PG-Steve Nash
Early life
Steve Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His parents relocated to Canada, settling in Victoria, British Columbia, before he was two years old because they did not want to raise their children in an environment of apartheid.[2]
His father John was a professional football player in South Africa, while mother Jean was a member of the English national netball team. His brother Martin has made 30 appearances for the Canadian national soccer team. His sister Joann was the captain of the University of Victoria women's soccer team for three years. Nash attended St. Michael's University School, a private boarding school in Victoria, and was on the school basketball team. Nash had decided to focus on basketball in his early teens, but still played soccer through high school, and was named British Columbia player of the year in soccer as well as basketball in his senior year.[3] Since his father is a native of Tottenham, Nash grew up rooting for Tottenham Hotspur and even trained with Spurs in North London as a teenager.[4] Soccer continues to be an important part of Nash's life. In fact, when Dirk Nowitzki arrived in the NBA from Germany, he and Nash became close friends, in part because they enjoyed watching soccer together. In addition to soccer, Nash excelled at hockey as a child.
Nash played high school basketball for Mount Douglas Secondary School and St. Michaels University School along with his younger brother Martin. In his senior season, he averaged nearly a triple-double per game—more than 21 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds—led his team to the British Columbia AAA provincial championship title, and was named the province's player of the year. However, because of the limited attention afforded to the Canadian high school basketball circuit, Nash went completely unrecruited by the U.S. NCAA schools. His coach, Ian Hyde-Lay, sent letters of inquiry and highlight reels on Nash's behalf to over 30 American universities, to no avail.
Acting on a tip, Santa Clara University head coach Dick Davey was intrigued enough, however, to twice request video footage of the young guard before finally making the trip up from Northern California to visit the recruit in person. After watching Nash dominate a game, Davey recalled later, "I was nervous as hell just hoping that no one else would see him. It didn't take a Nobel Prize winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around."[5] Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the 1992-93 season. As a freshman, he helped lead the Broncos to West Coast Conference title and an upset win over No. 2 seeded Arizona Wildcats in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
NBA career
First stint in Phoenix
Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player.[5] Despite his impressive college accomplishments, he had not played in one of the major college conferences. During his first two seasons in the NBA, he played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson.
Dallas
Nash had met and befriended Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Donnie Nelson while he was at Santa Clara and Nelson worked for the nearby Golden State Warriors. He agreed to select Nash with the 15th pick. After moving to Dallas, Nelson was able to convince his father, Don Nelson, who was then the Mavericks coach and GM, to acquire Nash. On Draft Day, June 25, 1998, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a first-round draft pick which was later used to select Shawn Marion but went back to Phoenix in 2004.
During Nash's first year in Dallas, the lockout-shortened season of 1999, he notched the starting spot and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.[6] He missed the last 10 games of the season due to a lower back injury.
In the 1999-2000 season, the team's prospects improved considerably. Nash missed 25 mid-season games due to an ankle injury, but he came back to notch 6 double-doubles in the last month of play.[1] He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game.[6] More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friend Dirk Nowitzki was blossoming into a superstar, veteran Michael Finley was having an All-Star-caliber year, and the team's new owner, billionaire Mark Cuban, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive.
In 2000-01, Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season.[6] With Nash directing the offense, Nowitzki and Finley playing at their best, and new acquisition, All-Star Juwan Howard, complementing the high-scoring trio, the Mavericks earned a playoff berth for the first time in more than a decade. Dallas lost in the second round, but it marked the beginning of a memorable title run for Nash and the Mavericks.
In the 2001-02 season, Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 PPG and 7.7 APG[6] and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team. He was now an all-star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three." Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs and again lost in the second round to the Sacramento Kings four games to one.
Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in 2002-03, averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game,[6] again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honors. Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from an incredible 14-game winning streak to open the season all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs four games to two. It was only the second Conference Final appearance in franchise history.
The 2003-04 season saw a drop-off in Nash's scoring contributions and he was left off the All-Star and All-NBA team rosters. Despite this, he achieved new career highs in assists per game (8.8) and free throw accuracy (91.6%).[6] Dallas suffered defeat in the first round of the playoffs to the Sacramento Kings four games to one.
Now a free agent, Nash attempted to negotiate a long-term contract with Mark Cuban. Cuban did not want to lose Nash, but wanted to build his franchise around the younger Nowitzki and did not want to risk signing the aging Nash to a long-term deal. Instead he offered a four year deal worth about $9 million per year, with a fifth year partially guaranteed. Cuban wrote in his own blog that this is what he considered fair and if Nash could get a better offer from another team he should take it and Cuban would be happy for him. Nash continued looking for a better deal and found one in Phoenix, where he still had a home and ties to the local community. Unfazed by Nash's age (30), the Suns offered him a six-year, $63 million contract. He was reluctant to leave Dallas and returned to Cuban to see if he would match the deal, to no avail. Nash signed a long-term contract with the Phoenix Suns for the 2004-05 season.
On a June 14, 2006 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Cuban wondered out loud, ". . . you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"[7]
Second stint in Phoenix: Nash's career transformed
The Phoenix Suns had two emerging young players in small forward Shawn Marion and forward-center Amare Stoudemire, the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year, but the season before Nash arrived, the Suns recorded a 29-53 win-loss record. Other than the additions of Nash and swingman Quentin Richardson, the line-up was essentially unchanged from the previous season, and most critics projected them to have another poor season.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni, who had taken over midway through the previous season, favored an up tempo style of basketball. This style requires smaller, more athletic players with the capability to outrun and out-shoot their opponents. Nash's familiarity with this style combined with the athleticism of teammates Stoudemire, Marion, and Joe Johnson to produce many highlight reels, an NBA-best 62-20 record (a 33-win improvement from the previous season) and a points per game average of 110.4, the highest in a decade.
As the Suns' starting point guard and a veteran among youngsters, Nash proved to be a threat in every aspect of the Suns' offense and was one of the catalysts for the team's dramatic turnaround. He averaged 11.5 assists per game (the highest mark in that category since 1995) while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his 3-pointers.
In the playoffs, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games before meeting Nash's former club, the Dallas Mavericks, in the second round. Leading the Suns to a 4-2 series win, Nash put up some of the best numbers of his career, averaging 30.3 points, 12.0 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game, recording his first playoff triple-double, and scoring a 2005 playoff high 48 points in one game. The Suns played in the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993, losing to the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs in five games. For the series, Nash averaged 23.2 points and 10.6 assists per game.
Most Valuable Player 2005
In 2005, Nash edged Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat to win the NBA MVP award.[8] Nash became the first Canadian and the second foreign-born player (after Hakeem Olajuwon) to earn the honor.[1] He is the first MVP who did not lead his team in scoring since Dave Cowens in 1972-73. Nash is just the third point guard ever to be named MVP — along with Magic Johnson and Bob Cousy — and only the sixth guard (Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Allen Iverson being the others).[1] Nash was the first white player to win the award since Larry Bird in 1986. Nash is also the lowest drafted player to win the award.
2005-06 season
After losing three key players in the off-season (Stoudemire to a knee injury, Joe Johnson to a trade for Boris Diaw (who was later on named "Most Improved Player" of 2006) and Quentin Richardson to a trade with New York) the Suns were not expected to repeat their successful 2005 season. However, because of Nash's leadership and the solid play of teammates Marion and Boris Diaw, the Suns remained one of the elite teams in the NBA. They again were the highest scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game. Nash was voted as a first-time starter for the 2006 Western All-Star team. On May 17 it was announced that Nash had been named to the All-NBA first team.
Nash was widely viewed as an MVP candidate as the regular season came to a close. He set career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free throw percentage (a league-leading .921).[1] While he shot the ball more than the previous year, he averaged a league-leading 10.5 assists per game.[1]
He also became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot better than 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range (43.9), and 90% from the line, joining Larry Bird, Reggie Miller and Mark Price.[1] Along with Shawn Marion, Nash led the Suns to another Pacific Division title and 54 wins. He would later be awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year.[9]
Most Valuable Player 2006: Nash wins again
The MVP award was announced by the NBA on May 7, 2006 to be Steve Nash for the second year in a row.[10] The official announcement came only a day after the Phoenix Suns (playing against the Lakers) became the eighth team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.
Nash is only the second point guard, along with Magic Johnson, to win the MVP award multiple times.[1] Nash joined eight other NBA players with back-to-back MVP awards: Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan.[1]
International career
Nash captained Canada men's national basketball team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000[1]. However, Canada won their final game of the tournament, a placement game against Russia, which enabled Canada to finish in 7th place, overall. Nash expressed disappointment in the result, saying "It hurts a lot. I feel like I let everybody down." Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play -- that's what I really hope."[11]
Nash again led Team Canada during an unsuccessful qualifying bid for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Nash was named tournament MVP,[12] but he admitted that he was disappointed that Canada did not qualify for the Olympics.
