Another event at the NBA all-star festivities is the Footlocker Three-Point Shootout. This year there are six participants. All the participants must have a 3 point percentage of at least 35%. Taking part in this years shootout are LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, Cleveland's Daniel Gibson, Richard Hamilton of Detroit, Phoenix's Steve Nash, 2 time shootout champ Peja Stojakovic of the New Orleans Hornets and defending champion Jason Kapono of the Toronto Raptors. The three point shoot-out will be held on Saturday February 16th right before the Dunk Contest. Out of the pack Kapono has the highest 3 point shooting percentage, while Stojakovic has the most made three pointers. The favorite to win the contest is Peja Stojakovic, but I believe that Steve Nash will win. Not only because he is my favorite of the 6 but because I believe his shooting form is the best one.
The three point contest has been in existence since 1986. Larry Bird won the first three shootouts and is one of only two players to be the champion 3 times. The other being Craig Hodges of the Chicago Bulls in 1990, 1991, 1992. Only 5 players have won multiple three-point shootout crowns in its 21 years. The three-point contest for me has always been one of my favorite contests to watch because I can relate more to it than any other contest. I cannot dunk so I know that I cannot mimic that contest. But I'm a very good shooter and always loved to shoot three's so I like this contest a lot.
Other highlights of all-star weekend include the celebrity game, skills challenge, shooting stars, and the rookie-sophomore challenge. This Friday marks the beginning of the all-star festivities and concludes on Sunday after the All-Star Game.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Superstars Find New Homes
This week many NBA teams made trades to improve their squads. The Los Angeles Lakers who are known for their blockbuster trades have yet again made a key acquisition to help them win a championship. In exchange for forwards Kwame Brown (2001 First Overall Draft Pick) and Javaris Crittenton, the Lakers got the 7'0 2 time all-star Paul Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. This should make the Lakers, who are in 6th place in the west, an even stronger contender. Experts have said that Pau Gasol will work well in the Lakers offense and will provide help for Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant who is number 3 in the league in scoring said that Gasol would be a great asset and he provides the team with another scoring threat. In the three games that Gasol has already played with the Lakers he has scored 62 points, grabbed 30 rebounds, and dished out 18 assists.
If that trade wasn't big enough the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns pulled off a blockbuster deal exchanging to amazing all-stars one being "BIG" and the other one being a high-flyer. The Heat traded away Shaquille "Big Daddy Diesel" O'Neal for the Suns 5 time all-star Shawn Marion. Both players are amazing and will fit in great on their new found teams. Shaquille O'Neal was once the most dominant player in the NBA. At 7'1 325 pounds he was a force to be reckoned with. But this year he has been plagued with injuries and is averaging career lows in scoring and rebounding. His old team, the Miami Heat, are in last place in the NBA with a 9-39 record while his new team, the Phoenix Suns, are in first place in the west with a 35-15 record. The only worries that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has is that the Suns are a run and gun team and Shaq may slow them down. But now they have a solid big man that can match up well with the big men in the west and hopefully Phoenix can finally make it to the NBA Finals. Shawn Marion has always provided great scoring and rebounding and can run the floor easily. He fits well with the Miami Heat and will play alongside the 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwayne Wade. This trade made both O'Neal and Marion happy because they both demanded to be traded. Marion wanted to be traded in September while Shaq wanted a trade due to disagreements and conflicts with coach Pat Riley.
Also the New Jersey Nets who are having a very disappointing year have traded away Jason Collins to the Mephis Grizzlies for Stromile Swift. Nets all-star point guard Jason Kidd is demanding to be traded as well and is not happy in New Jersey. But the Nets can't find the right deal just yet so we'll be watching them to see what moves they make.
Other players have found new homes as well, not through trades but rather in free agency. All-star Damon Stoudamire who is a solid point guard and is a sharp-shooter has been signed by the San Antonia Spurs. Earl Boykins the smallest player currently in the NBA who stands at only 5'7 was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats. And the biggest signing was made the Golden State Warriors. They signed 4 time all-star Chris Webber. Webber who started his career at Golden State in the 1992-1993 season was traded in his second year to the Washington Bullets. He then went to the Sacramento Kings the to the Philadelphia 76ers and ended up in Detroit last year. Now he has found his way back to Golden State where he won the Rookie of the Year award.
