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Ben Wallace (born September 10, 1974 in White Hall, Alabama) is an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nicknamed Big Ben and The Body, he plays the positions of center and power forward, and is 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and 240 lb (110 kg). He is a four-time winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (a feat equalled only by Dikembe Mutombo), and is regarded as one of the finest defensive players in the game. Wallace was considered by many to be the cornerstone of the Detroit Pistons' success in the 2000s, culminating in a championship in 2004. On July 13, 2006, Wallace signed a four-year $60 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.[1] On February 21, 2008, Wallace was involved in a 3-team deal and traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ben Wallace first played college basketball on the junior college level at Cuyahoga Community College for two years. He then transferred to Virginia Union, a Division II school, where he studied criminal justice. As an undrafted player, he was signed as a rookie free agent by the Washington Bullets on October 2, 1996 after playing in Italy.

In 1999, Wallace was traded to the Orlando Magic along with Tim Legler, Terry Davis, and Jeff McInnis for Ike Austin. On August 3, 2000, he was traded along with Chucky Atkins to the Detroit Pistons for Grant Hill, in what was at the time considered a one-sided trade; Hill had planned to sign with Orlando as an unrestricted free agent, but the sign and trade deal allowed Hill to receive a slightly more lucrative contract while Detroit received at least some compensation for losing its marquee player. But since the deal, Wallace has had the more successful career by far, owing in part to Hill's oft-injured status. He has been considered the quintessential defensive specialist, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, and 2005-06 seasons. In the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, he led the league in both rebounds and blocked shots. In 2003, he was voted by fans to his first NBA All-Star Game as the starting Center for the Eastern Conference.

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars promised Wallace that when his old contract expired, the Pistons would make Wallace the highest-paid Piston of all time, and Ben indicated that this show of good faith would be all he would need to re-sign with the Pistons. Dumars kept his promise, extending Wallace a four-year deal reportedly worth $48 million to $50 million, the richest in team history. Despite the Pistons' integrity, on July 3, 2006, Wallace agreed to a four-year deal worth $60 million with the Chicago Bulls. The deal became official July 13, and Wallace was introduced to the Chicago media as the team's newest member that day. He cited his strained relationship with Pistons' coach Flip Saunders as the primary reason for his departure.

On February 21, 2008, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal that included Seattle Sonics and the Chicago Bulls.[2] The deal moved Wallace to the power forward position with Zydrunas Ilgauskas as the starting center.

[edit] Player profile

Ben Wallace plays the center position and is lauded as a prime defensive presence.[3] He has been voted as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times. He is somewhat undersized for a center, being listed at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), 240 lb., a frame statistically resembling more of a forward; he himself admits his actual height is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m).[3]

However, he compensates for this by his impressive physique (even measured against the standards of his NBA peers) which allows him to out-muscle most of his opposition and "play bigger than his body", allowing him to average 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 steals per game over the course of his entire career. He is especially intimidating with his shot-blocking and defending the basket from drives, allowing his teammates to be aggressive on the perimeter, a defensive scheme used extensively by the Pistons. His uncanny defensive timing allows him to defend with great intensity without committing a foul (his career average of 2.1 fouls per game [1] is considered low). In addition, he is seen also as one of the most reliable contributors, rarely failing to deliver in important games.

His drawback is his offensive game. Wallace's averages on offense are a mediocre 6.6 points and 1.3 assists per game. His role on offense is mainly to roam near the basket for close range shots when left open and go after offensive rebounds. Like other big men in the NBA, namely Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain, Wallace is a poor free throw shooter. In fact, he is the worst free throw shooter in NBA history out of any player with more than 1000 attempts; as of February 2007, his NBA career average is 41.8%. This ineptitude at the free throw line results in his sometimes becoming a target of the so-called "Hack-a-Shaq" defense (in reference to Ben Wallace, the technique is also called Whack-a-Wallace or Bop-a-Ben). Part of the reason for this drawback is that his right wrist has some ligaments that were cut off due to a surgery that was needed because his hand had some carpal tunnel issues. This causes his hand to "slip" sometimes when he shoots a free throw, forcing him to pop it back into place, resulting in him being unable to make them on a consistent basis.

Accolades

* NBA Champion: 2004
* 4-time NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
* 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
* 6-time All-NBA Defensive Team:

* First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
* Second Team: 2007

* 5-time All-NBA:

* Second Team: 2003, 2004, 2006
* Third Team: 2002, 2005

* 2-time NBA regular-season leader, rebounds per game: 2002 (13.0), 2003 (15.4)
* NBA regular-season leader, blocks per game: 2002 (3.5)
* 2-time NBA regular-season leader, total rebounds: 2001 (1052), 2003 (1026)
* NBA regular-season leader, total defensive rebounds: 2001 (749)
* 2-time NBA regular-season leader, total offensive rebounds: 2003 (293), 2006 (301)
* NBA regular-season leader, total blocks: 2002 (278)

[edit] NBA records/achievements

* Only player in NBA history to record 1,000 rebounds, 100 blocks, and 100 steals in 4 consecutive seasonsThe first President. (2001-04).[4]
* One of three players in NBA history to record 150 blocks and 100 steals in 7 consecutive seasons (2001-07) (along with Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson).[4][5][6]
* One of four players in NBA history to lead the NBA in rebounding and blocking averages in the same season (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Hakeem Olajuwon).
* One of three players in NBA history to average 15 rebounds and 3 blocks per game over a season (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob McAdoo).
* Only undrafted player in NBA history to be voted a starter for the NBA All-Star Game.
* One of two players in NBA history to receive NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award 4 times (along with Dikembe Mutombo).

Only undrafted player to receive a contract of $54 million+ from one team.

[edit] Detroit Pistons franchise records (15)

* Most blocked shots, all-time: 1,297 (2000–2006)
* Most blocked shots in
o one game: 10 (November 10, 2002 vs. Miami Heat)
o one half: 7 (February 1, 2003 vs. New Jersey Nets)
o one quarter: 5 (March 10, 2002 vs. Indiana Pacers)
o one season: 278 (2001-02)
* Highest blocks-per-game average, one season: 3.48 (2001-02)
* Most defensive rebounds, one quarter: 10 (November 18, 2002 vs. New York Knicks).
* Most rebounds, one half, playoffs: 17 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round)
* Most rebounds, one quarter, playoffs: 13 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round)
* Most offensive rebounds, one game, playoffs: 11 (Game 3, 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals)
* Most offensive rebounds, one half, playoffs: 7 (Game 3, 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals)
* Most defensive rebounds, one game, playoffs: 17 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference Finals)
* Most defensive rebounds, one half, playoffs: 12 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference Finals)
* Most defensive rebounds, one quarter, playoffs: 9 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference Finals)
* Most steals, one game, playoffs: 7 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round)

International competition

He played for the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.[7]


Trivia:

* Wallace was a letterman in football, baseball, basketball and track. He won All-State honors in all but track.[8]
* Former basketball player Charles Oakley is Wallace's mentor, having discovered Wallace at a 1991 basketball camp. Coincidentally, Oakley attended Virginia Union as well.[9]
* Wallace had gained great notoriety in the Detroit area and nationwide, and fans often arrived at his games sporting wigs in honor of his trademark afro hairstyle. However, he usually only had the afro for home games; for away games, he had his hair styled into cornrows. He stated he was made fun of at away games for his hair styles.
* During his tenure with the Pistons, whenever Wallace scored or recorded a block on Detroit's homecourt, the Palace of Auburn Hills, the sound of a gong was played, an allusion to the Big Ben, Wallace's nickname. After Wallace became a member of the Chicago Bulls, this tradition has continued on their homecourt, the United Center and the tradition is still carried on to this day in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.
* Recorded a notable block of Shaquille O'Neal on June 1, 2006, in Game 5 of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons. O'Neal was stuffed so completely that he tumbled to the floor. Heat coach Pat Riley called it "a hell of a play", while Shaq claimed it was an obvious foul and told the press not to ask him stupid questions after being asked whether he thought it was a block or a foul.[10] A photo of this won "Photo of the Year 2006" by NBA.com

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This is a Chinese name; the family name is Yao (姚).

Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; pinyin: Yáo Míng) (born September 12, 1980, in Shanghai, China) is a Chinese professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the tallest player in the NBA, standing at 7 ft 6 in(2.29 m).

He started playing for the Shanghai Sharks while he was still a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning a championship in his final year. He entered the 2002 NBA draft, and after negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, he was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick of the draft.

He has been selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game in all six of his seasons, and has been named to the All-NBA Team team three times. However, the Rockets have not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since he has joined the team, and he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past three seasons.

Career in china:

Early life and CBA career

Yao was the only child of his parents, 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Yao Zhiyuan and 6 ft 3 in[1] (1.90 m) Fang Fengdi, both of whom were former professional basketball players.[2] Yao, who weighed twice the average size in China at birth, grew to be 5 ft 5 in by age ten,[3] and at the same age, he was examined by sports doctors, who predicted that he would grow to the height of 7 ft 3 in.[3] Yao first started playing basketball at age nine, and he went to a junior sports school at the same age.[4]

Yao first tried out for the Sharks junior team when he was thirteen, where he had to practice for ten hours a day to make the team.[5] After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the senior team of the Sharks at age seventeen, and averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game in his rookie season. However, his next season was cut short when he broke his foot for the second time in his career, which Yao said decreased his jumping ability by four to six inches.[6] The Sharks made the finals of the CBA in Yao Ming’s third season and again the next year, but lost both times to the Bayi Rockets. When Wang Zhizhi left for the NBA the following year, the Sharks finally won their first championship. During the playoffs in his final year with Shanghai, Yao averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 76.6% from the field,[7] and made all 21 of his shots during one game in the finals.[8]

Entering the NBA Draft

Yao was initially pressured to enter the NBA draft in 1999 by Li Yaomin, the deputy general manager of the Shanghai Sharks.[9] Li also pressured Yao into signing a contract with Evergreen Sports Inc. for them to become his agent. The contract stated that Yao would have to give Evergreen 33% of his earnings,[9] but Yao later terminated the contract after it was determined invalid.[10]

When Yao decided to enter the 2002 NBA draft, a team of advisers was formed that was collectively named “Team Yao”. The team consisted of Yao’s negotiator, Erik Zhang, his NBA agent, Bill Duffy, his Chinese agent, Lu Hao, a professor at the University of Chicago, John Huizinga, and the vice president for marketing at BDA Sports Management, Bill Sanders.[11] Yao was widely predicted to be picked number one overall.[12][13][14] However, some teams were concerned about Yao's NBA eligibility due to uncertainty over whether the CBA would let Yao play in the United States.[15]

Shortly after Wang ZhiZhi refused to return to China to play for the national team and was subsequently banned from playing for China,[16] the CBA stipulated that Yao would have to return to play for the national team.[17] They also said they would not let him go to the United States unless the Houston Rockets would take him first overall.[18] After assurances from Team Yao that the Rockets would draft Yao with their number one pick, the CBA gave permission on the morning of the draft for Yao to play in the US.[19] When the Rockets selected Yao with the first pick of the draft, he became the first international player ever to be selected first overall.[20]

NBA career

Initial years (2002-2005)

Yao did not participate in the Rocket's pre-season training camp, instead playing for China in the 2002 FIBA World Championships.[21] He played his first NBA game against the Indiana Pacers, going scoreless with a point and a rebound,[22] and scored his first NBA basket against the Denver Nuggets.[23] Yao averaged only 14 minutes and 4 points in his first seven games, and several respected commentators predicted that Yao would fail in NBA, including Bill Simmons and Dick Vitale.[24][25][26] Charles Barkley said that he would kiss the behind of Kenny Smith if Yao scored more than 19 points in his rookie season.[27] On November 17, Yao scored 20 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line against the Lakers, forcing Barkley to fulfill his promise.[28] Two games later against the Dallas Mavericks, Yao scored 30 points and took 16 rebounds, both career highs up to that point.[29]

Before Yao Ming’s first meeting with Shaquille O'Neal on January 17, 2003, O'Neal said, "Tell Yao Ming, ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh", prompting accusations of racism from the Asian American community.[30] O'Neal denied that his comments were racist, and said he was only joking.[31] Yao also said he believed O'Neal was joking,[31] but the comments led to increased media coverage in the buildup to the nationally-televised game. In the game, Yao Ming scored six points and blocked O'Neal twice in the opening minutes, as well as having a game-sealing dunk with 10 seconds left in overtime.[32] Yao finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds; O'Neal scored 31 points and 13 rebounds.

