HOOP July/August 2010

Summer Kicks Jump Players of 2010 Derrick Rose Poster

AN OFFICIAL NBA PUBLICATION

JUL/AUG2010

$4.99 USA

AlSo inSiDeKevin Durant

Carmelo AnthonyTony Parker

Joakim NoahGerald Wallace

Aaron BrooksJared DudleyJonny Flynn

Shannon BrownKarl Malone John Legend

GRAnt Hill/JASon KiDD old School is in Session

Kevin lovetough love

nAte tHuRmonDForgotten man in middle

CinCo de KobeKobe and the LaKers Chip againKobe and the LaKers Chip again

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NIKEBASKETBALL.COM

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KD’S GAME IS HEAVY. SO HIS SHOE’S GOT TO

BE LIGHT. ESPECIALLY WHEN HE’S REPPING THE

STARS AND STRIPES.

AVY. SO HIS SHOE’S GOT TO KD’S GAME IS HEA

ALLY WHEN HE’S REPPING THE BE LIGHT. ESPECIA

DOMINATEWITHOUT THE WEIGHT.

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WARMUPSSteve Freeman/nBae/Getty ImaGeS

Brandon Jennings might be an up-and-coming point guard in the League, but on the soccer pitch, Steve Nash still holds the title as the best soccer-playing PG in the game as demonstrated by his steal against Jennings during Nash’s third annual Showdown in Chinatown charity soccer game played in New York City’s Chinatown. The game benefits the Steve Nash Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting children’s health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life.

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WARMUPSDavID mcnew/Getty ImaGeS Sport

With his fifth title making him the leader among active players, it seems as if Kobe has the entire world—or at least the entire Lakers fandom, as seen in the reflection of the adoring crowd on the Larry O’Brien Trophy during the Lakers’ championship parade—in his hands.


WARMUPSBarry GoSSaGe/nBae/Getty ImaGeS

Many women dream of slipping on a ring on the finger; the Phoenix Mercury are no different. Before their first game of the season, they were presented with their 2009 WNBA Championship rings, the franchise’s second in the past three seasons.


pHot

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eDIt/

nBae

/Get

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The GameplanFeaTures

July/auGusT 2010

Over the Hill? Not These KiddsIn a League that’s dominated by

youth, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd must seem like relics

from another era. Sure, the co-Rookies of the Year in

’95 might have been playing before NBA.com even

existed, but even 16 years later, they both remain as

relevant as ever.

55 Tough LoveDespite the word “Love” splashed across his back,

there’s nothing tender about Kevin Love’s game on

the floor. The word might be more apt to describe

what he feels for the game, particularly jostling for

position in the paint, fighting for boards and throwing

perfect outlet passes.

60 The Measure of GreatnessQuick, name the top centers off all time? You certainly

wouldn’t be wrong if you rattled off such single-name

luminaries like Russell, Wilt and Kareem. But if you

were to ask those three legendary pivots, they would

most likely give you a name that most fans have either

forgotten about or don’t know: Nate Thurmond.

65 Making the JumpEvery year, there are a few players, whether due to

getting an opportunity or through hard work and

determination, take their game to another level. This

season saw a greater number of such guys who

made the leap. The calendar might say otherwise, but

to us 2010 was a Leap Year.

39 24 Seconds with Kenny “Jet” Smith

PosterThe backcourt of Derrick Rose and

Walt “Clyde” Frazier

In a an epic seven-game Finals (it was only the third seven-game Finals in the last 20 years) between two

legendary franchises and the most revered NBA rivalry, the Lakers exacted some revenge for their ’08 loss to

the Celtics to become the first back-to-back champions since they pulled off the feat at the start of the century.

65

42

74Ringing In Another Chip

39

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The Gameplan

33 First FiveNicolas Batum, Sancho Lyttle, Jared

Dudley, Tully Bevilaqua, Nicky Anosike

102 Step BackReminiscing the Big Dog’s bite

80 Call OutRemembering Coach John Wooden;

Feverish bowling; Rooks getting FIT;

Big Baby acts his age.

104 Final ExamDoes Kevin Durant make the grade?

83 Check ItSpin moves: Carmelo Anthony

finds time in his busy summer to talk

about his music, games and movies;

Keepin’ It Reel: Movie editor Danny

Granger summer flick picks; Game

Rec Game: Nate Rob’s catching up

on his gaming this offseason; Teched:

Shane Battier is hosting backyard

movie night.

DepaRTmenTS

July/auGuST 2010

12 The Point

15 JumpballHow did the Knickerbockers get their

name? That and the genesis of the

other 29 NBA teams. head 2 head:

A five-round showdown between

Aaron Brooks and Russell Westbrook;

Know your newb: Who’s Johnny

Flynn? Catching up With…Chris

Dudley; TXT mSGS: DeLisha Milton-

Jones; In his Shoes: Kerry Kittles

revisits being part of the vaunted

1996 NBA Draft; Brack-It: best NBA

siblings; Bread & Butter: How Manu

Ginobili contorts himself to the cup;

and more.

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8387

80 102 104

20

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Ming Wong #2

BONUS POINTS

1. Kobe haters typically fall in one of two camps: Celtics fan (no respectful

one can ever like any Laker, even from afar) or an equally unabated LeBron backer.

2. Kobe might’ve worn the Black Mamba five rings tee in the parade, but the

puppet hand with five rings is way fresher.

3. All that hate is not healthy.

4. They’re really a fine pair of shoes to ball or just kick it in.

5. Can a billion people be wrong?

6. Sleep, for starters. Kobe has said numerous times that he wakes up at 4:30

every morning— sleeping only 3-4 hours a day—to get in his daily workouts.

7. I bet dude took a day, three tops, before going back to his usual maniacal

routine.

8. Seriously, any one who even brings it up ought to be subjected to one of Kobe’s

legendary grueling workouts.

9. There’s a thin line between love and hate.

10. Yes, Bill L., I’m talking to you.

11. The custom purple-and-gold Beats By Dre joints might be more prized, but

unlike those, the Skullcandys are attainable.

12. Shaq and Tim Duncan’s four.

13. At 32 next season, Kobe’s still got some ink in that pen.

14. Magic Johnson, included. Some might even argue that Magic is the greatest

Laker of all time.

Volume 38, No. 5

Editor-in-Chief Ming Wong #2Design Director Kengyong Shao #31Associate Editor Seth Berkman #91Senior Designer Matt Candela #52Editorial Assistant Philip D’Apolito #14

Editor-at-Large Jeramie McPeek #4

Tech Editor Shane Battier #31Style Editors Candice Wiggins #11, Zaza Pachulia #27Straight Shooter Steve Nash #13Videogame Editor Nate Robinson #4Music Editors Thaddeus Young #21, Carl Landry #24Movie Editor Danny Granger #33Car Editor Devin Harris #34

WNBA Editor Lois Elfman #40Senior Writer Michael Bradley #53Contributing Writers Christopher Cason #24, Jon Cooper #10, Anthony Gilbert #1, Josh Gordon #44, Darryl Howerton #21, Andy Jasner #27, Trevor Kearney #8, Brett Mauser #25, Dave McMenamin #35, Jeff Min #12, John Nemo #16, Rob Peterson #9, Earl K. Sneed #23

Design Intern Jocelyn Chuang #3

Retired Numbers #6, #11, #13, #30, #99

Professional Sports Publications519 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018Tel: (212) 697-1460 Fax: (646) 753-9480

Executive VP Operations Jeff BotwinickExecutive VP, Business Development Martin LewisExecutive VP, Sales Steve FarkasExecutive VP, Sales Mitch GibbsExecutive VP, Team Relations Dave GerschwerExecutive Administrative Director Julie WongManager, Marketing Services Aron SawyerProduction Manager Jaime Ziegler

NBA Publishing/NBA PhotosSenior VP, and Executive Producer, Production, Programming, and Broadcasting Danny MeiselesSenior VP, Multimedia Production Paul HirschheimerSenior VP, Entertainment & Player Marketing Charlie RosenzweigSenior VP, Marketing Communications Mike BassSenior Director, NBAE Production John Hareas

Executive Vice President, Global Merchandising Group Sal LaRoccaVice President, Licensing Mary Pat GillinSenior Coordinator, Licensing Tom Cerabino

Manager, Global Media Programs Felecia Groomster

Senior Directors & Senior Official NBAE Photographers Andrew D. Bernstein, Nathaniel S. Butler

Senior Director, NBA Photos Joe AmatiDirector, Photos Imaging David BonillaOfficial NBAE Photographer Jesse GarrabrantSenior Photo Editor Brian ChoiPhoto Coordinator Kevin Wright

All NBA photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of NBA Entertainment. All WNBA photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of WNBA Enterprises. All NBDL photos appearing in this magazine, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of NBDL Enterprises. HOOP is published monthly, December through June, by PSP. © 2010 Professional Sports Publications. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of publisher is prohibited. To subscribe to HOOP, call (800) 829-3347. PRINTED IN THE USA

Whether you unabashedly hate the guy1 or the dude who walks around in a T-shirt with a puppet hand

adorned with rings,2 you need to do one of two things after witnessing Kobe lead the Lakers to his fifth title.

For the Kobe basher: it’s about time to drop the scorn.3 Face it, the guy in the golden #24 jersey is pretty

damn good. Three straight Final appearances; walking away victorious two times—and don’t forget the three

straight chips at the turn of the century. A pretty impressive 5-for-7 all time in the Finals. An MVP, two Finals

MVPs, scoring titles, 81-point games, All-Star appearances, buzzer-beating heartbreakers—no one this past

decade can really compare to him. Not to mention his status on likely the most popular basketball player in

the world—the #24 jersey sales, the dope signature Zoom Kobe V4 and a billion people on China.5 Now, you

can continue to despise him, but at least respect the man for his accomplishments. Kobe’s worked hard and

probably sacrificed6 more than what 99.99 percent of what you and I are willing to7 in order to attain his level of

success. LeBron is better? That argument better be a non-topic next season.8 Kobe is the guy you hate to love,

but you love to hate.9 But admit it, deep down, you wouldn’t mind—if not outrightly wish—that Kobe suited up for

your team. Just come to grips with it.

For the Kobe fanboy:10 you all should get off that high horse. Please take off your limited-edition Skullcandy

Kobe Mix Master headphones11 and stop trying to convince yourself that his infamous LA Times’ all-white photo

shoot was “edgy and different” and listen up. Yes, Kobe’s got five—leapfrogging him from his contemporaries12

and making the LeBron debate a moot point—but he’s still no Michael Jordan. Not even close. At least yet. Maybe

after his next one can we even broach the topic. The comparisons are fun, but Kobe is still writing13 his legacy.

And even if Kobe does make two or three more trips down Figueroa on a bus to cheering fans, he might still not

come out from the enormous shadow of MJ14 whose contributions to the game go beyond his on-court victories.

Jordan paved the way for the marketing of the modern athlete, reinvented the shoe game and put basketball on

the map as a global sport. Kobe is merely the next step in the evolution. To put it as an analogy, Jordan is the first

cellphone, while Kobe is the latest iPhone.

THE PoiNT

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The Name Game

WheN iT comes To choosiNG WhaT

To call Themselves, NBa Teams have BeeN

as creaTive WiTh The process as The

Names iTself

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Expectant parents often consider dozens of

potential names, if not more, in the months leading

up to the birth of their child. Some select the names

of loved ones or family friends, some pick a classic

name and others a unique name. And then there are

those moms and dads who don’t choose a name at

all, but wait for some last-minute inspiration on the

blessed day.

Choosing the name of a professional sports

franchise is not all that different, with the exception

of the possible legal ramifications of taking a name

already taken, of course.

So how do they do it? There have been more

than a few methods used throughout the history of

the NBA. New York Knickerbockers1 founder Ned

Irish drew his team’s name from a hat in 1946. The

Chicago Bulls’ original owner Richard Klein was

discussing single-syllable names with his wife, when

his son said, “Dad, that’s a bunch of bull.” Likewise,

Orlando’s first GM Pat Williams2 was inspired by his

daughter, who upon visiting the city for the first time

declared, “This place is magic.”

According to Celtics.com, the beloved basketball

team wasgiven its name because Boston was “full

of Irishmen,” while the Pacers were named by the

group of investors who launched the ABA franchise,

in part because of the pace car used for the

Indianapolis 500.

The majority of the NBA’s current franchises,

however, turned to their future fans for assistance

in determining the names of their cities’ new

teams, including the Bucks, Cavaliers, Heat,

Suns, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers,3 which all

held “name-the-team” contests through their local

newspapers. The Mavericks held a radio contest

and the Raptors made a nationwide call for entries,

which drew more than 2,000 different suggestions,

including Beavers, Tarantulas and Terriers for the

expansion franchise that began play in 1995-96.

But not every current NBA club bears the name

it was given at delivery. Several actually changed

names after changing hometowns, including the

most recent franchise to relocate, the Oklahoma City

Thunder, known as the Seattle SuperSonics from

1967 to 2008. The L.A. Clippers were previously

known as the Buffalo Braves, the Sacramento

Kings were the Rochester Royals,4 the San Antonio

Spurs were once the Dallas Chaparrals and the

Philadelphia 76ers were originally the Syracuse

Nationals.

On the flipside, there have also been teams that

changed addresses, but did not change names,

even though their nicknames may not have made as

much sense in their new locales. The most notable

example, of course, being the Lakers, who were

founded in Minneapolis, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,”

but moved to L.A., the land of very few lakes, in

1960. Likewise, the Jazz began their

improvisational style of basketball in New

Orleans before taking their set on the road to

Utah in 1979.

Other teams that moved but kept their nicknames

include the Hawks, Hornets, Pistons, Rockets,

Warriors and Grizzlies, who actually considered a

change after their introductory season in Memphis,

but were talked out of it by their new fan base, which

had embraced the bear moniker, despite the lack of

bears in Elvis country.

Then there are the teams that just decided to

change names without a change of venue, like the

Denver Rockets which were renamed the Nuggets by

front-office executives upon jumping from the ABA to

NBA in 1976. The Washington Bullets became the

Wizards in 1996, as their late-owner Abe Polin didn’t

want his team to be associated with violence.

Two current NBA teams could be up next

to apply for name changes, after being

adopted by new parents in recent months.

Upon completing his purchase of the

Charlotte Bobcats in March, Michael

Jordan said that he was open to a

change if he felt the community

would rally around one,

symbolic of a fresh start.

Similarly, the New Jersey Nets’5 new

owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov,

asked reporters if they “needed something new,”

as they look ahead to their move to Brooklyn. He also

asked for advice in picking a new name, admitting

his unique ideas might not work out so well.

“I can put Russian name and nobody knows what

it is,” he joked. “I can put the name of a girlfriend and

every time I change, I need to change the name of

the team.”

BONUS POINTS

1. Knickerbockers were the type of pants that the Dutch settlers commonly wore upon arriving in New

York in the 1600s. According to Knicks.com, the name was also given to New York’s first organized

baseball team in 1845.

2. Still with the franchise, Williams is currently the Magic’s senior vice president.

3. The name suggested most often by Portland fans was “Pioneers,” but the name was thrown out,

as it was the name for Portland’s Lewis and Clark College’s athletic teams.

4. The Royals became the Kings when they moved to Kansas City, as Major League Baseball already

had the Kansas City Royals.

5. The Nets were originally known as the New Jersey Americans in the ABA before moving to

Commack, NY, in 1968. At that time the team was renamed the Nets to rhyme with the New York

Mets of MLB and the New York Jets of the NFL.

IllustratIons: Matt candela

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By Jeramie mcpeek #4

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NBA.com/tickets

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Steve Freeman; Barry GoSSaGe (2); ronald m

artinez/nBae/Getty imaGeS

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straight shooter

Phoenix’s Steve Nash Aims for Honest Answers to Your NBA Questions

I would guess hockey has the most bloody injuries. I didn’t

really bleed when I played hockey, because we wore helmets with

facemasks, but I’m sure I bled a few times in soccer, and I’ve bled

my fair share in basketball. My friends always see basketball players

rolling around like they got shot by a sniper and think we’re a bunch

of softies out there, so I have to stick up

for our game.

No. Manu’s was great. He seemed very solid in his.

Mine looked more like a prosthetic nose.

I’m going to host my charity soccer game

again. We have some of the top soccer

players from some of the top clubs in the

world, we have some NBA All-Stars. We

usually have 4,000 or 5,000 people show

up to a little chain-link-fenced soccer field

right in the city. It’s really cool.

Other than that, just working out, playing

with my girls and enjoying the city. I love

the energy, the people, the restaurants, the

shows; New York has everything, diversity.

You can walk out your front door and the

whole world is there.

Possibly. We’ll see. I’m not sure yet. It depends on what happens

with our season. I’ll be rooting for England. My parents are

from Britain, my dad is English, so I’ve been watching them and

supporting them since I was a kid. You always feel an affinity for

your roots.

We’re going to make a documentary

on Pelé with Bill Guttentag, who is

an Academy Award winner. I’m really

excited about that. It’s a story that I feel is

screaming to be told to the world. We’re

not sure yet, but we’re possibly filming in

South Africa or Brazil.

I don’t remember having any real bad

ones, but we drove down to California

once. My mom worked for the airlines for

a while, so we got to always go back to

England and see our cousins. We were

lucky, we got to travel quite a bit. So I

was definitely familiar with traveling and it

always felt easy, and I enjoy it.

I can’t do it. I would slight somebody that

deserves better, so I can’t do it.

got a question for steve? email it to [email protected]

Having played both soccer and hockey growing up, two sports where blood on the

field is commonplace, would you say you shed more blood playing basketball or the

other sports?

Do you think you wore your nose bandage better than Manu Ginobili?

What’s on your agenda this summer when you come to NYC?

Are you going to the World Cup in South Africa? Who are you rooting for?

What movie making plans do you have this summer?

What was your best and worst vacation as a kid?

What is the Steve Nash Team? (your four all-time favorite four NBA teammates)

steve Nash on his offseason plans, summer vacations and going nose-to-nose against Manu ginobili

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bridgestonetire.com 1-800-807-9555 tiresafety.com

Sure, it’s just a tire. Like the Pacific Coast Highway is just another scenic drive.

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Brooks: Brian BaBineau; Dave einsel; WestBrook: laYne M

urDoCH (2)/nBae/GettY iMaGes

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1Round

Scoring: While Brooks dominates almost every offensive category—points, field-goal percentage, three-point FG percentage, free-throw percentage—and appears an easy victor in scoring, this matchup is closer than it appears. Paired with the League’s scoring champ this season, Westbrook’s role is to play second fiddle and score off of the defensive attention that Kevin Durant commands. Brooks, on a team that lost Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for most of the season, was looked upon to fill the scoring void, to which he did admirably, at almost 20 a game. If needed to, Westbrook would be able to manufacture as many points as Brooks. Westbrook certainly commands more attention from casual observers what with his blurring quickness and soaring dunks at the expense of embarrassed big men. More studious fans will know, however, that AB is just as—if not even—as fast. Able to lose any defender, Brooks uses his fleet of foot to get to the rim where he’s deceptively efficient. Like Rod Strickland in the ’90s, Brooks is a master of putting English and touch on balls off the rim from all angles, enabling him to elude outstretched hands and arms with clever angles. If Westbrook can develop a consistent J and three-point shot like Brooks, it would likely be a push.