I can't wait to see how all these acquisitions will change these teams. Some for the better and some for the worse. Who knows? We will see though, and I will keep you updated. So stay tuned to Above the Rim.
If that trade wasn't big enough the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns pulled off a blockbuster deal exchanging to amazing all-stars one being "BIG" and the other one being a high-flyer. The Heat traded away Shaquille "Big Daddy Diesel" O'Neal for the Suns 5 time all-star Shawn Marion. Both players are amazing and will fit in great on their new found teams. Shaquille O'Neal was once the most dominant player in the NBA. At 7'1 325 pounds he was a force to be reckoned with. But this year he has been plagued with injuries and is averaging career lows in scoring and rebounding. His old team, the Miami Heat, are in last place in the NBA with a 9-39 record while his new team, the Phoenix Suns, are in first place in the west with a 35-15 record. The only worries that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has is that the Suns are a run and gun team and Shaq may slow them down. But now they have a solid big man that can match up well with the big men in the west and hopefully Phoenix can finally make it to the NBA Finals. Shawn Marion has always provided great scoring and rebounding and can run the floor easily. He fits well with the Miami Heat and will play alongside the 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwayne Wade. This trade made both O'Neal and Marion happy because they both demanded to be traded. Marion wanted to be traded in September while Shaq wanted a trade due to disagreements and conflicts with coach Pat Riley.
Also the New Jersey Nets who are having a very disappointing year have traded away Jason Collins to the Mephis Grizzlies for Stromile Swift. Nets all-star point guard Jason Kidd is demanding to be traded as well and is not happy in New Jersey. But the Nets can't find the right deal just yet so we'll be watching them to see what moves they make.
Other players have found new homes as well, not through trades but rather in free agency. All-star Damon Stoudamire who is a solid point guard and is a sharp-shooter has been signed by the San Antonia Spurs. Earl Boykins the smallest player currently in the NBA who stands at only 5'7 was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats. And the biggest signing was made the Golden State Warriors. They signed 4 time all-star Chris Webber. Webber who started his career at Golden State in the 1992-1993 season was traded in his second year to the Washington Bullets. He then went to the Sacramento Kings the to the Philadelphia 76ers and ended up in Detroit last year. Now he has found his way back to Golden State where he won the Rookie of the Year award.
I can't wait to see how all these acquisitions will change these teams. Some for the better and some for the worse. Who knows? We will see though, and I will keep you updated. So stay tuned to Above the Rim.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
How Things Have Changed
Basketball was always apart of my life. When I was growing up I was always a fan of two teams in particular. The first team I loved was the Chicago Bulls because Michael Jordan is my favorite player ever and he was on the Bulls. My other favorite team is the New York Knicks because I'm from New York. When I was a kid these two teams dominated the league. They were always contenders and were always one of the best teams in the league.
The Chicago Bulls were the most dominant team of the 90's. From 1991-1998 they won 6 championships. Led by players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman they were unstoppable. They collected championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. The only reason they lost in the 1994 and 1995 seasons was because Michael Jordan retired and played baseball. Even without him they made it to the Eastern Conference finals in 1994 and 1995. When Michael Jordan returned in 1996 they made history by having an 82 win and 10 loss season, the best ever by an NBA team. They went on to win 3 championships in a row again before Michael Jordan retired again in 1999, thus causing the breakup of one of the greatest basketball dynasties ever.
Growing up, the New York Knicks were also a very good team. Led by big man Patrick Ewing the Knicks had 16 consecutive winning seasons. The Knicks always had perennial all-stars and great players. The Knicks would always make the Eastern Conference finals only losing to the Chicago Bulls. They were very entertaining and were known for their physical play. They were the rivals of the Bulls and whenever they played you were in for a show. The Knicks made the championship in 1994 and 1999 when the Bulls weren't in. They were a great team and always had great players.
Nowadays however, both teams have taken a different road then what they used to. The Bulls haven't won a championship, let alone make it to one since 1998. They haven't had an all-star in several years. From the 1999-2004 season they were always on of the worst teams in the league. The Knicks also have been slumping. Since in past 5 years they made the playoffs only once and have finished with a record above .500 once as well. Since the greatness of these teams, they have fallen to the bottom of the barrel. This season is a great example of how much the teams have fallen apart. The Chicago Bulls are a measly 18-28 while the Knicks are a worse 14-33. Both teams are on pace to win less than 30 games. The Bulls a decade ago finished with a 64-18 record and the Knicks finished with a 50-32 record. If you look at it, mid-way through this season they already surpassed the amount of losses they had in 1997.
