well as the youngest at 20 years old. Andre Iguodala is the winner to have not started every game in the series. Jerry West, the first ever awardee, is the person to win the award while being on the losing team in the NBA Finals. Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Olajuwon, Bryant, and James have won the award in two consecutive seasons. Abdul-Jabbar and James are the players to win the award for two different teams. Olajuwon of Nigeria, who became a naturalized U. S. citizen in 1993, Tony Parker of France, cedric Maxwell is the only Finals MVP winner eligible for the Hall of Fame who has not been voted in. NBA Most Valuable Player Award NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award General Specific
21.
Kobe Bryant
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Kobe Bean Bryant is an American retired professional basketball player and businessman. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association and he entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team and he led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks third on both the leagues all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons playing with one franchise for an entire career and he declared for the NBA draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, despite a feud between them, Bryant and Shaquille ONeal led the Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was accused of assault in Colorado, but the charges were eventually dropped. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, ONeal was traded to the Miami Heat, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers, and he led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant was awarded the regular seasons Most Valuable Player Award in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, he led the Lakers to two championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the Finals MVP Award on both occasions. He continued to be among the top players in the league through 2013, although he recovered, his play was limited the following two years by season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing his physical decline, he announced that he would be retiring after the 2015–16 season, at 34 years and 104 days of age, Bryant became the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the leading scorer in Lakers franchise history on February 1,2010. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won medals as a member of the U. S. national team. Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2000s, Bryant was born in Philadelphia, as the youngest of three children and the only son of Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He is also the nephew of basketball player John Chubby Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan and his middle name, Bean, is derived from his fathers nickname Jellybean. When Bryant was six, his left the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball. Bryant became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian, during summers, he would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league
22.
Dallas Mavericks
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The Dallas Mavericks are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its games at the American Airlines Center. According to a 2016 Forbes magazine report, they are the ninth most valuable franchise in the NBA. As of the 2013 season, the Mavericks have sold out 477 consecutive games since December 15,2001, since their inaugural 1980–81 season, the Mavericks have won three division titles, two conference championships, and one NBA Championship. In 1978, Californian businessman Garn Eckardt met Dallas lawyer Doug Adkins, asking for a possible partner, Adkins recommended him one of his clients, Home Interiors and Gifts owner Don Carter. Negotiations with Eckardt fell through, but Carter remained interested in the enterprise as a gift to his wife Linda, who played basketball while at Duncanville High School. At the same time, Buffalo Braves president and general manager Norm Sonju grew an interest in bringing the NBA to Dallas as he studied possible new locations for the ailing franchise. Sonju and Carter tried purchasing both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Kansas City Kings, but disagreement on relocation stalled the negotiations, leading them to instead aim for an expansion team. The league was initially reluctant to expand to Dallas, given Texas had both the Spurs and Houston Rockets, and the 1978–79 NBA season was proving unprofitable and unpopular. Still, during the 1979 NBA All-Star Game weekend, NBA commissioner Larry OBrien announced the league would add two new teams in the 1980–81 season, with teams in Dallas and Minneapolis. Once the Minnesota team backed out, only Dallas remained, and through negotiations with general counselor and future commissioner David Stern, Carter would provide half the amount. James Garner, who played the character, was a member of the ownership group. The University of Texas at Arlington, who uses the Mavericks nickname, had objections about a shared name. They joined the Midwest Division of the Western Conference, where they would stay until the league went to six divisions for the 2004–05 season, Dick Motta, who had guided the Washington Bullets to the NBA Championship in 1977–78, was hired as the teams first head coach. He had a reputation of being a stern disciplinarian, but was also a great teacher of the game. In the Mavericks debut game, taking place in the brand-new Reunion Arena, but the Mavs started the season with a 6–40 record on their way to finishing 15–67. However, the Mavericks did make an acquisition that, while it seemed minor at the time
23.
2010 NBA All-Star Game
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This game was the 59th edition of the NBA All-Star Game and was played during the 2009–10 NBA season. This was the time that the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area had hosted the All-Star Game. Dallas was awarded the All-Star Game in an announcement by commissioner David Stern on October 30,2008, the All-Star Weekend began on Friday, February 12,2010 with the Celebrity Game and the Rookie Challenge, a game between the leagues best rookies and second-year players. On Saturday, the event continued with the All-Star Saturday Night, the D-League All-Star Game and the second D-League Dream Factory Friday Night, the latter of which was modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, also took place during the All-Star Weekend. The D-League Dream Factory Friday Night was held on Friday and the D-League All-Star Game was held on Saturday, the Eastern Conference All-Star team defeated the Western Conference All-Star team 141–139. The Easts Dwyane Wade, who recorded 28 points on 75% shooting,11 assists,6 rebounds and 5 steals was named as the games MVP. In the Rookie Challenge, the Rookies defeated the Sophomores for the first time since 2002, in the All-Star Saturday Night events, Nate Robinson won his third Slam Dunk Contest while Paul Pierce and Steve Nash won the Three-Point Shootout and Skills Challenge respectively. Team Texas, the team, won the Shootings Stars Competition. Kevin Durant repeated as champion in the H–O–R–S–E Competition, the announced attendance for the game was 108,713, the all-time attendance record for the sport. The previous verified record for attendance at a game was 78,129. The previous record attendance for an NBA All-Star Game was 44,735 and this event also broke the record for the single largest attendance for an indoor event, previously held by WrestleMania III in 1987. This marked the first All-Star game where neither team wore a white uniform, the East wore blue uniforms with silver trim, while the West wore red uniforms with gold trim. This marked the first time the All-Star events were split between two venues since 1989, the Mavericks were awarded the All-Star Game in an announcement by NBA commissioner David Stern, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on October 30,2008. This was the first All-Star Game to be played in a stadium since 1996 when San Antonios Alamodome hosted the event. The coaches for the All-Star Game are the coaches of the teams with the best winning percentage in each conference through the games of January 31. However, an NBA rule also prohibits a coach from being selected for consecutive All-Star Games, the coach for the Western Conference team was Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. This is the fourth time Karl was selected to be an All-Star coach, at January 31, the Nuggets had 32–15 record, the second best winning percentage in the Western Conference, behind Phil Jacksons Lakers. The coach for the Eastern Conference team was Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy and this is the second time Van Gundy was selected to be an All-Star coach, after previously being selected in 2005
24.