Winner: BROOKS

2Round

Floor Game: This one was an easy win for the OKC guard. A constant threat for a triple-double every time he steps on the court, Westbrook has a well-rounded game. Granted, on a team with KD, the majority of the dimes are a result of the scoring champ, but Westbrook does make it a point (pun intended) to facilitate for others. Behind Jason Kidd, Westbrook is the best rebounding point in the game. His strong build and big hops allow him to compete for rebounds in the paint and to corral most of the in-between boards. Unlike Brooks, Westbrook is equally deadly leading the fastbreak or filling the lanes. His 3.27 turnovers per game can be improved upon, but it’s more the result of playing too fast and aggressive. Brooks is naturally a shooting guard asked to play point, to which he does ably. But his lithe frame doesn’t help much on the boards or the setting of screens.

Winner: WESTBROOK

3Round

Defense: This is an area that Brooks can get exposed. His quickness affords him the ability to keep pace with the speediest of guards, but his six-foot height and paltry 161-pound body means he’s giving up about four inches and about 20 pounds to the average opponent, negating any advantage in quickness he might have. The Rockets do a good job of hiding his deficiencies with help from their other accomplished defenders. Admittedly, Brooks plans on spending this offseason bulking up and working on his D. Westbrook, on the other hand, entered the League with some question marks, none of them being about defense. Named the Pac-10 defensive player of the year his final season as a Bruin, Westbrook uses his strong frame to body up opposing 1s and his speed to disrupt passes (1.3 spg). He can occasionally have lapses as any second-year player is prone to, but he’s got the necessary skills and makeup to make a run for the All-D team in the future.

Winner: WESTBROOK

heaD 2 heaD

RuSSEll WESTBROOK vs. AAROn BROOKSQuality point guard play is paramount in today’s L and in OKC’s Russell Westbrook and H-Town’s Aaron Brooks, you have two quickly emerging

playmakers. They might both be #0s but who’s No. 1 between the two?

RuSSEll WESTBROOK guard 6-3, 187

OKlAhOmA ciTy ThundER

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HOOP 021

8The number of three pointers Ray Allen made during Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers, breaking the record which he had already previously shared along with Scottie Pippen and Kenny Smith.

“They say losing builds character; I say losing sucks.” —Ben Wallace

4Round

Clutch: Neither guy has an extensive body of work to accurately draw a conclusion from. Brooks did have a memorable elbow jumper against Denver in March to seal a victory and his Rockets turn to him down the stretch. Even while playing sidekick to Durant, we think Westbrook will have ample opportunities to make big shots or big stops in key moments for a burgeoning Oklahoma City squad. But for the meantime, this belongs to Brooks.

Winner: BROOKS

5Round

Leadership: Some believe that leaders are born, and while that is true to an extent, we believe it’s also something that can be learned. Neither Brooks nor Westbrook are currently the man for their respective teams, but both are certainly in a position to be groomed as one. In Brooks, he’s surrounded by savvy vets and leader types like Shane Battier, Luis Scola and Yao Ming. Westbrook turns to his head coach, former scrappy NBA point guard and newly minted Coach of the Year Scott Brooks for guidance. It’s hard to say who will develop into the role, but on the basis of his more peppy personality, being the extension of an inspiring head coach, and on an up-and-coming team full of youth, we’re going to hedge our bets on Westbrook filling the role more soundly.

Winner: WESTBROOK

Westbrook Brooks

PPG 16.1 19.6

APG 8.0 5.3

RPG 4.9 2.6

SPG 1.3 0.8

BPG 0.4 0.2

FG% .418 .432

3PT% .221 .398

FT% .780 .822

PER 17.90 16.04

’09-10 stats

AAROn BROOKS guard 6-0, 161hOuSTOn ROcKETS

ThE VERdicTThe breeding ground for NBA guards, the Pac-10 has hit aces again with UCLA’s Westbrook and Oregon’s Brooks. Both are electrifying points who will, as teams and individuals, battle each other for playoff positioning and All-Star spots for the rest of the decade. As “brooks” go, we’re going with Westbrook.

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Legend: Andrew d. Bernstein; now

itzki: ALL photos/nBAe/getty imAges

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TransiTion Game

Dirk Nowitzki

Although multiple Grammy Award

winner John Legend mostly lives in New

York, he’s been a Los Angeles Lakers

fan since the “Showtime” era. He’s

mixed business with pleasure by twice

performing at the NBA All-Star Game, as

well as recently performing at the White

House for fellow basketball lover President

Barack Obama. Legend is currently in the

recording studio working on an upcoming

album with The Roots. When he hits the

road to tour this summer, you may find him

playing on a basketball court near you.

magic Johnson or michael Jordan?

I was always with Magic because he was

my style of person. The way he played,

something about that appealed to me

personally. But you can’t really argue with

the fact that Jordan with his skills and pure

dominance and the ability to take over a

game, he was the greatest. What Magic

didn’t have when it came to athleticism, he

made up for it with his mind and his energy and his leadership. He was quite an amazing player and

that’s why I became a Lakers fan as a kid.

are you a guy who travels with a basket so you and your musicians can play anywhere?

We don’t travel with a basket, but we will go to the local YMCA quite a bit and try to play. I’m not

very good, but I enjoy it.

What position do you play?

Usually a shooting guard. I won’t say I’m a great leader on the court [laughing], but I’m certainly

the leader on stage. I love being up there and leading and I love having a group of singers and

musicians supporting me and us doing things together as a team. It definitely takes a certain

amount of leadership and vision to do that—leadership and vision that I don’t necessarily have on

the basketball court.

Have you ever been at a game and heard your music?

When I’m there, they always play my songs. I take it as a way of them flattering me while I’m there.

The Lakers project an aura of invincibility. What is it like to enjoy them to the fullest and

see the sense of power they bring to the court?

If it were too easy it wouldn’t be fun to root for them. Every time they’ve won, they still had to work

very hard for it. It’s still a challenge when they get into the playoffs. A lot of teams can compete, so

it’s always fun to watch. The outcome is in doubt to some degree. That’s good for the League and

makes it suspenseful and interesting for the fans.

You seem to be creatively fueled by collaboration with other artists.

I love the idea of having songs out there that I’m proud of and songs that other people perform

that I’ve written. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when I’m able to not only write hits for

myself but for other people. I’ve been doing a bit more of that lately. I was just in the studio with

Jennifer Hudson. I wrote a couple of songs for her.

Lois ELfmaN #40

Check out hoopmag.com for other celeb interviews

ceLeb roW

LEgEND Has it

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HOOP024

fab five

Jalen Rose Elisabeth Moss

I kept it simple, my favorite selection was an ice cream sandwich, in particular, neapolitan.

Since I was the youngest, I had to share the family pets. Mom kept a

fish tank with a fish type called Red Devil and my older brothers were dog lovers; they had a German Shepherd and Doberman

Pinscher named Champ and Capone.

Krush Groove. Before going to see it with my friends we had to get fresh. We piled in a cab

and hit up the mall to make sure our gear was crispy. New adidas, Cazals, Starter jackets and

haircuts were mandatory. We took the bus to see the movie.

BBQ chicken—whether tailgating or watching an event. Preferably a drumstick, well done

but not burnt.

Eric B & Rakim’s “Paid in Full”—I probably still have my cassette tape somewhere. This song embodied grind and hustle and the video was classic. Rakim is no doubt one of the greatest

lyricists of all time.

I haven’t seen an ice cream truck in a long time, but I would say when I used to visit my family in Illinois, I always liked the strawberry shortcake bars.

We had a couple of dogs, but the first pet that was mine was a cat named Junior. He was a Manx, which don’t have any tail. I don’t remember why we named him Junior. Junior was very wild and he ran away one day, which was very, very sad. Who knows what happened? It was devastating when I was 11.

Jurassic Park. That came out when I was about 11, which was kind of the perfect age for it. I was totally swept away by it. I found it very frightening. All that technology was brand new at the time. They were really breaking a lot of ground with what they could do. It was at an age where you thought that could actually happen.

I would say chips and dip. I know it’s not burgers or hot dogs, but it’s kind of a good summer poolside

barbeque food.

“Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. I know the Beach Boys are very summery, but “Summertime” is a classic song. It doesn’t fit anywhere else but in the summer.

First Pet?

Favorite ice cream truck selection?

Favorite summer blockbuster movie?

Favorite summer barbeque food?

Favorite summer song?

A longtime pop culture AficionAdo, JAlen rose, pits his personAl tAstes AgAinst some notAble personAlities. up this month: mAd men’s elisAbeth moss

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HOOP 025

know your newb

Jonny Flynn Minnesota TimberwolvesIn high school you played baseball and I hear

you compare yourself to one of

my favorites, rey ordonez…

Yeah! A lot of people don’t

remember him. His offense wasn’t

good but defensively he was a magician

out there and that’s what I loved about

him. He would go in the hole, backhand

from his knees, dive on the ground and

come up and throw somebody out.

Just the flair that he had playing

baseball, I really enjoyed that and

it made me want to go out and play.

Did you grow up a Mets fan?

I grew up a Yankees fan but I [liked] his style of play.

You can have a favorite team, but when a player

catches your eye, you’re going to emulate everything

he does. I caught a lot of flack for that being a

Yankees fan, but he definitely impressed me by the

way he played.

Have you seen the new Twins’ ballpark yet?

I’m definitely trying to go see that. I know it’s

going to be a great venue and I heard a lot of

good things about it, but I haven’t had the chance

to go over there yet.

you’ve said you were a big fan of Hey

Arnold! growing up; are you still a big

cartoon fan?

I still am. [laughs] I’m a huge cartoon fan.

I was one of those guys where if I wasn’t

playing basketball or playing a sport, I

always watched TV. I know it’s a bad thing to

say, but my mother could never get me away

from the TV when I was younger, so I watched a

lot of cartoons.

From your days playing in Syracuse to

now in Minnesota, are you just accustomed to

the cold weather?

I cannot escape it. [laughs] I grew up in upstate

New York, went to Syracuse and then I got drafted

by the Timberwolves. As a joke I tell a lot of people

that I think God doesn’t want me to be in warm

places. [laughs] But I love Minneapolis, it’s a great

city with great people and great fans. I’m happy to

be here.

which veterans showed you the ropes this

season?

All the older guys definitely did that. We’re all young

guys, we’re not really a veteran team, but two guys

that come to mind with me are Ryan Gomes and

Damien Wilkins. From day one they were always

schooling me, and not even just about basketball,

but with things like how to save money or invest or

help out in the community back home, what kind

of events you can put on. It’s been good for my

basketball, but the most valuable things I’ve learned

this year have been off the court.

I recently spoke to kevin Love and he told me

about his love for Chappelle’s Show…

Aww man.

what are your favorite sketches all-time?

My favorite sketches are the ones with Rick James

and Prince. Those are the funniest TV sketches

I’ve ever seen. Ever. I wish he didn’t go on that

hiatus and came back for a third season, but it was

definitely fun while it lasted.

Have you seen Prince at a Timberwolves game

yet this year?

I haven’t. Actually, one of my friends is out here and

he went to a club and said he actually saw Prince.

I was so mad I wasn’t out that night. He told me he

had the blouse on and the high heels [laughs]… I

didn’t get a chance to see it buy my friend did.

Seth Berkman #91

HOOP: Your teammate

Chanel Mokango looks like

long lost sister, just a little

taller.

DeLisha: Chanel is my “Avatar.”

HOOP: What is it like being

on the court with her?

DeLisha: I defend her every

day in practice and she

defends me. I get more

shots to the face than I

do to the body. I totally

understand why people

would say, ‘DeLisha watch

your elbows. You hit me!’

HOOP: Striking

resemblance.

DeLisha: Even my husband

said to me he saw Chanel

and had to look twice because he thought it was me.

I said, ‘I’m mad at you right now.’

HOOP: What is it like for the Sparks without Lisa

Leslie?

DeLisha: Like a peanut butter sandwich without jelly.

HOOP: Do u ever call her for advice?

DeLisha: She is at all our games.

HOOP: As a commentator?

DeLisha: She and Michael Cooper work for one of the

local television stations.

HOOP: That must be amazing.

DeLisha: Can u imagine? It’s like they r in the locker

room together.

HOOP: Too bad they can’t come tell u what to do.

DeLisha: 4 real.

HOOP: The Lakers just won another title. Pressure

is on the Sparks to equal it.

DeLisha: Always. We always wanted to be a carbon

copy of whatever the Lakers were.

HOOP: Now that u’ve played offseason in Spain

for four years, is there something you miss when you

leave?

DeLisha: I miss the fruit, especially the oranges.

And the city of Valencia,

because it’s so laid back and

beautiful.

HOOP: Are u now a master of cooking Spanish food?

DeLisha: My version of it.

HOOP: Is there something u hv to eat, buy or do as

soon as u hit U.S. soil?

DeLisha: I always want the biggest juiciest burger or the

most succulent Alaskan snow crab legs that I can find.

HOOP: Are there any summer movies ur eager to

see?

DeLisha: Grown Ups and Toy Story 3.

HOOP: Don’t hate me, but what’s it like being one of

the older players in the league?

DeLisha: I consider myself ageless.

HOOP: Has there been a great moment where you

schooled a rookie?

DeLisha: We all try to introduce them to the game one

way or another…a nice hard screen or a nice blocked

shot. We even had to break Candace Parker in her

rookie year. It was all out of love ;-) LoiS eLFman #40

TxT MSgS

DeLiSha miLton-JoneS

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HOOP026

Bread and Butter

We know he just signed a three-year extension with San Antonio, but maybe

after Manu Ginobili hangs up his bball kicks, he can land a job with Cirque de

Soleil. We’ve seen MJ and Kobe defy gravity, but no one is able to shift his body

like Manu. Dude is almost as good as Yen from Ocean’s Eleven. After the yoga

demo, few are as skilled as Ginobili at squeezing through outstretched arms,

twisting, spinning and willing the ball through the hoop.

Watch here as he takes on the Kings defense: first he gets Carl Landry off-

balance with a nifty behind-the-back move. As Landry tries to shift his feet, Manu

already has the ball firmly on his right side so he can power to the hole. Andres

Nocioni tries to come over and provide help, and it looks as if the Kings actually

have a 2-on-1 advantage, but Manu switches back to his left and splits the

defenders, moving his body enough to duck under the arm of Nocioni and lay it in

for the reverse deuce.

That’s enough to make Charles Barkley scream, “GINOBILLLLIII!!!”

Seth Berkman #91

Manu Ginobili’s contortionist act18.2 The Nielsen rating for Game 7 of the 2010 Finals, the highest since Michael Jordan’s last Finals game of the 1998 Finals which drew a 22.9 The 18.2 rating was 32 percent higher than any other Game 7 over the last 16 years.

““I’m not a student. I just love the game. I’m not really familiar with the rivalry. I’m sure there’s a lot of history, but I can’t really tell you any details about it.”—ron artest talking about the Celtics-Lakers rivalry

“I don’t think I broke it, I think I rearranged it. Obviously there’s a dent and it’s bent. I think I whacked the cartilage out of place, but I tried to push it back into place so it’s not as bent now, but it’s still nicely curved.”—Steve nash on his nose

06

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HOOP 027

What was the experience like dancing in the

playoffs?

BethAnn: I dance for the Phoenix Mercury as well

so I practice every day Monday through Thursday. I

get pretty exhausted after the games. This was my

first year in the playoffs and it was different from the

regular season. You switch into playoff mode and

do two to three dances a game and the fans are so

much more excited. The energy is definitely different

and we prepare a lot more.

What do you do on off-days?

BethAnn: I’ve been a Suns fan since I was like three

so I’ve followed them throughout my life and I watch

them when they’re away.

Who have been some of your favorite all-time

Suns?

BethAnn: I loved Raja Bell. The Charles Barkley and

Dan Majerle years were when I decided I wanted to

be a part of the Suns organization as a dancer. My

favorites are the players from that era.

What was your reaction when you were able to

fulfill that dream?

BethAnn: I tried out last year not knowing anything

or anybody and I made the Sunsationals, which are

the 200-level dance team in the arena. When the

opportunity came this year to tryout I was a little more

prepared. We had a three to four day audition this year

learning three different routines and then we had a boot

camp. It was probably the most intense week of my life.

It was an unreal feeling when I made the team. They

had a “Making the Suns Dancers” video prepared, and

after that you had to go online to see if you made it, and

they had taped everyone getting out of a limo and there

were 16 members for the team and I was the 15th. I

accomplished something I wanted to do since I was

five. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Do you have a specific pregame meal?

BethAnn: We get Subway everyday from the arena

and I really don’t like it now. I’m not really a picky eater,

I’ll eat whatever is given to me. If I have time I’ll stop at

McDonald’s or have some bad junk food. [laughs]

What has been your most memorable moment

as a dancer?

BethAnn: You’re with the girls so much that you

make memories when you’re with them all the time,

and then there are game memories when you meet

different fans. There’s a woman who comes to every

game and she asked us to sign this card because

her son is in the military and in Iraq. So we signed a

card and our calendar and we took pictures, and we

received a letter from him thanking us for everything.

It was insane because he said how the cards and

letters keep him going and reminds him of home. It

was a real goosebump moment.

What advice would you give for a young dancer

who has aspirations to be in your position?

BethAnn: I would tell them to never give up or

doubt themselves. There are so many

amazing dancers and it’s easy to get

intimidated and to give up. But it’s

not impossible and it’s so exciting

and worth it when you make it.

I never took any kind of studio

dance or technical training

and most people didn’t think

I could make it, but you can’t

give up because somebody

else says you can’t.

Do you think there are too

many days off during the

playoffs?

BethAnn: At first I did, but

now that I have experienced

a playoff schedule I think

it’s good the way it is now.

I can’t imagine being a

player and playing back-

to-back games. It gives the

players and other people a chance to breathe—like the

dancers. [laughs] But there are also so many people

behind the scenes that make the NBA experience one

you can’t forget. By splitting the games up it gives the

players a chance to view tape and make adjustments

for the next game. Seth Berkman #91

Dance Life

BethannSuns Dancers

“it exploded on me. i didn’t have time to react or anything. it’s crazy, man. i keep reflecting in my head. it’s crazy.” — francisco Garcia on his freak accident with a physioball

That was a great class. I think the talent had always been there

for most of the guys. There are definitely some Hall of Fame players

in that draft—Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson.

[The Big East] had a very good conference back then. When

I first came into the League there were stars like Terry Dehere,

Lawrence Moten, Malik Sealy. Then it turned into my era with

John Wallace, Ray Allen, Donyell Marshall, Allen Iverson and

those guys.

in hiS ShoeS

kerry kittleS on the 1996 nBa Draft

I didn’t think Steve Nash would be a two-time MVP-type player—I thought he’d be a good pro,

a Mark Price-type player, a very heady player who could shoot—but this guy’s career has been

pretty phenomenal.

I remember working out for certain teams. I thought that I would probably go either seventh to

the Clippers or eighth to New Jersey. The Clippers were my first workout and I did pretty well,

barely missed a shot. I think they had Brent Barry and a couple of other guards at the time so

they ended up going with Lorenzen Wright at No. 7.

I knew that there was word that Kobe had a good workout with the Nets and there was word

he may go to the Nets, but then I heard that he had some other deal with his agent trying to get

to L.A. So, although the Nets liked him, I knew he kind of had something else going on later in

the draft, which ended up happening. I knew that if I didn’t go seventh, there was a pretty good

chance I’d go to New Jersey.

It was kind of cool being drafted at the Meadowlands. It was a nice arena and nice to have

the home crowd there. The organization and management had offices there so they were able to

take my family and I upstairs and we had a little small celebration with John Calipari, Willis Reed

and those guys. I had about 20-25 friends and family with me.

I think it was the best draft class, I really do. I don’t know every single player and what they’ve

been able to do, but the list with guys like [Marcus] Camby, a Defensive Player of the Year,

league-leader in blocks, it’s just a great class and I’m happy to be a part of it. If those young

guys had stayed in school, I actually might’ve been the first pick in that draft. [laughs]

aS tolD to Seth Berkman #91

HOOP0708-DanceLife-Shoes.indd 27 7/1/10 4:36 PM

3 pts What Were We thINKING?