Hopefully history will repeat itself and my two favorite teams will eventually return to greatness. If not, I'm gonna have to find new favorite teams.
1996 CHICAGO BULLS TOP PLAYS
Top 10 1994 NBA FINALS PLAYS: Knicks vs Rockets
The Chicago Bulls were the most dominant team of the 90's. From 1991-1998 they won 6 championships. Led by players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman they were unstoppable. They collected championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998. The only reason they lost in the 1994 and 1995 seasons was because Michael Jordan retired and played baseball. Even without him they made it to the Eastern Conference finals in 1994 and 1995. When Michael Jordan returned in 1996 they made history by having an 82 win and 10 loss season, the best ever by an NBA team. They went on to win 3 championships in a row again before Michael Jordan retired again in 1999, thus causing the breakup of one of the greatest basketball dynasties ever.
Growing up, the New York Knicks were also a very good team. Led by big man Patrick Ewing the Knicks had 16 consecutive winning seasons. The Knicks always had perennial all-stars and great players. The Knicks would always make the Eastern Conference finals only losing to the Chicago Bulls. They were very entertaining and were known for their physical play. They were the rivals of the Bulls and whenever they played you were in for a show. The Knicks made the championship in 1994 and 1999 when the Bulls weren't in. They were a great team and always had great players.
Nowadays however, both teams have taken a different road then what they used to. The Bulls haven't won a championship, let alone make it to one since 1998. They haven't had an all-star in several years. From the 1999-2004 season they were always on of the worst teams in the league. The Knicks also have been slumping. Since in past 5 years they made the playoffs only once and have finished with a record above .500 once as well. Since the greatness of these teams, they have fallen to the bottom of the barrel. This season is a great example of how much the teams have fallen apart. The Chicago Bulls are a measly 18-28 while the Knicks are a worse 14-33. Both teams are on pace to win less than 30 games. The Bulls a decade ago finished with a 64-18 record and the Knicks finished with a 50-32 record. If you look at it, mid-way through this season they already surpassed the amount of losses they had in 1997.
Hopefully history will repeat itself and my two favorite teams will eventually return to greatness. If not, I'm gonna have to find new favorite teams.
1996 CHICAGO BULLS TOP PLAYS
Top 10 1994 NBA FINALS PLAYS: Knicks vs Rockets
NBA SLAM DUNK CONTEST!!!
The participants for the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest were chosen last week. The contest has four contenders. The contest is taking place on Saturday February 16th in New Orleans. The competitors are the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, Toronto's Jamario Moon, Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, and the defending champion Gerald Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves. All four can really fly. Out of the four my favorite player is Dwight Howard. But I think that Rudy Gay is gonna end up winning the contest.
Up until a few years ago, the slam dunk contest was always a highlight of the All-Star festivities. But recently people have been losing interest in the dunk contest. Originality, flare and creativeness have been dying out. New dunks haven't been done and people keep repeating dunks nowadays. So in an effort to gain interest, the NBA has found a way to increase fan involvement. Fans are now going to vote for the winner of the dunk contest instead of relying on just the judges scores. Also, fans can send in videos of dunks that they want to see the contestants perform via YOUTUBE. This should make the dunk contest more entertaining and should gain more viewers.
Here are the Top 10 Dunks of each contestant.
Jamario Moon
Dwight Howard
Gerald Green
Rudy Gay
Up until a few years ago, the slam dunk contest was always a highlight of the All-Star festivities. But recently people have been losing interest in the dunk contest. Originality, flare and creativeness have been dying out. New dunks haven't been done and people keep repeating dunks nowadays. So in an effort to gain interest, the NBA has found a way to increase fan involvement. Fans are now going to vote for the winner of the dunk contest instead of relying on just the judges scores. Also, fans can send in videos of dunks that they want to see the contestants perform via YOUTUBE. This should make the dunk contest more entertaining and should gain more viewers.
Here are the Top 10 Dunks of each contestant.
Jamario Moon
Dwight Howard
Gerald Green
Rudy Gay
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