AT&T Stadium
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AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and was completed on May 27,2009 and it is also the home of the Cotton Bowl Classic. It replaced the partially covered Texas Stadium, which served as the Cowboys home from 1971 through the 2008 season, the stadium is sometimes referred to as Jerrys World after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who originally envisioned it as a large entertainment mecca. The stadium seats 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity, the maximum capacity of the stadium with standing room is 105,000. The record attendance for an NFL game was set in 2009 with a crowd of 105,121, the Party Pass sections are behind seats in each end zone and on a series of six elevated platforms connected by stairways. It also has the worlds 24th largest high definition video screen, originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadiums current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. The City of Arlington provided over $325 million in bonds as funding, also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million loan, following its policy for facilitating financing for the construction of new stadiums. A pair of nearly 300 ft -tall arches spans the length of the stadium dome and it also houses a center-hung Mitsubishi video display board that was the largest high-definition television screen in the world at the time of their installation. It has since surpassed in size by the Panasonic Big Hoss video board at Texas Motor Speedway. Glass doors, allowing each end zone to be opened, were designed and constructed by Dallas-based Haley-Greer glass systems, the retractable roof was designed by structural engineering firm Walter P Moore and the systems were implemented by mechanization consultants Uni-Systems. The electrification of Cowboys Stadiums retractable roof was developed by VAHLE and these Kinetic Architecture fundamentals will be employed in order to create quick conversions of the facility to accommodate a variety of events. When the design was unveiled on December 12,2006, it showed that, from inside the stadium. However, it can be covered by the roof panel to protect against the elements. A Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame is planned for the Hall of Fame level, the drawings also include a site for a large sculpture northeast of the stadium, close to Randol Mill Road. Attorney Bob Cohen, who is representing some of the property owners and it is claimed that the stadium uses more electricity than the whole of Liberia. 1997–2000, The Cowboys hold preliminary talks with Arlington officials about building a stadium there, the team also publicly discusses a $260 million plan to upgrade Texas Stadium. In 2000, the Cowboys compile a list of potential sites, which include Grapevine, Coppell. The team continues negotiating with Irving to renovate Texas Stadium,2001, Jones says Arlington is a leading contender for a $500 million stadium
25.
Arlington, Texas
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Arlington is a principal city in the U. S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, according to the U. S. Census Bureaus estimate, the city had a population of almost 379,577 at the end of 2013, making it the third-largest municipality in the metropolitan area. Arlington is the fiftieth-most populous city in the United States, the seventh-most populous city in the state of Texas, Arlington borders Kennedale, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Fort Worth, and surrounds the smaller communities of Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego. European settlement in the Arlington area dates back at least to the 1840s, the rich soil of the area attracted farmers, and several agriculture-related businesses were well established by the late nineteenth century. Arlington was founded in 1876 along the Texas and Pacific Railway, the city was named after General Robert E. Lees Arlington House in Arlington County, Virginia. Arlington grew as a cotton-ginning and farming center, and incorporated in 1884, the city could boast of water, electricity, natural gas, and telephone services by 1910, along with a public school system. By 1925 the population was estimated at 3,031, large-scale industrialization began in 1954 with the arrival of a General Motors assembly plant. Automotive and aerospace development gave the city one of the nations greatest population growth rates between 1950 and 1990, Arlington became one of the boomburbs, the extremely fast-growing suburbs of the post-World War II era. U. S. Census Bureau population figures for the city tell the story,7,692,90,229,261,721,365,438, Tom Vandergriff served as mayor from 1951 to 1977 during this period of explosive development. Six Flags Over Texas opened in Arlington in 1961, according to the United States Census Bureau, Arlington has a total area of 99.0 square miles,95.8 square miles of it was land, and 3.2 square miles of it is water. Johnson Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, and the Trinity River itself, Arlington falls in the Cfa region of the Köppen climate classification system which is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. The highest recorded temperature was 113 °F in 1980, the lowest recorded temperature was −8 °F in 1899. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May, severe weather generally occurs April and May months. The population density was 3,811 people per square mile, there were 144,805 housing units at an average density of 1,510 per square mile. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27. 4% of the population, 25% of all households were made up of individuals and 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the family size was 3.3. In the city, the 2010 population was out with 31% under the age of 20, 8% from 20 to 24, 30% from 25 to 44, 23% from 45 to 64. The median age was 32 years, for every 100 females there were 104 males
26.
