NBA Season Awards 2010-11 - Jun 14, 2011
Finals MVP: Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) of Dallas M. Most Valuable Player: Derrick Rose (6'4''-G-88) of Chicago B. Most Improved Player: Kevin Love (6'10''-C-88) of Minnesota T. Sixth Man: Lamar Odom (6'10''-F-79) of LA Lakers Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89) of LA Clippers Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (6'10''-C/F-85) of Orlando M. Executive of the Year: Pat Riley of Miami Heat Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau of Chicago B. All-NBA 1st Team G: Derrick Rose (6'4''-88) of Chicago B. G: Kobe Bryant (6'6''-78) of LA Lakers F: LeBron James (6'8''-84) of Miami Heat G/F: Kevin Durant (6'9''-88) of Oklah.City T. C/F: Dwight Howard (6'10''-85) of Orlando M. All-NBA 2nd Team G: Russell Westbrook (6'3''-88) of Oklah.City T. G: Dwyane Wade (6'4''-82) of Miami Heat F: Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-78) of Dallas M. F/C: Pau Gasol (7'0''-80) of LA Lakers F: Amare Stoudemire (6'10''-82) of New York K. All-NBA 3rd Team PG: Chris Paul (6'0''-85) of N.Orleans H. G: Manu Ginobili (6'6''-77) of San Antonio S. C: LaMarcus Aldridge (6'11''-85) of Portland TB C: Zach Randolph (6'9''-81) of Memphis G. F/C: Alfred Horford (6'10''-86) of Atlanta H. All-Defensive 1st Team Rajon Rondo (6'1''-G-86) of Boston C. Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) of LA Lakers LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) of Miami Heat Kevin Garnett (6'10''-F-76) of Boston C. Dwight Howard (6'10''-C/F-85) of Orlando M. All-Defensive 2nd Team Chris Paul (6'0''-PG-85) of N.Orleans H. Andre Iguodala (6'6''-G-84) of Philadelph.76 Tony Allen (6'4''-G-82) of Memphis G. Joakim Noah (6'11''-F/C-85) of Chicago B. Tyson Chandler (7'1''-C-82) of Dallas M. Dallas Mavericks win their first NBA championship! - Jun 12, 2011 For Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78), the resume is complete. He's an NBA champion. For LeBron James (6'8''-F-84), the agonizing wait continues for at least one more year. Avenging what happened five years ago in perfect turnabout style, the Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA title by winning Game 6 of these finals in Miami 105-95on Sunday night - celebrating on the Heat's home floor, just as Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) and his team did to them in the 2006 title series. Jason Terry (6'2''-G-77, college: Arizona) scored 27 points, Nowitzki added 21 and the Mavericks topped the Miami Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA finals on Sunday night. The Mavericks won four of the series' last five games, a turnabout that could not have been sweeter after seeing the Heat celebrate their first title in Dallas after Game 6 of the 2006 finals. 'Tonight,' Terry said, 'we got vindication.' James did not. Not even close, and a year unlike any other ended they way they all have so far - with him still waiting for an NBA title. He scored 21 points for Miami, shook a few hands afterward, and departed before most of the Mavs tugged on their championship hats and T-shirts. Chris Bosh (6'11''-F-84, college: Georgia Tech) had 19, Mario Chalmers (6'1''-G-86, college: Kansas) 18 and Dwyane Wade 17 for the Heat. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle joined a highly elite group, those with NBA titles as both a player and a head coach. Only 10 other men are on that list, including the presumably retired-for-good Phil Jackson, one of Carlisle's mentors in K.C. Jones, and Heat President Pat Riley - who led Miami past Dallas in 2006, and was the mastermind of what the Heat did last summer by getting James, Wade and Bosh on the same team with an eye on becoming a dynasty. It might still happen, of course. But even after 72 wins this season, including playoffs, the Heat lost the last game. And that means this year was a disappointment - except to just about everyone else in the NBA, or so it would seem. Hating the Heat became the NBA's craze this season, and the team knew it had no shortage of critics, everyone from Cleveland (where 'Cavs for Mavs' shirts were popular during these finals) to Chicago (the city James and Wade both flirted with last summer) and just about every place in between lining up to take shots at Miami. Given their newfound popularity, meet the new America's Team. Sorry, Cowboys - your long-held moniker might have to be ceded to your city's NBA club. When it was over, Mavs owner Mark Cuban ran onto the court to hug Carlisle, then punched the air and whooped. Dallas took control in the second half after some wild back-and-forths in the opening two quarters. Miami took its last lead of the game - the season - just 64 seconds into the second half, lost it 16 seconds later and chased the Mavericks the rest of the way. They never caught them. Jason Kidd (6'4''-G-73, college: California), at 38 years old, got his first championship. Nowitzki got his at 32, Terry at 33. They were featured on the video screen in their building in Dallas during this series on what seemed like a constant loop, each posing with the NBA trophy and looking longingly at it, standing mere inches from it, as if to say 'so close, yet so far away.' No more. It's theirs. Nowitzki sealed it with 2:27 left, hitting a jumper near the Miami bench to put Dallas up 99-89, and some fans actually began leaving. Nowitzki walked to the Mavs' side slowly, right fist clenched and aloft. He knew it. Everyone did. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra implored his team to foul in the final minute, and even then, they couldn't catch the Mavericks. 'All those unique individual stories is what propelled us to this victory,' Terry said. Dallas expected a big early push from Miami, and the Mavs' suspicions were proved correct. James made his first four shots, and the Heat raced out to a 20-11 lead. It was erased - and then some - quickly, as soon as Dallas went to the zone defense that befuddled Miami again. Dallas needed 5 1/2 minutes to rip off a 21-4 run, making 9 of 12 shots during the stretch. And much of that came with Nowitzki on the bench with two fouls, the first time he's been whistled for more than one in the opening quarter of a playoff game this season. The Mavs were off and running. DeShawn Stevenson made a pair of 3-pointers within a span of 24 seconds to give Dallas a 40-28 lead with 9:42 left in the half. Dallas turned Miami's first six turnovers into 14 points, and the hundreds of blue-clad Mavs fans stood and roared, with Cuban waving his arms as if to lead the cheers from behind his team's bench. Things turned quickly and got heated for good measure. Miami scored the next 14 points to reclaim the lead at 42-40, a streak snapped only after Stevenson, Udonis Haslem and Chalmers got technicals with 6:25 left in the half after a midcourt mini-melee with mostly amounted to some words and a couple of shoves. 'A player will not automatically be suspended for leaving the bench if he has already left the bench because a timeout was called,' the NBA announced later in the game. 'However, we need to review the circumstances of this particular incident, which we will do, after the game.' So the NBA will watch replays. The Heat, they probably won't - not for a long while. They had chances to take command and wasted them all. The Heat missed 13 of their 33 free throws, let the Mavericks score 27 points off turnovers and simply could not get a rebound in the final minutes. Nowitzki finished 9 for 27, and the Mavs still won. He was 1 for 12 in the first half, and they were still ahead, 53-51, thanks largely to Terry's 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with a 17-4 edge in points off turnovers. Plus, after James got off to such a fast start, he had two points in the final 19-plus minutes of the half. James didn't score in the second half until a layup with 1:49 remained in the third - his first field-goal attempt since 1:05 remained in the half. Kidd made a 3-pointer late in the period, pushing the Dallas lead to 79-71, and it seemed like the only people standing in the arena were the players, referees, Cuban and a few guys around the Dallas bench. It was 81-72 entering the fourth, after Ian Mahinmi made a foul-line jumper as time expired in the third, just his third basket of the entire series. None were bigger. The Mavs could taste a title. When the Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in Dallas during the '06 finals, plans for their victory parade were announced. The Mavs didn't win another game in that series. Now, that parade will finally happen. And when it's over, then the league's uncertainty will truly begin. Labor strife likely awaits, and although more talks geared toward movement on a new deal are scheduled for this week, both owners and players are bracing for a lockout to begin once the current collective bargaining agreement expires June 30. What happens with the next deal may affect the Heat more than anyone. Some owners will insist on a hard cap, rolled-back salaries and, potentially, trying to bust some current deals - which could break up the Big 3 before get another chance to win a title together. A gloomy end to the season may bring an even gloomier offseason for Miami. 'Every situation has felt like it was an our-back-against-the-wall situation,' James said Sunday morning, hours before Game 6 began. 'We've been able to figure it out and find our way through and scratch our way through. This is the last test. This is the last pop quiz for us that we need to pass in order to make it all worth it.' They didn't pass. So therefore, it wasn't all worth it. Except, of course, from the Dallas perspective. Of the principal characters from the 2006 series, only Cuban, Nowitzki and Terry remain from the Mavericks' side, and for them, the beginning of this championship celebration seemed sweeter than even they could have imagined. Terry won't have to get his tattoo - the one of the NBA championship trophy - removed, which he vowed to have done if Miami won this series. Nowitzki will never be in the conversation of 'Best player without a title' again. James is clearly the one with that most-unwanted label now. Courtesy of www.chron.com NBA 2011 All Star Game in Los Angeles - Feb 21, 2011  The