Yao finished his rookie season averaging 13.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game,[33] and was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting, first place going to Amare Stoudemire,[34] who was a unanimous pick for the NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.[1] He was also voted the Sporting News Rookie of the Year,[35] and won the Laureus Newcomer of the Year award.[36]

Before the start of Yao's sophomore season, the Rockets' head coach Rudy Tomjanovich resigned due to health issues,[37] and long time New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy was brought in. After Van Gundy began focusing the offense on Yao,[38] Yao averaged career highs in points and rebounds for the season, and had a career-high 41 points and 7 assists in a triple-overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks in February 2004.[39] He was also voted to be the starting center in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game for the second straight year.[40] Yao finished the season averaging 17.5 points and 9 rebounds a game.[33]

The Rockets made the playoffs for the first time in Yao's career, as they claimed the seventh seed in the Western Conference. But eventual NBA finalists Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Houston in the first round, with the Rockets winning only one game.[41] Yao averaged 15 points and 7.4 rebounds in his first playoff series.[33]

In the summer of 2004, the Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady from the Orlando Magic in a seven-player trade that also sent Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley to Orlando.[42] After the trade, it was predicted that the Rockets would be title contenders.[42][43] Both McGrady and Yao were voted to start in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, and Yao broke the record previously held by Michael Jordan for most All-Star votes, with 2,558,278 total votes.[44] The Rockets won 51 games and finished fifth in the West, and made the playoffs for the second consecutive year, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks.[45] The Rockets won the first two games in Dallas, and Yao made 13-of-14 shots in the second game, the best shooting performance in the playoffs in Rockets history.[46] However the Rockets lost four of their last five games and lost Game 7 by 40 points, the largest Game 7 deficit in NBA history.[47] Yao's final averages for the series were 21.4 points on 65% shooting and 7.7 rebounds.[33]

Injury-plagued seasons (2005-2008)

Yao had missed only two games in three years up till 2005,[1] but 22 games into his fourth season he was forced onto the inactive list for an extended period for the first time in his career due to a case of osteomyelitis in the big toe of his left foot.[48] On December 18, 2005, he had surgery performed on the toe,[48] and missed a total of 21 games.[1] In the 2006 NBA All-Star game balloting, Yao again led all NBA players in voting, and was named the starting center for the Western Conference for the fourth consecutive year.[49]

In 25 games after the All-Star break, Yao averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.7% from the field and 87.8% at the free throw line.[50] His final averages in 57 games were 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[33] It was the first time that he ended the season with a "20/10" average. However, Tracy McGrady played only 47 games in the season, missing time because of back spasms.[51] Yao and McGrady played only 31 games together,[52] and the Rockets did not make the playoffs, winning only 34 games.[53] With only four games left in the season, Yao suffered another injury in a game against the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2006, which left him with a broken bone in his left foot. The injury required a full six months of rest.[54]

Early into his fifth season, Yao was injured again, this time breaking his right knee on December 23, 2006 while attempting to block a shot.[55] Up to that point he had been averaging 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. and had been mentioned as an NBA MVP candidate.[56] Yao was not able to play in what would have been his fifth All-Star game,[57] but was medically cleared to play on March 4, 2007, after missing 34 games.[58]

Despite Yao's absence, the Rockets made the playoffs with home court advantage against the Utah Jazz in the first round.[59] The Rockets won the first two games, but then lost four of five games,[60] and were eliminated in Game 7 at home, despite Yao's 29 points, 15 in the fourth quarter.[61] Although he averaged 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for the series, Yao said afterwards “I didn't do my job”.[62] At the end of the season, Yao was selected to the All-NBA second team for the first time in his career, after being selected to the All-NBA third team twice.[63]

On May 18, 2007, only weeks after the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs, it was announced that Jeff Van Gundy had been dismissed as head coach.[64] Three days later, former Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman was signed to replace Van Gundy.[65] It was predicted the Rockets would focus more on offense under Adelman than they would under Van Gundy's defensive-based system.[66][67]

On November 9, 2007, Yao played against fellow Chinese NBA player Yi Jianlian for the first time. The game, which the Rockets won 104-88, was broadcast on 19 networks in China, and was watched by over 200 million people in China alone, making it one the most-watched NBA games in history.[68] In the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, Yao was once again voted to start at center for the Western Conference.[69] After a poor start, the Rockets went on a streak of 22 consecutive wins. But on February 26, 2008, it was reported that Yao would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. He was expected to miss the playoffs but Daryl Morey said he did not expect him to miss the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China in August.[70] Yao underwent a successful operation on March 3, which placed screws in his foot to strengthen the bone.[71] Recovery time was estimated at four months, but Yao was not expected to miss the 2008 Summer Olympics. He said if he could not play in the Olympics, "it would be the biggest loss in my career to right now."[72] Yao's final averages in 55 games were 22 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game.[33]

International career
Early years and 2004 Olympics

During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, which he said was a “long dream come true”.[73] He then vowed to abstain from shaving his beard for half a year unless the Chinese national basketball team made it into the quarter-finals.[74] After Yao Ming scored 39 points in a win against New Zealand, China lost 58–83, 57–82, and 52–89 against Spain, Argentina and Italy respectively. But in the final group game, a 67–66 win over reigning world champions Serbia and Montenegro moved them into the quarterfinals. Yao scored 27 points and had 13 rebounds, and hit two free throws with 28 seconds left that proved to be the winning margin.[75] He was selected to the All-Olympics team with his performance, averaging 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field.[76]

2006 World Championships

Yao’s injury at the end of the 2005–06 NBA season required a full six months of rest, which left some doubt as to whether Yao would play in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.[77] However, he recovered before the start of the tournament, and in the last game of the preliminary round, he had 36 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Slovenia to lead China into the round of 16.[78] But in the first knockout round, China was defeated by eventual finalists Greece.[78] Yao's final averages were 25.3 points, the most in the tournaments, and nine rebounds a game, which was fourth overall.[79]

Off the court

Personal life

In early 2007, an internet hoax reported that Yao was dating American actress Nia Long,[80] but Yao rejected the allegations.[81] He is married to Ye Li, a Chinese women's basketball player, whom he met when he was seventeen.[82] Ye was not fond of Yao at first, but finally accepted him after he gave her the team pins he had collected during the 2000 Summer Olympics.[82] Their romance was first made public when they appeared together during the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony,[82] and on August 6, 2007, Yao married Ye in a ceremony attended by close friends and family that was closed to the media.[83]

In 2004, a biography of Yao was published, entitled "Yao: A Life in Two Worlds", written by Ric Bucher. In the same year, he was also the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, which focuses on his NBA rookie year, and is narrated by his friend and translator for his first three seasons, Colin Pine.[84]

Public life

Yao is one of China's most recognizable athletes, along with Liu Xiang.[85] He has led Forbes' Chinese celebrities list in income and popularity for five straight years, earning 54.6 million US dollars (387.8 million yuan) in 2007.[86] A major part of his income comes from his sponsorship deals,[87] as he is under contract with several major companies to endorse their products. He was signed by Nike until the end of the his rookie season, when they decided not to renew his contract, and he instead signed with Reebok.[88] He also had a deal with Pepsi, and he successfully sued Coca-Cola in 2003 when they used his image on their bottles while promoting the national team.[89] However, he has since signed with Coke for the 2008 Olympics.[87] His other deals include partnerships with McDonald’s, which he said was his favorite restaurant when he was young,[90] Visa,[91] Apple,[92] and Garmin.[93]

Yao has also participated in many charity events during his career, including the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.[94] In the NBA's offseason in 2003, Yao hosted a telethon, which raised $300,000 to help stop the spread of SARS.[95] In September 2007, he held an auction that raised 6.75 million yuan,[96] and competed in a charity basketball match to raise money for underprivileged children in China. He was joined by fellow NBA stars Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, and Baron Davis, and Hong Kong-born movie star Jackie Chan.[97]

Career statistics

CBA statistics
Regular season Team GP RPG APG FG% FT% PPG
1997-98 Shanghai 21 8.3 1.3 .615 .485 10.0
1998-99 Shanghai 12 12.9 1.7 .585 .699 20.9
1999-00 Shanghai 33 14.5 1.7 .585 .683 21.2
2000-01 Shanghai 22 19.4 2.2 .679 .799 27.1
2001-02 Shanghai 24 19.0 1.9 .721 .759 32.4
Career totals 122 15.4 1.8 .651 .723 23.4

NBA statistics
Regular season Team GP MPG SPG BPG RPG APG FG% FT% PPG
2002-03 Houston 82 29.0 0.4 1.8 8.2 1.7 .498 .811 13.5
2003-04 Houston 82 32.8 0.3 1.9 9.0 1.5 .522 .809 17.5
2004-05 Houston 80 30.6 0.4 2.0 8.4 0.8 .552 .783 18.3
2005-06 Houston 57 34.2 0.5 1.6 10.2 1.5 .519 .853 22.3
2006-07 Houston 48 33.8 0.4 2.0 9.4 2.0 .516 .862 25.0
2007-08 Houston 55 37.2 0.4 2.0 10.8 2.3 .507 .850 22.0
Career totals 404 32.5 0.4 1.8 9.2 1.6 .520 .826 19.0
Playoffs Team GP MPG SPG BPG RPG APG FG% FT% PPG
2004 Houston 5 37.0 0.4 1.4 7.4 1.8 .456 .765 15.0
2005 Houston 7 31.4 0.3 2.7 7.7 0.7 .655 .727 21.4
2007 Houston 7 37.1 0.1 0.7 10.3 0.9 .440 .880 25.1
Career totals 19 35.0 0.3 1.6 8.6 1.1 .509 .810 21.1

tol, bkit andun picture mo sa first page?:lmao::rofl:

:lolcard: pic mo kaya un!!!