Indiana Pacers
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The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first established in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association and they play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team is named after Indianas history with the Indianapolis 500s pace cars, the Pacers have won three championships, all in the ABA. The Pacers were Eastern Conference champions in 2000, the team has won nine division titles. Five Hall of Fame players – Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Alex English, Mel Daniels, in early 1967, a group of six investors pooled their resources to purchase a franchise in the proposed American Basketball Association. For their first seven years, they played in the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, in 1974, they moved to the plush new Market Square Arena in downtown Indianapolis, where they played for 25 years. Early in the Pacers second season, former Indiana Hoosiers standout Bob Slick Leonard became the head coach. Leonard quickly turned the Pacers into a juggernaut and his teams were buoyed by the great play of superstars such as Mel Daniels, George McGinnis, Bob Netolicky, Rick Mount and Roger Brown. The Pacers were – and ended – as the most successful team in ABA history, in all, they appeared in the ABA Finals five times in the leagues nine-year history, a feat that was never bettered by any other ABA franchise. The Pacers were one of four ABA teams that joined the NBA in the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, for the 1976–77 season the Pacers were joined in the merged league by the Denver Nuggets, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. The league charged a $3.2 million entry fee for each former ABA team, as a result of the merger, the four teams dealt with financial troubles. Additionally, the Pacers had some financial troubles which dated back to their days in the ABA. The new NBA teams also were barred from sharing in national TV revenues for four years, the Pacers finished their inaugural NBA season with a record of 36–46. Billy Knight and Don Buse represented Indiana in the NBA All-Star Game, however, this was one of the few bright spots of the Pacers first 13 years in the NBA. During this time, they had only three non-losing seasons and only two playoff appearances, a lack of continuity became the norm for most of the next decade, as they traded away Knight and Buse before the 1977–78 season even started. They acquired Adrian Dantley in exchange for Knight, but Dantley was traded in December, while the Pacers second-leading scorer, the early Pacers came out on the short end of two of the most one-sided trades in NBA history. In 1980, they traded Alex English to the Nuggets in order to reacquire former ABA star George McGinnis, McGinnis was long past his prime, and contributed very little during his two-year return
27.
Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its games at Barclays Center. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other are the New York Knicks, the team was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBAs rival league, the American Basketball Association. They played in New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before moving to Long Island in 1968, during this time, the Nets won two ABA championships. In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams, in 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as the New Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. During this time, the Nets won two consecutive Eastern Conference championships, but failed to win a league title, in the summer of 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center, and took its current geographic name. The Brooklyn Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey, in its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets. Led by Hall of Famer Julius Dr. J Erving, the Nets won two ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The team then moved back to New Jersey in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics were once rivals of the Nets during the early 2000s because of their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce, the rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was preceded by trash-talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a fake tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands, celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of Wife Beater. in response to Kidds 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin stated, Our fans hate them, rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and Kevin Garnett were fined. The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnetts shorts and this move was billed as a merger of the two Atlantic Division teams. Celtics announcer Sean Grande said Its almost as if you found a home for these guys. You couldnt have found a better place and these guys will be in the New York market, theyll be on a competitive team, theyll stay on national TV. Its funny, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so with Celtics fans feeling the way they do about the Heat, feeling the way they do about the Knicks, the Nets are going to become almost the second team now
28.
Washington Wizards
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The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D. C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association, as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its games at the Verizon Center, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington. The team now known as the Wizards began playing as the Chicago Packers in 1961, as the first modern expansion team in NBA history, an expansion prompted by Abe Sapersteins American Basketball League. Rookie Walt Bellamy was the star, averaging 31.6 points per game,19.0 rebounds per game. During the All-Star game, Bellamy represented the team while scoring 23 points, Bellamy was named the league Rookie of the Year, but was the team finished with the NBAs worst record at 18-62. The teams original nickname was a nod to Chicagos meatpacking industry, their home arena, however, it was extremely unpopular since it was the same nickname used by the NFLs Green Bay Packers, bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears. After only one year, the changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs. Their only season as the Zephyrs boasted former Purdue star Terry Dischinger, in their first year in Baltimore, the Bullets finished fourth in a five–team Western Division. Prior to the 1964–65 NBA season the Bullets pulled off a trade, sending Dischinger, Rod Thorn and Don Kojis to the Detroit Pistons for Bailey Howell, Don Ohl, Bob Ferry. The trade worked out well, Howell proved to be a hustling, in the 1965 NBA Playoffs, the Bullets stunned the St. Louis Hawks 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference finals. In the finals, Baltimore managed to split the first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers before losing the series 4–2. In the late 1960s, the Bullets drafted two future Hall of Fame members, Earl Monroe, in the 1967 draft, number two overall, and Wes Unseld, in the 1968 draft, also number two overall. The team improved dramatically, from 36 wins the season to 57 in the 1968–69 season. The Bullets reached the playoffs with high expectations to go far, the next season the two teams met again in the first round, and although this one went to seven games, the Knicks emerged victorious again. In the 1970–71 season, the 42–40 Bullets again met the 1970–71 Knicks and they were swept in four games by the powerful Milwaukee Bucks led by future Hall of Fame members Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. Even after the trades of Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson, the Bullets remained a playoff contender throughout the 1970s. Following a less than spectacular 1971–72 season, Baltimore acquired Elvin Hayes from the Houston Rockets and drafted Kevin Porter in the third round, out of St. Francis in Pennsylvania
29.
Ed Tapscott
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Ed Tapscott is the former interim head coach of the NBAs Washington Wizards. Tapscott received his bachelors degree from Tufts University and his Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law and he was an assistant to Gary Williams at American University in the 1970s while a law student, and took over head coaching duties in 1982. By the time Tapscott left American in 1990 to finally use his J. D. as director of sports for Advantage International. He subsequently led the team to one of the programs biggest victories, on December 15,1982, in his fifth game as coach Tapscott guided the Eagles to a 62-61 upset over its cross-town rival Georgetown who were led by Patrick Ewing and ranked fifth in the nation. Tapscott formerly worked in the New York Knicks’ front office, including a stint as interim president and general manager. On November 24,2008, Tapscott, at that time director of development, was named as interim head coach. General manager of the Wizards, Ernie Grunfeld, stated that Tapscott will run the team for the rest of the season, Tapscott made his professional coaching debut against the Golden State Warriors on November 25,2008, a game which resulted in a win. Under Tapscott, the Wizards accrued an 18-53 record in the 2008-2009 season, after Flip Saunders was hired as coach of the Wizards, Tapscott returned to his position as the teams Director of Player Development. Ed Tapscott Coaching Info at NBA. com
30.