Player profile
Nash is the reigning winner of back-to-back MVP titles and seen as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. He led the league in assists in the last two consecutive seasons, averaging 11.5 assists per game in 2004-05 and 10.5 in the 2005-06 season.[6] He is an adept ball handler, as evidenced by his victory in the 2005 NBA All-Star Skills Contest.[1] He is a high percentage three-point shooter (over 42% lifetime average)[13] and is an outstanding free throw shooter: his lifetime average of 89.6% is third in NBA history.[14] Nash is also very effective playing the pick and roll as demonstrated with former Dallas teammate Dirk Nowitzki and later with the Suns' Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.[15]
As a teammate, Nash is known for his playmaking abilities. This is best shown by his current stint with the Suns, where he helped the Suns improve from a 29-53 record in 2003-04 into a 62-20 record in 2004-05, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years, which resulted in earning Nash his first MVP award. In the next season, Nash played a large role in leading Suns team into the Conference Finals, despite the injuries of all three big men Amare Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant. Following the season, Nash was awarded his second MVP award.
On May 11, 2006, ESPN.com rated Nash as the 9th greatest point guard of all time.[16]
SG-Dwayne Wade
[edit] Early life
Dwyane Wade was born in the south side of Chicago to Dwyane Sr. and Jolinda Wade. He cites one of his older sisters, Tragil, as the individual most responsible for his childhood upbringing and for steering him in the proper direction.[2] His parents divorced and he lived with his father and stepmother in Robbins, Illinois during his childhood.[3] As a child growing up in the Chicago area Wade idolized former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan,[4][5] and has said he patterns his game after him.
Wade attended H. L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn.[2] He did not see a lot of playing time his sophomore year as his stepbrother, Demetris McDaniel, was the star of the team.[6] Wade grew four inches in the summer before his junior year and proceeded to average 20.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.[7] Wade then averaged 27.0 points and 11.0 rebounds his senior year, and led his team to a 24–5 record.[7] They advanced to the title game of the Class AA Eisenhower Sectional,[7] during the season he set school records for points (676) and steals (106) in a season.[7]
Wade was recruited by only three schools—Marquette University, Illinois State and DePaul University.[8]
[edit] College
Wade played college basketball for Marquette University in Milwaukee. In Wade's first year at Marquette he did not play because of academic problems.[9] When Wade became eligible his sophomore year (2001–2002) he led the Golden Eagles in scoring with 17.8 ppg, and also contributed averages of 6.6 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game.[10] Marquette finished with a 26–7 record,[7] the school's best record since the 1993-1994 season.[7] In 2002–03, Wade led Marquette in scoring again with 21.5 ppg,[10] and Marquette won the school's first and only Conference USA championship with a 27-6 record. Wade then led the Golden Eagles to the Final Four, the school's first appearance in the Final Four since winning the 1977 national championship. After the season Wade was named to the Associated Press All-America Team becoming the first Marquette player since 1978 to do so.[7]
One of Wade's more memorable collegiate moments came in the 2003 Midwest Regional Final in the NCAA Tournament in Minneapolis. Against heavily favored, top-ranked and top-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, Wade recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, including 4 blocks and a steal on defense.[11] His triple double was just the third ever in NCAA Tournament history.[11] Wade's accomplishment helped lead Marquette over the Wildcats 83–69 and into the Final Four. Marquette finished the season ranked #6 in the AP poll, the school's highest ranking since the 1976-1977 season. Wade's strong play in the tournament caused his draft stock to increase significantly.[12] As a result, he elected to enter the 2003 NBA draft and forgo his senior year at Marquette.
On February 3, 2007, nearly three and a half years after his final collegiate game, Marquette retired Wade's jersey at halftime of their game against Providence. Although Marquette requires student-athletes to graduate prior to receiving jersey retirement honors, the University has made special exception for Wade based on his accomplishments since leaving Marquette.[13]
[edit] NBA career
[edit] Rookie season
Selected fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, Wade quickly emerged as a solid player on a relatively young Miami Heat team and averaged 16.2 points on 46.5% shooting to go along with averages of 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in his rookie season.[10] After a slow 5-15 start,[14] the Heat would gradually improve to finish 42–40 and make the playoffs.[15] He further distinguished himself with outstanding performances in the playoffs,[11] particularly against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the end, however, Wade's successful rookie season was somewhat overshadowed by the hype surrounding fellow rookies Carmelo Anthony and, in particular, LeBron James. Wade did earn unanimous selection to the NBA 2004 All-Rookie team,[11] and also finished third in rookie of the year voting (behind James and Anthony).[11] He also ranked in the top five among rookies in several major statistical categories, including second in field goal percentage, second in steals, third in scoring, fourth in assists, and fourth in minutes played.[11] In the playoffs Wade hit a game winning shot in Game 1 of the Heat's first round series against the New Orleans Hornets. The Heat won the series 4 games to 3 and advanced to the second round to face the top-seeded Indiana Pacers, whom they lost to in six games.
Wade with the ball versus the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005.
[edit] 2004-05
Before the 2004-05 season Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Heat, and owing to this the Heat were picked by many as title contenders.[16] Despite the added pressure of being on a team picked to contend for a title, Wade did not disappoint in his second season. He averaged 24.1 points on 47.8% shooting, to go along with averages of 6.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds,[10] and quickly emerged as a rising star in the league. He was elected to his first NBA All-Star Game in Denver, and came off the bench to score 14 points in the East's 125–115 win.[17] Compared to the previous year, the Miami Heat under Wade and O'Neal improved by 17 games, from a 42-40 record in the 2003-04 season, to an Eastern Conference-best 59–23 record in 2004-05.[10]
Wade at the free throw line.In the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs, Wade averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds at 50% field-goal shooting,[11] as the Heat swept the Nets.[18] Wade performed extremely well in the second round as well by averaging 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists,[11] as the Heat swept the Wizards.[18] The Heat would go on to lose against the defending champion Detroit Pistons in 7 games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Wade scored 40 and 36 points in Games 2 and 3 respectively, despite playing with sinusitis, the flu,and a knee strain. He also suffered a strained rib muscle in Game 5 of the Conference Finals that kept him out of Game 6,[19] and limited him in Game 7. The Heat lost the series 4–3 after giving up a 3–2 lead,[20] and a lead in the final 3 minutes of Game 7.