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Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978(1978-08-23) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant is the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.

Bryant rose to national prominence in 1996 when he became the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Since O'Neal's departure following the 2003-04 season, Bryant has become the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise, and was the NBA's leading scorer during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points ever scored by a single player in an NBA game.

Early life

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest child and only son of Joe and Pam Bryant (they also have two daughters, Shaya and Sharia).

When Bryant was six, his father left the NBA, moved his family to Italy, and started playing professional basketball there. Bryant became accustomed to the lifestyle there and learned to speak fluent Italian. At an early age, he learned to play soccer and at first his favorite team was AC Milan. He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player, and that his favorite team is FC Barcelona. Bryant is a big fan of FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and their star player Ronaldinho.

1996 Draft

Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to state that Bryant's workouts were some of the best he had seen. Immediately after the draft, Bryant expressed that he did not wish to play for the Hornets and wanted to play for the Lakers instead. Fifteen days later, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant.

First two seasons

During his first season, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Initially, he played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. He earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan-favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

In Bryant's second season (1997-98), he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. He was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter. While his statistics were impressive for his age, he was still a young guard who lacked the experience to complement Shaquille O'Neal and significantly help the team contend for a championship. The 1998-99 season marked Bryant's emergence as starting guards Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones were traded at Shaq's request. The results, however, were no better, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Championship years

Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999. After years of steady improvement, Bryant had become one of the premier shooting guards in the league, a fact that was evidenced by his annual presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became premier championship contenders under Bryant and O'Neal, who formed an outstanding center-guard combination. Jackson utilized the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, which helped both Bryant and Shaq rise to the elite class of the NBA. Their NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002 proved such a fact.

End of a dynasty

In the 2002-03 NBA season, Bryant averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or more points in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, all career highs up to that point. For the first time in his career Bryant was voted on to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams. After finishing 50-32 in the regular season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in six games.

Post dynasty

In the following 2003-04 NBA season, the Lakers were able to acquire NBA All Stars Karl Malone, and Gary Payton to make another push at the NBA Championship. With a starting lineup of four future Hall of Fame players in Shaquille O'Neal, Malone, Payton, and Bryant, the Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals. In the Finals, they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game, shooting 35.1% from the field, and dishing 4.4 assists per game.

2004-05 season

With his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year, Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the season. This first season without O'Neal would prove to be a rocky one.

A particularly damaging salvo came from Phil Jackson in The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. The book detailed the events of the Lakers' tumultuous 2003-04 season and has a number of criticisms of Bryant. In the book Jackson also calls Bryant "uncoachable."

Then, midway through the season, Rudy Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion. Without "Rudy T," stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen. Despite the fact that Bryant was the league's second leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, the Lakers floundered and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. This year signified a drop in Bryant's overall status in the NBA, as he did not make the NBA All-Defensive Team and was also demoted to the All-NBA Third Team.

2005-06 season

The 2005-06 NBA season would mark a crossroads in Bryant's basketball career. Despite past differences with Bryant, Phil Jackson returned to coach the Lakers. Bryant endorsed the move, and by all appearances, the two men worked together well the second time around, leading the Lakers back into the playoffs. Bryant also resolved his conflict with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. The team posted a 45-37 record, an eleven-game improvement over the previous season, and the entire squad seemed to be clicking.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played well enough (3-1 series lead) to come within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Phoenix Suns. Despite Bryant's remarkable game winning shot in Game 4, the Lakers broke down, and ultimately fell to the Suns in seven games. In the following off-season, Bryant had knee surgery, preventing him from participating in the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament.

Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. On December 20, Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. Entering the fourth quarter Bryant had, by himself, outscored the entire Mavericks team 62-61, the only time a player has done this through three quarters since the advent of the 24-second shot clock. When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, signifying the end of the feud that had festered between the two players since O'Neal's departure from Los Angeles. A month later, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two laughed and joked together on several occasions. On January 22, Bryant scored 81 points in a 122-104 victory against the Toronto Raptors. In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor, his point total in that game was the second highest in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.

In January, Bryant also became the first player since 1964 to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games, joining Chamberlain and Baylor as the only players ever to do so.[6] For the month of January, Bryant averaged 43.4 per game, the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history, and highest for any player other than Chamberlain. By the end of the season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise records for the most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832). He won the league's scoring title for the first time, posting a scoring average of (35.4). Bryant finished in fourth-place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, but received 22 first place votes — second only to winner Steve Nash.

Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 2006-07 NBA season. Bryant's first high school number was 24 before he switched to 33. After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant wore 143 at the Adidas ABCD camp, and chose 8 by adding those numbers.

2006-07 season

During the 2006-07 season, Bryant was selected to his 9th All-Star Game appearance, and on February 18, he logged 31 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals, earning his second career All-Star Game MVP trophy.

Over the course of the season, Bryant became involved in a number of on court incidents. On January 28 while attempting to draw contact on a potential game winning jumpshot, he flailed his arm striking San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the face with his elbow. Following league review, Bryant was suspended for the subsequent game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, the basis given for the suspension was that Bryant had performed an "unnatural motion" in swinging his arm backwards. Later, on March 6, he seemed to repeat the motion this time striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jarić. On March 7 the NBA handed Bryant his second one-game suspension, leading several commentators in the media to call recent happenings into question. In his first game back on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retrospectively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul.

On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high 65 points in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game losing streak. This was the second best scoring performance of his 11-year career. The following game, Bryant recorded 50 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves, after which he scored 60 points in a road win against the Memphis Grizzlies - becoming the second Laker to score three straight 50-plus point games, a feat not seen since Michael Jordan last did it in 1987. The only other Laker to do so was Elgin Baylor, who also scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. On March 23, in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Bryant scored 50 points, making him the second player in NBA history to have 4 straight 50 point games behind Wilt Chamberlain, who is the all-time leader with seven consecutive 50 point games twice. Bryant, finished the year with ten 50-plus point games becoming the only player other than Chamberlain in 1961-62 and 1962-63 to do it in one season, and won his second straight scoring title.

During the 2006-07 season, Bryant's jersey became the top selling NBA jersey in the United States and China. A number of journalists have attributed the improved sales to Bryant's new jersey number, as well as his continuing All-Star performance on the court. In the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers were once again eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns.

2007-08 season

On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Bryant stated that he wanted to be traded if Jerry West did not return to the team with full authority. Bryant later confirmed his desire for West's return to the franchise, but denied stating that he would want to be traded if that does not occur. However, three days later, on Stephen A. Smith's radio program, Bryant expressed anger over a Lakers "insider" who claimed that Kobe was responsible for Shaquille O'Neal's departure from the team, and publicly stated, "I want to be traded." Three hours after making that statement, Kobe stated in another interview that after having a conversation with head coach Phil Jackson, he has reconsidered his decision and backed off his trade request. On December 23, 2007 Kobe became the youngest player (29 years, 122 days) to reach 20,000 points, in a game against the New York Knicks, in Madison Square Garden.

Player profile

Bryant is a shooting guard who is capable of playing the small forward position on some occasions. He is considered one of the most complete players in the NBA,[16] and has been elected to every All-NBA Team from 1999 till last year, has been and featured in the last ten NBA All-Star games. He is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.0 points per game for his career, along with 4.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He is known for his ability to create shots for himself, and is an adept outside shooter, sharing the single-game NBA record for three pointers made with twelve. He posseses exceptional ballhandling skills and utilizes his speed and atheletic ability to allude defenders to finish at the basket. Aside from this, he is also a standout defender having made the All-Defensive 1st or 2nd Team 7 of the last 8 seasons.

Conflicts and turmoil

In 2003, Bryant's reputation was tainted by a sexual assault case in which a young woman from Colorado, accused him of rape. With his image tarnished, the public's perception of Bryant plummeted, and his endorsement contracts with McDonald's, Nutella, and Ferrero SpA were terminated. Sales figures from NBA merchandisers indicated that sales of replicas of Bryant's jersey fell far off of their previous highs.

During the investigation, Kobe told police that "he should have done what Shaq does ... that Shaq would pay his women not to say anything" and that Shaq already had paid up to $1 million "for situations like this." This was controversial because Kobe and Shaq were teammates at the time and many thought that Kobe broke "locker-room code" by revealing confidential information, or worse, by falsely accusing a teammate to deflect attention from himself.

However, in September 2004 the judge dismissed Kobe of all charges, and afterwords Kobe agreed to "apologize" to the victim for the incident, including his public mea culpa: "Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did."Details of financial compensation to the victim were not made public. Byrant's endorsments deals resumed again with certain companies like Nike, Spalding, and Coca-Cola.

Personal life

In November 1999, 21 year old Bryant met 17 year old Vanessa Laine while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz music video G'd Up. Bryant was in the building working on his debut musical album, which was never released.

The two began dating and became engaged just six months later in May 2000,[20] while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. To avoid media scrutiny, she finished high school through independent study.[20] According to Vanessa's cousin Laila Laine, there was no prenuptial agreement. Vanessa said Kobe "loved her too much for one".

They married on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, California. Neither Bryant's parents, his two sisters, longtime advisor and agent Arn Tellem, nor Bryant's Laker teammates attended. Bryant's parents were opposed to the marriage for a number of reasons. Reportedly Bryant's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who was not African-American.[20] This disagreement resulted in an estrangement period of over two years, during which Kobe Bryant did not have any contact with his parents.

The Bryants' first child, a daughter named Natalia Diamante Bryant, was born on January 19, 2003. The birth of Natalia influenced Bryant to reconcile his differences with his parents. Vanessa Bryant suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2005. In the fall of 2005 the Bryants announced that they were expecting their second child. Their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, was born on May 1, 2006. Interestingly, Gianna was born 6 minutes ahead of former teammate Shaquille O'Neal's daughter Me'arah Sanaa, who was born in Florida.

Kuya Dirk naman po :thumbsup:

nanakit mata ko sa kakabasa.. maganda sana eh.. okei lang poh ba kung papalit ng kulay..

yung kay chris paul naman:yipee:

:more:tol pwde ba biography nung mga benchwarmers ng NBA nman! puro superstar e!:rofl:

tol eto request kong mga profile!

1. Calvin Booth
2. Mardy Collins
3. Lou Williams
4. Eddie House
5. Greg Buckner
6. Jake Tsakalidis

yan lng muna tol, isip pa ko iba!:lmao::rofl:

nanakit mata ko sa kakabasa.. maganda sana eh.. okei lang poh ba kung papalit ng kulay..

boss ok na po ba sau yang kulay blue na font???

request naman bro.. kevin durant.. :D

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Dirk Werner Nowitzki (pronounced [ɖɪʁk weʁneʁ no'v?tski]) (born June 19, 1978) is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. An alumnus of Röntgen Gymnasium Grammar School and DJK Würzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was drafted ninth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft, and was immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played ever since. Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Nowitzki plays the power forward position, but is also capable of playing other frontcourt positions like center, small forward or point forward.