Flip Saunders
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Philip Daniel Flip Saunders was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Saunders was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was an All-state basketball player at Cuyahoga Heights High School in suburban Cleveland, in his senior season,1973, he was named Ohios Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year, leading the state in scoring average with 32.0 points per game. At the University of Minnesota, he started 101 of his 103 career contests and as a senior, teamed with Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale, and Osborne Lockhart. Saunders began his career at Golden Valley Lutheran College where he compiled a 92–13 record, including a perfect 56–0 mark at home. In 1981, he became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Minnesota, after five seasons at Minnesota, he became an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa where he worked for two seasons before heading to the pro ranks. Musselmans father, Bill Musselman, had recruited Flip when Bill was head coach at the University of Minnesota, Saunders then later moved to the La Crosse Catbirds for five seasons, where he won two CBA Championships, before coaching in 1994–95 with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He also served as manager and team president of the Catbirds. Saunders impressive CBA tenure included seven seasons of 30 or more victories. Saunders would leave after seven seasons as a head coach in the CBA. Saunders joined the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association on May 11,1995 as general manager, working under his former Minnesota teammate, on December 18,1995, Saunders was named head coach of the Timberwolves, replacing Bill Blair. This happened shortly after McHale had taken over the operations for the Timberwolves. He then added the duties to his GM responsibilities after the team had gotten off to a 6–14 start. The Timberwolves went 20–42 the rest of the year, but the emergence of young Kevin Garnett as a front-line NBA player was a plus over the second half of the season. He guided with difficulty the Timberwolves to their playoff berth in the 1996–97 season. A year later, he led the Timberwolves to their winning season. They went on to a franchise-record 50 victories in 1999–2000 which was duplicated in 2001–2002, after the Timberwolves success in the 2003–04 NBA season, in which they won their first division title and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, they struggled in the 2004–05 season. On February 12,2005, McHale fired Saunders and named head coach for the rest of the season
31.
Sacramento Kings
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The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento. The team play its games at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings are the oldest franchise in the NBA, and one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation and they originated in Rochester, New York as the Rochester Seagrams in 1923 and joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the Rochester Royals. They jumped to the Basketball Association of America, forerunner of the NBA, as the Royals, the team was often successful on the court, winning the NBA championship in 1951. However, they found it difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester. In 1972, the relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1975, the Kings ceased playing home games in Omaha, the team again failed to find success in that market, and moved to Sacramento in 1985. The Royals defected to the NBLs rival, the Basketball Association of America, in 1948. In 1949, as a result of that absorption of the NBL by the BAA, the Royals became members of the newly formed NBA along with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers. A year later, the BAA absorbed the remaining NBL teams to become the National Basketball Association, the move to the BAA took away Rochesters profitable exhibition schedule, and placed it in the same Western Division that Minneapolis was in. Of the two best teams in pro basketball, only one of them could play in the finals from 1949 to 1954. Minneapolis, with George Mikan, was almost always a little better at playoff time than the Royals, Harrison knew that the NBA was outgrowing Rochester, and spent most of the 1950s looking for a buyer for his team. The Royals won the NBA title in 1951 by defeating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 and it is the only NBA championship in the franchises history. However, the title did not translate into profit for the Royals, the roster turned over in 1955, except for Bobby Wanzer, the team moved to the larger Rochester War Memorial. Now a losing team filled with rookies, the Royals still did not turn a profit, meanwhile, the NBA was putting pressure on Harrison to sell or relocate his team to a larger city. With this in mind, the 1956–57 season was the Royals last in Rochester, in April 1957, the Harrison brothers moved the Royals to Cincinnati
32.
Kenny Natt
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Kenneth Wayne Kenny Natt is a former American professional basketball player and ex-interim head coach for the NBAs Sacramento Kings. He was a 63185 lb guard and played collegiately at Northeast Louisiana University and had a three-year NBA playing career. He was subsequently named head coach on the firing of Theus. Natt was selected with the 7th pick of the round in the 1980 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers. He played for three different teams until the 1984–85 season, outside of his NBA career, he played for seven total teams in the CBA and the WBL. Natt began his career in 1994 as an assistant coach at Youngstown State University. Natt then worked as a scout for the Utah Jazz for one season under Jerry Sloan before being an assistant on Sloans staff from 1996 to 2004, after that, Natt joined the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff in 2004. He has also coached in the CBA and the Canadian NBL with the Cape Breton Breakers, in 2011, he became the head coach of the India national basketball team. Since 2012, Natt has been director of basketball at the IMG Academy, in 2003, Kenny Natt was inducted into the University of Louisiana at Monroe Hall of Fame. He is the brother of former NBA All-Star Calvin Natt. Kenny Natt coaching profile at NBA. com Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference. com
33.