[edit] 2005-06
In the 2005–06 NBA season, Wade was elected to his second All-Star Game. In the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, Wade made the game winning put-back off of the Philadelphia 76ers' Allen Iverson's missed shot, to lead the East to a 122–120 victory over the West.[21] He finished the 2005-06 regular season averaging 27.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.95 steals per game.[10]
Against the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Wade shook off a few injuries that scared Heat fans, including a severely bruised hip in Game 5.[22] Returning late in the half, Wade resurrected his team by scoring 15 of his 28 points while suffering from intense pain, leading the Heat to the much-needed 3-2 series lead. After this, Wade successfully led his team to the 2006 NBA Finals, despite suffering from flu-like symptoms in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.[23] He put up a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists in that game, including an 8-point flurry to close out the 3rd period that put the game out of reach.[23]
[edit] 2005-06 NBA Finals
In his first trip to the NBA Finals, in which the Miami Heat faced off against the Dallas Mavericks, Wade had some of the more well known moments of his career. His performance in games three, four, and five, in which he scored 42, 36, and 43 points,[24][25] respectively, helped bring the Heat back from a 0–2 deficit to lead the series at 3 games to 2. Wade's Game 3 performance was especially memorable; Wade finished with 42 points (tying his career playoff high) and 13 rebounds (career high).[26] 15 of his 42 points came in the 4th quarter, in which the Heat erased a 13 point deficit over the final 6:34 with a 22–7 run which included a go-ahead jumper by NBA veteran Gary Payton that sealed the win.[27] The Heat went on to win Game 6, taking the series 4–2, and Wade was presented with the Finals MVP trophy. Dwyane had the third highest scoring average ever by a player in his first NBA Finals with 34.7 points per game.[28]
[edit] 2006-07
In the 2006-07 NBA season, Wade was elected to his third straight All-Star Game. Despite his play, the Heat struggled early in the season with injuries and were 20–25 on February 1, 2007.[29] However, with Shaquille O'Neal healthy and Pat Riley returning to the bench after undergoing hip and knee surgeries,[30] the Heat seemed poised to surge into the second half of the season.[31] However, during a game against the Houston Rockets on February 21, 2007, while attempting to steal the ball from Shane Battier, Wade dislocated his left shoulder and was assisted off the court in a wheelchair.[32] After the injury he was left with the decision to either rehabilitate the injury or undergo season-ending surgery.[33] On March 5, 2007, Wade announced that he would put off surgery and rehabilitate the shoulder with the intention of rejoining the team in time for the playoffs.[34] His decision was supported by both of the doctors' whose opinions he sought.[34]
On April 8, 2007, after missing 23 games because of injury, Wade returned in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Sporting a black sleeve to help protect his dislocated left shoulder, Wade recorded 12 points and 8 assists, in a 111-103 overtime loss.[35] He finished the regular season with averages of 27.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.[36]
In the 2006-07 postseason, Wade averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game, as the Heat were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls.[37] Following the playoffs, Wade announced that he plans to undergo surgery to repair his shoulder, which may cause him to forego his participation with the US men's national basketball team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament over the summer.[38]
[edit] Olympic career
Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Bronze 2004 Athens Olympics United States
Wade played on the bronze medal-winning 2004 US Olympics team with fellow NBA all-stars Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Shawn Marion, and Carmelo Anthony. The team competed in the 2006 World Championships in Japan, in which Wade averaged 19.3 points per game.[39] The team won a bronze medal, which disappointed many USA fans who had hoped for a return to the days of the original "Dream Team".[40][41]
Wade was named to the USA Men's Basketball National Team from 2006–2008. He will also compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the team will also compete at the Tournament of Americas Olympic Qualifiers in 2007. Wade was named co-captain of the 2006 team, along with James and Anthony.[42]
[edit] Player profile
Wade plays the shooting guard position. On offense, he has established himself as one of the quickest and most difficult players to guard in the NBA,[43] scoring 27.2 ppg in the 2005–06 regular season with .495 field goal accuracy,[10] and seemingly getting to the free throw line at will, ranking first in free-throw attempts per 48 minutes. He has proven himself an unselfish player, averaging 6.4 assists per game for his career.[10] After winning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2006, Wade developed a reputation as one of the premier clutch players in the NBA.[44] David Thorpe, an athletic trainer who runs a training center for NBA players in the offseason, also cites Wade's developing post up game as one of his strengths.[45] "Watching Wade operate on the left block is literally like watching old footage of MJ (Michael Jordan)," comments Thorpe.[45] Thorpe goes on to say that Wade's best moves from the post are his turnaround jump shot,[45] double pivot,[45] and what Thorpe terms as a "freeze fake",[46] a pump fake Wade uses to get his opponent to jump, so that he can then drive around him to the basket.[46] The main weakness cited in Wade's ability is his lack of three-point range, averaging .251 on three-point field goal attempts for his career.[10] He is known for his ability to convert difficult lay-ups, even after hard mid-air collisions with defenders.[43] As crowd pleasing as his high-flying style of basketball may be, some have expressed concerns over the dangers of playing in this manner,[43] as Wade has already hurt his knees and wrists after mid-air collisions with larger players.
[edit] Off the court life
Wade in his first late night television appearance talks with David Letterman on June 21, 2006.Wade is a devout Christian and chose the number 3 because it represents the Holy Trinity.[47] In addition, Wade tithes 10% of his salary to a church in Chicago.[5] He is married to his high school sweetheart Siohvaughn Funches, who was his first and only serious girlfriend, and has a son named Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade (born February 4, 2002).[3] The pair were able to maintain their relationship, despite Funches, who is a year older than Wade, leaving to enroll at Eastern Illinois University during Wade's senior year of high school.[3] In February 2002, the couple were married, and at the beginning of Wade's final year of college (Fall 2002), Funches transferred to Marquette.[3]
The Heat's 2005 NBA Playoff run and Wade's performances with Shaquille O' Neal hampered by injury, led to an explosion of media attention and rapid increase in Wade's popularity. During those playoffs, Wade's jersey became the top selling jersey in the league and remained so for nearly two years; he is currently number 2 in sales behind Kobe Bryant.[1] After the playoffs, he was featured on People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2005,[48] and following the success of the Heat's 2006 NBA Championship Title, named NBA's best dressed player by GQ Magazine.[49] The Heat's success and Wade's memorable performances during their 2006 title run, further elevated his status into the public's eye, and led to several appearances on talk shows, such as Late Show with David Letterman and Live with Regis and Kelly.[50]
Wade has proven himself a popular endorser and has a number of endorsement deals with companies such as Gatorade, Sean John, T-Mobile, and Topps.[51] He has a shoe contract with Converse; his shoe is named simply "The Wade."[52] Wade's nicknames include Flash, which was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal in reference to the Queen song "Flash" from the 1980 Flash Gordon movie,[53] and D-Wade.[54]
SF-Carmelo Anthoney
Early years
His father, after whom Anthony is named, died of cancer when Anthony was 2 years old. He lived in the Red Hook Projects in Brooklyn, New York, for two more years. When Anthony was 8 his family moved to Baltimore, where he began winning local basketball awards. He has two brothers, Robert and Wilford, a sister, Michelle, and half-sister, Daphne. His mother is African-American, and his father was Puerto Rican.
[edit] High school career
Carmelo grew up in the Druid Hill section of West Baltimore, where he commuted to Towson Catholic High School for his first three years of high-school. During the summer of 2000, when he grew five inches, he made a name for himself in the area, being named the 2001 Baltimore Sun's metro player of the year, as well as Baltimore Catholic League player of the year. Anthony transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior campaign and became a high school All-American.
[edit] College career
Anthony played one season at Syracuse University. He averaged 22.1 points (16th in the nation, 4th in the Big East) and 10.0 rebounds (19th in the NCAA, 3rd in Big East), in leading the Orangemen to their first ever NCAA tournament title in 2003. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, minutes played (36.4 minutes per game), field goals made and attempted and free throws made and attempted. In the finals game against University of Kansas. Anthony had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Carmelo also earned the tournament's Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors; his efforts included a 33 point game against Texas in the semi-final. Afterward, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim described Anthony as, "...by far, the best player in college basketball. It wasn't even close. Nobody was even close to him last year in college basketball. That's the bottom line."[1]
Anthony says that he originally planned to stay at Syracuse for at least two seasons, but having already accomplished everything he set out to, he chose to abandon his collegiate career with Boeheim's blessing, and declared himself eligible for the 2003 NBA Draft.
Some of Anthony's highlights in his time with Syracuse were being Named Second-Team All-America by AP as a freshman, leading his team to a 30-5 record, capturing the schools first ever NCAA title and being the consensus pick for national Freshman of the Year. He was named to the All-Big East First team and was also made the consensus selection for Big East Conference Freshman of the Year.
[edit] Rookie year
Carmelo's NBA career began on June 26, 2003, when he was chosen in the first round (3rd overall) in the annual draft by the Denver Nuggets behind LeBron James (1st overall, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Darko Milicic (2nd overall, Detroit Pistons). He made his NBA regular season debut on Wednesday October 29, 2003, versus the San Antonio Spurs. He finished the night scoring 12 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists. In just his sixth career NBA game Anthony scored 30 points (November 7th versus LA Clippers) becoming just the second youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points or more (19 years, 151 days) (Kobe Bryant was the youngest). It was the fewest amount of games a Denver Nuggets rookie took to score 30 points in a contest since the ABA/NBA merger. On February 9, 2004, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony became the third youngest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in NBA history with a 20 point effort in an 86-83 win.
On Friday, February 13, 2004, Anthony participated in the got milk? Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend. In 30 minutes of playing time Anthony scored 17 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out five assists in a losing effort (142-118). On March 30, 2004 he scored 41 points against the Seattle Supersonics to set a new Denver Nuggets franchise mark for most points in a game by a rookie. He also became the second-youngest player (19 years, 305 days) to score at least 40 points in a game in NBA history.
As the season concluded Anthony was a major part in the turnaround of the Nuggets from league laughingstock to playoff contender. In the season before Anthony was drafted by the team, the Denver Nuggets finished with a 17-65 record, which tied them for worst in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They finished the 2003-04 campaign with a 43-39 overall record qualifying them for the post-season. He became the first NBA rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs did so in the 1989-90 season.
After winning the Rookie of the Month award for April, Anthony became just the fourth player in NBA history to capture all six of the Rookie of the Month awards in a season joining David Robinson, Tim Duncan and fellow rookie LeBron James. Carmelo was also named NBA Player of the Week twice (March 10-14, 2004 and April 06-10, 2004) and was a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Anthony was first among NBA rookies with a 21.0 PPG mark which also placed him 12th in the entire league. Anthony finished second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting. He was the runner up to the Cavaliers rookie standout James.