Nowitzki is a seven-time NBA All-Star and seven-time member of the All-NBA Teams, and is the first European-born player in NBA history to receive the NBA Most Valuable Player award.[1] He is the first Maverick ever to be voted into an All-NBA Team and also holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records.[2] He led the German national basketball team to a bronze medal in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the silver medal in EuroBasket 2005, and was leading scorer and elected Most Valuable Player in both tournaments. Regarded as one of the best European players in basketball history, Nowitzki was named "European Basketball Player of the Year" by Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport for five years in a row and voted FIBA European Basketball Player of the Year in 2005

Early years

Born in Würzburg, West Germany, Dirk Werner Nowitzki comes from an athletic family: his mother Helga was a professional basketball player and his father Jörg-Werner was a handball player who represented Germany at the highest international level.[3] His older sister Silke, a local champion in track and field, also became a basketballer and now works for the NBA in International TV.[2][4] Nowitzki Jr. was a very tall child; most of the time he dwarfed his peers by a foot and more. He initially played handball and tennis, but soon grew tired of being called a "freak" for his height and eventually turned to basketball. After joining the local DJK Würzburg, the 15-year-old attracted the attention of former German international basketball player Holger Geschwindner, who spotted his talent immediately and offered to coach him individually two to three times per week. After getting both the approval of Nowitzki and his parents, Geschwindner put his pupil through an unorthodox training scheme: he emphasized shooting and passing exercises, and shunned weight training and tactical drills, because he felt it was "unnecessary friction".[6] Furthermore, Geschwindner encouraged Nowitzki to play a musical instrument and read literature to make him a more complete personality.

After a year, the coach was so impressed that he said to his pupil: "You must now decide whether you want to play against the best in the world or just stay a local hero in Germany. If you choose latter, we will stop training immediately, because nobody can prevent that anymore. But if you want to play against the best, we have to train on a daily basis." After pondering for two days, Nowitzki decided on the former. Geschwindner let him train seven days a week with DJK Würzburg players and future German internationals Robert Garrett, Marvin Willoughby and Demond Greene, and in the summer of 1994, the 16-year-old Nowitzki made the DJK squad.

DJK Würzburg (1994–98)

When Nowitzki joined the team, DJK played in the Second Bundesliga, South Division. His first trainer was Pit Stahl, who played the tall teenager as an outside-scoring forward rather than an inside-scoring center to utilise his shooting skills. In the 1994–95 Second Bundesliga season, ambitious DJK finished as a disappointing sixth of 12 teams; the rookie Nowitzki was often benched and struggled with bad school grades, which forced him to study rather than work on his game.[9] In the next 1995–96 Second Bundesliga season, Nowitzki established himself as a starter next to Finnish star forward Martti Kuisma and soon became a regular double-digit scorer: after German national basketball coach Dirk Bauermann saw him score 24 points in a DJK game, he stated that "Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest German basketball talent of the last 10, maybe 15 years". DJK finished second in the South Division, but could not earn promotion after losing 86–62 in the deciding match versus BG Ludwigsburg: in that game, Nowitzki scored only eight points.[10]

In the 1996–97 Second Bundesliga season, the team's top scorer Kuisma left the team, and Holger Geschwindner replaced Pit Stahl as head coach. Filling Kuisma's void, Nowitzki averaged 19.4 points per game and led DJK again to second place after the regular season, but could not help his team gain promotion.[11] In the following 1997–98 Second Bundesliga season, Nowitzki finished his "Abitur" (German A-levels), but had to do his compulsory military service in the Bundeswehr (German Military) which lasted from September 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998; Nowitzki described this period as "a tough time at first, we had no privileges and had to participate in all the drills… later [after finishing the tough "Grundausbildung", the most intensive initial part of the service] it was much more relaxed". Concerning basketball, the 19-year old, who had grown to 6 ft 11 in tall, forward flourished further, leading DJK to a 36:4 point total (in Germany, a victory gives 2:0 points and a loss 0:2) and ending as leading scorer with 28.2 points per game. In the promotion playoffs, DJK finally broke its bane, finishing at first place with 14:2 points and earning promotion; Nowitzki scored 26 points in the deciding 95–88 win against Freiburg and was voted "German Basketballer of the Year" by the German BASKET magazine.

Abroad, Nowitzki's progress did not go unnoticed. In 1996, FC Barcelona Bàsquet wanted to sign him, but Nowitzki refused to move before finishing his German A-levels.[14] A year later, the teenager participated in the Nike "Hoop Heroes Tour", where he played against NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen. In a 30-minute show match, Nowitzki outplayed Barkley and even executed a slam dunk on him, causing the latter to say: "The boy is a genius. If he wants to enter the NBA, he can call me." On March 29, 1998, Nowitzki was chosen to play in the Nike Hoop Summit, one of the premier talent watches in U.S. men's basketball. In a match between the U.S. talents and the international talents, Nowitzki scored 33 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 14 rebounds and 3 steals for the internationals and outplayed future US NBA stars Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington. He impressed with an array of quickness, ball handling and his shooting range, and from that moment on, a multitude of European and NBA clubs wanted to get him.

Dallas Mavericks (1998–present)

Difficult start (1998–99)

After leading DJK Würzburg to promotion, with his A-levels and his military service completed, Nowitzki was now free to evaluate his future. In the official guides for the 1998 NBA Draft, Nowitzki was projected to be picked on position 7, so he decided to skip many college offers and make the leap directly into the NBA as a prep-to-pro player. In particular Rick Pitino and Don Nelson, head coaches of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks respectively, were highly interested in acquiring him. After a 45-minute private workout with Pitino, where he showcased his versatile shooting, rebounding and passing skills, the Boston coach immediately compared him to Celtics legend Larry Bird; Pitino assured Nowitzki that he would draft him with the Celtics' first-round draft pick on position 10. However, his plan was foiled by Nelson, whose team had the sixth pick. Nelson worked out draft day deals with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns: the Mavericks wanted Nowitzki and Suns reserve point guard Steve Nash; the Bucks desired muscular forward Robert Traylor, who was projected to be drafted before Nowitzki; and the Suns had set their sights on forward Pat Garrity, who was projected as a low first round pick. In the draft, the Mavericks drafted Traylor with their sixth pick, and the Bucks selected Nowitzki with their ninth and Garrity with their nineteenth pick. The Mavericks then traded Traylor to the Bucks for Nowitzki and Garrity, and they in return traded the latter to Phoenix for Nash. In retrospect, Don Nelson had an outstanding trade instinct, basically trading future career underachievers Traylor and Garrity for two future winners of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Nowitzki and Nash; in addition, both new recruits became best friends. Nowitzki became only the fourth German player in NBA history, following pivots Uwe Blab and Christian Welp and All-Star swingman Detlef Schrempf, who was a 35-year old veteran player of the Portland Trail Blazers when his young compatriot came.[ Nowitzki finished his DJK career as the only Würzburg player to have ever made the jump into the NBA.

In Dallas, Nowitzki joined a franchise which had last made the playoffs in 1990. Shooting guard Michael Finley captained the squad, and other notable players were 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley, once drafted at position 2, and top scorer was ex-Lakers forward Cedric Ceballos. Nowitzki experienced a rocky start: prior to the 1998–99 NBA season, NBA commissioner David Stern wanted to introduce a salary cap, causing the NBA players' union to declare a strike and putting the entire season in jeopardy. In this limbo, Nowitzki returned to DJK Würzburg and played 13 games, before both sides worked out a late compromise, and the season was played with only 50 instead of 82 regular season games. When the season started, Nowitzki struggled further. Played as a small forward by coach Don Nelson, the lanky 20-year old felt overpowered by the more athletic NBA forwards, was intimidated by the expectations as a number-9 pick, and played bad defense, causing hecklers to taunt him as "Irk Nowitzki", omitting the "D" which stands for "defense" in basketball slang. He only averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of playing time. Looking back, Nowitzki said: "I was so frustrated I even contemplated going back to Germany… [the jump from Second Bundesliga to the NBA] was like jumping out of an airplane hoping the parachute would somehow open." The Mavericks only won 19 of their 50 games and missed the playoffs, although Nowitzki completed the season with eight double-digit scoring games in the last 12 matches.

Posting a 53–29 record in the regular season, the Mavericks reached the playoffs for the first time since 1990. As the fifth seed, they were paired against the Utah Jazz of all-time assist leader John Stockton and second all-time leading scorer Karl Malone. After losing the first two games, Nowitzki scored back-to-back 33 points in Games 3 and 4 and help to tie the series.[30] In Game 5, the Mavericks trailed the entire game until Calvin Booth drained a jump shot which put them ahead 84–83 with 9.8 seconds to go. Jazz players Bryon Russell and Malone missed last-second shots and the Mavericks won, setting up a meeting with Texas rivals San Antonio Spurs of All-Star power forward Tim Duncan. The Mavericks lost their first three games, and Nowitzki fell ill with flu and later lost a tooth after a collision with Spurs guard Terry Porter. After a Game 4 win, Nowitzki scored 42 points and 18 rebounds in Game 5, but could not prevent a deciding 87–105 loss. While Sports Illustrated pointed out that the Mavericks shot badly during Game 5, Nowitzki was lauded for scoring his playoff career-high 42 points. The German said: "It's a disappointment to end the season on a blowout."

Before the 2002–03 NBA season, Don Nelson and Mark Cuban put more emphasis on defense in the training drills, specialising in a zone defense anchored by prolific shotblockers Raef LaFrentz and Shawn Bradley. The Mavericks won their 11 first games, and Finley, Nash and Nowitzki were voted "Western Conference Players of the Month" in November 2002. In that season, Nowitzki lifted his averages again, now scoring 25.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. In addition, the German had 41 double-double games, the seventh highest figure that season. As a reward, he was voted into the All-Star game and the All-NBA Second Team again, and was also runner-up in the "German Athlete of the Year" election, only losing to ski jumper Sven Hannawald. He led the Mavericks to a franchise-high 60–22 record, which earned them the third seed: as a result, the Mavericks had to play sixth seed Portland Trail Blazers in the 2003 NBA Playoffs. Now playing in a best-of-seven series instead of the former best-of-five, Dallas quickly won the first three games, but then the Mavericks completely lost their rhythm and lost the next three matches. In Game 7, Portland held the game close, but 90 seconds before the end, Nowitzki hit a clutch three point shot, and the game ended 107–95 for the Mavericks. "This was the most important basket of my career", he later said, "I was not prepared to go on vacation that early." He later added in an ESPN interview: "We had to be more physical in the paint and rebound the ball. We worked hard all season to get the home-court advantage and we used that advantage today."