Paul Westphal
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Paul Douglas Westphal is an American retired basketball player and a former head coach with several National Basketball Association and college teams. Westphal has had a career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA Finals, in addition to being a five-time All-Star selection, from 1977 to 1981, Westphal earned three All-NBA First Team selections and one Second Team honor. Later, he returned to the Finals in 1993 as head coach of the Phoenix Suns and he returned to his home state of California when he was the mens basketball head coach at Pepperdine University from 2001 to 2006. Westphal is an assistant coach on Lionel Hollins staff on the Brooklyn Nets. Westphal was born in Torrance, California and he went to Aviation High School and then USC. He was the 10th overall pick in the 1972 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, after three seasons in Boston, including a championship in 1974, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In 1976, Westphal helped the Suns reach their first-ever NBA Finals appearance, Game 5 of that series is often called the greatest game ever played in NBA history. With time winding down in regulation and the Suns trailing 94–91, Westphal poked the ball away from Jo Jo White, took a pass from Dennis Awtrey. He was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to tie it at 94–94, in the second overtime, with 15 seconds left and the Suns trailing 109–108 after just making a basket, Westphal stole the ball from John Havlicek after Havlicek received the inbounds pass. This began a chain of events culminated with Curtis Perry hitting a jumper to give the Suns a 110–109 lead. After the Perry basket and a Celtics timeout, Havlicek got the ball with five seconds left, the buzzer sounded and Celtic fans poured on the floor, thinking the Celtics had won. However, referee Richie Powers correctly ruled that Havliceks shot went through the basket with two left on the clock. A technical foul was assessed, the Celtics made the subsequent free throw, the resulting timeout call allowed Phoenix to inbound the ball at midcourt, rather than go the full length of the court. Garfield Heard then made a shot for the Suns that sent the game into triple-overtime, Westphal was 6th in the NBA in scoring average for the 1977–78 season at 25.2 ppg. In that season, he became the first NBA All-Star Weekend H-O-R-S-E Competition champion, the following 1978–79 season, he was 7th in scoring average with 24.0 points per game. After the 1979–80 season, he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics for Dennis Johnson where he played one season before heading to the New York Knicks, in 1983 he returned to Phoenix for his final NBA season. He had been injured and only played in 59 of the 82 games of his final season
34.
Philadelphia 76ers
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The Philadelphia 76ers are an American professional basketball team based in Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA and they have won three NBA championships, with their first coming as the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. The second title came in the 1966–67 season, a team which was led by Chamberlain, the third title came in the 1982–83 season, won by a team led by Erving and Malone. The 76ers have only been back to the NBA Finals once since then, in 2001, while in the NBL with teams largely consisting of small Midwestern towns, the Nationals put together a 21–23 record, finishing in 4th place. In the playoffs, the Nats would be beaten by the fellow upstate neighbor Rochester Royals in 4 games, in their second season, 1947–48, the Nationals would struggle, finishing in 5th place with a 24–36 record. Despite their struggles, the Nats would make the playoffs, getting swept by the Anderson Duffey Packers in 3 straight games, several teams began to leave the NBL for the BAA as the foundation for an absorption was laid. The Nationals recipe for success began by recruiting Leo Ferris, in the playoffs the Nationals would make quick work of the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers, winning the series in 2 straight games. However, in the semifinals the Nats would fall to the Anderson Duffey Packers for the second season in 4 games. In 1949, the Nationals were one of seven NBL teams that were absorbed by the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA, the Nationals were an instant success in the NBA, winning the Eastern Division in the 1949–1950 season, with a league best record of 51–13. In the playoffs the Nationals continued to play basketball, beating the Philadelphia Warriors in 2 straight. Moving on to the Eastern Finals, the Nationals battled the New York Knickerbockers, in the NBA Finals, the Nationals faced fellow NBL alums the Minneapolis Lakers. In Game 1 of the Finals the Nats lost just their home game of the season 68–66. The Nats did not recover, as they fell behind 3 games to 1 before falling in 6 games, despite several teams leaving the NBA for the National Professional Basketball League before the 1950–1951 season, the Nationals decided to stay put. In their second NBA season the Nationals played mediocre basketball all season, however, in the playoffs the Nats played their best basketball of the season as they stunned the 1st place Philadelphia Warriors in 2 straight, taking Game 1 on the road in overtime 91–89. In the Eastern Finals the Nationals were beaten by the New York Knickerbockers in a hard-fought 5-game series, in the playoffs the Nats knocked off the Philadelphia Warriors again in a 3-game series. However, in the Eastern Finals the Nats fell to the New York Knickerbockers again, the Nationals would finish in 2nd place in a hard fought 3-way battle for first place in the Eastern Division for the 1952–1953 season, with a record of 47–24. In the playoffs the Nationals would face the Boston Celtics dropping Game 1 at home 87–81, the Nationals acquired Alex Groza, and Ralph Beard as the Indianapolis Olympians folded leaving the NBA with just 9 teams for the 1953–1954 season
35.
Eddie Jordan (basketball)
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Edward Montgomery Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and the former head coach of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights mens basketball team. He formerly served as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards. Jordan attended Rutgers University from 1973–1977, from 1984–1985, and again starting in 2013 and he studied physical education, but never graduated. Jordan helped lead the school to the 1976 NCAA Final Four, at Rutgers, Jordan acquired the nickname Fast Eddie. In his senior season, Jordan was named honorable mention All-America, while setting Rutgers all-time career records in assists, Jordan was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1977 NBA draft, and was acquired by the New Jersey Nets halfway through his rookie season. Jordan tied Norm Nixon for the lead in steals with 201 in 1978–1979. Jordan played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980–81 season and he played for the Lakers for four years and then played briefly with the Portland Trail Blazers. Jordan retired from the NBA after the 1983–84 season, over his seven-year NBA career, Jordan averaged 8.1 points,3.8 assists and 1.82 steals per game. After retiring from the NBA in 1984, Jordan was an assistant at Rutgers University under his former college head coach. Jordan followed Young to Old Dominion University as an assistant as before. He also became an assistant coach at Rutgers in 1988, in 1992, Jordan became an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, and remained an assistant for five seasons. Jordan was fired after the 1997–98 season, Jordan joined the New Jersey Nets coaching staff on March 17,1999 and served as the lead assistant for four seasons. While in New Jersey, Jordan helped guide the squad to consecutive Atlantic Division, later that year, Jordan signed a four-year contract worth a little more than $3 million per year with the Washington Wizards and was introduced as head coach of the team on June 19,2003. Washington finished with a 25–57 record during Jordans inaugural season as head coach, the following year, Jordan helped guide the Wizards to a 20-game improvement in 2004–05. Only the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns experienced an improvement in total wins from the previous year. On April 11,2005 Jordan won his 100th career game as a head coach, during the 2004–05 regular season, Jordans second with the Wizards, he led the team to a 45–37 record, which was the franchises best season since 1978–79. The record established a new record for wins in a season at Verizon Center, earned the team a five seed in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards played the fourth seeded Chicago Bulls and won the series four games to two. The team rallied from a 0–2 deficit to win the series with four consecutive wins and it was the teams first postseason series win since 1982
36.