Denver's post-season berth would be shortlived though as Anthony and the rest of his team were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
[edit] Following seasons
In Anthony's second season in the NBA he played in 75 of the 82 games for the Denver Nuggets, starting every game. He averaged 20.8 PPG which ranked him 19th in the NBA and placed 16th in the NBA for points per 48 minutes. On December 4, 2004 versus the Miami Heat, Anthony became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career points. Only James and Bryant were younger when they reached that plateau. Anthony played again in the got milk? Rookie Challenge, this time suiting up for the sophomore squad. In front of his home fans of Denver (who were hosting the 2005 All-Star Game), Anthony scored a game high 31 points to go along with 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals en route to becoming the MVP of the game.
With Anthony's help the Nuggets improved by six games and ended the season 49-33 which was good enough for seventh place in the Western Conference (one spot higher than they finished the previous season). The second seeded San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Nuggets in five games in the first round.
As he did in the 2004-05 season, Anthony played and started in 80 games during the 2005-06 NBA campaign, putting up career highs in multiple categories. He averaged 26.5 PPG (8th, NBA), 2.7 APG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.10 SPG. His eighth place finish in NBA scoring was the highest finish by a Denver player since 1990-91 when Nuggets G Michael Adams finished the season sixth in NBA scoring. On November 23, 2005 with the Nuggets facing the two time defending Eastern Conference Champions the Detroit Pistons, Anthony hauled down his 1,000th career rebound.
On March 17, 2006, versus the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony scored 33 points to push his career points over the 5,000 mark and in doing so became the second youngest player to accomplish that feat (behind James). As the month of March came to a close the Nuggets finished 11-5 and Anthony was named as the NBA Player of the Month for March. He also took home Player of the Week honors for the period March 13-19, 2006.
For the first time in Anthony's career with the franchise, Denver held home court advantage in the opening round versus the LA Clippers. The Nuggets finished the season in third place with the Clippers ending the year in sixth. Los Angeles won the first two games of the series on the Nuggets home floor and again the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round.
For the 2005-2006 season, he made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds: at Houston on January 8, 2006; at home versus the Phoenix Suns on January 10, 2006; at Minnesota on February 24, 2006; at Indiana on March 15, 2006; at home versus the Los Angeles Lakers on April 6, 2006 - all were jumpers while shot against Minnesota was a three point field goal - also made a shot in the final seconds to force overtime vs. the Dallas Mavericks on January 6, 2006 and made shots in the final 22 seconds against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 18, 2006 and the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, 2006 which gave the Nuggets leads they would never lose.
He has led the Nuggets in the postseason each of his first three seasons. However, they've not gotten past the first round of the playoffs losing each time to the Timberwolves, Spurs and the Clippers. He has appeared in 14 playoff games with averages of 18.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.5 apg and 0.9 spg.
Early in the 2006-07 season, in the eighth game of the season, Anthony tied the franchise record of six-straight 30-point games recorded by Alex English in the 1982-83 season, falling short of establishing a new record as he finished with 29 points in his ninth game, a 113-109 victory over the Chicago Bulls on November 21, 2006. After the Chicago victory, Anthony again tied the club record of six-straight 30 point games failing to break it the second time around as he scored 24 points in only his 16th game last December 6, 2006 in a 98-96 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
On December 16, 2006, Anthony was one of many players involved in the Knicks-Nuggets brawl during a game at Madison Square Garden. Footage shows Anthony punched New York's Mardy Collins in the face and then backed up to mid-court. As a result of his actions, Anthony was suspended for 15 games by NBA commissioner David Stern.[2]
On January 22, 2007, Anthony returned to the court after his 15-game suspension to play against the Memphis Grizzlies, finishing the game with 28 points.
On February 1, 2007, the reserves for the Western Conference All-Star team were announced, and Anthony was left off of it. However, with Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer out with injury, commissioner David Stern chose Anthony as a replacement (along with Josh Howard). He scored 20 points with 9 rebounds in his All-Star debut.
On February 2, 2007, Anthony and fellow teammate J.R. Smith were involved in a car accident. Neither player was injured in the collision and the only details released by the team at this point was that the car Smith was driving belonged to Anthony.
On February 5, 2007, Anthony recorded his first ever NBA triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
For the season, Anthony won Player of the Week honors three times (November 20-26, 2006, November 27-December 03, 2006 and February 5-11, 2007) and took home Player of the Month honors for April 2007 after leading the Nuggets to a 10-1 record for the month and into sixth place in the Western Conference where they will be facing Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs for the second time in three years. He finished the season as the league's second leading scorer behind Bryant with an average of 28.9 PPG while adding 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.2 SPG.
For the second time in 3 years, Anthony and the 6th-seeded Nuggets faced the San Antonio Spurs, the 3rd seeds, in the first round of the playoffs. This time the team was more confident of a good showing as Anthony and Allen Iverson proved that they can co-exist with each other after leading the team to a 10-1 record in April 2007. However, in a virtual repeat of the 2005 first round-playoff between these two teams, the Nuggets immediately stole homecourt advantage by winning Game 1, 95-89 only to lose the next 4 games as they were eliminated in the first round for the 4th straight year. In 5 games, Anthony averaged a team-high 26.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.2 APG and 1.0 SPG.
PF-Dirk Nowtizki
Early life
A native of Würzburg, Nowitzki came from an athletic family; his father Jörg was a handball player, his mother Helen was a member of the German women's national basketball team, and his older sister Silke played basketball in the United States at Duquesne University. She now works for the NBA in International TV. Nowitzki attended Röntgen Gymnasium (high school), and was sporadically recruited by U.S. colleges as a teenager in Germany, and seriously considered attending Pennsylvania State University, but since he was required to do military service in Germany from September 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998, these plans came to nothing. During his time with the military, he was however allowed to continue playing pro basketball over the weekends. [1]
He was first noticed by the NBA world when a team of American pro stars, including Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Charles Barkley, came to Germany and played an exhibition game against a German national youth team in September 1997. During the game, Nowitzki dunked over Charles Barkley. Barkley saw a future superstar in the gangly German teenager and later admitted to offering to pay him "any amount of money he wanted if he would come to his alma mater, Auburn." [2] [3]
Nowitzki did not truly gain international attention, however, until the March 1998 Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio, Texas, where he notched 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead a team of international juniors to a surprise victory over a U.S. junior team. [4]
NBA career
Early years
Nowitzki decided to declare for the 1998 NBA Draft at the age of 20. He had a promise from Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino that his team would take him with the 10th overall selection. However, one other team was interested in the German prospect: the Dallas Mavericks, and they selected him just one pick earlier. Technically, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Bucks were selecting for the Mavericks; the two teams had a pre-arranged deal. The Mavericks had likewise selected Robert "Tractor" Traylor for the Bucks with the sixth pick. Even though the two teams were selecting for each other, the Nowitzki-for-Traylor deal has gone down as one of the most infamous and lopsided trades ever. The Mavericks also got the draft rights to nineteenth-overall pick Pat Garrity, but that same draft, Garrity was traded (along with other players and future draft considerations) to the Phoenix Suns for young point guard Steve Nash. On that night, the Dallas Mavericks acquired the two pieces on which they would build their franchise for years to come.
Mavs GM Don Nelson touted Nowitzki as the sure-fire 1998-99 Rookie of the Year at the draft, a lofty expectation for a 20-year-old who was in the U.S. for the first time. Dallas fans were understandably upset, then, when Nowitzki looked lost when on the floor in mop-up minutes as a rookie. Determined to prove that he could be a force in the NBA, Nowitzki returned to Germany in the 1999 offseason, working hard on sharpening his total game. The summer of work helped immensely, as Nowitzki emerged as a starter and future star in 1999-2000, when he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, finishing second in voting for the league's Most Improved Player.
The following season (2000-01), he averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds and became the first Maverick to be named to the All-NBA Team, making the third team.
The All-Star
In 2001-02, Nowitzki averaged 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. He was again selected to the All-NBA team, this time on the second team. In the following summer, he played on the German national team that finished third at the FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis and was named the tournament MVP.
Before the 2002-03 season, he was named in a survey of NBA general managers as the league's top international player. He met those expectations; he matched his 2001-02 rebound average and increased his scoring average to a career-high 25.1 points. He was again selected to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA second team.