In the next round, the Mavericks met the Kings again. After losing the first game at home with 113–124, Nowitzki (25 points) and veteran sixth man Van Exel (36) led Dallas to a spectacular 132–110 Game 2 win in which the Mavericks scored 83 points in the first half. Helped by the fact that Kings star forward Chris Webber injured his meniscus, Nowitzki and Van Exel led the Mavericks to a 141–137 overtime win in Game 3, before dropping Game 4 with 83–99, where Nowitzki only scored 11 points and was ejected after angrily kicking over a load of towels. After splitting the next two games, Nowitzki delivered a clutch performance in Game 7, scoring 30 points, grabbing 19 rebounds and playing strong defense, and led the Mavericks to a series-deciding 112–99 win. ESPN lauded Nowitzki as "Big D", and after again winning a Game 7, the German added: "We've really learned how to close games out."

In the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks met the San Antonio Spurs of Tim Duncan again. In Game 1 in San Antonio, Nowitzki scored 38 points on Duncan and led his team to a 113–110 win. In Game 2, Duncan quickly put Nowitzki in foul trouble, and the Spurs equalised the series with a 132–110 win. In Game 3, fate struck as Nowitzki went up for a rebound, landed on the foot of Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, rolled his ankle and suffered a season-ending foot injury: without their top scorer, the Mavericks still fought valiantly and trailed 2–3, before Spurs guard Steve Kerr nailed a buzzer beater in Game 6 to end the series. Don Nelson later commented: "We were playing so well for so long and the bottom just dropped out... We went cold at the wrong time." Nowitzki only took little consolation in the fact that he again was voted "European Basketballer of the Year" and was named "Best European Basketballer" in a general survey of the NBA general managers.

In the 2003–04 NBA season, Mark Cuban and Don Nelson decided to add more offensive wing players to their squad. As a result, the Mavericks acquired two All-Star forwards, namely Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Antawn Jamison (for role players Danny Fortson, Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills) and Antoine Walker (Boston Celtics) who came for center Raef LaFrentz. Basketball experts were wary about latter trade, because it sent away the Mavericks starting center; they argued it left a hole in the middle that the aging, injury-prone backup pivot Shawn Bradley could not fill anymore.[50] Unable to trade for a new center, Don Nelson decided to start the prolific rebounder Nowitzki at pivot, put Walker on Nowitzki's usual power forward spot and played Jamison as a high-scoring sixth man. To cope with his more physical role, Nowitzki put on 20 lb of muscle mass over summer, sacrificed part of his agility, and put more emphasis on defense rather than scoring: as a result, his averages fell for the first time in his career, dropping to 21.8 points,.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game,[22] but he was still the Mavericks leader in scoring, rebounding, steals (1.2 spg) and blocks (1.35 bpg). These figures earned him nominations for the All-Star game and the All-NBA Third Team. Compiling a 58–24 record, the Mavericks met their familiar rivals Sacramento Kings again, but were eliminated in just five games.

International career

Nowitzki has been playing for the Germany national basketball team since the 1999 FIBA European championships. In his debut tournament, the 21-year old rookie established himself as the main German scorer, but could not prevent that Germany only ended seventh and failed to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games.[71] In the 2001 FIBA European Championships, Nowitzki was top scorer with 28.7 points per game, and narrowly lost the MVP vote to Serbian player Peja Stojakovic. Germany reached the semi-finals and were close to beating host nation Turkey, but down by three, Hedo Turkoglu hit a three-point buzzer beater, and the Turks eventually won in overtime.[72] Germany then lost 90–99 against Spain, and did not win a medal. However, with averages of 28.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, Nowitzki led the tournament in both statistics, and was voted to the All-Star team. Back home, the German basketball team attracted up to 3.7 million television viewers, a record in German basketball history.

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Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays point guard for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA. His nickname is CP3.

Early years

Paul was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Charles and Robin Paul. He has an older brother, Charles "CJ" Paul Jr. Paul played Pop Warner football for the Lewisville Titans and AAU Basketball. He attended John W. Moore Elementary School, Hanes-Lowrance Middle School and West Forsyth High School.

High school

Paul played at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina, where he was a 2003 McDonald's All-American and was named North Carolina's Mr. Basketball for 2003 by the Charlotte Observer. Paul averaged 30.8 points, 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 steals per game as a senior in leading his team to a 27–0 record and the Class 4A Eastern Regional finals. While in a game during high school, Paul scored 61 points in honor of his grandfather, who in 2002 was beaten to death in his own carport during a robbery; one point for every year his grandfather lived. (Paul's grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, was murdered the day after Paul received a letter of intent to play college basketball at Wake Forest University).[1] When Paul reached the 61-point mark, he intentionally missed a free throw, then took himself out of the game even though the state high school scoring record of 69 points was well within reach.

College

Paul attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. He played there for two years leading the Demon Deacons to two NCAA Tournaments, and one Sweet Sixteen appearance. In his sophomore year he was named a Consensus First Team All-American. Chris had also received the ACC Rookie of the Year as well as ACC All-Defensive Team honors during his play at Wake Forest. He left Wake Forest with records near the top of nearly every offensive category.

Controversy

Paul was lauded for his competitive nature in ACC play, but he was also known for letting this competitive drive get the best of him at times. The most popularized example of this occurred during the last regular season game in the 2005 season. While guarding North Carolina State player Julius Hodge, Paul reached around and punched Hodge in the scrotum. Despite replays to the contrary, after the game, Paul insisted, "I don't believe I popped him ... It was just the heat of the game. I've got too much respect for him to try to pop him on senior night."[3] Hodge was initially indignant over the assault, stating "He punched me in the groin and the ref saw it ... I got suspended for that (as a freshman). ...I never play dirty like that." Later, Hodge was able to joke about the situation, quipping "At first, I just wanted to find out if I could still have children. Once I figured out I could have children, it was all good."[4] After reviewing the play, ACC officials elected to suspend Paul for Wake Forest's next game, the first game of the ACC conference tournament. Without Paul, the Demon Deacons lost in the second round after a first round bye, coincidentally to North Carolina State.

NBA career

2005–06 season

Paul was selected fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Paul never got to play his first full season in New Orleans. Instead, the team relocated to Oklahoma City for the season with the Hornets playing just three games at the New Orleans Arena. Paul led all rookies in points, assists, steals, and minutes, earning him the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Paul was a near unanimous winner for the award, but one voter (Ron Boone, Television analyst for the Utah Jazz) gave Deron Williams a vote instead of Paul. This, along with the fact that both were taken back to back in the draft and play the same position, has led to an on court rivalry between Paul and Williams. Their rivalry began on December 1, 2004 when Paul led his No. 1-ranked Wake Forest into Champaign to face Williams' Illini. Illinois thrashed the Demon Deacons 91–73 and took the top spot from there into their run to the 2005 NCAA Championship Game. Williams had 11 assists and 8 points while Paul was held to 10.

Paul finished the 2005-06 season averaging 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. He was also the only unanimous selection to the 2005-06 NBA All Rookie First Team and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month every month in the 2005-06 season. After the season, Paul won the ESPY Award for Best Breakthrough Athlete. He recorded his first triple-double on April 2, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

2006–07 season

Still playing in Oklahoma City, Paul followed up his impressive rookie season with a solid sophomore season. He improved his scoring average to 17.3 points, and improved his assists average with 8.9 a game. He averaged 4.4 rebounds per game. Paul's season was riddled with injuries though, as he only played in 64 games.

Paul was not named an All-Star in 2007, but he was named to replace Steve Nash in the 2007 Playstation Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend. He played in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and dished out 17 assists and had 9 steals, both T-Mobile Rookie Challenge records.

2007–08 season

brought the full return of the Hornets to the city of New Orleans. Paul is currently averaging 21 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds, and leads the NBA in steals with 2.6 a game and assists with 11.5 a game. He was selected by NBA coaches to play in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game which was hosted by the city of New Orleans. Paul's teammate David West was named as an All-Star reserve and coach Byron Scott coached the Western Conference All-Stars.

Paul is currently one of the leading candidates for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Paul was named Western Conference Player of the Month for December 2007.

During All-Star Weekend, Paul participated again in the 2008 All-Star Playstation Skills Challenge winning the first round but losing in the final round to Deron Williams. Paul sparked a 4th quarter comeback for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game, but the East held on to win 134-128. He finished the game with 16 points, 14 assists and 5 steals.

Paul has continued his stellar play following the All Star game, leading the New Orleans Hornets to one of the best records in the West. After a 37 point, 13 assist, and 3 steal performance by Paul against the Chicago Bulls on March 17th, 2008 where Paul sparked a 4th quarter comeback win[6], the Hornets ascended to the top of the standings in the Western Conference. On April 4, 2008, Chris Paul helped the Hornets clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2003-04 NBA season.

International

Paul has earned 10 caps for various junior national teams. He made his debut for the senior United States national basketball team debut on August 4, 2006 in a friendly against Puerto Rico. Paul made the final cut and remained on the Team USA roster for the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Team USA finished with an 8-1 record and defeated 2004 Olympic gold medal winner Argentina for a third-place finish. Paul set a Team USA World Championship total assist record with 44 assists, to go along with 17 steals and 9 turnovers

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Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988 in Washington, D.C.) is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics. A 6'9" shooting guard/small forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year, in addition to being selected as the 2006-2007 Big 12 Player of the Year, amongst other awards. After his freshman season at the University of Texas, Durant opted to enter the NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall. Durant's older brother, Tony Durant, is a junior forward for Towson University. Durant signed an endorsement contract with Nike in 2007 and wears size 18 shoes.

High school

A basketball player from his earliest days, Durant played for a successful Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars. The Jaguars won multiple national championships with Durant and fellow future blue chip recruits Michael Beasley (Kansas State)Chris Braswell and Daniel Zamora (Georgetown). Durant wore, and continues to wear, the #35 jersey in honor of his childhood mentor and AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at age 35.[11] Durant later moved on to play AAU basketball with fellow McDonald's All American Tywon Lawson (North Carolina) for the DC Blue Devils. During this time Durant also starred for the Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland.[12] At Montrose, Durant led the team in scoring and was named the 2006 All-Met Player of the Year in Boys' Basketball by The Washington Post. Durant also played with current Maryland point guard Greivis Vasquez while at Montrose. Vetter described Durant as a soft working player, complete with size, shooting skills and ball handling skills.[13] Durant also was named a McDonald's All American and named co-MVP of the 2006 McDonald's All American game along with Chase Budinger. Behind Greg Oden, Durant was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect.

College

A 6'9" small forward with a 7'4¾" wingspan[16], Durant was one of four freshman starters for the University of Texas basketball team. Durant started in all 35 games of the season, which culminated with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to University of Southern California. Texas finished third in the conference, with a 12-4 record and was the runner-up in the 2007 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament.

Although he had a slender frame, Durant frequently used it to his advantage by posting up bigger players, while shooting over smaller guards.[18]. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale praised Durant as the "most prolific offensive skilled big perimeter" ever and proceeded to compare Durant's game to those of current NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. After a 35 point, 23 rebound winning performance against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, head coach Bob Knight described Durant as quick, fast and mobile, and being "really good". Texas coach Rick Barnes admitted to rarely calling set plays for Durant, instead relying on Durant himself and on his teammates to find him within the flow of the offense.

