NBA For Fan: 2013

Kevin Durant

1:23 AM | Labels: Kevin Durant, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Seattle SuperSonics

Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is an American professional basketball player with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and weighing in at 215 pounds (106.6 kg), he has played the small forward and power forward positions for the Thunder, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics. Durant has been a three-time NBA scoring champion, the NBA Rookie of the Year, and an Olympic gold medalist. He has also been selected to four All-NBA teams and four All-Star teams.

Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect. He attended the University of Texas for one season of college basketball, where he won numerous awards and became the first ever freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. In the 2007 NBA Draft, he was selected second overall by the Sonics. After his rookie season, the team moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. Behind his play, the Thunder reached the 2012 NBA Finals, losing to the Miami Heat in five games. His career achievements have led basketball analysts, experts, and writers to consider him one of the best players in the NBA today. At age 24, Durant became the youngest player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club after a season described by many analysts as one of the greatest offensively in the history of the NBA.

Career history

2007–present Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder

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LeBron James

10:53 PM | Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA

LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984), nicknamed "King James", is an American professionalbasketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighing in at 250 lb (113 kg), he has played the small forward and power forward positions. James has been a two-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, an NBA scoring champion, and the NBA Rookie of the Year. He has also been selected to nine NBA All-Star teams, nine All-NBA teams, and five All-Defensive teams, and is the Cleveland Cavaliers' all-time leading scorer.

James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. After graduating, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers. James led Cleveland to the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in 2007, losing to theSan Antonio Spurs in a sweep. In 2010, he left the Cavaliers for the Heat in a highly publicized free agency period. In his first season in Miami, the Heat reached the Finals, but lost to the Dallas Mavericks. James won his first championship in 2012when Miami defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award for his play. In 2013, the Heat won their second consecutive title and he repeated as Finals MVP. His career achievements and leadership role during Miami's 2012 and 2013 championship runs have led many basketball analysts, experts, and writers to consider him the best player in the NBA today.

Career history

2003–2010 Cleveland Cavaliers

2010–present Miami Heat

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Mike Miller

12:21 AM | Labels: Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards

Michael Lloyd Miller (born February 19, 1980) is an American professionalbasketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft. He has also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, andWashington Wizards. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2001, and theNBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2006. Miller won back to back NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. He is a wingman who is primarily a three-point specialist.

Career history

2000–2003 Orlando Magic

2003–2008 Memphis Grizzlies

2008–2009 Minnesota Timberwolves

2009–2010 Washington Wizards

2010–2013 Miami Heat

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Wesley Johnson

3:02 AM | Labels: Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, Phoenix Suns, Wesley Johnson

Wesley JaMarr Johnson (born July 11, 1987 in Corsicana, Texas) is an American professional basketball swingman with theLos Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Syracuse and Iowa State. He was selected with the fourth pick of the first round in the 2010 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Career history

2010–2012 Minnesota Timberwolves

2012–2013 Phoenix Suns

2013–present Los Angeles Lakers

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Metta World Peace

3:00 AM | Labels: Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace, NBA, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings

Metta World Peace (born November 13, 1979) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known as Ron Artest before legally changing his name in September 2011.

World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was a participant in several controversial on-court incidents, most notably the Pacers–Pistons brawl and is known for his sometimes eccentric and outspoken behavior.

Career history

1999–2002 Chicago Bulls

2002–2006 Indiana Pacers

2006–2008 Sacramento Kings

2008–2009 Houston Rockets

2009–2013 Los Angeles Lakers

2013–present New York Knicks

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Clyde Drexler

9:18 PM | Labels: Clyde Drexler, Houston Rockets, NBA, Portland Trail Blazers

Clyde Austin "The Glide" Drexler (born June 22, 1962) is an American retired professional basketball shooting guard and small forward. A ten-time All-Star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBA named him one of basketball's fifty greatest players as of 1996. Drexler won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 as part of the Dream Team and an NBA championship in 1995 with the Houston Rockets. He is the color commentator for Rockets home games.

Career history

1983–1995 Portland Trail Blazers

1995–1998 Houston Rockets

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Reggie Miller

2:52 AM | Labels: Indiana Pacers, NBA, Reggie Miller

Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller (born August 24, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in clutch situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname "Knick Killer". When he retired, he held the record for most career 3-point field goals made. He is currently second on the list behind Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.

The Pacers retired his No. 31 in 2006, and he was named to their 40th anniversary team in 2007.Currently, he works as an NBA commentator for TNT. On September 7, 2012, Miller was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Career history

1987–2005 Indiana Pacers

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Oscar Robertson

12:28 AM | Labels: Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, Oscar Robertson

Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "The Big O", is an American former National Basketball Association player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 220 lb (100 kg) Robertson played the shooting guard/point guard position, and was a twelve-time All-Star, eleven-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in fourteen professional seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. He was a key player on the team which brought the Bucks their only NBA title in the 1970–71 NBA season. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.