He suffered through nagging ankle injuries in 2003-04, but still managed to finish in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring, at 21.8 ppg, and added 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He was again selected for the All-Star Game, and again made the All-NBA team, this time on the third team. Nowitzki was one of the Mavericks' few bright spots in a five-game loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2004 playoffs, averaging 26.6 points and 11.8 rebounds for the series.
The franchise player
Nowitzki has been the face of the Mavericks franchise.Before the 2004-05 NBA season, Nowitzki's best friend Steve Nash left Dallas and returned to the Phoenix Suns as a free agent. Without Nash, many feared Nowitzki's game would falter, but precisely the opposite occurred. Nowitzki would score 26.1 points a game, a career-high, and net 9.7 rebounds. His 1.5 blocks and 3.1 assists were also career numbers. On December 2, 2004, Nowitzki scored 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets, a career best.
Nowitzki was voted to the first team All-NBA squad for the 2004-05 season, although the Mavericks were ousted from the playoffs by the Nash-led Suns. That season Nowitzki also placed third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. By being elected to the first team All-NBA, Nowitzki became the first player who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA first team.
Disappointed in his team's early exit from the playoffs, Nowitzki looked forward to the next season. Teammate Michael Finley was waived over the summer, and now Nowitzki was the last player remaining from the Mavericks' "Big Three" of Nash, Finley, and himself. He was now the unequivocal leader of the team.
Under the tutelage of coach and former teammate Avery Johnson, who acceded to the head coach position when Don Nelson stepped down late in the 2004-05 season, Nowitzki made strides in his inside game. Long considered as a "soft" jump shooter in the mold of many European players, Nowitzki cut back on his three-point attempts and concentrated on his inside game. He went on to have another career year, with averages of 26.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He improved his shooting percentage, setting personal season records in field goals (48.0%), three-point shots (40.6%) and free throws (90.1%). On January 3, 2006, Nowitzki broke a Mavericks franchise record, previously held by Nash, by making his 50th consecutive free throw. On January 6, his record streak ended at 60. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston, Nowitzki scored 18 points to defeat Seattle Supersonics guard Ray Allen and Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas in the Three-Point Shootout contest.
Perhaps more importantly, under Johnson, a coach nicknamed "The Little General" for his diminutive height and born leadership, Nowitzki learned to lead his team by example, and he paced the Mavericks to a 60-win season. The team finished with the third-best record in the league, behind the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons. As in the 2004-05 season, he finished third in the league's MVP voting, this time behind Nash and LeBron James. He was again elected to the first team All-NBA squad.
Nowitzki would confirm his superstar status in earnest during the playoffs as he averaged 27.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. The Mavericks would sweep the Memphis Grizzlies (in Game 3 he would convert a wild three-point attempt to tie the game and force overtime) and defeat the San Antonio Spurs in seven gruelling games (in Game 7, with the Mavs down by 3, he converted on a three-point play and forced overtime) to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they would again meet Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Nowitzki scored 50 points to lead the Mavericks to a victory in the crucial Game 5 with the series tied 2-2; the Mavericks would go on to win in six games and face the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals. Of Nowitzki's performance, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons would remark, "Dirk is playing at a higher level than any forward since Bird." [5] However Nowitzki only made 20 of his last 55 shots in the final 3 games as the Mavericks lost the Finals series 4-2 to the Heat after leading 2-0.
Nowitzki, the first European player to become an NBA superstar, is thought by some to be leading a revolution in how the game is played. Helped by rule changes meant to discourage contact and increase scoring in response to flagging interest in the league and the poor performance of American players in international competition, the NBA game has gone from a tough, grinding affair to a more finesse-oriented game, as evidenced by the recent success of teams such as the Mavericks and Suns who place a premium on speed and scoring rather than size and physicality. Miami Heat center, 2000 NBA MVP, and three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal said of Nowitzki, "The game is changing and the rules are changing. The NBA centers are going more toward the European player. I tell my kids you won't be able to play the game your daddy played. It's becoming a different game. He is where the big-man game will be in four or five years. When you talk great big men, it'll be based on whether guys can play like Dirk or not. Stepping out, shooting the three, midrange game and the low-post game. I'm going to actually let my children watch his game." [6]
Nowitzki is tied with Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers for sixth place among active players who have played their entire NBA career for one team (8 seasons). (Kevin Garnett leads all active players, having played 11 seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Playing style
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Nowitzki is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and is capable of shooting a high percentage from both medium range and beyond the three-point line, an exceptional skill for a 7-foot forward. His tall frame makes it difficult for defenders to guard and contest his jump shots. Nowitzki utilizes a fadeaway jumper which is difficult to block, and he is outstanding at the free throw line (over 90% in 2006). Some critics note that, for a man of his size, he should be able to score more from the low post, although in recent years his inside game has improved. Dirk also has perhaps the most effective high post game in the NBA today. He often receives a pass near the top of the key and brings the ball down to the low post to score on a turnaround jump shot or a drive. This element of his game has developed mostly in the past year.
Nowitzki was a great complement to former teammate, Steve Nash, on the pick and roll. Though Nowitzki now has to create his own offense more without the benefit of Nash's pinpoint passes, he has been able to adjust to the change fairly easily with a combination of driving and stopping in the lane for jump shots.
Early in his career, Nowitzki had a reputation for lackluster defense; one critic joked that Nowitzki should be referred to as "Irk" because "he had no D."[citation needed] However, Nowitzki's defense has improved under the tutelage of current Dallas coach Avery Johnson. Recently, Nowitzki notched a career high in blocks on January 6, 2006, with 7 against the Denver Nuggets. In comparison to his shooting ability and his improved defense, note that Nowitzki is the only player in NBA history to register at least 150 three-point field goals and 100 blocks in a season (he had 151 three-point field goals and 101 blocks in the 2000-01 season).
Nowitzki is frequently compared to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, as both are considered among the best shooters of all-time and both are prolific scorers. Both Bird and Nowitzki are three-point contest champions and excellent free-throw shooters. However, those who make such comparisons acknowledge that Bird had a more developed all-around game and was a better rebounder, defender, and passer. In particular Bird's assist numbers are much higher than Nowitzki's with Bird reaching upwards of 7 assists per game in several seasons and Nowitzki having a career high average of 3.4 per game (2006-07). Also, Bird was an immediate sensation in the league winning the Rookie of the Year honors, while Nowitzki, who entered the league three years younger than Bird, took some time to develop. Nowitzki's scoring pace has now caught up to Bird's, but his rebounding and ball sense still fall somewhat short; Nowitzki has never averaged more than 10 rebounds per game in a season, while Bird, in the first six years of his career, never averaged fewer than 10.
[7] [8]
Awards/achievements
NBA highlights
6-time NBA All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (Starter)
7-time All-NBA:
First Team: 2005, 2006, 2007
Second Team: 2002, 2003
Third Team: 2001, 2004
Free throw percentage: Fourth in 2006 (90.1), Third in 2007 (90.4)
Points per game: Fourth in 2005 (26.1), Seventh in 2006 (26.6), Tenth in 2007 (24.6)
3-time NBA regular-season leader, Win Shares: 2005 (47), 2006 (52), 2007 (51) [9]
NBA All-Star Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout Champion: 2006
Lifetime stats
Regular season, after the 2006-07 season
Games: 681
PTS: 15,173
PPG: 22.3
RPG: 8.6
APG: 2.6
SPG: 1.0
BPG: 1.0
FG%: .470
3P%: .381
FT%: .869
Postseason, after the 2007 Playoffs
Games: 82
PTS: 2,070
PPG: 25.2
RPG: 11.1
APG: 2.4
SPG: 1.3
BPG: 1.0
FG%: .445
3P%: .376
FT%: .878
Career highs (as of May 10, 2007)
Points: 53 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets)
Field Goals Made: 16 (2 Times)
Field Goals Attempted: 33 (March 10, 2003 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves)
Three Point Field Goals Made: 8 (January 27, 2004 vs. Seattle Supersonics)
Three Point Field Goals Attempted: 15 (January 15, 2002 vs. Atlanta Hawks)
Free Throws Made: 21 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets)
Free Throws Attempted: 22 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets)
Free Throws Made Consecutively: 60 (January 6, 2006)
Offensive Rebounds: 7 (January 18, 2001 vs. Orlando Magic)
Defensive Rebounds: 21 (February 23, 2002 vs. Sacramento Kings)
Total Rebounds: 23 (February 21, 2002 vs. Boston Celtics)
Assists: 8 (7 Times)
Steals: 9 (March 7, 2004, vs. Houston Rockets)
Blocks: 7 (January 6, 2006 vs. Denver Nuggets)
Minutes Played: 57 (March 14, 2007 vs. Phoenix Suns)
Milestones
Became the only player in NBA history to register 150 three-point field goals and 100 blocks in a season (he had 151 three-point field goals and 101 blocks in the 2000-01 season)
Became the first player in Dallas Mavericks history to be named to an All-NBA team (2000-01), and is the only Maverick to be named to an All-NBA First Team (2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-2007)
Became the first player in NBA history who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA first team (2004-05)
Became the first European player in NBA history to be a starter at the NBA All-Star Game (in 2007)
Became the second player in NBA history to lead the league in Win Shares for at least three consecutive seasons (2005-2007). The other is Michael Jordan.