Minnesota Timberwolves
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association, as a club of the leagues Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 1989, the team is owned by Glen Taylor, the Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center, their home since 1990. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for that season. The team has been in rebuilding mode for the past decade since missing the playoffs in 2005, Garnett returned to the Timberwolves in a February 2015 trade and finished his career there, retiring in the 2016 offseason. NBA basketball returned to the Twin Cities in 1989 for the first time since the Minneapolis Lakers departed for Los Angeles in 1960. The NBA had granted one of its four new teams on April 22,1987 to original owners Harvey Ratner. The franchise conducted a name the team contest and eventually selected two finalists, Timberwolves and Polars, in December 1986, the team then asked the 842 city councils in Minnesota to select the winner and Timberwolves prevailed by nearly 2-1. The team was named the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 23,1987. Minnesota is home to the largest population of timberwolves in the lower 48 states, the Timberwolves debuted on November 3,1989, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics on the road 106–94. Five days later, they made their debut at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Two nights later on November 10, the Wolves got their first win, the Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell with 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22–60 record, finishing in sixth place in the Midwest Division. Playing in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the expansion Timberwolves set an NBA record by drawing over 1 million fans to their home games. This included a crowd of 49,551 on April 17,1990, the next season, the team moved into their permanent home, the Target Center, and improved somewhat, finishing 29–53. However, they fired their coach, Bill Musselman. They fared far worse in the 1991–92 NBA season under Musselmans successor, ex-Celtics coach Jimmy Rodgers, finishing with an NBA-worst 15–67 record. One of the few highlights from that era was when the Target Center served as host of the 1994 All-Star Game where Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest with his between-the-leg East Bay Funk Dunk. As winning basketball continued to elude the Wolves, Ratner and Wolfenson nearly sold the team to New Orleans interests in 1994 before NBA owners rejected the proposed move, eventually, Glen Taylor bought the team and named Kevin McHale general manager
37.
Kevin McHale (basketball)
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Kevin Edward McHale is an American retired professional basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is also a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and he was named to the NBAs 50th Anniversary Team, and also to the official list of the NBAs best 50 players in 1996. McHale began working for the Minnesota Timberwolves immediately following his retirement in 1993, at different times, as a TV analyst, general manager and he was the head coach of the Houston Rockets from 2011-15, until being fired following a 4-11 start to the 2015–16 season. McHale currently works as an on-air analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sportss popular NBA on TNT studio show, McHale was born to Paul Austin McHale and Josephine Patricia Starcevic in Hibbing, Minnesota. In his senior season at Hibbing High School, he was named Minnesotas Mr. Basketball of 1976 and he is of Croatian descent on his mothers side. The 6 ft 10 in McHale played basketball at the forward position for the University of Minnesota from 1976 to 1980. He was named All-Big Ten in 1979 and 1980 and still second in school history in career points. In 1995, to coincide with the University of Minnesotas 100th anniversary, McHale is famous for an encounter with Chuck Foreman in the Gopher locker room. Foreman, a famous Minnesota Viking at the time, was congratulating the Gophers on a hard-fought victory, as Foreman was shaking all the players hands, when he arrived at the then-unknown power forward, McHale displayed his comic wit, Nice to meet you, Mr. Foreman. What do you do for a living, McHales stay in Boston got off to a rocky start as he held out for a large contract, even threatening to play in Italy, before signing a three-year deal with the Celtics. Backing up Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell at forward, McHale made an impact and was named to the NBAs All-Rookie First Team in his rookie season. Boston finished McHales rookie season with a record of 62-20. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls in the first round, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced a 3–1 deficit against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Boston won the last three games of the series, including Game 6 on Philadelphias home court. McHale helped save the Game 6 win by rejecting an Andrew Toney shot, in the NBA Finals, Boston defeated the Houston Rockets in six games to capture the teams fourteenth championship. The Celtics failed to advance to the NBA Finals the next two seasons, Philadelphia exacted a measure of revenge in the 1982 Eastern Conference Final, beating Boston at home in the seventh game. In the 1983 Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtics were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks and this embarrassing defeat led to the firing of head coach Bill Fitch and a temporarily unhappy McHale. Following the 1982–83 season, McHales contract with the Celtics expired, auerbach retaliated by signing three of New Yorks top free agent players to offer sheets. The Knicks elected to re-sign their players and give up their pursuit of McHale, McHale eventually re-signed with Boston, his $1 million per season contract making him the fourth-highest paid player in the NBA
38.