Carmelo anthony: Me [laughs].

Actually, Birdman has some nice

ones, they’re real colorful, it gives it a

little bit of pop. J.R. [Smith] has got a

lot, I think he ran out of space. I don’t

think he can get any more.

John Wall: J.R. Smith probably.

I can’t really tell which one’s he got,

he got so many.

raja Bell: “Supercool Beas”

across [Michael Beasley’s] back. No

doubt.

Which player has the best tattoo game right now?

A-Z Jan/Feb 2008

GrAnt BABich

3 Pts (toP to bottom): Andy Lyons; Jennifer Pottheiser; briAn bAbineAu/nbAe/getty imAges

HOOP028

13-6The record of the home team in the history of Finals Game 7s. The average score of Finals Game 7s have been

Home 99, Road 95.

“I’m already ugly,. I can’t add no more to it.’’ — Kendrick perkins

With your multitude of photos with three Slam

Dunk Contest participants (Nate Robinson, Chris

Andersen and Gerald Wallace), Grant Babich, you

are a budding Jimmy Goldstein and this issue’s

winner of Photo Buckets. Of course, you’re probably

too busy hobnobbing with the NBA elite to even

notice that you won, but we’ll be sending you your

winning tee anyway for your efforts. Cheers, Grant—or

rather, three cheers.

Send us your best fan photo of or with an NBA player for a chance to win a HOOP t-shirt. Each issue the winning entry* will also be published in an upcoming issue of HOOP. Send all entries to [email protected] or by mail to:

HOOP Magazine519 8th Avenue25th FloorNew York, NY 10018

*All submitted entries become property of HOOP. By sending us your photo, you are giving us permission to publish the photo.

A-Z is a pretty fun issue for the HOOP staff, coming up with 26 words and the players that best describe them. We’re still hoping that T-Mac’s knee can make a full recovery, but with the man himself discussing the “R-word” (retire), it’s hard to describe McGrady’s career as “Unbreakable” as we did in our Jan/Feb ’08 A-Z issue. Injuries have cost him the better part of the past three seasons (only 65 games played total) and things seem to get worse this year after averaging only 8.2 ppg. Sometimes you just have to admit you’re wrong (and we do)—we’d be happy now to see T-Mac return to a sliver of the talent he used to be.

photo BuCKets

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HOOP 029

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CHRIS DUDLEY

catching up with...

During his 16-year NBA career, center Chris Dudley was

usually content with playing a backup role. These days, he’s going

for the headlining spot as the Republican candidate for governor of

Oregon.

Dudley may be a political novice, but he’s qualified for public

service. He has degrees in economics and political science from

Yale, was an officer in the NBA Players’ Union, has worked with

legislators through the Chris Dudley Foundation and is a wealth

management partner in a Portland-based investment firm. As he

traversed the state in search of support, he took some time to

discuss politics and his career.

HOOP: What made you get into politics?

Dudley: The bottom line is that I was concerned and frustrated

by the direction I had seen the state go. It wasn’t living up to its

potential and could be much better. As chairman of my foundation1

I2 have testified in front of the U.S. Senate and lobbied Congress

on behalf of non-profit organizations and I saw how much was set

up by government.

HOOP: How much did your role with the NBA’s Players’ Union

teach you about politics?

Dudley: I think it was very helpful. Being in negotiations,3 I got

a sense of seeing things from both sides of an issue. I had

discussions with different owners, GMs and team presidents, and

it forced me to think about the issues. During the negotiations, we

tried to come up with a win-win. There has to be a win-win so that

both sides can flourish. Both sides in a negotiation should have the

same incentive.

HOOP: The political climate isn’t exactly one where both sides are hoping to

meet in the middle, is it?

Dudley: It has been difficult politically, but I think we’re at such a place with public

finance across this state and the country where changes have to be made. We

have to get back to the best win-win for the people.

HOOP: How rewarding has your work with your Foundation been for you?

Dudley: I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished. My grandfather told me

years ago that you get back more than you give when you help other people.

HOOP: You grew up in Connecticut and San Diego, went to Yale, played for five

different NBA teams, and yet you settled in Oregon. Why?

Dudley: I fell in love with Oregon when I first came to the state in 1993. I met my

wife there and married her there. She’s a fifth-generation Oregonian. I can’t think

of a better place to raise a family. There are not many places where you can live

near a golf course, be two minutes from a lake, five minutes from the river for

fishing, an hour-and-fifteen minutes from skiing, can be on the coast in an hour-

and-a-half and are 15 minutes from the city. It’s a great place.

HOOP: Did you ever expect to play so long in the NBA?

Dudley: When I went into the NBA, my college coach said I could play a couple

years get some dollars and pay for grad school. I felt I could play professionally,

and that includes Europe. After my first year, I felt I could play in the NBA, so I

kept going and was hoping for a 10-year career.4 I got lucky and was able to keep

my body working.

HOOP: Although you were mostly a reserve during your career, you did start a

few times. How was that?

Dudley: I started a year in New Jersey, and split time as a starter a season in

Portland. It was a good situation. In Jersey, I was with Sam Bowie, starting over

him at times and then coming in behind him. In Portland, I started a full year, and

then they got Arvydas Sabonis. It wasn’t until the last two or three years of my

career that teams wanted me for my experience and ability to help younger players.

HOOP: How much fun was it to be part of the ’99 Knicks team that made it to

the Finals?

Dudley: I work with [former NBA star] Bobby Jones to run some summer camps,

so I have to be able to get out there. It’s funny. I’ll hit 10 three-pointers in a row,

and the kids still want to see if I can dunk. So I throw some down. I haven’t

lost all of my 44-inch vertical leap. If I get loose, I can still do some pretty In the

middle of my career, my goal was to make it to the All-Star Game or to win a

championship. In New York, I got the closest to winning the championship. We

went to the Finals and lost to San Antonio, but it was special to win the Eastern

Conference finals. It was a good run.

HOOP: Do you still play some ball?

Dudley: I have a camp that I run. I was also helping out at the local high school

[Lake Oswego]. I played5 against [Timberwolves’ center] Kevin Love when he was

there. But I don’t play so much now. I’m kind of busy.

BOnus POints

1. The Chris Dudley Foundation which provides support for children with Type I diabetes.

2. Dudley himself lives with Type 1 diabetes.

3. During the 1999 NBA lockout.

4. Dudley started his 16-year NBA career with Cleveland, followed by New Jersey, Portland, New York and Phoenix before ending it back in Portland.

5. For his career, the defensive-minded center averaged 3.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.2 bpg. Unfortunately, Dudley is remembered most by his struggles at the line.

His career free-throw percentage is .458.

.

BY MICHaEL BRaDLEY #53

HOOP0708-CatchingUp.indd 29 7/1/10 4:16 PM

HOOP030

Bernard and alBert king vs. anthony and candance parker

OK, we’ll admit, Cheryl and Reggie Miller easily best Anthony and Candace Parker, but because Cheryl unfortunately shined

during the pre-WNBA days, we had to omit them (sorry Cheryl…). Anthony might be a basketball vagabond, but he’s proven to be a reliable shooter everywhere he’s gone. During

his stint in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he won five national championships and two Euroleague MVPs; as a starter for the

Raptors and Cavs the last four years, he has put up double-digit scoring numbers. Baby sister Candace is merely the face of the WNBA with an MVP on her mantle. And the King boys?

You can read about them in the next round as they easily sidestep the Parkers.

kings vs. gasols

We rudely dismissed the Parkers in the previous round because there is no way they hold a candle

to the Kings. Bernard, in this writer’s opinion, deserved to be on the NBA’s Top 50 team, but

was snubbed. King’s signature turnaround J is only second to Kareem’s skyhook as

the most automatic and unstoppable shot in NBA history. He stood only 6-7, but

between his ability to physically battle you on the block, determination (dude

came back from a torn ACL in the pre-microfracture surgery days when the injury meant ended careers), a bit of a mean streak (the man played with

a sneer that intimidated me even when I watched him on TV) and of course, a feathery touch, he was nearly unstoppable at times. Kid brother Albert was supposed to

be even better, heavily hyped and recruited as a NYC playground legend, featured in the classic basketball tome, Heaven is a Playground and gracing the

cover of SI, all before he even played his first NBA game. Things

didn’t pan out as expected for Albert as a pro, but he managed

a nine-year NBA run of 12.1 ppg. Injuries and failed expectations might have robbed the Kings of

more greatness, but even as is, the two inspired a legion of NYC kids to

take to the courts to shoot basketballs off metal backboards and chain-link

nets. The Gasols still have time on their side to overtake any one on this list in

terms of scoring and rings. Pau is in the prime of his career at 30 and not looking

to slow down any time soon. The dude who used to get his hand-me-downs is only 25

and already talked up as one of the best young pivots in the game on a Grizzlies team that is

making headway into a contender. The Gasol boys from Barcelona have a shot at one day overtaking

everyone on this list, but for now, the Kings still wear the crown.

Eight things. OnE undisputEd champ.best nba siblings

brack-it

Brook and roBin lopez vs. pau and marc gasol

As the only current pair of brothers who made the cut, this family showdown also pits two sets of bigs against one another. This would certainly make

for a great two-on-two game, pitting over 28 feet of basketball player onto a halfcourt. The Lopez twins would have the better motors, but the Gasols

have a more varied skillset, not to mention international and overall playing experience. Alas, this is more about accomplishments, impact and

notoriety. And the Spaniards with Pau’s NBA title, All-Star selections and ROY, their FIBA World Championship and burgeoning game

from Marc, beat out the still nascent Central Valley twins.

kings vs. wilkinses

If these two sets of brothers ever did meet up for a pickup game in their respective primes, the pressure is on the scorekeeper to keep up. Between the two older brothers you had over 46,000 points. The Human Highlight Film was physically more gifted, able to jump over and run loops around B-King; Bernard possessed the better basketball game, especially his go-to turnaround J. Both housed a desire to compete and be the best. The undercard of baby brothers is a study in contrast. Albert King was the can’t-miss guard out of NYC who was supposed to wow and combine with Bernard to make good on their last name in the NBA; Gerald Wilkins was a second-round pick who’s greatest notoriety was being Dominique’s little brother. As it turns out, Albert’s game never quite caught up to his hype and Gerald exceeded anyone’s expectations with a solid run where he was equal parts offense and defense. As they almost always are, this was a close call. Had it not been for an ACL tear that robbed Bernard of some years and explosiveness and Albert not reaching his potential (or the overhype that doomed him for failure), we would go with the Kings. But this one goes to Dominique and Gerald Wilkins.

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Winner: Robert horry

dick and tom van arsdale vs. horace and harvey grant

Recent fans might be more familiar with the Grants, especially Horace and his trademark goggles, but just

look up the Van Arsdales and you’ll find that twin brothers Dick and Tom both had—naturally—identical careers: Manual

High School, Indiana University, 12 NBA years of eerily similar scoring, rebound and assist averages. The Grant twins’ careers

were more disproportionate. Harvey had a solid 11-year NBA run with nearly 10 ppg. Horace copped four rings as the third banana to the early ’90s Bulls threepeat and one with the Lakers in ’01. That said, we think the Van Arsdales are arguably the greatest set of twins to lace ’em up in the L.

By ming WOng #2

wilkinses vs. van arsdales

This was not an easy pick. On one hand you have a pair of brothers who mirrored each other on the court as much as they did their DNA (yes, they both wore #5 for most of their careers). No average Tom and Dick, the Van Arsdales totaled 29,311 points, which is good for second of the siblings on these two pages and of any duo, they are the most evenly split down the middle, neither one outshining the other. Plus, they’re twins. The Wilkins brothers were a bit like the other famous brothers in Nintendo. Gerald (Luigi) was no slouch, scoring 11,736 points all told, but it was all about Dominique (Mario). Nique collected more 1Ups…um, I mean points, 26,668 to be exact.

He squared off against Larry Bird in legendary playoff games

and oohed and aahed with every windmill dunk. It might’ve been a

bit one-sided, but the parents of the Wilkins boys should be every bit

proud to have two sons amass a NBA-sibling-record 38,404 points (not to

mention a grandson who’s still adding to the Wilkins’ NBA family tree). The Wilkins

to the finals.

dominique and gerald wilkins vs. chuck and wesley person

Dominique needs little introduction, but lil bro Gerald (Minnesota Timberwolves’ Damien Wilkins calls Nique “Uncle” and sends a father’s day card to Gerald) carved out a decent 13-year career that saw 13-ppg and almost-as-impressive-as-big-bro dunking acumen. In terms of raw athletic ability or a dunk contest, the Wilkins’ have everyone on this page beat, bar none. That said, if it were a three-point shooting contest, the Persons would own the field. Older Chuck was known as

the Rifleman and never saw a jumpshot he didn’t like, but connected with enough regularity to make good on the

moniker. Seven years Chuck’s junior, Wesley inherited the same family genes, making good on 42 percent of his

career threes. Combined, the Persons have made 2,370 triples. Still, the Wilkinses were mainstays

of some competitive teams in the ’80s/’90s and anchored by Dominique, they turn Chuck and

Wesley into a missing “persons” report.

BEst nBa siBlings WinnER: dOminiquE and gERald Wilkins

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By Brett OlsOn #36 first five

Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant. Besides these three

being all-world NBA players, what else do they have in common?

They all fell victim to the fourth-quarter defense of the player whose

teammates dub him “Frenchie.”1

During a critical stretch in late March for playoff jockeying position

for the Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum, the second year

forward from France,2 had the unenviable task of checking three

of the most talented hoopers on the hardwood in crunch time. His

dogged defense allowed the Blazers to win all three key games

during the stretch on their way to the West’s sixth seed and another

50-win season.3

The 6-8 defensive forward spent the first 45 games4 of the season

stationed on the bench with a shoulder injury sustained during the

2009 FIBA World Championship. When he came back, head coach

Nate McMillan and Batum’s teammates discovered he learned

another skill while on summer vacation—offense. But not the typical

Bruce-Bowen-corner-three offense standard with other defensive

specialists, but real run-the-offense-through-me scoring. Even with

the 10 points a game, 50 percent shooting mark from the field and

40 percent from downtown, the 21-year-old forward hopes to get

even better at the World Championship in Turkey.

“I expect to improve this summer,” Batum says. “I want to improve

on my offensive game so next year I can take more shots and be

more consistent.”

With his newfound scoring, stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus

Aldridge’s stellar play, and a likely healthy lineup including Greg

Oden, Batum has high hopes for the ’10-11 season.

“I see great things,” Batum says. “We can win the title next year.”

Nicolas Batum88 - Forward - Portland trail Blazers

BONUS POINTS

1. Former teammate Channing Frye coined this name for Batum. Nic now has it stitched on his sneakers.

2. Batum is one of six native Frenchmen playing in the NBA.

3. Twenty-four of Portland’s 50 wins came on the road, the most for the team since the ’99-00 season.

4. Portland recorded 311 regular season games missed due to injury, second only to the Golden State Warriors.

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By lOIs elFMAn #40

20 - Forward - atlanta Dream

BONUS POINTS

1. Lyttle, a first round draft selection in 2005, actually had quite the Houston theme in her life, as she played her last two years of

college basketball at the University of Houston.

2. She grew up in St. Vincent, West Indies, running track and playing netball.

3. All the more incredible is that Lyttle tore her ACL in her rookie season with the Comets, which she says was the defining moment

where she realized how much she loves playing basketball.

4. She promises to take at least part of the 2011-12 offseason off and give her body a chance to rest.

Some teams may look good on paper, but when they get on the

court the chemistry just isn’t there. Thankfully, that was not the case

with the Atlanta Dream, which in only its second year in existence

went from an expansion team with only four wins to a playoff berth

and second place in the Eastern Conference. The team also boasted

two All-Stars, one of who, Sancho Lyttle, had seen only so-so results

during four seasons with the now-defunct Houston Comets.1

“When you get into different situations, you’ve got to make the

most of it,” says Lyttle.2 “Going to Atlanta gave me the chance of

being on the court more than 10 minutes a game. Within the time, you

always have to prove yourself. It was an opening for me in a sense of

a new opportunity, so I took and I ran with it.”

No kidding. Lyttle, 26, is kind of a master of seizing the day. She’d

never even played organized basketball until she was 18 when being

tall placed her in the path of opportunity. A coach from Clarendon

Junior College (TX) needed post players and recruited her.

“When I came to America I caught on quick,” she says. “I guess my

athletic ability kind of helped me out.”

When people learn a WNBA All-Star has been playing the game

for less than a decade, they’re usually stunned.3

To sharpen her game, Lyttle plays in Europe during the WNBA

offseason. She played in Spain; three years in Ibiza, and this past year

played in Salamanca, where she expects to return this October.4

“Sometimes I think I’m playing football,” she says, speaking of the

physical nature of the play that a 6-4 non-European player faces. “You

get pushed around. Then when you get to America, you’ve built up

your strength to be pushed around.

“You don’t have to be so tough and be so worried about people

trying to knock you out.”

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BONUS POINTS

1. Former Suns GM Steve Kerr has said all along that Phoenix would not have traded Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to Charlotte if Dudley was not included in the deal with Richardson.

2. J-Rich jokes that although Dudley is not the most athletic guy in the League, he has the NBA’s most athletic hands. While that’s debatable, the 6-7 forward did lead the Suns in steals this season.

3. Dudley was recognized as the winner of the 2010 Dan Majerle Hustle Award, as voted on by Suns fans, employees, coaches and players.

4. One of the NBA’s most active and engaging players on Twitter, Dudley regularly tweets out videos in which he interviews teammates after games, analyzes their fashion style, or even gives mini tours of their homes.

5. Dudley led the League in three-pointers made (120) and ranked fourth in three-point percentage in ’09-10. n.

By JerAMIe McPeek #4

“What’s good Phoenix? We here in the locker room, just swept the Spurs; total team effort right here.”

Minutes after hitting the victorious visitor’s locker room in San Antonio on May 9, Jared Dudley was in front of the

camera, mic in hand, sweat-soaked jersey still on, filing a postgame report in his best “JSPN” reporter voice for his

fans back home. And the Suns’ forward has a lot of them.

Originally dismissed as a throw-in by members of the media following the Suns’ multiplayer trade1 for Jason

Richardson in December 2008, Dudley has become a key player off the Suns’ bench with his constant energy,

“athletic hands”2 and deep range.

“He is what hustle3 is all about,” said Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. “A really good defensive player, who plays

with a lot of effort, able to shoot three-pointers…He is a coach’s player.”

The 25-year-old, who has also developed a fanatic following via his @JaredDudley619 Twitter4 account,

averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 boards and a steal, while shooting a team-high 46 percent5 from beyond the arc.

“I come in and work hard during the game,” said Dudley, aka JMZ. “I pride myself on someone who does the

little things.”

JareD DuDley#03 - Forward - Phoenix suns


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By lOIs elFMAn #40

41 - Guard - indiana Fever

tully Bevilaqua

BONUS POINTS

1. She played three seasons in Europe early in her pro career, but mostly she has played in either the WNBA or Australia’s WNBL.

2. Bevilaqua bought a house in Indianapolis and hopes to make it her permanent home base after her playing days are over.

3. She announced her retirement from the WNBL in 2008.

4. Despite a long career, the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing were actually Bevilaqua’s first Olympic experience.

Despite living the nomadic lifestyle of a professional women’s basketball player, Tully Bevilaqua is actually quite a hometown girl.1 After helping the Seattle Storm win

the WNBA Championship in 2004, the Aussie point guard signed with the Indiana Fever in 2005 and has truly found a home there.2

“Indy is a big country town. It has that appeal that I like in terms of an easy-going pace. I come from a small country town,” she says.