Became the third player in NBA history (after Rick Barry and Larry Bird) to average 26-plus points while shooting 90% or better from the line (2005-06)
Became the fifth player in NBA history to shoot better than 50% from the field (50.2), 40% from three-point range (41.6), and 90% from the line (90.4) (2006-07). The others are Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Mark Price and Steve Nash. Together with Bird, he is the only one of these to average more than 21 PPG.
Surpassed the 10,000 point plateau in his career on January 18, 2005 against the Washington Wizards.
Became the 105th player and the fourth European-born player in NBA history to surpass 15,000 career points on March 30, 2007 with a 30-point performance in a victory over the New York Knicks.
Dallas Mavericks franchise records
Most points in a game, season, overtime: 53 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets)
Most points in a game, season, regulation: 51 (March 23, 2006 vs. Golden State Warriors)
Most points in a game, playoffs: 50 (June 1, 2006 vs. Phoenix Suns)
Most free throws made, consecutive: 60 (December 22, 2005–January 6, 2006)
Most free throws in a game, attempted, playoffs: 24 (May 13, 2006 vs. San Antonio Spurs)
Most free throws in a game, made, playoffs: 21 (May 13, 2006 vs. San Antonio Spurs)
Most free throws in a game, attempted, season: 22 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets (overtime))
Most free throws in a game, made, season: 21 (December 2, 2004 vs. Houston Rockets (overtime))
Most free throws in a game, made, none missed: 15 (December 23, 2005 vs. Seattle Super Sonics)
Most defensive rebounds, season: 710 (in the 2002-03 season)
Most rebounds, franchise leader in total: 5,842 (as of 2007 offseason)
Most free throws made in a playoff run: 205 (in 23 games, April 23–June 20, 2006)
Named NBA Player of the Week, franchise leader in total: 7 (as of January 17, 2007)
Other
Named MVP and was the leading scorer of the 2002 Basketball World Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, winning the bronze medal with the German national team
Named MVP and was the leading scorer of the 2005 European Championship, winning the silver medal with the German national team
Named FIBA European Basketball Player of the Year in 2005.
Named European Basketball Player of the Year by Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport for five years in a row: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Runner-up in the 2005 edition of Germany's Athlete of the Year Award (Sportler des Jahres)
He is the tallest NBA player to win the 3-point shootout at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m).
Dirk chose his number 41 because he wore 14 during his early days; but when he joined the Mavs, the 14 was taken by Robert Pack. Nowitzki decided to switch the digits and wore 41 from then. [10]
C-Shaq
[edit] Pre-professional basketball experience
O'Neal first gained national attention as a star at a Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. He became High School Player of the Year during his playing days there, leading his high school team to a 68-1 record during his two years there and helping the team win the state title his senior year. Shaq scored 52 points in a game in Lubbock his senior year, helping Cole win the Texas state championship and going an unbeaten 36-0 that year.[2]. After graduating in 1989, he attended Louisiana State University and studied business. While playing for LSU's basketball team, he was a two-time first team All-American, two-time SEC player of the year, and national player of the year in 1991, receiving the Adolph Rupp Trophy and John Wooden Award as NCAA men's basketball player of the year. He also holds the NCAA record for shot blocked in a game with 17 blocks against Mississippi State on December 3, 1990.
While O'Neal's stepfather was stationed at a US Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany, Shaquille attended Fulda American High School, a DODDS school. It was here that Dale Brown, LSU's coach at that time, first saw O'Neal. At the time, the thirteen-year old Shaquille O'Neal was already 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 meters), and weighed 224 pounds (101 kilograms) and so Brown thought Shaq was a soldier.
After returning to school in 2000, O'Neal received a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies,[3] and was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.[4]
[edit] Orlando Magic
O'Neal was drafted as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. (He would later be teammates on the Miami Heat with the second and third picks of that same draft: Alonzo Mourning and Christian Laettner.) During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. O'Neal had an exceptional rookie season, as he helped the Magic win 20 more games than the previous season, with the team ultimately missing the playoffs by only one game. O'Neal averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the season and was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. O'Neal played in the All-Star game and scored 14 points. On two occasions during that season, each during a nationally televised game, O'Neal dunked the ball so hard that he broke the backboard support units.
After his first season in Orlando, O'Neal returned to Los Angeles during the summer, where he was cast in a role in Blue Chips (along with future teammate Penny Hardaway), a film about college recruits getting paid to play basketball. He also recorded rap music over that summer.
O'Neal's sophomore season was even better than his first. He averaged 29.3 points and led the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. He was also voted into another All-Star game and helped the Magic make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. On November 20, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets, O'Neal registered the first triple-double of his career, recording 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks.
In his third season, O'Neal led the NBA in scoring, with 2,315 total points and, like his second season, averaged 29.3 points per game. Orlando won 57 games and won the Atlantic Division. The Magic made it all the way to the NBA Finals, but they were swept by the Houston Rockets. By O'Neal's own admission, he was badly outplayed during that series by Houston's more experienced superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon, despite putting up admirable numbers in the series. Nonetheless, Olajuwon saw enough potential in O'Neal that Olajuwon predicted that O'Neal would some day return to the Finals and win a championship[citation needed]. O'Neal has stated that this was one of only two times in his life that he ever cried (the other at the death of his grandmother). His father also used the loss as motivation, saying to his son that "maybe you shouldn't have shook Mr. Olajuwon's hand" (in congratulations for his win).
O'Neal was injured for a great deal of the 1995-96 season, missing 28 games. The Magic won 60 games and won the Atlantic Division again, but Orlando was swept by the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Now a free agent, O'Neal contemplated whether his future would be best served by remaining with the Magic or by moving on to a new team.
By this point, O'Neal had shown an interest in things outside basketball. He started making rap CDs, with some measure of success. He also took an interest in making more movies. O'Neal also began taking classes again at LSU to complete his degree, to fulfill his promise to his mother he would graduate.
Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball
Gold 1996 Atlanta United States
That summer, O'Neal was named to the United States Olympic team. In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, O'Neal helped the U.S. win the gold medal in men's basketball. O'Neal has expressed the great pride he felt at the moment that the gold medal was placed around his neck.
Shortly before the Olympics began, O'Neal announced he had made his decision regarding his NBA future — he was moving to Los Angeles to become a Laker.
[edit] Los Angeles Lakers
After the 1995-96 season, O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers, enticed by the allure of a seven-year, $120 million contract. He had always wanted to play for the Lakers.
O'Neal joined a young Laker squad that had recently returned to the playoffs, but of which little was expected. O'Neal's arrival vastly changed expectations, but he missed a significant number of games due to injury in the 1996-97 season and several players had difficulty meshing with the new focal point of the offense. By 1997-98, key role players Rick Fox and Robert Horry had been added by Laker GM Jerry West. This group meshed well and won 61 regular season games. However, in both of his first two seasons in Los Angeles, O'Neal suffered a lopsided play-off defeat by the Utah Jazz in the 1997 2nd round 4-1 and 1998 Western Conference finals 4-0.
The Lakers were clearly a team on the rise with the tandem of O'Neal and teenage superstar Kobe Bryant. However, the 1998-99 season was marked by nearly constant change within the Lakers. Long-time Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets after a dispute with O'Neal. His former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by O'Neal for a shooter. Coach Del Harris was fired and former Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman was signed, but Rodman only lasted for 23 games before getting the goodbye. The result was no better as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semi-finals (2nd round). The Spurs would go on to win their first title.
In 1999, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as their new head coach, and the team's fortunes soon changed. Utilizing Jackson's triangle offense, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant went on to enjoy tremendous success on the court, as they led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and has the highest scoring average for a center in Finals history.
O'Neal was also voted the 1999-2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, coming just one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote for O'Neal, instead choosing Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers. Shaq also won the scoring title that year while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots.
