LeBron Raymone James (born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. A three-time Mr. Ohio in high school, "King James" was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while still a sophomore at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. At just 18, he was selected with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA draft by the Cavaliers and signed a US$90 million shoe contract with Nike before his professional debut. Listed as a small forward but often classified as a point forward due to his ability to run the offense like a point guard,[1] James has set numerous youngest player records since joining the League. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003–04, and has been both All-NBA and an All-Star every season since 2005.
The focal point of the Cleveland offense, James has led the team to consecutive playoff appearances in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009; in 2007, the Cavaliers advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Runner-up in the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award and 2009 NBA Defensive Player
of the Year Award balloting, James is also a member of the United States men's national basketball team, winning the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and a gold at the 2008 Olympics.
James attended St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, where he became a starter during his freshman year for the Fighting Irish.[2] He averaged 21 points and 6.2 rebounds, and led the team to a 23–1 record en route to the Division III state title. Keith Dambrot, now head coach at the University of Akron, was the head coach at St. Vincent–St. Mary. Coach Dambrot started working with James doing $1 clinics at a local recreation center.In his sophomore year, James averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.8 steals.He led the team to a 26–1 record and a Division III state title for the second straight season.He was the first sophomore to be named Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" and also became the first sophomore player ever selected to the USA Today All-USA First Team.
NBA career
2003–04 season
James was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Facing the Sacramento Kings in his first NBA game, James recorded 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals and shot 60% from the floor.
He averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game for the season,[10] and was named 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year; becoming the first Cavalier and youngest NBA player to ever receive the award.He joined Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only three players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in their rookie season. 2005–06 season
In the 2005–06 season, James was elected to his second straight All-Star Game appearance and led the Eastern All-Stars to a 122–120 victory, with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He became the youngest All-Star MVP at 21 years, 51 days.
James made his playoff debut against the Washington Wizards in 2006. He recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds, as the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 97–86.He joined Johnny McCarthy and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to register a triple-double in their playoff debut.For the series, James averaged 35.7 points, as the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards in six games.[ In the Eastern Conference Finals, James led the
Cavaliers from an 0–2 deficit against the Detroit Pistons to win the series in six games. His performance in Game 5 was especially memorable. James recorded a franchise-record 48 points on 54.5% field goal shooting, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. In addition, James scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the team's final 25 points in a double-overtime victory.
James has established himself as a legitimate triple-double threat and has averaged 27.3 points, 6.6 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game for his career.[10] As of the 2007–08 season, he has recorded seventeen triple-doubles in his career, with fourteen in the regular season and three in the postseason.On offense, James utilizes his quickness, size, and strength to get past defenders. James is known for his exceptional upper body strength. When penetrating to the basket, James exhibits superb body control, adjusting his shot in mid-air according to the defense, allowing him to absorb contact and finish at the basket. He is also proficient at finishing around the rim with both hands. In the 2005–06 season, he led the league in completed traditional three point plays.He is a solid rebounder who regularly ranks among the league leaders in rebounds for the small forward position. His overall skill sets and on-court play has led to many comparisons to NBA legends Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.
Although James exhibits exceptional offensive ability, he has yet to be featured on the NBA All-Defensive Team and has struggled with his free throw shooting — he averaged a subpar .698 free throw percentage in the 2006-07 season.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
LeBron Raymone James
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Stephen John Nash
Stephen John Nash, OC, OBC (born 7 February 1974), is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA)
Nash, who was born in South Africa but grew up in Canada, enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. In the 2004–05 season, Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was named MVP again in the 2005–06 season, and missed out on a third consecutive MVP title to Nowitzki the next season. Named by ESPN in 2006 as the ninth greatest point guard of all time, Nash has led the league in assists and free-throw percentage at various points in his career, although he has occasionally been criticised for his poor defence. He is also ranked as one of the top players in league history for three-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game.
Nash, who is married, is involved in charity and humanitarian work, and he is also interested in soccer and film-making. In 2006, Time named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. On 28 December 2007 it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order Of Canada, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Jason Frederick Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) 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. 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 103[1] and second in playoffs triple-doubles with a career total of 11.[2]
Kidd was born in San Francisco, California, the oldest of 6 children of Steve and Anne Kidd. His father, now deceased, was African-American and his mother is Irish American. He was raised in Oakland Hills, an upper middle class section of Oakland. He attended St. Paschal's Baylon school in 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 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 7 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 and USA Today. The all-time prep leader in assists (1,155) and the state's seventh-best career scorer (2,661 points), Kidd was voted California Player of the Year for the second time and also a McDonald's All-American.
During his first year at California, 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.
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. The Golden Bears would make the NCAA Tournament again as a 5 seed, but would be upset in the first round by Dick Bennett's twelve-seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay team 61–57. Kidd was also 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.
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 also was voted in as a starter in the 1996 All-Star Game. At the first 3 years with the Mavericks, the move most people associated him with is "the Baseball pass". 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, along with Chris Dudley to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Somailia Samake.
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. He had his highest scoring season with 18.7 points per game[3] and led the league in assists with 8.9 per game
Monday, April 27, 2009
Kobe Bryant
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. source:http://www.symbianize.com
Friday, April 24, 2009
Yao Ming
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
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Ben Wallace
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.
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.
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
source: http://www.symbianize.com