One of the oldest players in the WNBA at 38, Bevilaqua no longer plays year-round.3 While she spent the offseason in Indianapolis, she did go home to Australia for a

week to attend a training camp with the national team in hopes of earning a spot for the FIBA World Championship in Brazil this September.4

In addition to giving her body time to rest, another positive factor working in Bevilaqua’s favor is that she divides the time at the point with Briann January.

“It’s a win-win situation for both Bri and I and for the club definitely,” says Bevilaqua. The Fever made the WNBA Finals for the first time in 2009. “[Bri] was someone that

was willing to learn and willing to listen. You respect players when they come into the league and they understand there is a lot to learn and they respect you and take in what

you say.”

Bevilaqua proudly flaunts her veteran status and credits consistent conditioning with sustaining her career. Her unwavering passion for the game is also a crucial

component of her longevity.

The Fever returned all their starters, and despite a seven-month break from the conclusion of last season, Bevilaqua began this season intent on sustaining the momentum.

“We’ll be reminding ourselves of how close we got and how much it hurt not to win,” she says. “For the most part, the nucleus has remained the same. It definitely helps to

get consistency. Of course, a few changes in personnel add to the excitement. No matter what, we have to bring our A game every time.”

first five


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University of Tennessee,1 Nicky Anosike wasn’t picked

until the second round of the 2008 WNBA Draft—

right after fellow Lady Vol Shannon Bobbitt, who

coincidentally is also from New York City. Undeterred

by the diss, she quickly established herself as one of

the best centers in the league.

“I don’t think anyone knows how hard it is to be a

role player and in the back of your mind know that you

can be so much more,” says Anosike, 24.

She has no regrets that she chose to attend

Tennessee,2 but when she was let loose to show all

that she could be she went after it with a vengeance.

“It was such a sigh of relief because I’d been telling

people all along, ‘I’m a pretty good player. I do more

than play defense,’” she says, recalling how people

laughed when she said she could score.3

So when she was named an All-Star in 2009,

the 6-4 center was not demure about what that

accomplishment felt like. “It meant the world,”

Anosike says.

The focus for 2010 is to get the Minnesota Lynx

into the playoffs.4 While rich with talent, Anosike

hopes new coach Cheryl Reeve can effectively blend

the styles of a group of amazing players who come

from decidedly different college backgrounds.

“I’m ready to maximize the potential and turn into

hopefully a championship team,” says Anosike. Adding

veteran home girl Lindsay Whalen and rebounding

powerhouse Rebekkah Brunson to the mix should

cement things.

To bring her best to the court, Anosike spends her

offseasons playing overseas5 where she gets a taste

of what it’s like to be the go-to player…and a target.

“When I was in college, no one guarded me. In my

rookie year in the WNBA, I had one person guarding

me. Last year, I had two people guarding me.

Overseas, half the time I have three people guarding

me,” she says. “It’s a steady progression, and I’m

loving every second of it.”

BONUS POINTS

1. Anosike played with fellow Lady Vol and current New York Liberty guard Sidney Spencer during the

most recent offseason. Their team was runner-up for the Polish league championship.

2. Saying she bored easily, Anosike had three majors in college: criminal justice, political science and legal

studies. If she tires of pro ball, there’s always law school.

3. She averaged 9.2 points per game her rookie year, and 13.2 in ’09.

4. The last time the Lynx saw postseason action was 2004.

5. Her time in Gorzow, Poland was especially interesting, as the coach did not speak English.

By lOIs elFMAn #40


TAKE OVER?

*According to 2008-09 Gamerankings.com and NPD data. © 2009 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifi cations used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2009 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. The PlayStation Network Logo is a service mark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. The ratings icon is a registered trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

HOW WILL YOU

Search for moredetailed ratingsummaries atwww.esrb.org

IN STORES NOW 2KTAKEOVER.COM

Take two.indd 1Take two.indd 1 9/21/09 12:51:07 PM9/21/09 12:51:07 PM

HOOP: Tell us about the camps1 you’re hosting this summer. KENNY: They’re a lot of fun. Ever since I’ve been an NBA player, I’ve been doing camps.

HOOP: Do you teach the kids how to fish while camping? KENNY: No, no fishing [laughs]. Strictly basketball. Just trying to make you a better player.

HOOP: Where did the “Gone Fishin’” idea originally come from?KENNY: When I was playing, the Phoenix Suns2 Gorilla came out to the Andy Griffith theme

song and he had a pole with all of the other teams they had already beaten hanging on it. So I came to the bench and I said, “Yo, we ain’t going fishin’.”

HOOP: Have any of the guys ever given you a hard time about being pictured?KENNY: No. They know it’s funny when they see other guys on it, but they don’t want to see

themselves. They don’t want to see those poles3 come out.

HOOP: Are there any players you’ve felt bad that they have ended up in those pictures year after year?

KENNY: No. The best don’t get on it. That’s how I look at it.

HOOP: What kind of fisherman are you?KENNY: My dad loves to fish, but I’m not a fisherman. I probably go once or twice a year, but

my father probably goes once a week.

HOOP: What’s your favorite bait to hook Charles?KENNY: Anything about food. If you have anything that has a double meaning with a food

reference, he bites into it. No pun intended.

HOOP: How often do you show him your championship rings?KENNY: Well, my dad has my first ring and my brother has my second, but it only comes

out as a last resort. That’s like the pièce de résistance. When I’m really losing the battle, I’m going there.

HOOP: How close was Charles to being an NBA Champion? His Suns went the full seven4 games with your Rockets both years you won titles.

KENNY: One of them was a last-second shot by Mario Elie, too. So either team, I felt, with the right bounce of the ball, could have been NBA champs. I just felt we had the right plays at the right time.

HOOP: What’s the funniest picture your crew has created over the years?KENNY: It wasn’t a picture, it was a video. They put Charles and myself on these two guys

doing a Michael Jackson tribute to “Thriller.”

HOOP: Your bio on Wikipedia describes you as the “straight man” to Barkley.KENNY: That’s funny, because before he got here, I was the guy who was the loose cannon

and Ernie [Johnson] was the straight guy. But Charles is far more than a loose cannon, he’s an uzi.

HOOP: How often are you asked, “Where’s Charles?”KENNY: All the time. I’ll be in a public restroom and someone will say, “Where’s Chuck?” and

I’ll be like, “Well, he ain’t in here.”

HOOP: Who is the best Mr. T?KENNY: Oh, I was by far. Ernie is a little bit older, so I don’t know if he watched it, but

that was my era. And Charles is more of a movie guy. I’m a TV guy, so I can even tell you A-Team5 episodes.

HOOP: Did you have the Mr. T chains back in the day?KENNY: Just one. I had the starter kit.

HOOP: What’s your favorite bit you guys have ever done?KENNY: When I did the thing with Kobe, jumping over the car. I saw Kobe’s video6 on the

Internet, so I came up with the idea for the bit, but the ending with me getting hit, our graphics guy came up with that. About three or four minutes before we aired it, they wouldn’t show me what they had done. So I said, “Oh, I probably got hit.” But I didn’t think it was going to look so authentic. It was pretty funny.

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24 seconds

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HOOP: Could you jump over Gwen’s car?KENNY: Well, as fast as my wife drives I probably could. She’s from England, so they drive a

little faster there.

HOOP: We saw your competition at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this past spring.KENNY: Yeah, I had been telling her I was going to take her there. She was doing about

160. It was ridiculous.7

HOOP: For our readers who don’t know, your wife is one of the “Barker Beauties” on The Price is Right. Actually, what are they called now with Drew Carey as the host?

KENNY: Just The Price is Right models. Drew is such a great guy. All of a sudden you’ll find the new PlayStation Guitar Hero at your door. Or he’ll be like, “I’m going to a soccer game, you want to go?” And it will be in Argentina, and he’ll have two plane tickets for everyone. He’s one of the most benevolent guys I know.

HOOP: What’s your favorite The Price is Right game?KENNY: I like the little guy going up the Swiss Alps. I just told my wife last week, I’ve been

coming to the set all this time and I’ve never spun the wheel. I’ve got to spin the wheel!

HOOP: We hear your daughter just signed a recording contract?KENNY: She signed with Interscope records. She’s in the studio now working with a lot of

big heavyweight producers. She’s really talented and we are really excited see where this leads. It’s kind of like she’s made the league, now we’ll see if she’s Rookie of the Year.

HOOP: Did she get her singing abilities from her father?KENNY: Not from me.

HOOP: How about your son? Does he have any Jet in his game?KENNY: He’s 13, he loves the game now and that’s the key. He’s got a good

understanding of the game and he’s unselfish. He’s actually more skilled than I was at that age, but I was more athletic.

HOOP: Are you more well known now or when you were a player?KENNY: I’m probably more well known now by the casual fan. They get to know you. It’s

really interesting when someone invites you into their home, because they could turn the game off with 200-plus cable stations...

[background] CHARLES: Hey man, y’all have had enough interview8 You’re done. We don’t want to hear you all talk. We want to watch the game. This is my green room. REGGIE: Your green room? Kenny, are you going to let him talk to you like that? Are you kidding me?

HOOP: One more question, Charles, and we’re done.CHARLES: No, you’re done now! Seriously! You’ve got to go!

KENNY: Don’t worry, he don’t run this room. Go ahead.

HOOP: EJ’s got his “Neat-O Stat of the Night.” What stat are you proudest of from your playing career?KENNY: Two chips. That’s it. Bill Russell gave me that. One of my teammates asked him one time when he was coaching9 us, “What was your shooting percentage?” He said, “11 rings.”

Bonus Points

1. Smith is hosting two camps this summer, one on the campus of UNC and the other in Westlake Village, Calif, as well as the Kenny “The Jet” Smith

Invitational in the San Fernando Valley.

2. Shortly after this interview on May 29, the Inside the NBA crew cast their poles on the court at US Airways Center, following the Suns’ Game 6

elimination by the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

3. Visit the “Inside the NBA” page at NBA.com to view some of the best Gone Fishin’ photos from the 2010 playoffs.

4. Barkley’s Suns even led the Rockets 3-1, before dropping the last three games of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals.

5. In case you missed it, the “Inside the NBA” guys impersonated Mr. T for a commercial to promote the A-Team.

6. Bryant jumped over an Ashton Martin in the popular viral video for Nike.

7. According to the video on “Inside the NBA,” Gwen got up to 138 mph compared to Kenny’s 102.

8. This interview was being conducted in the TNT green room at US Airways Center during the third-quarter of the Suns-Lakers playoff game.

9. Russell was head coach of the Kings when Sacramento selected Smith with the 6th pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.

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Over The hill?Grant Hill by Jeramie McPeek #4

Jason Kidd by Rob Peterson #9

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The League may be getting younger, but don’t tell that to Grant Hill and Jason Kidd. The former co-Rookies of the

Year—waaaaay back in ’95—are proving that some things get better with age

NOT These Kidds


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HOOP044

It is a minute or two into his postgame

speech before Alvin Gentry realizes

someone is missing. “Where’s the old

man?” the Phoenix Suns’ head coach asks, pointing to an

empty chair in front of Grant Hill’s locker.

“He’s unconscious somewhere out there,” jokes Steve

Nash of his close friend, who has yet to return to the

team’s clubhouse after the Suns’ Game 2 win over the

Trail Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs.

“Is he lying out there dead or something?” Gentry

laughs before turning serious to wrap up his pep talk.

“You young guys better take note. I’m telling you, that

guy right there, he competes. I could ask him to do

anything in the world and he’ll try to do it.”

As if on cue, the veteran forward, who was the center

piece of the Suns’ win on this particular April night with 20

points, eight boards and some lockdown defense, makes

his grand entrance to cheers, high-fives and fist bumps.

This is what Grant Hill expected entering the NBA 16

years ago with a pair of NCAA National Championships

on his collegiate resume. This is what he worked so hard

for but barely tasted during his first six seasons with the

Detroit Pistons. What he could only dream about over the

next seven with the Orlando Magic. The opportunity to

play a starring role on a team making a deep run in the

postseason.

Of course, the Suns’ run to the Western Conference

Finals this just-concluded season was as improbable as

the thought of Hill being a significant reason for it at the

age of 37, having been “tormented” by health problems

during the middle chapters of his career. Tormented is

Nash’s word to describe Hill’s physical struggles, not

ours, but it’s more than fitting to summarize the series of

injuries and issues that all began with a broken ankle a

decade ago during the 2000 playoffs.

Although he was lured to Orlando in a sign-and-trade

that summer, the NBA’s marquee free-agent at the time

would only play four games in his first season for the

Magic, and a total of 43 games over the next three years

combined. He would undergo three surgeries on the

ankle, suffer a bruised shin and a sports hernia. And if all

that wasn’t bad enough, he contracted a life-threatening

MRSA infection1 in his ankle following one of the

operations that would leave him needing antibiotics via

an IV for six months afterwards.

Understandably, most basketball experts considered

his career all but over. But Hill knew he would eventually

come out the other side and have some productive years

ahead of him. Or at least he hoped.


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At age 37 and the active leader in games

played at 1,187, Dallas’ Jason Kidd could be

forgiven for wanting to get a head start on

his summer vacation. Picture him kicking back in a

hammock stretched between two shady trees, his hand

wrapped around a lemonade with a cap pulled down over

his eyes as he naps, swaying in a gentle breeze. Such an

idyllic scenario would be well earned. After all, he

averaged 36 minutes per game during the ’09-10 season,

most ever for a point guard over the age of 36 and eighth

most all-time1 for any NBA player that age.

But this is Jason Kidd. Relaxing has never been one

of his strong suits. In this case, it wasn’t his choice. Kidd

was ready for a longer haul, but the San Antonio Spurs

sent the Dallas Mavericks home after taking their first

round playoffs series 4-2. Vacation had started early.

Much too early.

“Physically and mentally, I was ready to go to June. My

body and my mind were fresh going into the playoffs,”

Kidd says. “But unfortunately we came up short.

With the extra time off, Kidd should feel even fresher

heading into next season, his 17th2 in the League. Kidd has

seen plenty of changes since his first season, one in which

he shared Rookie of the Year honors3 with Phoenix’s Grant

Hill, then with the Pistons. He has played for three different

franchises4 and only Kidd, Hill and fellow dinosaur Juwan

Howard remain from that 1994 Draft.

Unlike Hill, who saw what could have been a Hall of

Fame career derailed by injury during his time in Orlando,

and Howard, who has made nine stops with eight different

franchises, Kidd’s legacy is secure. He has the numbers of

Hall of Famer. His 10,923 assists, gives him more dimes

than any player in NBA history not named John Stockton.

His 105 career regular-season triple-doubles are five fewer

than the next five active players combined. He’s also the

active leader in steals (2,343), and no player has played in

more games (1,187) or played more minutes (44,036).

And if those numbers don’t cement his place in

Springfield, MA anyone championing Kidd’s presence

in the Hall can point to his rookie honor, his leading the

downtrodden New Jersey Nets to two consecutive Finals

appearances in ’02 and ’03, his nine All-Star Games and

his two Olympic gold medals.5

Before Kidd kicks back and settles into a retirement

rocking chair—or maybe into a head coach’s hot seat —

he’s more than willing to impart his point guard wisdom

to the next generation, not only because he knows he

can’t play forever but also because when he entered the

League as a wide-eyed 20-year-old, there were few on

the Mavericks who were able to impart any sage advice.

At the start of Kidd’s rookie season, the Mavericks had

one player—journeyman guard Morlon Wiley—with more

than five years of NBA experience. Current Oklahoma City

Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, who was in his sixth

NBA season, joined the team in late February.


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“I kind of told myself that when I was going through

it,” he says. “The doctors kept saying, ‘The joint, the

ligaments are all good. They’re healthy. They look great.

It’s just the bone.’ So if the bone were able to heal, the

ankle was good and the rest of my body doesn’t get that

wear and tear, I’ll be able to make up for it on the back-

end. I don’t know if I believed it, but I told myself that.

“I feel fresh. I feel good. I’m not tired. And I think I

have less miles on my body than a lot of these guys that

are playing now, KG, Ray Allen...all these guys that are

younger than me, they’ve played more minutes than me.”

Sure enough, Hill has been one of the Suns’ healthiest

and most consistent players since signing with Phoenix

in the summer of 2007. He played in 70 games in his

first season in orange, followed by the full 82 games in

‘08-09, the first time in his career he had played an entire

season. He almost duplicated the feat this year, too,

starting 81 games at small forward, followed by a dozen-

plus playoff games, as he escaped the first round for the

first time in seven postseason appearances.

“He’s been a great inspiration,” says Suns off-guard

Jason Richardson, who as a high-school sophomore,

attended Hill’s first NBA game, watching2 him and the

Pistons at the Palace. “He is a great role model. Every

young guy in the NBA should look at Grant and see how he

carries himself on and off the court. You’ve got to admire

the guy.”

Suns All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, who was 12 years old

when Hill was named co-Rookie of the Year along with the

Mavs’ Jason Kidd4 in 1995, echoes Richardson’s praise.

“Grant is the ultimate professional. He’s the Barrack

Obama of NBA basketball. He’s a great locker room guy.

The way he works out, he’s always in early, always

motivating guys, he’s always very spirited. I have nothing

but great things to say about Grant.”

The truth is, you would be hard pressed to find anyone

who has anything but glowing words to say about Grant,

recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award3 for the

third time this season. But we’ve got to share one more

evaluation of Hill, the human being, before we get back to

Hill, the athlete.

“The best I know,” says Gentry4, who first coached Hill

during the peak of his All-NBA career with the Pistons,

from 1998-2000. “I’m not kidding when I say that. If I

had to pick the best person in this game that I’ve ever

been around from a character standpoint, personality

standpoint, the way he treats people, the way he treats

his wife and his family and his mom, then he would be my

No. 1 guy.


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“I didn’t have a mentor,” Kidd says reflecting on that

year. “I was fortunate to play against Gary Payton6 in the

summertime, but that was really pretty much the only

time I had someone to learn from.”

So Kidd had to teach himself how to play point guard

in the NBA on the fly. But he picked things up quickly.

Flanked by fellow “Js,” Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson

on the perimeter, Kidd flashed his trip-dub skills early,

averaging 11.7 points, 7.7 dimes, 5.4 boards and 1.9

thefts. More importantly, he helped guide Dallas to a

36-46 record, an impressive 23-game improvement over

the previous season. The Mavs, however, regressed the

next two seasons and Kidd was traded to Phoenix in

December of 1996. There, Kidd finally found someone

he could emulate. As a Sun, Kidd watched veteran point

guard and three-time All-Star Kevin Johnson and learned

how to properly run a pick-and-roll. Previously, Kidd was

known primarily as a push-the-ball-upcourt point guard

who excelled at the fastbreak. Under KJ’s tutelage, Kidd

learned the nuances of the NBA halfcourt game which will

serve him well later.

By the time he led the Nets to their first Finals

appearance in 2002, Kidd was more than just a fully

formed point guard. He was a superstar who made like

Superman reversing the Nets’ fortunes, transforming it

from a laughingstock to one of the League’s best teams.

His former Nets coach, Lawrence Frank, was an

assistant when Kidd arrived in the Meadowlands.

“We were coming off a 26-win season,”7 says Frank.

“But that’s the beauty of basketball is that unlike in

football or baseball, one guy can change your whole

culture and that’s what Jason does.

“No one is going to outwork him. No one has a greater

will. No one wants to win more than he does. No one

puts in the time like he does. He embodies everything all

coaches want their best players to do. And that’s why he’s

been a great winner since he started to play the game.”