Staples Center was the place to be this Sunday as the NBA hosted their
All Star game as Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) won his fourth All Star MVP award.The current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson who was a former NBA All Star was the first person that Eurobasket.com saw in the stands. Other former players like Dominique Wilkins, Jams Worthy, Julius Erving, AC Green, Norm Nixon and all the top entertainment personalities were all mingling prior to tip off. The event being in LA promotes the entertainment value of the ALL Star game to the ultimate level. Jack Nicholson made his grand appearance and was seen talking to all of the celebrities. Other notable people included Spike Lee, Ciara Jay-Z, Beyonce Puff 'Diddy', Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Justin Bieber The pre-game entertainment was awesome as a host of top performer sang, dance and rapped to the star studded crowd at the Staples Center. The half time performance was highlighted by R&B super star Rhianna who sensual danced moves delighted the fans at the NBA All Star game. The West All Stars led by Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) 37 points won 148-143 in a contest that became more competitive in the final five minutes of the game. The West team basically controlled the contest from the beginning and maintained double digit leads throughout the game. Pau Gasol (7'0''-F/C-80) the other Lakers super star had an effective 17 point performance. The first quarter started off with the West featuring Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) scorching the East All Stars 21-10 with 5:31 left in the first quarter. The beginning of the game featured some nice dunks by Kobe, Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) and Amare Stoudemire (6'10''-F-82). The East made some key plays to get back into the game bringing the score to 37-27 at the end of the period. Chris Bosh (6'11''-F-84, college: Georgia Tech) made some key baskets in the end of the quarter to help the East keep pace with the West All Stars. Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) dominated the 1st half as he scored 21 pts and the West led 76-64 at the break. Kobe went off in the 3rd quarter as well as Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) who scored 34 points in the game. Kobe had 34 points going into the forth quarter and had the opportunity to break Wilt Chamberlin's All Star game record of 42 points. LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) played well for the East All Stars as he recorded a triple double notching 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Amare Stoudemire had an awesome game for the East All Stars scoring 29 points and captivated the crowd with some amazing dunks during the game. The West led 137-133 with 2:34 left in the game but the East stars led by LeBron James and Amare kept fighting back. Eventually the West made their free throws and held off a furious rally by the East All Stars. NBA 2011 All Star Weekend - Saturday The NBA global brand raided the city of angels and promoted their marquee event like no other league in the world. The city of LA knows how to put on the best show in the world and this weekend the NBA is on display in full effect. The Staples Center was full of NBA stars, entertainers, athletes and television personalities. The All Star Weekend is an exciting event full of a variety of entertainment. The Foot locker Three-Point shooting contest featured some of the best shooters in the NBA but James Jones (6'8''-F-80, college: Miami (FL)) from the Miami heat stole the show while defeating Paul Pierce (6'7''-F-77, college: Kansas) the defending champion and his Boston Celtic teammate Ray Allen (6'6''-G-75, college: Connecticut) in the final round. After the first round the crowd thought Ray Allen (6'6''-G-75, college: Connecticut) would finally win the NBA Three-Point shooting contest after scoring 20 in the first round. Paul Pierce (6'7''-F-77, college: Kansas) had an outstanding final round scoring 18 points and in the first round he needed to make the last money ball to advance to the championship round. However in the final round James Jones (6'8''-F-80, college: Miami (FL)) took his time and knock down the highest score of the day to capture three point shooting contest. The NBA Dunk contest was the best one in many years featuring Dr J, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Brent Barry and Darryl Dawkins as the contest judges. All of these former judges were spectacular dunkers back in the day. There was a display of big time dunks from Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F-89, college: USC), Serge Ibaka (6'10''-C/F-89), Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) and Javale McGee (6'11''-F-88, college: Nevada). There NBA Dunk competition over the past few years has lost its luster but this years event was a different story. There were a few perfect scores and the dunkers were very creative to say the least. Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) did not disappoint the LA crowd and blaze the spectators at the Staples Center by dunking over a car in his final dunk and won the dunk contest. Javale McGee had put on a dunk show until his final dunk when he ran out of ideas. His first two dunks featured an amazing two ball dunk on separate baskets and the three ball dunk which is totally the first one of its kind. Serge Ibaka (6'10''-C/F-89) had a couple of interesting dunks but got low scores from the expert judges even though he actually jump from the free throw line on one dunk. Demar DeRozan had a spectacular one hand curl type of dunk which was very creative and landed a perfect score. Stephen Curry (6'3''-G-88, college: Davidson) won the Taco Bell Skills Challenge earlier in the day representing the Golden State Warriors in supreme fashion. Rookies rally to beat sophomores When John Wall (6'4''-G-90, college: Kentucky) turned the Rookie Challenge into a personal playmaking clinic, his former Kentucky teammate and his fellow No. 1 pick eagerly soaked up everything he had to give. Wall racked up a record 22 assists to win the MVP award, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins (6'11''-F-90, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) had 33 points and 14 rebounds, and the rookies rallied to beat the sophomores 148-140 at the NBA's All-Star weekend Friday night. Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) scored 14 points for the rookies in front of the high-flying Clippers forward's ecstatic home crowd, sticking to his commitment to play in the game even after making the West team for Sunday's All-Star game. All three rookie stars were determined to give a little something extra, and they were rewarded with a win. 'Most people that have a good game here, it gives them confidence going into the second half of the season,' Wall said. Before the game, the Washington guard looked up the Rookie Challenge's assists record -- 17, by Chris Paul in 2007 -- and told Cousins he planned to beat it. Wall scored 12 points when he wasn't repeatedly setting up his fellow rookies for acrobatic dunks and wide-open jumpers. With relentless offense from Wall and Cousins, who teamed up for one season at Kentucky, the newcomers won the lighthearted contest between the NBA's best rookies and second-year players for the second straight year. 'We were trying to work together,' Cousins said. 'He wanted to break the assist record, and I wanted to be MVP.' To the accompaniment of supersonic screams from thousands of children crammed into Staples Center's lower bowl, both teams went through the usual array of alley-oops, breakaway jams and matador defense before the rookies pulled away in the final minutes. Wall created the game's biggest highlight with a jaw-dropping bounce pass to Griffin for an electrifying dunk. 'Whenever you see 32 in a Clippers uniform out of the side, you basically throw it anywhere in the gym,' Wall said. 'I knew if I bounced it high enough, he will just attack the play.' Although Griffin was the top pick out of Oklahoma in the sophomores' 2009 draft class, he's still a rookie after missing last season with a broken kneecap. Mindful of his workload during the busiest All-Star weekend for any player in recent memory, Griffin then watched his team's late surge from the bench despite thousands of children chanting, 'We want Blake!' 'I didn't get to go to practice today, so that was all on the fly,' said Griffin, also the strong favorite in Saturday's slam dunk contest. '[Wall] is a great passer, so he made it easy for me. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I'm making the best out of it. Being home for the All-Star weekend is a lot of fun.' Wall and Cousins switched roles for the rookies' final basket with 12.8 seconds left, with Cousins lofting a pass off the backboard for an emphatic two-handed dunk by Wall, who hung on the rim for emphasis. Cousins went 15 for 24 in the fourth highest-scoring performance in Rookie Challenge history, matching LeBron James' 33 points in 2004. Catching passes from Wall was a welcome respite for Cousins during a rocky rookie season in Sacramento, most recently including a suspension for fighting with teammate Donte Greene after a game last week. 