For his outstanding achievements, Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, and was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their college Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006.

Robertson was also an integral part of the Oscar Robertson suitof 1970. The landmark NBA antitrust suit, named after the then-president of the NBA Players' Association, led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.

Career history

1960–1970 Cincinnati Royals

1970–1974 Milwaukee Bucks

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Isiah Thomas

12:14 AM | Labels: Detroit Pistons, Isiah Thomas, NBA

Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961), nicknamed "Zeke", is a retired American basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.

Thomas played collegiately for the Indiana University Hoosiers. He went on to play professionally as point guard for the Pistons from 1981 until 1994 and led the "Bad Boys" to NBA championships in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012.

Career history

1981–1994 Detroit Pistons

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John Stockton

11:05 PM | Labels: John Stockton, NBA, Utah Jazz

John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is an American retired professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. John Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by considerable margins. A ten-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Career history

1984–2003 Utah Jazz

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Jason Kidd

8:09 PM | Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns

Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously a point guard in the NBA, he was a ten-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, and a nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.

Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball for the California Golden Bears and was drafted second overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft. He was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Mavericks. Then, from 1996 to 2001, Kidd played for the Phoenix Suns and later for the New Jersey Nets from 2001 to 2008. He led the Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. In the middle of the 2007–08 season, Kidd was traded back to Dallas, where he won an NBA championship in 2011. After finishing his playing career with the New York Knicks in 2012–13, he retired and returned a week later as head coach for the Nets, who had moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

Kidd's ability to pass and rebound made him a regular triple-double threat, and he retired ranked third all-time in the NBA for regular season triple-doubles with a career total of 107[1] and second in playoff triple-doubles with a career total of 11.[2] He also won two Olympic gold medals with the US national team in 2000 and 2008.

Career history

1994–1996 Dallas Mavericks

1996–2001 Phoenix Suns

2001–2008 New Jersey Nets

2008–2012 Dallas Mavericks

2012–2013 New York Knicks

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Best Centers

11:59 AM | Labels: Best Centers, NBA

Shaquille O'Neal

Patrick Ewing

Hakeem Olajuwon

David Robinson

Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Bill Russell

Wilt Chamberlain

George Mikan

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Best Power Forwars

11:54 AM | Labels: Best Power Forwars, NBA

Kevin Garnett

Dirk Nowitzki

Tim Duncan

Karl Malone

Charles Barkley

Kavin Mchale

Bob Petit

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Best Small Forwars

10:27 AM | Labels: Best Small Forwars, NBA

Scottie Pippen

Dominique Wilkins

James Worthy

Larry Bird

Julius Erving

John Havlicek

Elgin Baylor

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Best Shooting Guards

10:43 AM | Labels: Best Shooting Guards, NBA

Kobe Bryant

Reggie Miller

Clyde Drexler

Michael Jordan

George Gervin

Pete Maravich

Jerry West

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Best Point Guards

10:08 AM | Labels: Best Point Guards, NBA

Nate Archibald

Oscar Robertson

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Kobe Bryant

10:02 AM | Labels: Kobe Bryant, Lakers, NBA

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978), nicknamed the "Black Mamba", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school, and has played for the Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA championships. Bryant is a 15-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. As of March 2013, he ranks third and fourth on the league's all-time postseason scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively.

Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals was followed by O'Neal's trade from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant became the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award on both occasions.

At 34 years and 104 days of age, Bryant became the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has been selected to start every All-Star Game. He has won the All-Star MVP Award four times (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011), tying him for the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA history. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the USA national team. Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2000s.

Career history

1996–present Los Angeles Lakers

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Larry Bird

9:53 AM | Labels: Boston Celtics, Larry Bird, NBA

Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former NBA basketball player and coach and the current team president of the Indiana Pacers. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards.

Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. He was a member of the Dream Team that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. After a year away from the position, he announced he would return to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013. In addition to being part of the 50–40–90 Club, he is the only person in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Career history

1979–1992 Boston Celtics

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Magic Johnson

11:23 PM | Labels: Lakers, Magic Johnson, NBA

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high schooland college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and tenAll-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game, at 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. After leaving the NBA in 1992, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, abarnstorming team that travelled around the world playing exhibition games.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Famein 2002. He was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur,philanthropist, broadcaster and motivational speaker. Named by Ebony Magazine as one of America's most influential black businessmen in 2009, Johnson has numerous business interests, and was a part-owner of the Lakers for several years. Johnson also is part of a group of investors that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.

Career history

1979–1991, 1996 Los Angeles Lakers

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Michael Jordan

8:13 PM | Labels: Bulls, Michael Jordan, NBA, Washington Wizards

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, is an American former professional basketball player, entrepreneur, and majority owner and chairman of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

After a three-season career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA'sCharlotte Bobcats, having won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

Career history
1984–1993, 1995–1998 Chicago Bulls

2001–2003 Washington Wizards

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