And that’s why Kidd, who was traded back to Dallas in

February of 2008, has been willing to share his secrets

and expertise with Mavericks guards J.J. Barea and

Rodrigue Beaubois. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle couldn’t have

wished for a better teacher for two young point guards.

“It’s like they’re getting a masters degree...” Carlisle

says before catching himself. “It’s like they’re getting a

PhD course in point-guard play.”

For Barea and Beaubois, whether it is at practice,

during a game or after one, class is always in session with

Professor Kidd.

“After a game, I’ll ask them: What did you see tonight?

What would you have done in that situation?” Kidd says.

“And then we’ll talk about the things that they could have

done differently and they’ll say, ‘I didn’t even think about

that or see that.’


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In his last season in ’02-03, in an era dominated by baggy

shorts, his against-the-grain preference for short shorts

made Stockton a living time capsule to the past, one that was

still liable to cunningly get by you to deliver a crisp pass to

a cutting teammate, stroke a J in your mug or set a pick that

will leave a reminder long after the final buzzer. The 41-year-

old Stock was still playing starter-type minutes his encore

run (starting all 82 games, natch) and just as efficient,

putting up 10.8 points, 7.7 assists and still pick-pocketing

young’ns lunch money at the rate of 1.7 per game.

Hill and Kidd have had many parallels. Co-ROYs in ’95. A slew of All-NBA Team and All-Star nods. Olympic gold medals. Ageless vets still chasing the elusive chip while playing key roles on contending teams. Five-lettered first names and four-lettered last names that have a single “i” and ending in double consonants. OK, the last one was a stretch (but a bit eerie, no?). When it’s all said and done, both could also be cracking an unofficial but pretty impressive team: the All-Encore Team. These dudes might’ve been 40-somethings (save for Dr. J), but they were turning back the clock on the regular during their final run.

Yes, his time as a Wizard was

forgettable and his “Air” nickname

referred more to his need for it during

timeouts than his hops, but only

because the man had set such high

standards. Jordan, at age 40, was

playing a position that was stocked to

the brim with youngsters who could run

like the wind and jump out of a gym. He

was humbled, certainly, but he more

than held his own, playing 37 minutes

per contest and averaging 20 a game.

Jordan wasn’t taking off from the foul

line, but given a clear path, he was still

able to remind kids in the L why they’re

wearing his logo’d kicks on their feet.

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The good Doctor might’ve been 37 years old,

a bit grey in the hair and logged over 45,000

minutes when he hung up his Converse Pro

Leathers, but he didn’t disappoint during

his final house calls around the NBA. Awe-

inspiring baseline wraparound finishes were

gone, but when he needed to, Dr. J could still

operate on dudes. Going up against some

young stallions in the L, Erving still topped

1,000 points in his final season (from this

list, only he can Michael Jordan topped 1K

during their final season) for the Sixers.

At 40, most NBA players—and even stars—

are sporting a post-playing gut and are

on Year Five of their post-NBA career. The

chiseled Mailman would be outworking kids

half his age in the weight room and still

showing up at doorsteps with packages on

time. Of course they weren’t the thundering

finishes that earned him the moniker, but

they were a steady diet of reliable midrange

jumpers, rebounds and solid screens. A knee

injury causing him to miss 40 games put a

damper on a career that spanned 19 seasons

where he never missed more than two games

a season. Even after 40,000 minutes, Malone

was still dependable for 13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 4.3

apg and 1.3 spg.

We might be wrong, but couldn’t you imagine Kareem, even at his current age of 63, on

the floor and unfurling his trademark skyhook. Most dudes 40 years his junior would still

be unable to stop it and the shot would still drop. Cap played until he was 41, starting 74

games during his final season. Albeit more an honorary nod, Kareem was an All-Star in that

last season, making him the oldest ever to ever suit up for the midseason classic. And don’t

forget, Abdul-Jabbar took home Finals MVP in 1985 at an age where most former stars are

sitting at the end of the bench serving as a player-coach; in the Lakers’ four victories, the

38-year-old averaged 30.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 6.5 apg and 2.0 bpg.

F KaRL MaLone

C KaReeM abduL-JabbaR


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“If President Obama hadn’t become the first African-

American President, I’m sure that Grant Hill could have. I

really think that he has that ability that he could run for

any office in this country and if the people really got to

know him, they’d see why I feel the way I feel about him.”

If you couldn’t tell, Hill is the most beloved and

respected player on the Suns’ roster, at least among

those he travels with eight months of the year. And he’s

proud to be a mentor of sorts to his youngest teammates

like Joe Dumars, Otis Thorpe, Johnny Dawkins and Mark

West were for him back in the day.

“I remember being a young player and watching the

vets,” he says. “I was always observing them and learning

from them. So I try to be cognizant of that now and

understand that the younger guys are always watching

how you act and how you respond to adversity.”

Hill is also watched closely and admired by his new

fans in Phoenix, but not just because he is one of the all-

time good guys in sports. Although he may no longer have

the attention of the entire basketball universe—in case

you forgot, Hill was the leading All-Star vote getter in each

of his first two pro seasons and a regular on the athlete

endorsement scene—Hill has earned the appreciation

with his hard-nosed, all-out play.

No, his numbers are no longer eye-popping. Early in his

career, many called him the “Next Jordan,” though he may

have actually been the Pre-LeBron with 20.2 points, 9.8

boards and 6.9 assists in ‘95-96, to give one example.7

But the 6-8, 225-pound forward is still a key contributor

today. In 30 minutes a night, Hill chipped in 11.3 points

on the highest scoring team in the League, collected 5.5

boards (second on the club) and shot a personal-best6

44 percent from behind the three-point line. But perhaps

most importantly and surprisingly, the Suns’ elder

statesman was also their MVD, most valuable defender,

often checking the opposition’s biggest scoring threat.

“He’s played everybody,” says Gentry. “Over the course

of the year we’ve asked him to guard Tony Parker, we’ve

asked him to guard Dirk Nowitzki, we’ve asked him to

guard Aaron Brooks, we’ve asked him to guard Paul

Pierce. I could go on and on...Dwayne Wade, Carmelo,

Kobe... And he never complains. Never says anything.

Just gives you everything that he has.”

When asked to compare his game today to his game

circa mid-’90s, Hill realizes and accepts that he’s not the

player he once was. But he also believes he is a smarter

player now than the G-Hill who graced GQ covers and

featured in all those Sprite and Fila commercials.


HOOP 051

Kidd’s influence isn’t limited to the youngsters. This

past season, the Mavericks made a blockbuster deal,

acquiring Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn

Stevenson from the Washington Wizards in February

2010. With such a change in personnel, especially

midseason, a team’s chemistry is compromised; the Mavs

barely missed a beat.

“The level of respect [for Jason] is so high,” Carlisle

says. “We made the trade with Washington and Jason

personally helped integrate the guys as soon as possible.

We didn’t have a lot of practice time, so he had to do

integrate them during the course of games.

“Soon after, we went on a 13-game winning streak. He

was the key to that.”

Players also gravitate to Kidd, because even at his

advanced age, his tireless work ethic rubs off on his

teammates.

“He has unbelievable energy for a player of any age,”

Carlisle said. “He takes care of himself physically, and he’s

one of those great players who takes the same approach

every night.

“I compare to Reggie Miller did in his late 30s. In his

last game, at age 39, Reggie scored 29 points in the

playoffs against Detroit. Jason is similar. He’s extremely

committed and meticulous.”

Kidd’s been able to survive for 16 seasons because

he has learned to adapt. When guards played off of him

because of a suspect jumper, Kidd worked tirelessly in the

offseason to hone his outside shooting. Kidd has made

1,662 career three-pointers,8 second-most among active

players and third most all-time. This past season, he took

a career-high 414 three-pointers and knocked down 42.5

percent of them.9

While the NBA’s last classic pass-first point guard’s

long-range bombing may be underrated, those numbers

don’t go unnoticed by opponents.

“I could always get to the basket, so they would give

me that jump shot,” Kidd says. “There was no need to rush

my shot. It was like golf, I could take my time and tee it

up. And that’s what I worked on.

“Now, they’re running at me and I don’t have that

luxury. Now, I have to work on that part of my game. No

matter how old you are, you have to add something to

your game. Developing my outside shooting, helped me to

keep playing at a high level and it was one thing I figured

that could help keep me in the League.”

Of course, Kidd’s experience also helps him stay in

the game, but it doesn’t prevent him from the target

of playful barbs from young and veterans alike. Kidd

says teammates remind all the time him that he’s “old

as dirt.” Olympic teammate Kobe Bryant also got his

shot in when USA Basketball used a vintage video clip to

inspire Team USA.


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“Obviously, the athleticism, jumping, my first step,

those things aren’t quite what they were 15 years ago,”

says Hill, who will still throw down on opponents from

time to time. “But I think you understand the game better,

you understand angles, positioning, being able to read

positions better, being able to read individuals. So you

don’t rely on athleticism as much.”

And the game itself? Hill thinks back to the time in

which he entered the NBA and is proud of how the sport

has evolved in the years since.

“There was a period of time where it was more

physical, more defensive oriented and coaches were

more controlling,” he recalls. “I think the games, from a

spectator standpoint, are more fun to watch now. The

scoring is more exciting. It’s not an 82-81, grind-it-out

style of basketball that was very common in the ’90s.”

The third oldest8 player in the League at the conclusion

of the ’09-10 season, Hill knows the bulk of his career is

behind him, but he is not thinking about his post-playing

opportunities, which range from broadcasting to coaching

to politics. The husband and father of two says he would

love to play until he’s 40, but not because he is still

chasing after that elusive championship. He just wants

to enjoy the game he has played his entire life as long as

he can.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate to do what I’ve done for as

long as I’ve done it. I was fortunate to win a gold medal

and to win in college and high school,” he says. “If my

career ended right this second, I feel like just overcoming

my injuries, that’s enough of a championship for me.

Everything else that has happened since then is gravy.”

Hill doesn’t want the meat and potatoes of his

legacy to be about championships, gold medals, All-Star

appearances or statistics. He wants basketball fans

and historians to look back on his career as one of

perseverance.

“Regardless of what you thought of me as a player,

whether you liked me or didn’t like me, hopefully people

respected the fact that when I got knocked down, I got

back up,” he says. “That to me is something that hopefully

can be inspiring to somebody else. We all go through

struggles. Some of us go through them publicly, some

of us go through them privately. But it’s your attitude,

it’s your will, it’s your desire to overcome. If I can be

remembered for that, I’ll be grateful.”

BONUS POINTS

1. Hill helped launch the “STOP MRSA Now” coalition in 2008 to raise awareness about the Staph infection and its prevention.

2. Richardson got a chance to meet Hill after that game, too, and says he “was very polite,” and encouraged him to “keep working hard.”

3. Hill was the first-ever three-time winner of the award, which is voted on by NBA players, and received a crystal trophy named after his former

Pistons teammate, Joe Dumars.

4. Gentry says he has coached a lot of good people over his career, including Dumars and David Robinson, but Hill is his all-time favorite human

being in the NBA.

5. Kidd was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, followed by Hill at No. 3. Each received 43 of the possible 105 votes from a panel of

national sports writers and broadcasters.

6. Hill also made a career-high 35 three-pointers in ’09-10.

7. To give a second example of his LeBron-like numbers, Hill averaged 25.8 points, 6.6 boards and 5.2 assists in ’99-00.

8. Hill is only a day younger than the Bucks’ Kurt Thomas and just six months younger than the League’s oldest active player, Shaquille O’Neal.


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“During the Olympics, when they showed us the tape of

Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem at The Forum in

1983,” Kidd recalls, “Kobe turned to me and said, ‘Are you

in this All-Star Game?’10 That was funny.”

Kidd also wouldn’t mind suggesting some changes to

how they introduce him before games at the American

Airlines Center.

“I’ll never forget as a rookie and hearing some of the

guys, Jeff Malone, Jeff Hornacek and they were saying

whatever college they came from and it’s, ‘In his 14th

year,’ ‘In his 15th year,’ and I’m saying, ‘Man he’s old. I’m

young, I’ll be able to run right past them,’” Kidd recalls.

“I’m going to have to talk to our PA announcer. If I start, he

can leave out how many years I’ve played.”

If not, PA announcer “Humble” Bill Hayes could preface

Kidd’s entrance with “In his 19th year...” as Kidd aspires to

play another three seasons.

“If I stay healthy and my mind feels competitive and

I’m not in anybody’s way, I’d like to play until I’m 40,” Kidd

says. “I know I won’t be playing 35 minutes a night at

that age, but if I can help a team win, be able to teach the

younger guys and share my experience to help them out,

hopefully I’ll make it to 40.11 Then I can watch the game

from a different seat.”

That seat could come with a clipboard and a ton of

responsibility. Kidd says the possibility of becoming a

coach intrigues him.

“It would be fun to try and it would be something I

would never rule out,” Kidd says. “I wouldn’t mind that

challenge and win a championship that way, too.

This summer, Kidd will receive a firsthand look at the

world of coaching as he plans to spend time with Mike

Krzyzewski and the Team USA coaching staff in Las

Vegas before the men’s squad headed to Turkey for the

FIBA World Championship. But, for now, coaching can

wait. Kidd believes he has plenty in the tank and plenty

he can achieve between the lines, including winning that

elusive NBA title.

“It’s a combination of the competitiveness and playing

against the best players in the world,” Kidd says of what

keeps him on the court. “You play to win a championship.

But if that doesn’t happen, at the end of the day, I can say

basketball has given me a great experience and it’s been

good to me.”

The hammock will have to wait.

BONUS POINTS

1. In 1972-73, at age 36, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 43.2 minutes per game.

2. Kidd was drafted No. 2 overall by Dallas; Milwaukee made Glenn Robinson the No. 1 overall pick in ’94.

3. It was first time the League had co-Rookies of the Year; in 1999, the feat was duplicated when Steve Francis and Elton Brand shared the award.

4. Kidd has played for Dallas twice, Phoenix and New Jersey

5. Kidd won gold in Sydney 2000 and Beijing in 2008

6. Kidd grew up playing against Payton, who would become a nine-time NBA All-Star, in Oakland

7. The Nets went 52-30 in Kidd’s first season in New Jersey.

8. Ray Allen leads active players with 2,444

9. How impressive is that? Sharpshooting Reggie Miller’s three-point percentage at age 36 was 40.6.

10. Kidd’s first All-Star Game was 1996 in San Antonio. He says that’s the moment he realized “he arrived.”

11. John Stockton played 82 games in ’02-03 and averaged 27.2 minutes, 10.8 points, 7.6 assists and 1.7 steals at the age of 40.


La Perla Del Caribe.indd 1La Perla Del Caribe.indd 1 8/18/09 3:05:15 PM8/18/09 3:05:15 PM

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BasketBaLL When it comes

to basketball, kevin Love has nothing but love—the tough variety

Watch a Timberwolves game and you’ll quickly notice a few things—Al Jefferson is pretty darn

good on the low block, Jonny Flynn is pretty fleet and the roster is dotted with potential at almost every position—but one thing you may overlook is the burly guy off the bench with the #42 jersey who inhales a lion’s share of the boards he sees and delivers an outlet pass that Charles Oakley would be pretty damn proud of. That guy there is Kevin Love.

We caught up with Love on Southern California turf this Father’s Day, hours after he took his dad, Stan Love, out for some Mexican food to celebrate the day.

So later on, as Stan kicked back and watched some U.S. Open on a nearby TV, the 21-year-old opened up to us about the father who has made him the man he is. About his rebounding prowess, which makes the 6-9, 260-pounder one of the best boardmen in the game today.1

And about his renowned work ethic, which has made him a good bet to place quite high in the 2010-11 NBA Most Improved award discussion.2

Welcome to the Summer of Love, with one of the NBA’s nicest (and yet meanest) characters in the game...

By Darryl HoWerTon #21

HOOP0708-f-Love.indd 55 7/1/10 4:41 PM

HooP: Since it’s Father’s Day, can you reflect on the influence of your

dad, who has led quite the eclectic life himself—everything from playing

in the NBA in the ’70s to being a bodyguard with his brother and cousins’

legendary group, The Beach Boys?3

love: He basically taught me everything I knew, up until I was 18, 19, 20

years old. He’s still teaching me stuff today. I would say the biggest thing

he taught me was the mentality to bring every night in the NBA—to go

out every game, to go out every practice. He said, “One day basketball is

gonna become your job, but never think about it that way. Whenever you

play, everyday, just be the meanest [expletive] you can possibly be on

the court and just have that relentless attitude that you’re never gonna

give up. Because that’s a true sign of a winner.”

I also learned from some of his failures, as well. He only had a four-

year career. He told me, “In the NBA, there were a couple teams I didn’t

work hard enough for. I kind of had bad blood with some people in some

organizations.” Then he’d tell me, “you have to treat everybody with

respect. Be a gentleman. Realize that it is a business and this is your job

at the same time. Always keep that love for the game in there and don’t

forget why you play.”

HooP: So that’s you—Grizzly Bear on the court, Teddy Bear off it, where

you’re the media favorite, even doing correspondent work for NBA TV

and such?

love: I don’t try to be something I’m not. I just try to balance it out. That’s

another thing, my dad always said, “When you step through the line, be

the meanest [expletive] you can be, but when you’re off, you be gracious

to people. you’re a good kid from an affluent community, two-parent

home. Just don’t try to be anybody you’re not. you’re a good kid, just

remember where you came from.” That’s kind of how I balance that out.

But, yeah, that entertainment side is fun to me. I like people to be able

to come up and strike a conversation with me, no matter who they are.

And just be, like I said, that good kid off the court. I don’t think being an

[expletive] gets you anywhere.

HooP: Talk about the rebounding. you’re one of the six best rebounders

in the game the last two years, along with Dwight Howard, Joel Przybilla,

Marcus Camby, Samuel Dalembert and Greg Oden. And you’ve done that at

ages 20 and 21, which is not common. What’s your secret?

love: A lot of it is being relentless. A lot of it is effort. A lot of it is skill.

My dad always told me there was no such thing as a selfish rebound.

So if I could take a blow to the face, take a rebound from one of my

teammates or the other team, then that’s what I have to do. I always took

that mentality to heart. Back in the day, I loved watching Karl Malone, I

loved watching Dennis Rodman go at it. How they pursued rebounds. Bill

Russell once said that 80 percent of rebounds were below the rims. That

hit home with me since I’m not a guy who’s gonna jump and touch the

top of the square, grab a ball that’s on top of the backboard. That’s when

I became aware that a lot of rebounding is about positioning, and also

being able to be relentless—not being afraid to take a blow to the face

or above the chest every once in awhile. I’m just trying to do whatever it

takes to help the team win and rebounding is a big part of it.

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HooP: What about the angles? you obviously know how to work those.

love: Angles are huge. It’s kind of like your post work. A lot of it is

footwork, too. you have to have the right positioning in order to get certain

rebounds. When you see a shot up, you have to know, “OK, what’s the

percentage this shot is going to go over the rim?” Knowing where most

of your players on your team’s misses are. Other than that, you just have

to kind of have a knack for the ball. you have to know where most of your

rebounds come from. I think to be a great rebounder, you have to be able

to rebound out of more than just one zone. you have to be a multi-zone-

rebound type guy. So I think those guys that you mentioned and also the

guys that I mentioned were able to do that. And I’m trying to be on that

Dennis Rodman type of rebounding. That’s one of the guys I admire on the

court. Off the court, I admire him, too, but don’t tell anybody that.