Durant was widely hailed by the media as the Big 12's top freshman and a top candidate to be named Freshman of the Year. He averaged 25.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Texas Longhorns. In Big 12 matches he averaged 28.9 points per game and 12.5 rebounds. His college career high for scoring was 37 points, which he has achieved on four occasions. Durant had twenty 30-point games his freshman year, including a losing effort against Kansas for the regular season Big 12 title.

In March 2007, Durant was named the NABC Division I Player of the Year,[2] and received the Oscar Robertson Trophy[4] and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy,[5] becoming the first freshman to win each of these awards. On March 30, 2007, he was selected as the Associated Press college player of the year, becoming the first freshman and the first Texas athlete to receive this award since its inception in 1961. On April 1, 2007 he became the first freshman to receive the Naismith Award and on April 7, 2007, won the John R. Wooden Award.

In late February 2007, Durant received an invitation to the Team USA Basketball training camp, becoming the second freshman after Oden to achieve this.[25]

Less than a week after being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, The University of Texas announced the retirement of Durant's #35 jersey. The number will now hang in the rafters at the Frank Erwin Center along with the #11 of former Longhorn great T. J. Ford.

NBA career

Durant declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft on April 11, 2007 and signed his first professional contract on May 25 with the Upper Deck, Co., who later heralded Durant to be the focus of their 2007-08 NBA trading card line. Durant was also announced as the coverboy of the new NCAA March Madness 2008 video game by EA Sports.[27]

On June 28, 2007, Durant was taken second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.[8] In the proceeding month, Durant went on to sign a seven year, $60 million endorsement deal with Nike - a rookie deal only surpassed by LeBron James' contract with Nike.[28] In doing so, Durant reportedly turned down a potential $70 million contract with Adidas, opting for Nike since he had worn them all his life.

After playing only a handful of games in the NBA Summer League, Durant was chosen to trial for Team USA and participate in the State Farm USA basketball challenge, alongside NBA all-stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. Although Durant held his own in scoring 22 points for the Blue team in one game, he was ultimately dropped when the roster was trimmed to the twelve player limit. Coach Mike Krzyzewski cited the experience of the remaining players as the deciding factor in making the cut.

On October 31, 2007, Durant made his NBA debut with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On November 16, 2007 Durant made his first game winning shot of his NBA career with a key 3-pointer to beat the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime. Durant finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. On November 30, 2007, Durant scored a career high 35 points to beat the Indiana Pacers.

To date, Durant has been lauded as the stand-out NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 20 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. In addition to leading all rookies in scoring for the season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Month for November, December (2007), January and March (2008).

Awards

High school

* 2006 Co-MVP McDonald's All-American Game — Shared award with Chase Budinger


* 2007 ESPN All-American
* 2007 ESPN Player of the Year
* 2007 NABC Division I Player of the Year
* 2007 AP Player of the Year (First freshman to achieve the honor)
* 2007 AP All-America 1st Team (unanimous)
* 2007 Oscar Robertson Trophy
* 2007 Adolph Rupp Trophy
* 2007 Naismith Award Winner (First freshman to do so)
* 2007 John R. Wooden Award All-American Team
* 2007 John R. Wooden Award Winner
* Big 12 Rookie of the Week (six times)
* Big 12 Player of the Week (four times)
* 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards:
o Player of the Year
o Big 12 Freshman of the Year
o All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous)
o Big 12 All-Defensive Team
o Big 12 All-Rookie Team (unanimous)
* 2007 AP National Player of the Year

NBA

* Rookie of the Month (November, December [2007], January and March [2008])

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Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr (born May 24, 1979, in Bartow, Florida) is an American professional basketball player, currently positioned at starting shooting guard for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is commonly referred to as "T-Mac," and he can also play the small forward position.

Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He spent the first seven years of his career with the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2004. McGrady was ranked #75 on SLAM magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of All Time in 2003. McGrady has never advanced to the second round of the playoffs in his ten year-career despite his six trips to the playoffs: one with the Toronto Raptors, three with the Orlando Magic and two with the Houston Rockets. McGrady's style of play has been compared to that of George Gervin.[1]

Tracy McGrady played high school basketball at Auburndale Senior High School in Auburndale, Florida for three years. He then transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy, in Durham, North Carolina. He would have attended the University of Kentucky had he not entered the NBA right after high school. McGrady created a national buzz after his performance in the Adidas ABCD Camp, where the best high school players in the U.S. are invited annually. He was named High School Player of the Year by USA Today.

NBA career

Toronto Raptors (1997-2000)

McGrady was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Chicago Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause had arranged a draft-day trade to send Scottie Pippen to the Vancouver Grizzlies for the fourth overall selection, which he would have used to draft McGrady. Krause was forced to call off the deal when Michael Jordan threatened to retire if it was made.

In McGrady's first two seasons with the Raptors, he averaged less than 10 points per game, mainly coming off the bench. In his second season, he began playing alongside his third cousin, Vince Carter, who would go on to win the Rookie of the Year Award that season. The 1999-2000 season was McGrady's first breakout season in the NBA. He was a starter in 34 games out of 79, averaging 15.4 points per game, and a career-high 1.9 blocks per game. McGrady also competed in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, finishing third, behind Carter and Steve Francis.

In 2000, the duo of McGrady and Carter helped lead the Raptors to the playoffs, for the first time in franchise history. However, the team was swept 3–0 by the New York Knicks in the first round. McGrady was often overshadowed by Carter during his time in Toronto, and he became a free agent in the summer of 2000. In the off-season, he expressed interest in playing for family and friends in his home state of Florida.

Orlando Magic (2000-2004)

On August 3, 2000, McGrady was dealt to the Orlando Magic in a sign-and-trade deal. In Orlando, he played alongside Grant Hill, who had been acquired that summer in hope of bringing Orlando back among the Eastern Conference's elite teams. However, ankle injury limited Hill to only 4 games and McGrady became the leader of the team. For the first time in his career McGrady was selected as an All-Star when he was voted by the fans to start in the midseason classic for the Eastern Conference. At season's end he was presented with the 2001 NBA Most Improved Player Award. Even though McGrady had elevated his game from solid contributor to star, the Magic were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the 2002-03 season, McGrady averaged 32.1 points per game and captured the NBA scoring title, becoming the youngest player to do so since the NBA/ABA merger. Despite McGrady's personal accolades, the Magic failed to reach the second round of the playoffs. In a rather infamous moment, during the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Magic (who were an #8 seed) surprisingly took a 3-1 series lead against the heavily favored #1 seed Detroit Pistons. Prior to the fifth game in Detroit, McGrady was quoted as saying that how wonderful it was to "finally be in the second round (of the playoffs)". Orlando, however, lost Games 5, 6, and 7 by an average of more than 20 points, and Detroit advanced to the second round.

In the 2003-04 season, he once again captured the NBA scoring title, averaging 28 points per game, and set a career high with 62 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2004. With this performance, he became the fourth player in the past 12 years to score over 60 points in a game.

Houston Rockets (2004-present)

On June 29, 2004, McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines were traded to the Houston Rockets in a seven-player deal that sent Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Magic. In his first year with the Houston Rockets, McGrady teamed with 7'6" center Yao Ming, to end the season ranked 5th in the Western Conference. On December 9, 2004, he scored 13 points in the last 33 seconds of a game against the San Antonio Spurs, with four consecutive 3 pointers (one of which was part of a four-point play), including a steal and the game-winning 3 pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the game that helped the Rockets win 81–80.[2][3]

Despite McGrady's play in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Houston was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in game seven by 40 points.

In the early 2005–06 season, McGrady missed eight games because of multiple back spasms. His back problems resurfaced on January 8, 2006 when he had to be taken out at halftime in a game against the Denver Nuggets on a stretcher to the hospital because of severe back spasms. He had been out for five games. Since his return, the spasms have still been a problem for McGrady. In the 2005–06 season the Rockets were 2-15 in games he did not play in and 2-16 in games McGrady did not finish. While McGrady was injured for five games with his back injury, the Rockets did not win a single game. Other injuries include him falling on his tailbone in a game against the Indiana Pacers.

In the 2006-07 season, McGrady started out slowly, and after missing 7 games with back spasms he visited a doctor. In an interview with TNT, McGrady said that he thought that his body was slowing down. He believed that he could no longer be as explosive as he was in the past due to his back injury. Shortly after another bout with back spasms, McGrady went to Waco, Texas where Dr. John Patterson performed "Synergy Release Therapy" to cure his chronic back problems, particularly the back spasms.[4] Since Yao Ming was having another breakout season, he was deferring to Yao as the number one option.[5] However, since Yao went down with a leg injury, McGrady stepped up his overall play, re-establishing himself as one of the game's premier players and by doing so has led Houston to the 5th best record in the league. On December 29, 2006, he became the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 14,000 points and 4,000 rebounds.[6] However, in the playoffs, the Rockets lost their first round series to the Utah Jazz 4-3, again preventing McGrady from advancing to the second round of the playoffs. A tear fell down his cheek during the press-conference after losing game seven 103–99 to the Utah Jazz in the 2007 Playoffs.[7] Prior to the series with the Jazz, McGrady had stated in an interview with Stephen A. Smith that if he and the Rockets failed to make it out of the first round again, it was "on me".[8] McGrady is currently under a contract which will end following the 2009–10 NBA season, and the contract is worth an estimated $21.1 million per year.[9]

On March 12, 2008 the Houston Rockets defeated the Atlanta Hawks to break the second longest winning streak in the NBA set by the Milwaukee Bucks at 20. The streak started on January 29, 2008 and continued through 22 wins. This streak was snapped with a 74-94 loss to the Boston Celtics, with him scoring only 8 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Personal life

McGrady has three children - daughters Layla Clarice, Laycee Aloe and son Laymen Lamar- with his wife CleRenda Harris whom he had dated for 10 years. Their son was born on December 27, 2005 during a 82-74 loss against the Utah Jazz in which McGrady left during halftime to see his girlfriend going into labor. The couple were married on September 12, 2006 in Canada. McGrady and Vince Carter are third cousins; McGrady learned that his grandmother and Carter's grandmother were cousins at a family reunion while he was still in high school and Carter played at the University of North Carolina.[10] The two played together with the Toronto Raptors for two years before McGrady was traded. After McGrady left, he and Carter had a short feud, but this was resolved in a short period of time.[11]

In 2002, McGrady signed a lifetime partnership with Adidas, agreeing to an endorsement deal that will last through his playing career and beyond.[12]

He was on the cover of NBA Live 07. A famous All-American player Van Huy claims T-Mac is his idol.