Shaquille O'Neal at the White House greeting President Bush with his fellow Lakers.After the Lakers fell to 5th seed and failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free agent services of forward legend Karl Malone and aging guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one nearly as much money as he could have made with other teams. O'Neal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally persuaded both men to join the team. Ultimately, each of them signed, forgoing larger salaries in favor a chance to win an NBA Championship, something neither had yet accomplished in his career.
At the beginning of the 2003-04 season, with two years left on his contract at the time, O'Neal informed the team of his desire for a substantially larger extension to his contract. O'Neal remained persistently vocal about this desire, but Laker management was hesitant to meet his demands amid concerns about his work ethic (for several years he had shown up at training camp out of shape and struggled as he got into shape during the season,) about the possibility of further injuries, and a general decline in his game as he continued to age. It is widely believed that there was also concern about O'Neal's relationship with Kobe Bryant, as the two had exchanged public barbs during the off-season. With Bryant scheduled to become a free agent at the end of that season, many believed he would not choose to remain with the Lakers as O'Neal's sidekick.
The Lakers did eventually offer O'Neal a large contract in February 2004 (according to the book Madmen's Ball by Mark Heisler) under which he would have unquestionably continued to remain the highest paid player in the league, but he refused after feeling his services were not needed.
After the Lakers' loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal became angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson due to request of Dr. Buss. O'Neal made comments indicating that he felt the team's decisions were centered around a desire to appease Bryant, to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O'Neal promptly demanded a trade. The Dallas Mavericks and their team owner Mark Cuban were extremely interested in O'Neal and were willing to make a trade with the Lakers, but Kupchak wanted Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs' superstar, in return. Cuban refused to let go of Nowitzki and the Lakers ended trade talks with Dallas. However, Miami showed interest and slowly a trade agreement was made.
[edit] Miami Heat
On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round draft choice. O'Neal reverted from his Lakers jersey number 34 to number 32 which he wore while playing for the Orlando Magic. Upon signing with the Heat, O'Neal declared that he would bring a championship to Miami. He claimed that one of the main reasons for wanting to be traded to Miami was because of up and coming star, Dwyane Wade. With O'Neal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, O'Neal lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. He also narrowly lost the 2004-05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in NBA history.
O'Neal going in for a layup with the Heat.In August 2005, O'Neal signed a 5-year-extension with the Heat for $100 million USD. Supporters applauded O'Neal's willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut, and the Heat's decision to secure O'Neal's services for the long term. They contend that O'Neal was worth more than $20 million per year, particularly given that considerably less valuable players such as Jalen Rose, Allan Houston, Keith Van Horn, Steve Francis, and Stephon Marbury earn almost the same amount. Critics, however, questioned wisdom of the extension, characterizing it as overpaying an aging and often injured player. However, by delivering an NBA championship to the Heat in 2006, O'Neal has perhaps silenced such critics.
In the second game of the 2005-06 season, O'Neal injured his right ankle and subsequently missed the following 18 games. Many critics stated that Heat coach Pat Riley correctly managed O'Neal during the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley felt doing so would allow O'Neal to be healthier and fresher come playoff time. Although O'Neal averaged career (or near-career) lows in points, rebounds, and blocks, O'Neal said in an interview "Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I'm pissed off. 'Cause I knew I did something wrong. I'll have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game." During the 2005-06 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without O'Neal in the line-up.
On April 11, 2006, Shaquille O'Neal recorded his second career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career high 10 assists.
O'Neal finished the season as the league leader in field goal percentage; he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in league history to lead the league in field goal percentage nine times.
In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat would go on to win their first NBA Championship. Led by both O'Neal and star Dwyane Wade, the 2nd seeded Heat defeated the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champion and top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a rematch of the 2005 Conference Finals, and then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.
O'Neal handing over the championship ball when the NBA Champion Heat visited the White HouseO'Neal put up considerably lower numbers compared to those he recorded during the 2005-06 regular season, but he twice delivered dominant games in order to close out a playoff series: a 30-point, 20-rebound effort in game 6 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and a 28-point, 16-rebound, 5-block effort in game 6 against the Pistons. It was O'Neal's fourth title in seven seasons, and fulfilled his promise of delivering an NBA championship to Miami. At the victory celebration Shaq declared another championship was on the way, by saying, "We will see you again next year!"
In the 2006-07 season O'Neal missed over thirty games with a right knee injury. The Miami Heat struggled during his absence but with his return won seven of their next eight games. Bad luck still haunted the squad however, as fellow superstar Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O'Neal as the focus of the team. Critics were doubting if O'Neal, now in his mid thirty's, was able to put the team on his shoulders and if he could carry them into the playoffs. O'Neal responded with solid performances and the Heat went on a much needed winning streak to keep them in the race for a playoff spot, which the Heat finally secured against the Chicago Bulls on the 5th of April.
In the 2006-07 season O'Neal reached 25,000 career points, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to accomplish that milestone
In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat struggled against the Bulls and although O'Neal put up reasonable numbers, he wasn't able to dominate the series. The Bulls outplayed the Heat, resulting in a sweep. It was for the first time in ten years that O'Neal did not advance into the second round.
[edit] Accolades
[edit] NBA highlights
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (youngest player on the list and only active player remaining from the list).
NBA Most Valuable Player: 2000
2-time The Sporting News NBA Most Valuable Player: 2000, 2005
4-time NBA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006
3-time NBA Finals MVP: 2000, 2001, 2002
14-time NBA All-Star: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2000, 2004
13-time All-NBA:
First Team: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
Second Team: 1995, 1999
Third Team: 1994, 1996, 1997
3-time All-Defensive:
Second Team: 2000, 2001, 2003
NBA Rookie of the Year: 1993
The Sporting News NBA Rookie of the Year: 1993
NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1993
2-time NBA regular-season leader, points per game: 1995 (29.3), 2000 (29.7)
3-time NBA regular-season leader, total points: 1995 (2315), 1999 (1289), 2000 (2344)
5-time NBA regular-season leader, field goals made: 1994 (953), 1995 (930), 1999 (510), 2000 (956), 2001 (813)
9-time NBA regular-season leader, field goal %: 1994 (.599), 1998 (.584), 1999 (.576), 2000 (.574), 2001 (.572), 2002 (.579), 2004 (.584), 2005 (.601), 2006 (.600)
[edit] Accomplishments/milestones
Joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage for
nine seasons
five consecutive seasons (1998–2002)
Only player in NBA history to:
average at least 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game in a season for 13 consecutive seasons, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon, all with 12 consecutive seasons.
reach 4,900 points, 2,300 rebounds, 500 assists, 400 blocks, and 100 steals in his playoff career while shooting at least 55% from the field.
One of three players in NBA history to be selected to the NBA All-Star Game for 14 consecutive seasons; the others are Jerry West and Karl Malone.
One of three players in NBA history to reach 24,500 points, 11,000 rebounds, 2,600 assists, and 2,400 blocks in his career (the others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon; note that the NBA did not record blocked shots as an official statistic until the 1973-1974 season).
One of seven players in NBA history to reach 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in his career (the others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes,Karl Malone and Wilt Chamberlain).
One of four players in NBA history to be awarded the NBA Finals MVP three times (the others are Magic Johnson (3), Tim Duncan (3), and Michael Jordan (6) [4])
Joins Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to win three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards (2000, 2001, 2002)
Surpassed the career 25,000-point mark against the New York Knicks on February 26, 2007.
NBA playoff records (12):
Most free throws attempted, all-time: 2,177 (1994–present)
Most free throws missed, all-time: 1,014 (1994–present)
Most free throws attempted, half: 27 (May 20, 2000 vs. Portland Trail Blazers)
Most free throws attempted, quarter: 25 (May 20, 2000 vs. Portland Trail Blazers)
Most offensive rebounds, all-time: 816 (1994–present)
NBA Finals (11):
Most points scored in a four-game series: 145 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most free throws made in a four-game series: 45 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most free throws attempted in a four-game series: 68 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most blocks made in a four-game series: 11 (NBA Finals 2002)
Most blocks made in one game: 8 (NBA Finals 2001, tied Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Tim Duncan).
Most free throws made in one game, half: 13 (NBA Finals 2000)
Most free throws made in one game, quarter: 9 (NBA Finals 2000; tied with Allen Iverson)
Most free throws attempted in one game: 39 (NBA Finals 2000)
Most free throws attempted in one game, quarter: 16 (NBA Finals 2000, NBA Finals 2002)
Highest field goal percentage, all-time: .602%
Highest scoring average for a center: 29.0 points per game
Most blocks in a five-game series: 17 (2001 vs Philadelphia 76ers)
Orlando Magic franchise records (2):
Most rebounds, game: 28 (November 20, 1993 vs. New Jersey Nets).