HooP: Noticed you also got your three-point shot up last season. And if

you keep improving the trey, you might just become the first stretch 4

who leads the NBA in rebounding some day.4

love: I want to be looked at as a basketball player. I’m a guy who can

score the ball from the inside and out. I get a lot of putbacks because of

my offensive rebounding, but I also run the 4, get easy buckets there. I

can hit the 15-footer. I can hit the three. I have pretty good, decent post

moves. I’m trying to add a couple more things. I’ve been working with

Coach [Kurt] Rambis, and I still have a couple things up my sleeve from

Kevin McHale as well. I don’t think people in the NBA or people that love

basketball have seen all that I can do yet. But as far as being a stretch 4,

yes, I would love to be known for my three-point shooting and my ability

to shoot the ball. But I’m not so much a finesse player. I can play the

finesse game, but I’m a banger. I’m a guy that likes to play that ’80s-style

of ball—kinda the Bad Boys Pistons. Get dirty, really hit people and make

it a physical game because that really plays into what I want to do.

HooP: you also got UFC wrestling and strength skills in the paint. How

does that play into your NBA game?

love: Wrestling and strength kind of go hand-in-hand. you just have to

know if your opponent is gonna fight you high or fight you low, and you

have to attack his body. you have to go for whatever part of him is least

on-balance. When you go after a guy, that’s kind of a feel. Against a guy

like Shaq or Dwight Howard—guys of that stature and that status, as far

as how big their body is—it’s tough to wrestle with those guys. you don’t

want to waste your energy on the offensive or defensive end when you

try to box them out or push them around. That’s when you’re really trying

to use angles to either seal them off, or use your body to catch them

off balance a little bit. It’s really down to a science. But at the end of the

day, if you put your all into rebounding, and you go after every single

rebound—really pretend that everything’s gonna be a miss—then you’re

gonna be successful going after the ball. That’d kind of be my point to little

kids if I were doing a camp.

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HooP: Is that what you and Kurt Rambis were talking about at those

playoff games you guys attended together?

love: We were just talking about playoff basketball. As far as knowledge

of the game, Kurt has a very, very, very good IQ. I was with him at

several playoff games and kind of wanted to take it to the next level. And

obviously we talked about when we make it to the playoffs, yada yada

yada. But we also talked about the execution of the offense because

we’re watching the Lakers who are running the same triangle offense as

we are. We looked at a lot of similar stuff that Pau Gasol was doing. Also

Lamar Odom. Watching different sequences in the offense that we haven’t

implemented yet. It was cool to sit there with a head coach, a guy who’d

been in L.A. for a while that won numerous championships as both a

player and coach—being able to pick his brain and get his knowledge on

some stuff.

HooP: your defensive rating is good. your rebounding is off the charts.

you’re one of the most offensively efficient young players in the game. Is

this the year we finally see you playing 35 minutes a game?5

love: It’s tough to say. My rookie year, we won just 24 games, but once

McHale became the coach, I started playing more and more minutes.

This year was tough. I came off the bench and our team had only won 15

games. We were trying a lot of new things. For me, it was tough to sit there

and come off the bench. I felt that I was a starter. I still feel that way. We’ll

have to wait and see what happens. Like I mentioned, it’ll go back to being

in shape and working out and that’s why I do what I do all summer long.6

I’ll really have to be in great shape and take good care of my body, but

luckily with the Timberwolves, we have great trainers, great people, great

therapists that take care of us. So that’s all part of the NBA and all part of

the job.

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BONUS POINTS

1. Dwight Howard (22.0 and 21.8) and Joel Przybilla (21.6 & 22.8) are the only two players to have better rebounding rates than

Love (21.5 & 21.0) in each of his first two seasons, which places the Timberwolf on the pantheon of the other top chairmen of the

boards: Marcus Camby (22.3 & 20.7); Greg Oden (21.9 & 20.0); Samuel Dalembert (21.8 & 20.6).

2. Love’s 20.72 Player Efficiency Rating ranked 22nd in the NBA in ’09-10 and only one person ahead of him played fewer minutes

per game than the T-Wolf (Oden, who had a 23.14 PER in 23.9 mpg, compared to Love’s 28.6 mpg). If Love gets more playing time

(say, 35 mpg?), the statistical improvement on last year’s 14 points and 11 rebounds per game will be quite phenomenal (the NBA’s

only 17 & 14 guy perhaps?)

3. Stan Love, a 6-9, 215-pound forward, played with the Baltimore Bullets and Los Angeles Lakers from 1971-72 through 1974-75,

averaging 15 minutes in 227 NBA games. He also played 12 games in the ABA with the San Antonio Spurs.

4. Kevin Love didn’t shoot many threes as a rook (only 2-for-19 in 81 games), but brought his longball out for his sophomore season,

going 35-for-106 in 60 games this season, shooting 33 percent (League average was 35.6 percent).

5. Love saw his one-year adjusted plus-minus improve from -7.63 as a rook to -0.46 as a soph, while his defensive rating improved

from +1.97 to -0.46. Plus, the only player younger than Love with a better PER (20.72) was fellow 21-year-old and MVP runner-up

Kevin Durant (26.23).

6. Love’s summer schedule is bananas, working out separately in SoCal with noted trainers Rob McClanahan and Kent Katich in both

Santa Monica and Westwood. Love’s got basketball 6 days a week, lifting and cardio five days and yoga three days a week. Love also

religiously registers his eating at LiveStrong.com, planning on coming to camp in the best shape of his life, once again.

HooP: you got 11 rebounds in 29 minutes per game last year and that

translates to a rebounding title if you get 35 mpg this year, you know?

love: One of the things I want to accomplish in my career is to have a

rebounding title or numerous rebounding titles. But that all relies on

minutes played and how much you’re out there on the floor. So I’m looking

forward to trying to accomplish that.

HooP: your team, like yourself, has so much upside. Potential salary-cap

space, three first-round draft picks and the future rights to Ricky Rubio.

Not to mention you, Corey Brewer, Al Jefferson, etc.

love: I think a lot of people sleep on us. Obviously a 15-win season after

a 24-win season will do that, but it’s going to be interesting to see what

happens in the near future. Obviously, you need veteran guys to win.

you need age to win. I think we’re in the top five youngest teams in the

League, so I could see some moves being made to bring some veteran

guys in. I just know that we can’t keep blowing up the team. We need to

find our guys, stick with them, fine-tune everybody and get everybody

on the same page playing together and playing well. I think we’ll all be

looking to make some big moves and some big strides real soon. I’m

looking forward to a lot. I’m looking forward to USA Basketball tryouts in

July. And then I’m looking forward to training camp. Looking forward to

really having a breakout great year next season. It’s funny. We’re a well-

kept secret in Minnesota. I’m looking forward.

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Love CoNNeCtIoNMany people say Love is a throwback of an NBA player, but which player are they really talking about? We couldn’t just pick one, so here are some diverse cats that Love reminds us a bit of.

LArry Bird: Kevin knows he’s not another Larry Bird. But his dad made sure Kevin watched plenty of Larry Legend tapes as a kid—Celtics video was big in the Love household—while he also had his son shoot 500 jumpers a day. So it should be no surprise that Love, a good midrange shooter, has started to take his game way outside, a la Legend. After virtually ignoring the NBA longball his rookie year, Love has became a 33-percent trey shooter in year Two. Bird was similar in his development—the Hall of Famer was only a 31-percent three-point shooter his first five years in the NBA, before rolling off four straight 40-plus-percent threeball shooting seasons. Who knows? With another summer or two, Love may be in the 40 Club, too.

KeviN MCHALe: Not only was McHale the GM that traded for Love and the coach that later elevated him from role-player status, but he was the Hall of Fame power forward who Love studied as a kid via videotape, thanks to his dad, Stan Love, who supplied the vHS. years later, the T-Wolf got personal tutelage from his boyhood hero, saying, “McHale was very hands-on as the coach my rookie year. He’d take myself and Al Jefferson aside and work basically after every practice.” even this year, Love maintains he has some new McHale-taught tricks to show us. Like what, Kev? “Like i said, i have a bunch of tricks up my sleeve, but i can’t necessarily share. i’m just excited to get my post game going again because i can have a lot of success on the block.”

deNNiS rodMAN: Love says, “i’m trying to be on that dennis rodman type of rebounding” and he actually is on pace. Love has a career rebound rate of 21.2 percent and he’s only 21 years old. rodman did not hit that mark until his fifth season, when he was 29 (Fyi, rodman’s career rebound rate was 23.4 and he peaked in the ’94-95 season at age 33 with a 29.7 rebound rate).

KurT rAMBiS: Love wanted to think like a coach on the floor, so he jumped at the opportunity this spring to hang with his Timberwolves mentor at various playoff games. Not only was rambis the king of hustle in the ’80s—inspiring the rambis youth cult following—but the bespectacled Laker known for court savvy also collected eight rings as a player and assistant coach.

WeS uNSeLd: His name is Kevin WeSLey unseld for a reason. yup, his father—a teammate of unseld on the Baltimore Bullets—named his son after the Hall of Fame center. With his strong arms and strong hands, Kevin was coached by his father to outlet passes after rebounds like the great unseld once did. Anyone who’s seen Love get fastbreaks going, knows he’s living up to his namesake.—#21


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If asked to name the top centers of all time, names like Russell, Wilt and Kareem often get mentioned. But another great deserves to be included in the conversation: Nate Thurmond.

The pantheon of great centers is stocked with role players. There are the

offensive powerhouses like Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq. On the flipside, you’ll find

all-time great defenders like Russ and Hakeem. For good measure, toss some

wild cards into the discussion—a pre-shot clock superman like George Mikan, the groovy and

outrageous Bill Walton, the brutal artistry of Artis Gilmore, the sweet stroke of Patrick Ewing

and the gracefulness of David Robinson. But few of these elite pros were equally adept on

both sides of the ball, able to intimidate with growling defense and stubborn offense in the

space of two possessions.

Hall-of-Famer Nate “The Great” Thurmond was a center with such superpowers, averaging

the ultimate in statistical equanimity, averaging 15.0 ppg and 15.0 rpg1 in his career. “I came

into the League at a time when Wilt and Russell were nearing the end of their careers,” Abdul-

Jabbar says. “The toughest guy I had to play against when I was learning the League was Nate.

Nate was all arms, legs, hands, elbows, and sheer power. When I scored on Nate, I knew it was

an accomplishment.”

“Nate’s worth has to be measured not for scoring, but for team play,” Russell says. “He could

easily have scored 24 or 25 points a game—but his teams wouldn’t have been as good if he’d

been a selfish player.”

Even Gilmore, whose lone experiences against Thurmond came in ABA-versus-NBA

exhibition games, knew how staunch an opponent his 6-11 foe was: “Nate wasn’t fancy—he

just played you hard. He was the kind of player who made you sweat. No matter what the

obstacles might be, he’d get in your way and slow you down. You knew you played a ballgame

after facing Nate.”

What the San Francisco Warriors, who drafted Thurmond and suited him up for his first

11 seasons, asked of their superstar was simple, in a complicated way: 40-plus minutes

per game, 20 points, 20 rebounds and a half-dozen blocks, all while setting solid picks and

weeping-willow screens and guarding some of the biggest and best players in NBA history.

For all of his ability on the hardwood, perhaps Thurmond’s greatest skill was, as Russell

cites, his team play. Warriors teammate-turned-coach Al Attles asked Thurmond straight up to

save himself on the offensive end in order to slam the door shut on defense, possession after

possession. And fellow Hall-of-Famer Rick Barry, a teammate of Thurmond’s for four seasons

and in one NBA Finals, feels there is a special place in the annals of basketball for guys like his

one-time pivot man.

“Nate was as unselfish a player as I’d ever been around,” he says. “I have no doubt that on a

team like Boston, Nate could have won as many championships as Bill Russell.”

The Measure

of Greatness

By Brett Ballantini #97


HOOP062

“I always wanted to be known for two things,” Thurmond says. “First, as a guy who came to play every

night, but also as a guy who had his teammates always in mind.”

Thurmond was the No. 3 overall choice by the Warriors in 1963. He grew up in Akron, OH, played

alongside future NBA bruiser Gus Johnson at Central Hower High and was an All-American at Bowling

Green State University as a senior. As far back as high school, Thurmond was seen as a unique big-man

talent, able to hold his own on the perimeter. Thus, he saw a lot of time at power forward growing up,

which suitedhim well with the Warriors, as Chamberlain was the incumbent center. Thurmond earned All-

Rookie honors in ’63-64, seeing his playing time increase gradually all season. By the time the Warriors

reached the Finals against the Celtics, Thurmond was averaging 34.2 mpg2 and had established himself

as a permanent and powerful member of San Francisco’s frontcourt.

Thurmond’s acsension as an elite big man came so quick, in fact, that the Warriors dealt Chamberlain

to Philadelphia midway through his sophomore season, sliding Thurmond to center. In the process, San

Francisco tumbled to an NBA-worst 17-63, but Barry arrived the next season to reverse the trend.

By ’66-67, with Barry leading the NBA in scoring and Thurmond chiming in with 18.7 ppg and 21.3 rpg3,

the Warriors returned to the NBA Finals. They faced Chamberlain’s Philadelphia club, which had cruised

to an then-all-time best 68-13 record. Despite spotting the Sixers 24 wins on the regular season, the

Warriors pushed heavily favored Philly to six games before succumbing. A big part of San Francisco’s

Cinderella run was the 15.9 ppg and 23.1 rpg Thurmond threw on his mentor, Chamberlain.

Using a strategy that would work against O’Neal in today’s NBA, Thurmond tried to outmaneuver the

larger Chamberlain. “I didn’t try to block every shot,” he says. “I tried to keep him from getting his best

looks at the basket, keeping him as far away from the hoop as possible. The best I could do, even from

that first practice together with the Warriors, was shadow Wilt and never give up on him. I brought energy

and determination to the floor.”

Barry bolted for the ABA the next season, forcing Thurmond to take up some of the scoring slack.4

In ’67-68, Thurmond averaged 20.5 ppg but still found the energy to pull down an incredible 22.0 rpg,5

permanently establishing himself as a Bay Area blue-collar legend unafraid to do the dirty work.

One example of Thurmond’s thinking came in his approach to scoring. Rather than merely focusing on

his offensive output, Thurmond would focus on “net points.”

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BONUS POINTS

1. Only four players in basketball history—Chamberlain, Russell,

Bob Pettit, and Jerry Lucas—averaged more rebounds and

points per game than Thurmond.

2. The rookie also averaged 10.0 ppg and 12.3 rpg in his first

NBA postseason.

3. Only Chamberlain, Russell, Pettit, Lucas, and Thurmond have

averaged 20 or more rebounds in an NBA season.

4. Beginning in 1967-68, Thurmond topped 20 ppg in five

straight seasons.

5. The 19th-best rebounding average in NBA history, and

highest by a player not named

6. In the 33 seasons since then, only Alvin Robertson (1986),

Hakeem Olajuwon (1990), and David Robinson (1994) have officially

recorded quadruple-doubles.

“I couldn’t just shoot more to increase my offensive numbers,” he explains. “That would hurt my team.

So I tried to keep my man 10 points below his scoring average. If I did, you might as well give those unscored

points to me. If you added my points scored to the points I prevented, my offensive numbers would look a

whole lot better.”

By the early ’70s, Thurmond clearly had become the heir to Russell as the best defensive center in the NBA.

But a dearth of record-keeping—the League didn’t note blocked shots until ’73-74, Thurmond’s 11th season—

prevents the big man from getting his full due to this day.

“I played with Wilt Chamberlain, and there were nights we were playing volleyball out there on the floor,

blocking shots, deflecting passes, tipping rebounds,” Thurmond says. “I’d like to know where I stand with

blocks for my entire career. When you look at the all-time list, Russell and I are nowhere to be found. That list

is filled with pretenders to the title. Sure, I could put up points, but my game was defense, so I’m sad that so

many of my blocks were never recorded.

“I’m not bragging, but I know there were some games where it was ridiculous the number of shots I blocked.

When I was young, there were nights when guys couldn’t get shots off on me. Only Bill would have blocked

more in his career.”

In the twilight of his career, however, Thurmond brought his old volleyball mentality back out to the floor. On

Octber 18, 1974, Thurmond’s debut with the Chicago Bulls, the 33-year-old led Chicago to an overtime victory

against the Atlanta Hawks with an unprecedented feat: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocked

shots—the first quadruple-double in NBA history.6

“I distinctly remember going back to my apartment after the game, and I was just dead,” Thurmond says. “I

never realized I had numbers spread out like that, across four categories.

“Of course, I had 12 blocks in my quadruple-double game and it was my 12th year in the League. That’s with

two bad knees and more than 30,000 minutes pounding NBA floors, night after night. So you can bet I had a

quadruple-double before 1974. But as I look back now, I realize just what a super performance it was.”

The playoff-savvy Bulls fell short of their first Finals appearance by losing big leads in two games in the

1975 Western Finals—ironically enough, against the Warriors, who went on to win the NBA title. Thurmond was

shipped to Cleveland at the start of the ’75-76 season, playing a key supporting role in the Cavaliers’ “Miracle

of Richfield” run to the 1976 Eastern Finals.

“To the end, I gave it my all,” Thurmond says. “It was wonderful to hear those fans in Ohio, where it all started

for me, chanting my name.”

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Every year a handful of players make the leap from blips to blue chips and ’09-10 saw a dozen players take off

By Michael Bradley #53

Every season, there is a group of players who take a step forward to become more valuable to their teams or even League-wide stars. The ’09-10 campaign was no exception, although the crop of performers who improved their games was perhaps one of the deepest ever. Take a look at the following group and try to deny that it was a great year to move on up.

Makin’ the

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Kevin DurantForward, Oklahoma City Thunder

George HillGuard, San Antonio Spurs

It’s hard to improve when you’re already averaging a robust 25.3 points per game

and tabbed as one of the best young players in the game and seemingly, Kevin

Durant pulled it off. Numbers-wise, Durant added another five points and one

board per game. And he did it while playing just a half-minute more per contest.

Efficiency nerds can rejoice. Voters took notice to, placing Durant second for

Most Improved Player and in a first, he was also second in MVP voting.

But much of Durant’s improvement cannot be found on the boxscore. The

improvement was more subtle. The pats to teammates—whether in the form of

celebration from a great play or encouragement for a mistake that was made.

The accountability after a big win and especially after a tough loss. The ability

to raise the level of the team’s play as evident by the Thunder’s entry into the

playoffs. While Durant did struggle in his first postseason as an individual,

his poise and effort never took a nosedive as OKC surprised the defending

champion Lakers with an extended six-game series that was hard fought the

entire way.

Scary thought for the rest of the League: a guy who finished second for MVP

and is still seen as improving.

The Jump-OffThe Jump-Off ’08-09 ’09-10MPG 16.5 29.2FG% .403 .4783FG% .329 .399PPG 5.7 12.4

’08-09 ’09-10PPG 25.3 30.1RPG 6.5 7.6FT% .863 .900

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Carl LandryForward, Sacramento Kings

Critics of the consistently good Spurs

will point out their time might be up,

but if they can keep getting jolts of

improvement from their young players

like Hill, their drop-off might not be as

precipitous as forecast.

Hill came into ’09-10 as a late

first-round pick in ’08 from a school

that has the name of two big time

college programs, but is no where as

recognized, Indiana University-Purdue

University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Playing

mostly spot minutes his rookie run, Hill

almost doubled his minutes to 29.2 per

game, spelling All-Star Tony Parker and

even starting in his place during his

injury and subsequent return. Armed

with a dependable jumper, Hill became

San Antonio’s primary deep threat,

making good on 48 percent of his shots,

including 40 percent of his triples.

During the First Round playoff series

with Dallas, Hill dropped a monster

29-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist and

2-steals game to help the Spurs take

Game 3. For his efforts, Hill was tied for

second in this past season’s voting for

NBA Most Improved Player. Not bad for

a guy who hails from a school with an

identity crisis.