NBA career achievements

* 2-time NBA scoring leader: 2003 (32.1), 2004 (28.0)
* 7-time NBA All-Star: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
* 6-time All-NBA:

* First Team: 2002, 2003
* Second Team: 2001, 2004, 2007
* Third Team: 2005

* NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2001

Orlando Magic franchise records

* All-Time Free Throws Made (1,819)
* Most points in one game with 62 (March 10, 2004 vs. Washington Wizards)
* Most points in one half with 37 in the first half (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
* Most points in one quarter with 25 in the second quarter (March 9, 2003 vs. Denver Nuggets)
* Most free throws made in one game with 18 (December 25, 2002 vs. Detroit Pistons)
* Most points in a playoff game with 45 (in Game 2 of the 2003 Eastern Conference playoffs, First Round vs. Detroit Pistons)
* Most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 26, 2004 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers)

Career achievements

* Career 40+ point games (regular season): 45
* Career 50+ point games (regular season): 4
* Career 60+ point games (regular season): 1
* Career triple-doubles (regular season): 3
* Shares NBA record for most three-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 26, 2004 Orlando vs. Cleveland)

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Calvin Lawerence Booth

Calvin Lawerence Booth (born May 7, 1976 in Reynoldsburg, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA currently with Philadelphia 76ers.

College career

Calvin Booth attended Penn State University after a stellar high school career. As a junior, he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he was a second team All-Big Ten Conference pick. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Penn State in 1998.

NBA career

Booth was drafted by the Wizards in the second round (35th overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft. He has played for the Wizards, the Dallas Mavericks, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Milwaukee Bucks throughout his NBA career, averaging 4.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. During the 2006-07 NBA season, he played for the Washington Wizards again, providing play from off the bench and starting occasionally. On September 10, 2007 Booth signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers.[1]


Booth's career highlight came in Game 5 of the 2001 NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz. Booth's jumper with 5 seconds remaining gave Dallas the 84-83 victory and a 3-2 series victory, the Mavericks' first since the 1988 Western Conference semifinals against Denver.<

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Mardy Collins

Mardy Collins (born August 4, 1984, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American professional basketball player, who recently completed his college basketball career at Temple University, and was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 29th pick of the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft.

High school

Collins attended Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, as did NBA players Aaron McKie and Rasheed Wallace.

College career

Scouts were impressed by Collins' defense and team play. He totaled 89 steals for his 2005-06 season at Temple, primarily by stepping into passing lanes. He also averaged 16.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 4.0 assists per game.

Professional career

In 52 games played during the 2006-2007 season, Collins averaged 4.5 points per game, 2.0 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. However, in the final 10 games of the season, when he played a substantially higher number of minutes than previously in the season, he averaged 14.7 points, 6.3 boards, 5.8 assists and 1.90 steals. [1]

On December 16, 2006, during the fourth quarter of a game between the Knicks and Denver Nuggets, Collins committed a hard foul against Nuggets guard J.R. Smith. The ensuing confrontation resulted in a brawl, after which 10 players were ejected. [2] Collins received a 6 game suspension. [3]

He played a career-high 51 minutes on April 7, 2007 against the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 19 points in addition to 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals.

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Louis Williams

Louis Williams (born October 27, 1986 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American professional basketball player with the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him with the 45th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft.

Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up in Snellville, Georgia. There, he played at South Gwinnett High School where he was a four-time All-State selection and was named Georgia's "Mr. Basketball" in both his junior and senior year. As a senior, Williams averaged 27.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while leading South Gwinnett to a 28-3 record and fourth place finish in the state. Williams also won the 2005 Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award which identifies the nation's top high school player, and was named to the 2005 McDonald's All-American East Team. His style and play is often compared to former 76ers star Allen Iverson.

Pro career

Both Williams and Mike Mercer, high school teammates at South Gwinnett High School, committed to play at the University of Georgia, but Williams declared for the 2005 NBA Draft. Despite disappointing workout performances, he remained in the Draft and signed with player agent Merle Scott. Williams fell to the second round of the Draft and was eventually picked 45th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. During the 2005-06 NBA season Williams played sparingly as an NBA rookie for the 76ers, averaging 1.9 points and .3 assists over 30 games. After being inactive for most of the first month of the 2006-07 NBA season, Williams was sent by the 76ers to play for the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League on November 28,. 2006.[1]

After stellar performances in the NBA D-League, averaging 26 points and 7 assists over three games[2], and with trade rumors surrounding the 76ers' starting point guard Allen Iverson[3], Williams was restored back to the 76ers roster on December 5, 2006.

During the 2007-2008 season, Williams is averaging career-highs of 11.3 ppg and 3.2 apg.

Highlights

* Was the eighth youngest player on an NBA roster at the start of the 2006-07 season.
* Scored 10+ points eight times in 2006-07, seven of which came over the final 19 games… during that 19-game stretch, averaged 7.9 points (45.5% FGs, 83.3% FTs), 3.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds while committing just 17 turnovers in 18.6 minutes per game.
* Over his final 36 games played in 2006-07, had 89 assists to 31 turnovers (2.87 ratio).
* Received 2006 Rocky Mountain Revue All-Tournament honors after averaging 22.0 points, 5.2 assists and 2.00 steals per game in the six-game tournament... Led the league in assists, ranked second in scoring and was third in steals per game
* Became the first high school player selected by the Sixers in the draft since Darryl Dawkins (1975, 1st round, 5th pick overall).
* Scored 7,338 points, 1,768 rebounds, 950 assists and 855 steals during his career at South Gwinnett High School (Ga).
* Winner of the Naismith Award, signifying the nation's top high school player and was named Mr. Basketball in Georgia as a junior (2003-04) and a senior (2004-05).
* Lou dunked for the first time in 4th grade when he was 5 foot 4 inches tall.
* Also is a close friend of Bow Wow. Was seen socializing with Bow Wow at his house on MTV Cribs
* Was the last ever player in the NBA to be drafted directly out of High School due to the rule change.

Was the eighth youngest player on an NBA roster at the start of the 2006-07 season. Scored 10+ points eight times in 2006-07, seven of which came over the final 19 games… during that 19-game stretch, averaged 7.9 points (45.5% FGs, 83.3% FTs), 3.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds while committing just 17 turnovers in 18.6 minutes per game. Over his final 36 games played in 2006-07, had 89 assists to 31 turnovers (2.87 ratio). Received 2006 Rocky Mountain Revue All-Tournament honors after averaging 22.0 points, 5.2 assists and 2.00 steals per game in the six-game tournament... Led the league in assists, ranked second in scoring and was third in steals per game Became the first high school player selected by the Sixers in the draft since Darryl Dawkins (1975, 1st round, 5th pick overall). Scored 7,338 points, 1,768 rebounds, 950 assists and 855 steals during his career at South Gwinnett High School (Ga). Winner of the Naismith Award, signifying the nation's top high school player and was named Mr. Basketball in Georgia as a junior (2003-04) and a senior (2004-05). Threw down his first dunk in 4th grade.

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Edward L. House II

Edward L. House II (born May 14, 1978 in Berkeley, California), commonly referred to as Eddie House, is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Boston Celtics.

College career

House attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona where he is the all-time scoring leader at with 2,044 points in his career and is the only player to score more than 2,000 points. He and Ike Diogu are the only two Sun Devils to be named Pac-10 Player of the Year and was the fifth Sun Devil to be voted onto the All-Conference team twice.

He is also the career record holder at Arizona State for field goals and steals and set the single-season scoring average record for the school with 23.0 points per game in 1999-2000. In that season, he was named Pac-10 Player of the Week a record-tying four times (matched only by Ed O'Bannon, Chris Mills, and Gary Payton).

House set a single-game Arizona State record with a 61-point effort in a double-overtime game against the California Golden Bears on the road in his senior season. It was also a memorable homecoming of sorts for him, as he had starred in high school for nearby Hayward High School. In the game, House also set a record with 18 made free throws in 19 attempts. He is one of only three players to average in double figures in four consecutive seasons at Arizona State since it joined the Pac-10 (the others being Reggie Jordan and Charles "Bo" Outlaw).

NBA career

House was selected by the Miami Heat in the second round (37th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft.

* On November 18, 2005, he scored a career-high 31 points against the Utah Jazz.
* On August 12, 2006, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the New Jersey Nets.
* On August 1, 2007, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Boston Celtics.

Personal

He is the son of Edward and Debbie House and has two brothers, Diallo and Mychal. During his rookie season with Miami in 2000-01, he married Mike Bibby's sister Charlsie. The couple has three sons, Jaelen and twins Kaden and Kalek. Coincidentally, both Eddie House and Mike Bibby played for the Sacramento Kings in 2004-05.

He likes reading books by David Goines and watching movies, and has an extensive collection of DVDs. He also has two dogs named Passion and Rizzo.

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Gregory Derayle Buckner

Gregory Derayle Buckner (born September 16, 1976 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky) is a professional basketball player in the NBA, currently playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Selected in the second round (53rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks after playing college basketball at Clemson, he has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, with a career scoring average of 5.5 points per game. He was traded to the Timberwolves for Trenton Hassell on September 28, 2007.[1]

In the 2004-05 NBA season, he was third in the league in points per shot attempt.

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Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis

Iakovos "Jake" Tsakalidis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Τσακαλίδης; born June 10, 1979, in Rustavi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union (present Georgia)) is a Georgian-Greek professional basketball player who currently plays for Olympiacos of Greece.

A 7'2", 290 lbs. center, holds dual citizenship in Georgia, where he was born, and Greece, where he was raised and became famous.

AEK

He played for AEK Athens. He was a 2 time Greek Cup finalist (1998, 1999), Saporta Cup Winner (2000) and Greek Cup Winner (2000).

NBA

Tsakalidis was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 1st round (25th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. On September 30, 2003, Tsakalidis was traded by the Suns with teammate Bo Outlaw to the Memphis Grizzlies for Brevin Knight, Robert Archibald, and Cezary Trybanski.

In his NBA career, he has averaged 5.1 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. He was traded by the Grizzlies to the Houston Rockets on February 13, 2007 for small forward Scott Padgett.

Olympiacos

In 2007 he transfered to Olympiacos.

Greece national basketball team

He played for the Greece national basketball team at the Mundobasket 1998 (4th place), Eurobasket 1999 (16th place) and Eurobasket 2003 (5th place).

2l check mo kung may mga mali sa mga FAV mong bench warmers ayan na req mo


1. Calvin Booth
2. Mardy Collins
3. Lou Williams
4. Eddie House
5. Greg Buckner
6. Jake Tsakalidis

:praise: kakaiba ka tol...:10:

2l icip ka pa ng mga idol mong bench warmers!!!!thnx din...

:more: bro, pwede sa idol ko naman si jason kidd?:giggle:

:more: bro, pwede sa idol ko naman si jason kidd?:giggle:

bro w8 pinaprocess ko na ang iyong request!!!

http://i32.tinypic.com/v41lj9.jpg
Jason Frederick Kidd
"Mr. Triple, Double"

Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973 in San Francisco, California) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.

He led the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2002 and 2003) and is considered to be one of the best players of his generation, one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history and also one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.[citation needed] His on-court versatility also makes him a regular triple-double threat, and he is in third place all-time for regular season triple-doubles in the NBA with a career total of 100[1] (as of April 16, 2008) and second in playoffs triple-doubles with a career total of 11 (as of May 12, 2007).