Kurt Rambis
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Darrell Kurt Rambis is an American basketball associate head coach for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. A former player, he won four NBA championships while playing power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, Rambis played college basketball for the Santa Clara Broncos. As a senior in 1980, he was named the player of the year in the West Coast Conference, Rambis was selected by the Knicks in the third round of the 1980 NBA draft, but began his career in Greece with AEK Athens. He joined the Lakers and won four championships during their Showtime era and he also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings. Rambis became a coach, and has served as coach for the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Rambis was born in Terre Haute, Indiana and his family moved to Cupertino, California in his preschool years, his number is retired at Cupertino High School. He graduated from Santa Clara University, where he played from 1976 to 1980, becoming its second leading rebounder, during his Santa Clara years he was awarded the WCC Freshman of the Year and Conference Player of the Year as a senior. His jersey #34 was retired on December 29,2008, Rambis was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 58th pick in the 1980 NBA draft, but he was subsequently waived by the Knicks. He played in Greece in the Greek League for the club AEK Athens, being of Greek descent, he also acquired Greek citizenship. AEK won the Greek Cup in 1981 and he was re-signed by the Knicks in 1981 but never played a game for them. His success as an NBA player started when he was signed as an agent by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981. Rambis spent most of his 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, winning championships in 1982,1985,1987, Rambis also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings before returning to the Lakers in 1993. During his playing days, Rambis was a favorite among the Lakers fans because of his status as an overachieving underdog and ultimate team-player. Known for his defensive and rebounding skills, Rambis also was an efficient clean-up man on offense and he was remembered in both Santa Clara and Los Angeles for his all-out effort and willingness to do the dirty work that many players do not embrace. Rambis usually wore a moustache and thick-rimmed black glasses, prompting Lakers announcer Chick Hearn to nickname him Superman. He finally retired with the Lakers in 1995 after 14 years in the NBA, Rambis began working as a special assistant coach for the Lakers in 1994, but eventually returned to the active playing roster. He was waived at the beginning of the 1995–96 season, and he served as head coach of the Lakers during the 1999 lockout season after coach Del Harris was fired. He achieved moderate success, registering a 24–13 record in the season before being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals
39.
Detroit Pistons
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The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Central Division. The team plays its games at The Palace of Auburn Hills and was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1941. The Pistons joined the Basketball Association of America in 1948, in 1949, the NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA, and the Pistons became part of the merged league. Since moving to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons have won three NBA championships in 1989,1990 and 2004. The Detroit Pistons franchise was founded as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, owners Fred Zollner and his sister Janets Zollner Corporation was a foundry, manufacturing pistons, primarily for car, truck and locomotive engines. The Zollner Pistons were NBL champions in 1944 and 1945 and they also won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1944,1945 and 1946. In 1948, the became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America. In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA, there are suggestions that Pistons players conspired with gamblers to shave points and throw various games during the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. In particular, there are accusations that the team may have intentionally lost the 1955 NBA Finals to the Syracuse Nationals, in the decisive Game 7, the Pistons led Syracuse 41–24 early in the second quarter, then the Nationals rallied to win the game. Syracuse won on a throw by George King with twelve seconds left in the game. After the 1956–57 season, Zollner decided that Fort Wayne was too small to support an NBA team, although it was the fifth largest city in the United States at the time, Detroit had not seen professional basketball in a decade. In 1947, they had lost the Detroit Gems of the NBL, Zollner decided to keep the Pistons name, believing it made sense given Detroits status as the center of the automobile industry. The new Detroit Pistons played in Olympia Stadium for their first four seasons, the franchise was a consistent disappointment, struggling both on the court and at the box office. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Pistons were characterized by strong individuals. In fact, in their first 27 years in Detroit, they only had three winning seasons, some of the superstars who played for the team included Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Jimmy Walker, and Bob Lanier. At one point DeBusschere was the youngest player-coach in the history of the NBA, DeBusschere became a key player in leading the Knicks to two NBA titles. Detroit qualified for the postseason in four seasons, but never advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs
40.
John Kuester
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John Dewitt Kuester, Jr. is an American basketball coach and scout. He played in the NBA from 1977 to 1980 and then coached in the ranks before moving on to the NBA sidelines as an assistant. Kuester was named coach of the Detroit Pistons on July 9,2009. An agreement was made after the Pistons and their first choice, Avery Johnson, Kuester coached the Pistons for two seasons. He was a 62 and 180 lb guard and played collegiately with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from 1973–77, Kuester played four years at Benedictine for legendary coach Warren Rutledge. Leading his team to three consecutive state Catholic League titles, the Cadets were 33-1 his senior year, in both his junior and senior year, Kuester was voted UNCs best defensive player. Also in his year, as was voted Most Valuable Player of the ACC Tournament. Kuester was selected with the 9th pick of the round in the 1977 NBA draft by the Kansas City Kings. He played 78 games for them in 1977–78, averaging 4.8 points,1.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, in his second and third seasons he played with the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, respectively. After his playing days, Kuester began a coaching career. From 1981 to 1983 he was an assistant to Rick Pitino at Boston University, from 1985 to 1990 he was the head coach at George Washington University. His 1988–1989 Colonials team compiled a 1-27 record, one of the worst ever in NCAA history, in 2003–04, Kuester followed Brown to the Detroit Pistons where he also served as an assistant. In 2004–05 Kuester was an assistant with the New Jersey Nets, in July 2006, Kuester was named as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic. In August 2007, Kuester was named to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Browns staff, in July 2009, Kuester was hired as head coach of the Detroit Pistons, replacing Michael Curry. On June 5,2011, Kuester was fired from his position as coach of the Detroit Pistons. On June 29,2011, Kuester was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers under new head coach Mike Brown, since his days in Cleveland, this marked the second time Kuester has worked as an assistant coach under Brown. On September 7,2012, Kuester was named a scout for the Lakers. Kuester and wife, Tricia, have a son, John III, Katelyn played basketball at St. Josephs University
41.