Anybody looking for the high-energy,

stir-up-the-crowd player who delighted

Rockets fans was hard-pressed to

locate him when Landry moved on

to Sacramento. Instead of playing in

spirited bursts, HOOP’s music editor

became a more consistent player who

was less interested in firing everybody

up and more concerned with becoming a

valuable offensive weapon.

Sent to the Kings in the Kevin Martin

deal, Landry emerged as a player who

was less tied to the paint and more

able to convert from 15-to-18 feet with

his jumper. His minutes jumped from

about 27 a game to more than 37, and

Landry became more than just a post-up

forward. Although he hadn’t shown

much of his jumpshot, Landry proved

he could play the 3 spot and boosted

his scoring to 18.0 ppg in 28 games—all

starts—with the Kings.

It’s not like the jump was completely

unexpected, since Landry had been

averaging 16.1 ppg while with the

Rockets in ’09-10. Once he headed

west, he joined Jason Thompson in a

productive front line and showed he

could please crowds in much more

productive ways.

The Jump-Off ’08-09 ’09-10MPG 21.3 30.9PPG 9.2 16.8RPG 5.0 5.9

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Andrew BogutCenter, Milwaukee Bucks

Corey BrewerGuard, Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s hard to imagine a horrible knee injury can be a positive thing, but one look at Brewer’s

game during the ’09-10 season will tell fans that he was able to turn a huge setback into a step

forward.

Brewer played in only 13 games during the ’08-09 campaign, further enhancing the opinions

of those who believed he would never become a productive starter in the NBA. He was too

skinny. His shot wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t made for halfcourt basketball. It was all there

after a rookie campaign in which Brewer struggled to play consistent basketball.

After the injury, Minnesota fans saw a different player. Brewer’s minutes increased to

30.3 a game, seven-and-a-half more than he averaged as a rookie and nearly 10 more than

he saw last year, before the injury. His points per game shot up to 13.0 from 6.2. And, most

impressively, Brewer became a dangerous three-point shooter for the T-Wolves, converting

34.6 percent of his tries. Though that number wasn’t earth shattering, Brewer made a trey in

33 consecutive games. And for a guy who took just 36 in ’07-08 to try 237 showed just how

much he had worked to improve that aspect of his game.

Brewer’s speed and athleticism were down a little in ’09-10, thanks to his injury, but it’s

expected they will come back. If they do, he’ll add them to a more fundamentally sound game

that features better shooting and a commitment to handle the ball better. Brewer has also

shown leadership tendencies by acknowledging that he and his teammates must defend

better. His comeback is in full swing, and things should just keep getting better.

The Jump-Off The Jump-Off

’08-09 ’09-10PPG 11.7 15.9BPG 1.0 2.5FT% .571 .629

’08-09 ’09-10MPG 20.5 30.3PPG 6.2 13.0FG% .411 .4313PTFG 5 82

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Marc GasolCenter, Memphis Grizzlies

If it weren’t for a freak fall in an early April game, we might

have been talking about Bogut for more than just statistical

jump. After watching his Milwaukee Bucks push Atlanta to the

seventh game of their first-round playoff series, one must

wonder whether the center’s presence would have given the

Bucks the boost needed to win the thing.

But Bogut was out with a broken finger and dislocated

elbow, which ended a breakthrough year that saw him become

one of the NBA’s top defenders, a more reliable scorer and a

strong locker room presence for the young Bucks.

After being picked first overall in the ’05 Draft, expectations

were high. The Aussie played well at times, but consistency

was elusive. Many wondered whether he would ever become a

front line NBA pivot man, especially after a back injury limited

him to just 36 games in ’08-09. Instead of wobbling back to the

court, Bogut improved his conditioning, dropped some weight

and played with a new fervor, particularly on the defensive

end. His 2.5 blocks per game were second in the NBA, but his

willingness to take charges and provide more enthusiastic help

was just as important. Bogut also averaged a career-high 15.9

ppg and 10.2 rpg, production that helped earn him a spot on

the All-NBA Third Team.

“He has shown a lot of improvement,” Milwaukee coach

Scott Skiles said. “He’s better in the low post. He’s always a

good defender. He needs to get even better in the low post and

make a face-up shot to keep people honest.”

Do that, and Bogut may be on this list again next year.

If you ever doubt the value of dropping weight for an NBA big man, take a look at what discarding 25 pounds

did for Gasol. He wasn’t sloppy during his rookie season, but the Grizzlies’ center was a pudgy version of big

brother Pau and not able to maintain a high level of play because of poor conditioning. After working hard during

the offseason, Gasol became an unsung hero on the resurgent Memphis team and has the potential to become

one of the League’s most productive pivotmen.

Gasol finished tied for second in voting for the League’s Most Improved Player thanks to better production

in every major category. His points per game rose (11.9 ppg to 14.6 ppg). So did his rebounding (7.4 to 9.3),

his blocked shots (1.1 to 1.6) and assists (1.7 to 2.4). He shot 58.1 percent from the field, good for third in

the NBA. While everybody was paying attention to Grizzlies stalwarts O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph,

Gasol quietly improved to the point where he became almost as dangerous as his higher-profile teammates

and certainly out of big brother Pau’s shadow.

Things could have been even better for Gasol and the Grizzlies, had he not suffered a torn neck muscle that

kept him out of the final 13 games. Memphis was flying high through February, but it began to slide after that,

and Gasol’s absence in the middle was a big reason for its late-season fall in the standings. Should he continue

to get better as he did this season, Gasol could be spending next spring in the playoffs, not on the injured list.

The Jump-Off ’08-09 ’09-10MPG 30.7 35.8FG% .530 .581PPG 11.9 14.6RPG 7.4 9.3

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It started during the first half of the season, when Washington coach Flip

Saunders would use Blatche during the later portions of the game instead

of veteran Brendan Haywood, in search of better defense. It continued

after the All-Star break, after Haywood and Antawn Jamison had been

traded to Dallas. That’s when Blatche became a star in the making.

During the final 32 games of the ’09-10 campaign, there were few

big men in the NBA who could match Blatche’s numbers. The fifth-year

player averaged 22.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 3.6 apg, all well over his previous

career highs, and while playing about the same amount of minutes. The

young man who had struggled with his adjustment to the NBA from the

high school ranks had finally figured it out and was tearing it up.

As the Wizards work on their most recent rebuilding project, Blatche

figures prominently. And why not? He doesn’t turn 24 until August, and

he has demonstrated a more all-around game, hitting short jumpers to

go with his finishing around the basket. As the 6-11, 248-pounder gets

stronger and more mature, his rebounding numbers should go up. He’ll

also continue to give the Wizards a much-needed interior weapon to go

with Gilbert Arenas.

Andray BlatcheCenter, Washington Wizards

’08-09 ’09-10PPG 10.0 14.1RPG 5.3 6.3FG% .471 .478FT% .704 .744

The Jump-Off

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Ever since Redick entered the NBA, he hasn’t been able to shake his reputation as a

one-dimensional gunner. Sure, he can stand behind the three-point line and get you a

three-pointer from time to time, but when it comes to the rest of the game, well, he’s

better served waving a towel than trying to dribble, pass or defend.

The Magic used Redick that way for most of his first two seasons in the League after

being selected as the 11th pick in ’06 after a distinguished All-American career at Duke,

and his numbers reflected it. In ’08-09, Redick started to get some more burn, but he

still wasn’t an every-game player. Things changed in ’09-10. Redick played every night.

He averaged a career-high 22 minutes per game. He scored 9.6 ppg and got to the

free-throw line more times than he had in his previous three seasons combined. Way

more. It had become clear that Redick was more than a specialist. He could handle the

ball, get into the lane. Oh, and he could still shoot, as evidenced by his career high 40.5

percent three-point success.

Redick was even more impressive in the playoffs. In the first game of the Magic’s

conference finals series with Boston, it was Redick who sparked the comeback. In

game two, he scored 16 points and played 34 minutes. He’s not a starter, but he’s not a

deep reserve anymore, either. Redick has proven he can do more than just shoot.

When the ’09-10 season started, and it was clear Yao Ming wouldn’t be playing at all and

Tracy McGrady was a question mark, Rockets fans wondered whether their defensive-

minded team would be able to crack 50.

That’s where Brooks came in. After spending his first two seasons as a high-energy

reserve, Brooks took over the starting point job and became the team’s primary scorer.

After Houston acquired Kevin Martin, he teamed with the wing man in one of the League’s

highest-producing backcourt tandems. Brooks did it all, scoring (19.6 ppg) at a career-

best pace, handing out 5.3 apg and nailing 39.8 percent of his three-pointers. Not only

did he help make up for Yao’s absence; he also shut up those who believed he was too

small and slight (6-0, 161) to handle a nightly starting gig, earning the NBA’s Most

Improved Player award

The University of Oregon product has great speed and can thrive in the open court.

What he did in ’09-10 was prove he could also run a team in a halfcourt setting, finding

open teammates, breaking down defenders off the dribble and finishing at the rim and

from the perimeter. It was a perfect showcase for Brooks, and it’s unlikely he’ll slow down

next season when Yao makes his return.

J.J. RedickGuard, Orlando Magic

Aaron BrooksGuard, Houston Rockets

The Jump-Off ’08-09 ’09-10PPG 6.0 9.6FG% .391 .4393PT% .374 .405APG 1.1 1.9FTA 93 222

’08-09 ’09-10Starts 35 82PPG 11.2 19.6FG% .404 .4323PT% .366 .398APG 3.0 5.3

The Jump-Off

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This was quite a season of firsts for Gerald Wallace. He made his first All-Star Game, was

voted to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team and was asked to tryout for Team USA for the

first time. For someone who has spent much of his nine-year career working out of the

spotlight, it was quite an introduction to the big time.

Wallace has proven himself as a strong scorer for several seasons now, and his 18.2

ppg reinforced that. But he had his finest year as a rebounder, grabbing 10.0 boards a

game—good for ninth in the League—and finished 14th in the League in steals with

1.5 spg. Pretty heady stuff, considering Wallace’s modest 6-7, 220-pound size. It’s no

coincidence that the Bobcats’ first-ever playoff appearance came in Wallace’s best all-

around season.

“I remember when they were talking about most improved [in the NBA],” Charlotte

coach Larry Brown said after the season. “The guys who were selected were deserving,

but I thought [Wallace’s] name should have come up. Maybe they thought he was

already [developed]. Maybe that’s a compliment in itself.”

Perhaps it is. More than likely, it’s just a realization of how good a player Wallace has

always been.

Gerald WallaceForward, Charlotte Bobcats The Jump-Off

’08-09 ’09-10PPG 16.6 18.2RPG 7.8 10.03PT% .298 .371

Jesse d. GarraBraNt/NBae/Getty imaGes

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When Mike D’Antoni assured Knickerbocker nation the team’s 2008 first-round pick was

a keeper, many people wondered whether the Knicks coach’s brain had been softened by

too much time in Italy. After seeing Gallinari play just 28 games in his first season, due to

a back injury, the same skeptics wondered whether the forward was damaged goods and

were having flashbacks to another import bust, Frederic Weis.

D’Antoni looks pretty darn smart these days, thanks to Gallinari’s rebound season.

Now healthy after surgery, the big winger posted strong numbers, showed a surprising

willingness to play defense and became a cornerstone for the Knicks’ future. Not bad for

a guy who oozed question marks upon arriving in the NBA.

Gallinari’s shooting touch was as good as advertised. He made 38.1 percent of his

three-pointers en route to 15.1 ppg. Although he still needs to work on his play off the

dribble and increase his rebounding numbers, Gallinari proved his value as a main

offensive option. He also showed some endurance by finishing second on the Knicks in

minutes played. After only one season, Gallinari still isn’t an established player, but he

sure made it seem as if D’Antoni knows his stuff.

When Boston coach Doc Rivers said Noah was “a pain in the butt to play against,” he

wasn’t just speaking about the Bulls’ forward’s antics. Anybody who can post 28 double-

doubles, despite playing with a painful plantar fasciitis condition in his left foot has to be

a difficult assignment for anybody, and Noah is one of the toughest.

This year, he scored 10.7 ppg and pulled down 11.0 rpg to become known for more

than just his free spirit attitude, willingness to say anything at any time and wild hair. In

the fourth game of Chicago’s playoff series with Cleveland, Noah had 20 points and 21

boards, and his ability to create havoc around the basket was on full display. Noah was

so effective that a Chicago sports columnist made good on his word to eat his column

(with salsa, natch) if Noah didn’t turn out to be a bust as he stated back in’07 when he as

drafted as the ninth pick.

Had Noah not missed 18 games due to the sore foot, he might have been the League’s

Most Improved Player. Instead, he’ll have to settle for comparisons to Dennis Rodman

and the respect of those who understand that he knows how to play the game and

is becoming expert in cashing in on opportunities in the paint. Sounds like a pain all

right—a pain to other teams.

Danilo GallinariForward, New York Knicks

Joakim NoahCenter, Chicago Bulls

’08-09 ’09-10G 28 81MPG 14.7 33.9PPG 6.1 15.1RPG 2.0 4.9

’08-09 ’09-10MPG 24.2 30.1PPG 6.7 10.7RPG 7.6 11.0FT% .676 .744

The Jump-Off The Jump-Off

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HOOP0708-f-Finals Recap.indd 74 7/1/10 4:37 PM

It’s official, with the Lakers hard-fought seven-game victory over the Celtics, Kobe Bryant can start thinking about rings for his other hand.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Ringing in Another Chip

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Kobe Doin’ WorkAs expected, there was little the Celtics—or any team in the NBA—could do against Kobe in the Finals. Despite the rotation of fresh defenders, double- (and occasionally triple-) teams and other schemes designed to deny #24, he still expectedly got his, 28.6 ppg to be exact.

ChrIstIan Peterson/Getty ImaGes sPort

Clutch PerformanceD-Fish might not be the fastest, jump the highest or even be the youngest (he was actually the oldest player of the Finals) but there’s not doubting the 14-year veteran. In Game 3 when the Lakers were stalling on offense, the low-key Fisher came up big when it mattered as he always has, chipping in a much-needed 16 points—including this gutty layup over and through three Celtics—to fuel the Lakers to a 91-84 win.

steve babIneau/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Didn’t Check the OdometerBoston played a tough series but a big factor in L.A.’s favor was their decidedly big advantage in size. With two seven-footers in the starting lineup and having the luxury of bringing in 6-10 Lamar Odom off the bench, Paul Pierce and the Celtics struggled on the boards.

steve babIneau/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Ragin’ RondoTwo years ago, Rajon Rondo was the guy whose job was to play alongside the Big Three and do his best to stay out of the way in doing so to a title. Two years later, Rondo was arguably their most important player with his ability to do everything, especially breaking down the defense and finding the open man.

anDrew D. bernsteIn/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Celtics Have LayersOver the Finals, the tandem of Big Baby (aka Glen Davis) and Nate Robinson provided the C’s with an injection of youth and energy off the bench. After Davis’ 18-point outburst in Game 4, there was plenty of hootin’ and hollerin’, an impromptu piggyback ride, spontaneous drooling and Nate dubbing the duo, “Shrek and Donkey.”


Something’s Gotta GiveFor the past decade, Paul Pierce has been one of the most consistent scorers in the game. Over the same span of time, Ron Artest has been regarded as one of the best defenders. During the Finals, Pierce got his (18.8 ppg) but it never came easy at times with Artest hounding him.


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Pretty TonyEveryone knows about Ray, but the other Allen did his part to provide a spark off the bench. Tony’s athleticism and ability to get to the rim were on display the entire Playoffs, as he averaged 5.1 ppg, and especially in Game 1 with his emphatic dunk over the much longer Lamar Odom.

noah Graham/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Passing The TorchHad the Celtics beat the Lakers, there would be little doubt as to who the MVP would be. Rajon Rondo was clearly the battery that fueled the Celtics. His ability to control the pace, distribute the ball, contribute on defense and on the boards gave the Lakers fits throughout the seven games.


Legends On The HardwoodKareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton hold a moment of silence for the passing of the legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden prior to Game 2. From 1964-1975, Wooden led the Bruins to record 10 NCAA championships in 12 years. Abdul-Jabbar won three and Walton won two titles under Wooden.

Garrett ellwooD/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Still Got GameNo one, not even Kobe, had an answer for Ray Allen during Game 2. The veteran sharpshooter set the NBA record for number of threes in a Finals game, hitting 8-of-11 from beyond the arc en route to a 103-94 Celtics win to even the series. He broke the record previously shared by himself, Scottie Pippen and Kenny Smith, leaving the Staples Center crowd in awe.


BlindsidedRondo emerged as one of the more versatile players on the court, taking on any assignment Doc Rivers gave him. Being able to consistently knock down threes like Fisher would take his game to another level. But unfortunately for Derek, Rajon has something he doesn’t have: eyes in the back of his head.


Pau FakePau Gasol stood toe to toe with the likes of Perkins, KG and Rasheed over the course of seven games, perhaps giving up muscle but certainly not toughness. The seven-foot Spaniard pulled down 11.6 boards, swatted 2.6 shots and made 61 trips to the charity stripe during the Finals, quickly silencing any notions that he is soft. Gasol was rewarded with his second ring in three tries with the Lakers.

brIan babIneau/nbae/Getty ImaGes

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Two’s CompanyWith the Lakers 83-79 victory, Kobe Bryant won his fifth NBA Championship, giving him as many as former Laker great Magic Johnson. Kobe also won his second Finals MVP Award in the past two seasons.


Obey Your BurstShannon Brown might not have won the Slam Dunk Contest back in February, but his one-handed alley-oop slam from Pau Gasol in Game 6 certainly would have warranted a few 10s. Shannon’s impressive hops helped Los Angeles rout the Celtics by 22 points to force a decisive game seven.

anDrew D bernsteIn/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Putting On AirsShannon Brown and Tony Allen have a few things in common. Both stand at 6-4, backup a couple of the best two-guards in the NBA and are Illinois natives. Their unique natural athleticism was on display numerous times throughout the Finals, and was highlighted when they collided during Game 6 in a battle to see who has the better hang time.


Piercing DaggerBryant is often referred to as the best closer in the NBA, but Paul Pierce isn’t too far behind. The Truth erupted for 27 points in Game 5 to help the Celtics cruise to a victory on their home court. Pierce’s 18 ppg during the Finals were right in line with his season average, and he did it as he has done his entire career with clutch shooting down the stretch.


In-Nate DesireThe 5-9 Nate Robinson gives up more than just his height when he steps on the court. The three-time dunk champ’s hustle and determination off the bench in front of the home crowd, led to a 12-point outburst in 16 minutes during a pivotal Game 4 that gave Boston a new life. Despite being overzealous at times, when it comes to intensity and excitement that Nate can bring on any given night, few players in the NBA can challenge the little man’s ability to shift momentum.


Technically SoundSheed started Game 7, filling in for Perkins, finishing with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Although Wallace fouled out, he filled in admirably logging 36 minutes fighting through a bad back, in what could have been his final chance at winning a second NBA Championship. To which Doc Rivers said a few days after the Finals ended, “I think you have [seen Wallace’s last game].” We’ll miss you, Sheed.


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Balancing ActKobe certainly led the way for the Lakers throughout the Playoffs, but couldn’t have done it without some help from his teammates. He averaged 5.5 dishes and 6 boards per game in postseason play, in addition to adding 29.2 points himself—all above his season averages. There seemed to be a newly lit fire in his eyes against Boston, however, in which he was determined to get anything he wanted.

ronalD martInez/nbae/Getty ImaGes

KG VetGone are the days of KG dropping 20 and 10 every night, but The Big Ticket’s experience and leadership are invaluable assets for Boston. Garnett still has the ability to contribute across the board, averaging 15.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3 apg, 1.4 spg and 1.3 bpg in the Finals, and despite giving up 11 years and 65 pounds to the likes of Andrew Bynum.