Early life

Kidd was born in San Francisco, California, the oldest of three children of Steve and Anne Kidd. His father, now deceased, was African-American and his mother is Irish American. He was raised in the Oakland Hills, an upper middle class section of Oakland. He attended St. Paschal's Baylon school in the Oakland Hills. He frequented the city courts of Oakland, where he often found himself pitted against future NBA All-Star Gary Payton. The two still reminisce about the playing days of their youth. During his youth, Kidd also excelled at soccer as well as other sports.

At St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California, under the guidance of legendary prep coach Frank LaPorte, Kidd led the Pilots to back-to-back state championships, averaging 25.0 points, 10.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 steals his senior season. During that year, he also received a host of individual honors, including the Naismith Award as the nation's top high school player, and was named Player of the Year by Parade Magazine and USA Today. The all-time prep leader in assists (1,155) and the state’s sixth-best career scorer (2,661 points), Kidd also was voted California Player of the Year for the second time, as well as a McDonald's All-American, sharing MVP honors in the 1992 McDonald's All-American Game with Georgetown University-bound forward Othella Harrington.

After a highly publicized recruiting process, Kidd shocked many fans and pundits alike by choosing to attend the University of California, Berkeley -- a school that was coming off a 10-18 season and hadn’t won a Pac-10 title since 1959 -- over a slew of top-ranked collegiate programs including the University of Arizona, the University of Kentucky, the University of Kansas, and Ohio State University.

College

During his first year at Cal, Kidd averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.8 steals per game which earned him national Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the All Pac-10 Team, making him the fifth newcomer in conference history to do so. His 110 steals broke both the NCAA record for most steals by a freshman and set a school record for most steals in a season, while his 220 assists that season also was a school record. His play also was a key factor in the resurgence of Cal Basketball and helped The Golden Bears earn an NCAA Tournament bid, where they upset two-time defending National Champion Duke University in the second round of that tournament before losing to Kansas in the Sweet 16.

Despite enormous expectations stemming from his past season's success, Kidd continued his success as a sophomore, tallying averages of 16.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 9.1 assists, breaking his previous school record for most assists in a season with 272, while also leading the nation in that category. He was also selected a First Team All-American, the first Cal player to be so named since 1968, as well as Pac-10 Player of the Year, becoming the first sophomore to receive that honor. He also was named a finalist for both the Naismith and Wooden Awards as college basketball's top player and subsequently opted to enter the NBA Draft in 1994. In 2004, the University of California, Berkeley retired Kidd's number 5 jersey, cementing his place among the school's all-time greats.

NBA career

From Dallas to Phoenix

Kidd was selected as the second pick overall by the Dallas Mavericks, behind Glenn Robinson of Purdue, and just ahead of Duke's versatile swingman Grant Hill. In his first year he averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and led the NBA in triple doubles, sharing 1995 NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons. The year before the Mavericks drafted Jason Kidd, they ended a season with the worst record in the NBA at 13-69. After Kidd's first season with the Mavericks, their record improved to 36-46 which was the best improvement in the NBA that season. Kidd was a member of the "Three J's" in Dallas along with Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. However, that plan did not come to fruition, as all three found themselves playing for other teams shortly thereafter. Kidd was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Tony Dumas and Loren Meyer for Michael Finley, A.C. Green, and Sam Cassell during the 1996-97 season. In 2001, after five seasons in Phoenix in which the team made the playoffs each year under Kidd, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury.

New Jersey

The 2001-02 season saw Kidd lead the Nets to a surprising 52-30 finish, and marked one of his best all-around seasons as he finished second to the Spurs' Tim Duncan in MVP voting. Many have argued that Kidd deserved to win the award because of his impact in New Jersey—transforming the Nets from perennial league doormats into championship contenders seemingly in the space of a single training camp. His contribution to the Nets during his first season in New Jersey was huge, and resulted in one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. He was also fortunate to join the team when he did, as the team reaped the benefits of the newly healthy Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn; along with the trading of Eddie Griffin for Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong.

Under Kidd's guidance, the young Nets team prospered through the playoffs and ended up advancing all the way to the Eastern Conference title and the franchise's first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals. However, New Jersey's season would end without an improbable NBA crown, as Kidd and the Nets were swept in four games by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers. New Jersey enjoyed another stellar season under the helm of Kidd's leadership in the 2002-03 NBA season, during which the team finished 49-33 and reached the NBA Finals once again, only to succumb to Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs in six games.

On July 1, 2004, Kidd underwent microfracture surgery to repair a damaged knee. He made a full recovery and returned to the court in December of that year, during which the Nets acquired star swingman Vince Carter from the Toronto Raptors. With the Nets hanging on the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and with Jefferson injured, Carter and Kidd combined to fuel the team to a late regular-season surge that enabled them to inch past the Cleveland Cavaliers for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East. However, their season would come to an end early as they fell in four games to top-seeded Miami in the first round.

In the 2005-06 NBA season Kidd averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.4 assists (5th in the league). Although he has aged, the 34-year old Kidd's skills don't appear to be diminished, especially on the defensive end. This is evident as he continues to hold some of the NBA's premier point guards to well below their respective performance levels[citation needed]. On February 1, 2007 Jason Kidd was named a reserve for the NBA All-Star game along with teammate Vince Carter. However, he missed the game because of a sore back.

On April 7, 2007, Kidd and teammate Vince Carter became the first teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did it in 1989 for the Chicago Bulls. Kidd finished with 10 points, 16 rebounds, and 18 assists. In the 2006-07 postseason, Kidd notched his 10th postseason career triple double on April 27, 2007 in game three against the Toronto Raptors. He recorded 16 points on 50% field goal shooting, a playoff career high 19 assists, 16 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block, as the Nets defeated the Raptors 102-89.[3] He tied Larry Bird for second All-time in career postseason triple-doubles.[4] In the first round of the postseason, Kidd averaged 14.0 points, 13.2 assists, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals, as the Nets defeated the Raptors in six games. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple playoff series.[5] In Game 3 of the second round in the 2006-07 playoffs, Kidd recorded his 11th postseason triple-double with 23 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds, breaking the tie with Larry Bird for second place on the All-Time career list.[2] For the postseason, Kidd averaged 14.6 points, 10.9 assists and 10.9 rebounds in twelve playoff games.[6] He became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire postseason.[7]

In the 2007-08 NBA season, Kidd became the third player to get a triple-double in three straight games since 1989. He did so after he logged his 97th career triple-double in a 99-115 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.[8]

Kidd had been mentioned in trade rumors, notably to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, but the deal fell through when the Lakers refused to give up their young center Andrew Bynum. On January 28, 2008, Kidd revealed that his agent has been talking to the Nets' front office about a trade. On February 19, 2008, Kidd was traded[9] to the Dallas Mavericks, the team that originally drafted him.

Return to the Dallas Mavericks

On February 13, 2008, the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets reached an agreement on a trade to send Kidd and Malik Allen to Dallas for Devin Harris, Devean George, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, two first-round drafts picks (in 2008 and 2010), and $3 million, but the trade fell through when George invoked his (Larry) Bird rights, as stipulated in his current contract. [10] [11] The trade was retooled, with Trenton Hassell replacing George, and Keith Van Horn, who had agreed to come out of retirement, replacing Stackhouse, because NBA officials informed the Mavericks that if Stackhouse were to be included in the deal, he could not re-sign with the team if the Nets chose to buy out his contract.[citation needed] Antoine Wright was also added to the retooled trade proposal (the two teams originally agreed on a separate deal that would send Wright to the Mavericks for a 2008 second-round pick, but were ultimately able include him in the Kidd deal). [12]

On February 19, 2008, Kidd was officially traded to the Mavericks along with Allen and Wright for Van Horn (via a sign and trade deal), Harris, Diop, Hassell, Ager, $3 million, and 2008 and 2010 first round picks. [13] [14]

On April 16, 2008, Kidd reached a new career milestone, achieving his 100th career triple-double in the final regular-season game with the Dallas Mavericks that year against the New Orleans Hornets.

NBA highlights

* 9-time NBA All-Star: 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
* 6-time All-NBA:

* First Team: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
* Second Team: 2003

* 9-time All-Defensive Selection:

* First Team : 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006
* Second Team: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

* NBA co-Rookie of the Year: 1995 (with Grant Hill)
* NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1995
* 5-time NBA regular-season leader, assists per game: 1999 (10.8), 2000 (10.1), 2001 (9.8), 2003 (8.9), 2004 (9.2)
* 3-time NBA regular-season leader, total assists: 1999 (539), 2001 (753), 2003 (711)
* NBA regular-season leader, total steals: 2002 (175)
* NBA All-Star Skills Challenge champion: 2003

NBA history

* ranks 2nd in playoffs triple-doubles (11, as of May 12, 2007)
* ranks 3rd in regular season triple-doubles (100, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 4th in guard rebounds (6,908, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 5th in assist-per-game average (9.3, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 5th in assists (9,497, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 11th in steals (2,038, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 11th in 3-pointers made (1,355, as of April 17, 2008)
* ranks 12th in steal-per-game average (1.99, as of April 17, 2008)

sir pa request po.

1. carmelo anthony
2. mike bibby

http://i32.tinypic.com/jb5o8x.jpg
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony

Carmelo Kiyan Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a freshman in college, Anthony led Syracuse to a 30–5 record and the school's first NCAA championship in men's basketball. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2003 NCAA Final Four and MVP of NCAA East Regional. He was also named the consensus national Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous choice as the Big East Conference Freshman of the Year. Anthony was selected with the third pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and was named the 2005 Rookie Challenge MVP.

Early years

Anthony was born in the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn, New York City.[1] His father, after whom he is named, died of cancer when Anthony was two years old.[2] When Anthony turned eight, his family moved to Baltimore, where he honed not only his athletic skills, but his survival skills.[3] Kenny Minor, one of Anthony's childhood friends, said, "from drugs, to killings, to anything you can name that goes on in the roughest parts of town, we've seen and witnessed hands on. Those are the things that teach you toughness and keep you mentally focused on your goals."[3] Sports would serve as an important diversion from the violence and drug dealing that were pervasive in the housing projects a few blocks from the homes of Anthony and his friends.

High school career

Anthony commuted to Towson Catholic High School for his first three years of high school. During the summer of 2000, when he grew five inches, he made a name for himself in the area, being named The Baltimore Sun's metro player of the year in 2001, as well as Baltimore Catholic League player of the year.[4] Anthony transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior campaign. While at Oak Hill Academy, Anthony was named to the McDonald's All-American Team and won the Sprite Slam Jam dunk contest prior to the McDonald’s All-American game.[4] He was also named a USA Today First-Team All-American and a Parade First-Team All-American.

NBA career

Rookie season

Anthony's NBA career began on June 26, 2003, when he was chosen in the first round (3rd overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft draft by the Denver Nuggets. He was selected behind LeBron James (1st overall, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Darko Miličić (2nd overall, Detroit Pistons). He made his NBA regular season debut on October 29, 2003, in an 80-72 home win against the San Antonio Spurs.[8] Anthony finished the night scoring 12 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists. In just his sixth career NBA game (November 7 versus the Los Angeles Clippers), Anthony scored 30 points, becoming the second youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points or more in a game (19 years, 151 da