New Orleans Pelicans
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The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays their games in the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City. The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season, on January 24,2013, the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans, effective after the conclusion of the 2012–13 season. Their achievements include one playoff victory and one division title. While the Charlotte Hornets put a team on the court throughout the 1990s. Many attributed this lapse in popularity to the owner, George Shinn. In 1997, a Charlotte woman claimed that Shinn had raped her, the consensus was that while Charlotte was as basketball-crazy as ever, fans took out their anger at Shinn on the team. On March 26,2001, both the Hornets and the Vancouver Grizzlies applied for relocation to Memphis, Tennessee, which was won by the Grizzlies. Shinn issued an ultimatum, unless the city built a new arena at no cost to him, the city initially refused, leading Shinn to consider moving the team to either Norfolk, Louisville, or St. Louis. Polls showed the referendum on its way to passage, however, just days before the referendum, Mayor Pat McCrory vetoed a living wage ordinance. The veto prompted many of the citys black ministers to oppose the referendum, while even the NBA acknowledged that Shinn had alienated fans, league officials felt such a demand would anger other owners. Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved the move, as part of a deal, the NBA promised that Charlotte would get a new team, which took the court two years later as the Charlotte Bobcats. He also said if he had it to do all over again. Shinn emphasized how he was making amends by committing to New Orleans saying, im not going to make one here. Were going to make this thing work, the Hornets opened their inaugural season in New Orleans on October 30,2002, against New Orleans original NBA franchise, the now-Utah Jazz
42.
Byron Scott
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Byron Anton Scott is an American professional basketball former head coach and player. He last coached the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, as a player, he won three NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. Scott grew up in Inglewood, California and played at Morningside High School, in the shadow of what was then the Lakers home arena and he played college basketball at Arizona State University for three years, then left after his junior year to play in the NBA. Selected by the San Diego Clippers in the first round, with the pick of the 1983 NBA draft. During his playing career, Scott suited up for the Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Scott was a key player for the Lakers during the Showtime era, being a starter alongside Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and A. C. Green. He played for the Lakers for 10 consecutive seasons, during that time he was on three NBA championship teams. As a rookie, Scott was a member of the 1984 all-rookie team and he led the NBA in three-point field goal percentage in 1984–85. In 1987–88, Scott enjoyed his best season, leading the NBA champion Lakers in scoring, averaging a career-best 21.7 ppg and he was the Lakers starting shooting guard from 1984 until 1993. In the summer of 1997, Scott signed with the Greek Basket League team Panathinaikos for the 1997–1998 season and that season, he played with Panathinaikos in both the FIBA Saporta Cup, Europes second-tier level competition after the top-tier EuroLeague, and the Greek Basket League. In the Saporta Cups 1997–1998 season, he averaged 13.4 points,2.4 rebounds,2.1 assists, Scott helped to lead his team to the Greek Basket League championship with his scoring in many crucial games. In the Greek Basket Leagues 1997–1998 season, he averaged 17.6 points,2.8 rebounds,2.3 assists, after one season with the Greek Basket League champions, Scott retired from playing professional basketball, and began his coaching career. Byron Scott began his NBA coaching career in 1998, when he began the first of two seasons as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings. He specialized in teaching perimeter shooting during his tenure with the Kings, in 2000, Scott took over a struggling New Jersey Nets team. His team performed poorly in his first year, but that changed in the 2001–02 season with the arrival of Jason Kidd as the Nets raced to a record of 52 wins. In the process, they won their first Atlantic division crown, New Jersey was up by double figures in game six, but the Spurs tightened up their defense, which won the game and the championship. Scott was fired during the 2003–04 season, as New Jersey had a disappointing 22–20 record coming into the All-Star break, rumors of a rift between Scott and Kidd circulated media outlets, with sources allegedly claiming that Kidd wanted Scott out of Jersey. All the parties, including then Nets GM Rod Thorn, denied the reports, Scott claimed that he was very surprised by the report and that he and Kidd always got along. He was succeeded by his assistant Lawrence Frank, while coaching the Nets, Scott lived in Livingston, New Jersey
43.
Jeff Bower (basketball)
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Jeff Bower is an American professional basketball coach and executive. He is the current general manager of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association, Bower is the former general manager and head coach of the New Orleans Hornets. Bower held the Hornets head coaching position during most of the 2009–10 season, Bower helped rebuild the Hornets, despite the troubles Hurricane Katrina placed on the club and the city of New Orleans in general. He took a giant step in re-writing Hornets history by trading franchise piece Baron Davis to the Warriors, the disaster Katrina caused forced the Hornets to move to Oklahoma City until the 2007–08 NBA season, but Bower continued to build his club. Through trade, draft, and signings, the Hornets actually competed in their two seasons in Oklahoma with a 38–44 record in 2005–06 and 39–43 in 2006–07, yet again, another series of trials and tribulations, the Hornets improved and contended. Injuries to Paul, Peja Stojaković, and scoring big man David West dampened the opportunity to make the playoffs, for 2007–08, the Hornets came back home to open arms. The general of it all was Coach of the Year Byron Scott prior to the 2004–05 NBA season, and the Hornets won 56 games, their first divisional title, Bower helped draft David West, J. R. Smith, Chris Paul, Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. Bower had been with the organization for 14 years, beginning in 1995–96, director of scouting, director of personnel, as a scout, GM. Bowers erved as a scout for the Charlotte Hornets in 1995–97. He also was a head coach at Marist College from 1990–95, prior to that. On November 12,2009, Bower was made the coach of the team after the firing of Byron Scott. He led the team to a 34–39 record despite injury problems in the team, at the end of the season, he stepped down from the coaching duty and returned to his position as a general manager. He was replaced by Monty Williams, Bower and the Hornets parted ways on July 13,2010. On April 10,2013 it was announced that he take over as coach of the Marist College mens basketball team. Bower served as an assistant coach for the Red Foxes from 1986 to 1990 and he was involved in the teams 1987 NCAA Tournament appearance and ECAC Metro Conference regular-season championships in 1987 and 1988. Bower also aided in the development of Rik Smits, the second pick in the 1988 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. On June 3,2014, Bower was named the manager of the Detroit Pistons. On June 13,2016, the Pistons signed Bower to a contract extension, under Bower, the Pistons reached the playoffs in his second season as GM
$0.98 million), while the tax level was $71.15 million (