'I had some flashbacks [to Kentucky],' Cousins said. 'It was fun being out there with John. That year didn't last long enough, but it's over now.' Los Angeles native James Harden (6'5''-G-89, college: Arizona St.) scored 30 points for the sophomores, and San Antonio's DeJuan Blair (6'7''-F-89, college: Pittsburgh) had 28 points and 15 rebounds. Griffin was hit in the nose by an accidental elbow from Blair while playing defense in the opening minutes but kept playing. He left the game wincing a few possessions later but didn't appear limited when he returned later. In the final minutes of a tight game, the kids began chanting insistently for Griffin -- with rookies coach Kevin McHale egging them on. With a towel draped on his head, Griffin responded with a sheepish grin, but sat out the final 12:25. 'I wish I could have gone back out there,' said Griffin, the first rookie All-Star in eight years. 'But they kind of put a limit on it, so that was that.' Sacramento's Tyreke Evans, last season's MVP with 26 points for the rookies, sat out of the sophomores' lineup with an injured left foot. Harden replaced him. Courtesy of ESPN All-Star Game Rosters
Derrick Rose (6'4''-G-88) of Chicago Bulls Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82) of Miami Heat LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) of Miami Heat Amare Stoudemire (6'10''-F-82) of New York Knicks Dwight Howard (6'10''-C/F-85) of Orlando Magic Ray Allen (6'6''-G-75) of Boston Celtics Paul Pierce (6'7''-F-77) of Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo (6'1''-G-86) of Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett (6'10''-F-76) of Boston Celtics Chris Bosh (6'11''-F-84) of Miami Heat Alfred Horford (6'10''-F/C-86) of Atlanta Hawks Joe Johnson (6'8''-F-81) of Atlanta Hawks Head Coach: Doc Rivers of Boston Celtics
Chris Paul (6'0''-G-85) of New Orleans Hornets Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) of Los Angeles Lakers Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88) of Oklahoma City Thunder Carmelo Anthony (6'8''-F-84) of Denver Nuggets Tim Duncan (6'10''-F-76) of San Antonio Spurs Pau Gasol (7'0''-F/C-80) of Los Angeles Lakers Russell Westbrook (6'3''-G-88) of Oklahoma City Thunder Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89) of Los Angeles Clippers Manu Ginobili (6'6''-G-77) of San Antonio Spurs Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) of Dallas Mavericks Deron Williams (6'3''-G-84) of Utah Jazz Kevin Love (6'10''-C-88) of Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach: Gregg Popovich of San Antonio Spurs Rookie Challenge Rosters
Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89) of Los Angeles Clippers Landry Fields (6'7''-G/F-88) of New York Knicks DeMarcus Cousins (6'11''-F-90) of Sacramento Kings Gary Neal (6'4''-G-84) of San Antonio Spurs John Wall (6'4''-G-90) of Washington Wizards Eric Bledsoe (6'1''-G-89) of Los Angeles Clippers Derrick Favors (6'10''-F-91) of New Jersey Nets Wesley Johnson (6'7''-F-87) of Minnesota Timberwolves Greg Monroe (6'11''-C-90) of Detroit Pistons Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer of San Antonio Spurs Coach Assistant: Amare Stoudemire of New York Knicks
Taj Gibson (6'9''-F-85) of Chicago Bulls Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F-89) of Toronto Raptors DeJuan Blair (6'7''-F-89) of San Antonio Spurs Stephen Curry (6'3''-G-88) of Golden State Warriors Wesley Matthews (6'5''-G-86) of Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Jennings (6'0''-G-89) of Milwaukee Bucks James Harden (6'5''-G-89) of Oklahoma City Thunder Jrue Holiday (6'3''-G-90) of Philadelphia 76ers Serge Ibaka (6'10''-C/F-89) of Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach: Lawrence Frank of Boston Celtics Coach Assistant: Carmelo Anthony of Denver Nuggets Saturday events participants 3-Points Contest: Ray Allen (6'6''-G-75) of Boston Celtics Daniel Gibson (6'3''-G-86) of Cleveland Cavaliers James Jones (6'8''-F-80) of Miami Heat Dorell Wright (6'8''-G/F-85) of Golden State Warriors Paul Pierce (6'7''-F-77) of Boston Celtics Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88) of Oklahoma City Thunder Slam Dunk Contest: Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89) of Los Angeles Clippers Javale McGee (6'11''-F-88) of Washington Wizards Serge Ibaka (6'10''-C/F-89) of Oklahoma City Thunder Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F-89) of Toronto Raptors Skills Challenge: Derrick Rose (6'4''-G-88) of Chicago Bulls Chris Paul (6'0''-G-85) of New Orleans Hornets Stephen Curry (6'3''-G-88) of Golden State Warriors Russell Westbrook (6'3''-G-88) of Oklahoma City Thunder John Wall (6'4''-G-90) of Washington Wizards |
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