Most blocks, game: 15 (November 20, 1993 vs. New Jersey Nets).
Los Angeles Lakers franchise records (8):
Most offensive rebounds, season: 336 (1999-2000).
Most offensive rebounds, all-time, playoffs: 561 (1996–2004).
Most offensive rebounds, game, playoffs: 11 (May 6, 2001 vs. Sacramento Kings).
Most free throws attempted, game: 31 (November 19, 1999 vs. Chicago Bulls).
Most free throws attempted, game, playoffs: 39 (June 9, 2000 vs. Indiana Pacers).
Most free throws attempted, half: 20 (March 14, 2002 vs. Golden State Warriors).
Most free throws attempted, half, playoffs: 22 (June 9, 2000 vs. Indiana Pacers).
Most free throws attempted, quarter, playoffs: 16 (June 9, 2000 vs. Indiana Pacers).
Miami Heat franchise records (1):
Most free throws attempted, quarter, playoffs: 10 (May 2, 2006 vs. Chicago Bulls; tied with Lamar Odom) [5]
[edit] Other
Key member of the 1994 USA World Championship and 1996 Olympic basketball team, both of which won gold.
Ranked #9 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003.
O'Neal and teammate Gary Payton became only the 11th and 12th players to reach the NBA Finals with three different teams.
Set an NBA record by missing all 11 of his free throw attempts in a game against Seattle on December 8, 2000.
Says he can't shoot free throws because he fell out of a tree as a child and broke both his wrists.
Won the Male Athlete of the Year Award at the BET Awards '05.
In the 1995/96 NBA Season, his last with the Orlando Magic, O'Neal went 50% from behind the 3 point arc hitting the only 3 pointer of his 14 season career.
As of the end of the 05-06 season, O'Neal has recorded 48 games of scoring 40 or more points in the regular season.
As of the end of the 05-06 season, O'Neal has recorded 3 games of scoring 50 or more points (all in the regular season).
[edit] Player profile
O'Neal's free throw shooting is probably one of his only major weaknesses.In his career, O'Neal established himself as an unstoppable low post presence, putting up impressive lifetime averages of 25.9 points on .580 field goal accuracy, 11.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game (as of May 2007).
Prime reason for his dominance is his exceptional physique. His 7 ft 1 in/330-lb (2.16 m / 150 kg) frame gives him enormous power, and for a man of that size, he is quick and very explosive. His "drop step", (called the "Black Tornado" by Shaq) in which he posts up a defender, turns around and, using his elbows for leverage, powers past him for a high-percentage slam dunk, has proven virtually unstoppable. The ability to dunk over most determined opposition contributes to his stellar lifetime field goal accuracy of .580; in fact, he is the third most accurate scorer of all time [6]. In addition, opposing teams often use up many fouls on him, limiting the playing time of their big men. O'Neal's dominating physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career. Trying to defend O'Neal, teams put two, or sometimes even three defenders on him, giving his teammates a lot of uncontested shots. Because of his strength and quickness, O'Neal is often fouled. This excessive fouling of Shaquille is a strategy used by other teams commonly known as 'Hack-a-Shaq'. He counters this philosophy by stating that he makes them (free throws), "when they count." However this is false. See game four of the Heat-Bulls series from the 2007 Playoffs, when the Heat were down 0-3 in the series and Shaq went 0-7 from the line, including several key misses down the stretch. He is the fourth-ranked player all-time in free throws taken [7], having shot 9744 in 971 games. In addition, he is an exceptional rebounder and good shotblocker (11.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg).
On his own half of the hardwood, O'Neal is known to be a capable defender, witnessed by his twice being named to the All-NBA Second Defensive Team. O'Neal's presence and shot blocking ability intimidate opposing players shooting near the basket. O'Neal is a much less effective defender at the perimeter, sometimes targeted for pick-and-roll by opposing teams. O'Neal is also known to step up his game in big games, having been voted three-times NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Because of his poor free-throw shooting (see below), often he is placed on the bench at closing moments of games, when free-throws become very important. In addition because of his susceptibility at the free throw line he is rarely called upon to take shots late in close ball games. As a teammate, he is also noted for his ability to form symbiotic relationships with young, talented guards. Playing alongside him, talents like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade blossomed into legitimate superstars. Eventually, his relationships with Hardaway and Bryant diminished through several altercations. However, O'Neal has embraced his relationship with Wade and the two have shown to be fully supportive of each other in their two years together.
O'Neal's main weakness is his free-throw shooting. His lifetime average is a low 53.1%. He once missed all 11 free throws in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000, a record. [8] In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq"; this technique, which started while at LSU was so named by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson.
[edit] Media personality
O'Neal is generally liked by the media for his playful tone in interviews and generally eloquent manner in comparison to other athletes. He has been called "The Big Aristotle and Master", a name that was self-given, for his composure and insights during these interviews.
O'Neal's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the Los Angeles Lakers' long standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; O'Neal frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens." During the 2002 victory parade, O'Neal declared that Sacramento will never be the capital of California, after the Lakers beat the Kings in a tough seven game series enroute to completing a three-peat of championship titles. He also received some media flak for mocking Chinese speech when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming, but he was able to downplay the media attention to the event. Yao himself stated he did not find it offensive, but could see how others might misinterpret the remark as a racist comment. O'Neal's supporters said it was a reaction to Yao being overpromoted by marketers and the media. Some blame this hype for allowing Yao to edge O'Neal in fan voting for the starting position of center at the All-Star Game. During the 2005 NBA playoffs, O'Neal lamented of his poor play due to injury as being comparable to Erick Dampier, a Dallas Mavericks center who had failed to score a single point in one of their recent games. The quip inspired countless citations and references by announcers during those playoffs, though Dampier himself offered little response to the insult. The two would meet in the 2006 NBA Finals.
On May 24, 2005, when Brian Hill was re-announced as head coach of his former team, the Orlando Magic, O'Neal was quoted as saying, "It's good that he's back. When I buy the team Magic in three years, he'll be working for me." Whether or not this will raise speculation of O'Neal's life after playing basketball remains to be seen. [9]
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Shaquille O'NealHe is very vocal with the media, and often jabs at former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant. In the summer of 2005, when asked about Kobe, he responded, "I'm sorry, who?" and continued to pretend that he did not know who Kobe was until well into the 2005-2006 season.
He has also appeared in many other shows such as Saturday Night Live.
When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, an event that is believed to signify the end of the so-called "Shaq-Kobe feud" that had festered since the center left Los Angeles. O'Neal was quoted as saying that he accepted the advice of NBA legend Bill Russell to make peace with Bryant.[10]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment
On January 27, 2006, WWE.com posted a clip of O'Neal attacking World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Superstar Carlito with a chair after Carlito had insulted the Miami Heat in their own arena (the WWE was having a pay-per-view in Miami). Shaq explained in the clip that it was done also as a favor to his friend, WWE superstar Kane. However, the clip showed that this was more for comedic effect than any real malice. Moreover, according to reputable sources, O'Neal's appearance was a publicity stunt designed to mimic the acting that incorporates the WWE. Also, on the January 1, 2007 edition of RAW, the Miami Heat (also with O'Neal) appeared. When Cryme Tyme came out, they shook hands with the team, and hugged O'Neal. When they finished hugging him, O'Neal checked his shirt and pockets, implying that something was stolen from him, as stealing is a part of Cryme Tyme's gimmick. Shaquille actually stole something from Cryme Tyme in this gimmick.
[edit] Private life
O'Neal remains estranged from his biological father, Joseph Toney of Newark, New Jersey. Toney, who has struggled with drug addiction, was imprisoned when O'Neal was an infant. Upon his release, he did not resume a place in O'Neal's life and instead agreed to surrender his parental rights to O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip Harrison. O'Neal and Toney have never spoken, and O'Neal has expressed no interest in a reconciliation.[11]
O'Neal, whose mother is a Baptist and stepfather a Muslim, has not formally announced affiliation with a specific faith. However, in 2002, the Los Angeles Times identified O'Neal as being Muslim and quoted him as saying, "It's a Muslim thing," with regard to the greetings he exchanged with opposing player Hedo Turkoglu before each game of that year's Western Conference Finals series. The newspaper also quoted Turkoglu as saying that he was not surprised at the gesture from O'Neal "because Muslim people support each other."[5]
Backups:
PG-Jason Kidd
SG-Kobe Bryant
SF-Lebron James
PF-Carlos Boozer
C-Amare Studomire