Garrett ellwooD/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Snake-BittenThe Black Mamba did what he does best in Game 6: take over. Kobe and the rest of the Lakers did the damage early leading at halftime 51-31. Bryant was the only player in the game to score over 20 (he had 26), and he did it from the outside, taking it to the hoop, and from the free throw line.

nathanIel s. butler/nbae/Getty ImaGes

Sweet SixteenThe L.A. Lakers won its 16th NBA Championship in franchise history, and became the first team to repeat as champions since winning three in a row from 2000-02. Phil Jackson is now 48-0 in playoff series when his team wins Game 1.


Breakfast of ChampionsAfter winning his first title, an excited Ron Artest said in a postgame interview, “I’ve Got Wheaties!” The St. John’s product had every right to be giddy, playing lockdown defense the entire series, capping it off with a 20-point, 5-steal performance in Game 7 to seal the deal.

les blumenfelD/nbae/Getty ImaGes

No More PerksJust six minutes into Game 6, Kendrick Perkins suffered a hyperextended his right knee that would force him to miss the remainder of the series. The big man’s defensive presence in the paint was sorely missed over the next seven-and-a-half quarters of basketball, leaving the Celtics frontcourt undermanned and no match for Gasol and Co.


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01 True to his nickname, Big Baby, Glen Davis acted

like one with the some children during the unveiling

of the Learn & Play Center at the Boston Centers for

Youth & Families Tobin Community Center on June 9.Jesse D. Garrabrant/nbae/Getty ImaGes

04

01

04 During the Fever’s Bowling

Tournament befitting the YOUnique

Fund, a grant fund of the Pacers

Foundation that assists organizations

that serve young women and girls,

members of the Indiana Fever “strike”

a pose.ron HoskIns/nbae/Getty ImaGes

03

02 Even before the Commissioner calls their name

and shakes their hand, NBA draft prospects are out

promoting a healthy lifestyle. At the NBA FIT Clinic at

Madison Square Garden the day before the draft, the

eventual No. 11 pick, Cole Aldrich and No. 12 pick,

Xavier Henry (with ball) went through some basketball

drills and exercises with some local-area children.ray amatI/nbae/Getty ImaGes

03 From life lessons on being prompt to meetings

to how to properly lace up sneakers, Coach John

Wooden was more than just the greatest head

coach in college history, he was an example of how

to live a life of class and integrity. The basketball

world mourned his passing on June 4. Two of his

most famous pupils, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and

Bill Walton, led the Staples Center in a moment of

silence in memory of Coach Wooden before Game

2 of the Finals.Juan ocampo/nbae/Getty ImaGes

02

call out

HOOP0708-Call Out.indd 80 7/1/10 4:14 PM

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Brookline College.indd 1Brookline College.indd 1 4/5/10 3:53 PM4/5/10 3:53 PM

TM & © 2010 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. ©Copyright 2010 NBAE. Photo: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE Getty Images

COMING THIS OCTOBER

TM & © 2010 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. ©Copyright 2010 NBAE. Photo: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated, Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE Getty Images

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.COM/NBAONTNT

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Cold FusionRemember Flywire? sooo

2008. nike’s up to their usual knack for changing

the game up. This time with Zoom Hyperfuse, their

latest basketball offering that promises to introduce

another revolutionary step in shoe manufacturing.

Taken from a cue of Chinese ballers who play primarily

outdoors and prefer lacing up mesh-based running kicks for runs,

the innovators at swoosh developed an upper that melds a supportive base

layer for foot containment, a breathable mesh and

a protective skin that reinforces and protects.

Combined this tri-layered upper forms a composite

that whose sum is greater than its parts. We gave the Hyperfuse a go—in outdoor

courts, natch. Read our review of them on page 93.

HOOP0708-CheckItOpener.indd 83 7/1/10 4:36 PM

BY Seth Berkman #91

IllustratIon: matt candela; garrett ellw

ood/nbae/getty Images

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Carmelo anthonyDenver NuggetsThere’ll be actually very little off time for Melo this offseason. With a wedding (Ed Note: we’re sure the invitation just got lost in the mail. We’ll make sure to catch the VH1 five-part series of your wedding when it airs) this summer to longtime love, La La Vazquez, there will be little time for him to kick back with his favorite music, movies and videogames (Ed note: a bit of marital advice for you, Melo. DO NOT pack the Xbox 360 to the honeymoon). When we caught up with him at Harlem’s House of Hoops (a day before he rode down Fifth Avenue for NYC’s annual Puerto Rican Pride Parade) we talked about what’s spinning in his life despite his packed summer.

Melo’s MusicThere’s a lot of good music out right now. The new Drake [Thank Me

Later] is hot, Eminem‘s album [Recovery], Alicia Keys’ [The Element of Freedom] I still listen to. New TI is coming out and Kanye is back, he

just released the new single “Power.”

Melo’s VideogamesI play videogames a lot. Lately I’ve been bowling on the

Wii. I’m trying to wait for the fall when the new Call of Duty comes out. I also play FIFA 2010, it’s one of the

best games. I like to play with Arsenal.

Melo’s MoviesI want to see A-Team and Karate Kid but haven’t had a chance to check

them out. I’m sure I will.

Melo’s TechnologyI’m trying to get the new iPhone as we speak. I gotta call Steve Jobs up. If you

know anyone who can get it to me, let me know.

spin moves

CHeCK iT

HOOP0708-SpinMoves.indd 84 7/1/10 5:20 PM

Album Covers Courtesy of CAsh money, rCA, Afterm

Anth; young: Jesse D. gArrAbrAnt; lAnDry: roCky WiDner/nbAe/getty im

Ages

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CHECK IT

Three albums. Two players. One dynamic pair of music critics

I can’t say I ever saw Degrassi, but when Drake blew up last year, I knew he was here to stay. I’ve been listening to this debut album, and it hasn’t disappointed! Aside from the album debuting at No. 1 and tracks with Jeezy and Weezy, there’s something about his style that’s sets him apart from other rappers. He has an interesting voice, and confronts some real issues. I like the single “Over,” where he struggles with the highs of success and the lows of being a celebrity. I respect his range, sampling a little more singing, for “Find Your Love,” and I love “Up All Night” featuring Nicki Minaj. Definitely slows it down at times, like “Shut it Down,” something that I can relax to after a game, but not to get me hyped up. Overall, a very good album, just wish it had a few more hits like “Forever” that made him big.

Drake had a great deal of success off his So Far Gone mixtape last year. I was excited to check out his first official album. Hate it or love it, this dude is one of the hottest artists in music right now. He has a different approach than most artists right now and has aligned himself with some heavy hitters in hip hop. Drake already has a certified hit on this album with “Over”. I am really feeling the album. It has a real smooth, laid-back feel. The first track “Fireworks” with Alicia Keys is nice. I like “Fancy” and “Unforgettable” a lot. Jay-Z killed the “Light Up” track. “Miss Me” with Bun B and Lil Wayne is my favorite track on the album right now. All in all, I think Drake did a solid job with this album. He does an excellent job painting a picture with his lyrics and coming up with fresh ideas. I suggest you grab a copy if you’re a hip hop or Drake fan.

When Eminem dropped his seventh album, he let critics know that he is still one of the best in the game. The album has the classic Eminem feel to it even though his lyrics and sounds are different from his older stuff. He is a lot more serious, but still has a lot of raw emotion. I really enjoyed “Space Bound,” where he shows his range. The hit single “Not Afraid” will be a solid addition to my pregame soundtrack. It has a very inspirational quality. I also really like “So Bad,” surprisingly the only track on the album produced by Dr. Dre, and “No Love” featuring Lil Wayne. Recovery is sure to be another controversial album, but Eminem proves he is still a great rapper.

This album is much better than Relapse we reviewed a short time back. It seems to be a more complete Eminem. I guess the “recovery” is going much better. Seriously, I heard some very strong tracks on this album. He definitely has some strong hits on this one. I liked the first track, “Cold Wind Blows” he really sets the tempo of the album. I heard the “Not Afraid” track on the radio and really like the hook and everything he put together on it. That’s got to be the biggest winner on the album to me. “No Love” with Lil Wayne was another hit. I’m sure we will hear that track a lot this summer. The “So Bad” Dr. Dre track was old, classic Eminem; he ripped it. The Rihanna joint “Love the Way You Lie” was solid as well, but not the banger I thought it would be. I think this album will do well for Em—this was a very strong album. Production was tight and he put a lot of emotion in it. Eminem fans should jump on this one.

Christina, still doing her thing, and still looking good doing it. Best song by far—“Lift Me Up,” she shows her great range as a singer. “Lift Me Up” is a classic Christina song that she performed at a Hope for Haiti benefit concert. This is definitely a song I’ll have on the inspirational soundtrack. I’m a little disappointed with how mainstream most of the album sounds, but she’s got a lot of catchy fast paced poppy songs that I can listen to once and a while. With the single “Woohoo” featuring Nicki Minaj, Christina has moved to the newer style of music that artists like Lady Gaga have made popular. Not exactly my type of music, but I still enjoyed listening to it (probably only this one time though).

I have never listened to a whole Christina Aguilera album. I have definitely heard her music before, however, this was the first time I took the time to listen to her entire album. She definitely has an outstanding voice. Most of the tracks had a big “party” or “club” sound. You are definitely not going to sit still listening to her tracks. I feel the majority of the album is way too “techno” sounding for me. I really enjoy her voice, however, I am not a big fan of this type of music. I think she has a few songs that will get a decent amount of play, but nothing as strong as the “Stronger” track she had a while back. The “I hate Boys,” “Vanity” and “My Girls” tracks stick out as possible winners. I also thought it was interesting that there were three intros on the CD. Three intros, really? I felt she could have done more slow tracks to show off her skill as a vocalist instead of the heavy party- driven tracks she selected.

DrakeThank Me Later

Christina AguileraBionic

Eminem Recovery

CArl lAnDry

TrIplE doublE

ThADDEus yOung

HOOP0708-TripDub.indd 85 7/1/10 6:05 PM

GranGer: ron hoskins/nbae/Getty imaGes; screen shots courtesy of: 20th century fox, w

arner bros. pictures, universal pictures

HOOP086

Summer Movie Roundup

Danny Granger goes to the moviesKeepin’ it reel

Danny GranGer #33

CHeCK it The summer is always a special time for movie fans. It’s filled with the usual big-budget

releases that everyone clamors for. During the offseason, I go to the movies pretty often, about

twice a week (in addition to catching up on a bunch that I missed on Blu-ray or DVD). I usually

try to sit in the back, right dead center so I can get a good view. I do that so I don’t block out the

person in behind me (Ed Note: Danny is 6-8) and also so people might not notice me. To Fans:

I don’t mind interacting with you, but I also just want to watch the movie. I’ll also come into the

movie late. I’ll miss the previews but since it’s kind of dark, I won’t be seen as much and I kind

of blend right in.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen the following, I suggest you do so.

Iron Man 2 was very good, maybe even better than the first one. The action was as good

as expected and the CGI was well done. The action sequences were pretty impressive and

the movie overall was really good. It’s definitely a cop when it drops on Blu-ray.

Robin Hood brought the director-actor tandem of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe

together again for the fifth time (Gladiator, A Good Year, American Gangster and Body of Lies) and once again, it’s another hit. Scott and Crowe seem to excel in the period pieces

and Robin Hood doesn’t disappoint.

The A-Team had a lot of hype (they were all over the TNT playoff coverage, including some

funny spots involving Chuck, Jet and Ernie in Mr. T get-ups) but the movie, to me, was just OK.

As far as comedies go, Get Him to the Greek was hands-down the best. A lot of folks

compared it to The Hangover, but I didn’t think so. I think it’s one of those movies that you’ve

got to watch over and over to realize how funny it is. Although I thought it was pretty funny the

first time around.

Oh, and if you run across me in the theater, just wait until the credits roll to hit me up.

HOOP0708-KeepinItReel.indd 86 7/1/10 4:50 PM

nate

: nat

hani

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. but

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nbae

/get

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ages

HOOP 087

What’s up HOOP fam? Playing in the playoffs for the

first time meant my gaming had to take a backseat,

but this summer I’m definitely looking forward to

catching up on lost time. The other day my son and

I played the new Transformers: War for Cybertron.

There are so many modes, from combat to driving

as the cars or having death matches. My son really

likes it a lot. He was up until almost 5 in the morning

playing the first night we got it. I think pretty soon

HOOP can have their own column by him about

videogames! My son loves the Autobots, so when

we played, I had always to be the Decepticons.

Of course I’m looking forward to the releases of

all the cool sports games in the next few months.

As you guys know, I’m a big college football fan and

I’m looking forward to NCAA Football ’11. That will

get me warmed up for Madden, There’s also a new

football game, called Backbreaker. Kinda Cool. It’s

an arcade format football game.

I was shocked by the big announcement that

NBA 2K11 will have Michael Jordan on the cover.

They’re trying to make every basketball fan go get

the game with a move like that. KD got the cover of

EA’s NBA Elite, but I’m straight 2K still. Of course,

as soon as Call of Duty: Black Ops comes out, I

might not be playing any other game for a while.

They let me play a demo of that game and it is

gonna be awesome.

I also heard the news that Xbox is about to make a

Wii-like system, the Kinect. That sounds kinda crazy.

Of course I’m gonna have to try that one out, too.

I’m out for the summer y’all, hit me and the BFAM

(my COD clan) up, as we’re always growing!

Game Rec Game

nate robinson #4

summer Gaming

HOOP0708-GameRecGame.indd 87 7/1/10 4:45 PM

HOOP088

the goods

CheCK It

Wagner Paint Sprayer Don’t let Tom Sawyer fool you; painting a fence is hard work. The Control Spray Double

Duty won’t make you give up a prized marble for the “pleasure” of whitewashing the

fence, but its HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) air power technology does make the job

easier. Stains, sealers and varnishes load up into the 1.5-quart tank and the three-position

adjustable air cap adjusts the spray pattern. It made quick work out of a any outdoor

painting jobs, freeing up more time spent on the hammock.$99

Flip Video SlideHD Flip video cameras are the perfect tool for quick and on-the-go video (we employ

them for our online vids) but they’re ill-equipped for sharing. The latest in

the Flip family is the SlideHD that sports a three-inch touchscreen for better

video-viewing on the fly and the slide-out screen tilts up for tabletop gawking.

The recording controls are now built into the touchscreen while a touch strip on

the unit scrolls through the four hours of HD (720p) video that the SlideHD can capture

on its two hours of battery life. The handy flip-out USB cable remains for easy transfers and

charging and an HDMI output ports vids to any HDTV.$279.99

Garmin GarminfoneFor the road warrior or person whose car doubles as mobile office, the Garminfone is the ideal companion

phone. Unlike smartphones with apps that provide rudimentary turn-by-turn navigation functions, the Garminphone’s robust

features (think real-time traffic updates) feel more like a real GPS unit with phone capabilities rather than the other way around. That said,

the phone features are solid; call quality and reception passed muster even in Midtown Manhattan. For a phone that essentially an energy-hogging GPS unit, battery

life was reasonable. We were able to go a whole two days with moderate use of all its functions before it required a charge. The camera, social-networking tools and

multimedia were a bit lacking, but for someone who’s primary needs is mobile phone and GPS, nothing on the market can compare.$199 (with qualifying T-Mobile phone contract)

HOOP0708-Goods.indd 88 7/1/10 4:46 PM

HOOP 089

Apple iPad It’s not groundbreaking in any way. Anyone can accomplish the same things

with an iPad with an iPhone or a netbook. What Steve Jobs’ latest creation

brings is the wow factor. Photos are bigger and bolder, videos are more

engrossing, apps and games are more engaging, the web more wondrous—on the svelte

9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit touchscreen that measures just half an inch thick. WiFi

(802.11n) or 3G (different model and requires a data plan) gets you connected to the

Interwebs. We were very impressed. Unlike many touch-based devices, the iPad felt very

peppy and responsive, the battery life can chug along for 10 hours and the array of apps

available for purchase on the iTunes Store means it can be customized to fit your needs.$699 (as tested 64GB WiFi model)

Kodak PlaysportThe perfect summertime camera has to be able to do two things:

snap pictures and shoot video with ease and be portable. The Playsport

accomplishes both and raises the bar by having the ability to capture video in

1080p goodness (it also takes 5.3 megapixel stills) and being durable enough to

survive a drop or two—and in our case, four or five—even in water (it’s waterproof up to

10 feet). The LCD glare shield feature was also a boon in viewing the two-inch screen in

bright sunlight and the bright assortment of colors available means it was tailor-made for the

capturing summer memories. Videos and images are stored on the SD card slot and can be

edited on the onboard tools to edit, trim and narrate your footage. We also dug the included

HDMI cable (usually an optional accessory for most cameras) for quick viewing on any HDTV.$149.95

Norelco 180-Degree ClippersAny DIY haircutter—especially those that prefer a closely buzzed or shaved head—knows the

difficulties of maneuvering a pair of traditional hair clippers through the head. Bumpy craniums,

wayward ears, awkward ergonomics and tangled cords are just a few impediments to a proper

haircut. Norelco’s 180-Degree Clippers take a few of those hindrances to task with a pivoting

and rotating clipper blade that glides over the rockiest of scalps and makes it as easy to wield as

a comb. The built-in adjustable guide ensures the right cutting length and a built-in rechargeable

60-minute battery means there are no cords to strangle yourself with.$39.99

HOOP0708-Goods.indd 89 7/1/10 4:47 PM

HOOP090

Tech ediTor and gadgeT junkie Shane BaTTier TeST-driveS The laTeST in Tech goodS. in ThiS iSSue, he TakeS on The epSon moviemaTe 60 projecTor.

As a child of the ’80s, one of my favorite memories was watching old videos on the family’s good old

16mm projector. Dad would of course, throw a white bedspread on the wall for a screen and family movie

night would begin. The old projector was loud, the playback was choppy and the sound quality was poor,

but that’s all we had and it was pretty darn good for those days. (If you were born after 1981, this paragraph

would make no sense to you…sorry). In those days, we’d never imagine a product that would play home

movies with razor sharp projection, clear sound, and even the ability to play movies off an iPod. (even iPods

seem so dated now…). Today, we have the Epson MovieMate 60 projector, the instant home cinema that

brings big-screen entertainment wherever we go. The Epson MovieMate 60 is a powerful projector, DVD

and music player combo that makes portable movie nights a reality. While most projectors are built for the

boardroom to show boring PowerPoint presentations, the MovieMate brings the theater literally anywhere

you want to go. Setup was very simple. I just plugged in the MovieMate, slipped a DVD into the front loading

slot, hit play and pointed the MovieMate on the side of my house. Viola! Movie night. The sound quality was

clear, however, if I had a large group it may be difficult to hear what is playing. It could be a little louder. I was

impressed with the quality of the image on the side of my house though. The MovieMate can project movies

and images up to eight times larger than they would have appeared on a 40-inch screen. Huge picture. Good

quality. The best part of the MovieMate is the fact that you can easily enjoy videogames, your iPod, your

camcorder, or different media from your home computer—in a plug-and-play manner. The MovieMate has a

number of inputs in the rear of the device for connectivity. HDMI, component, you name it, the MovieMate

has it. The Espon MovieMate retails for $700, which is pretty inexpensive for a projector. At only 960 x 540

resolution, it’s not high-def, but if you entertain large groups often or just like to watch sports on the ultimate

big screen, especially outdoors or on the go, I believe that there is value in this price. I wish the sound was

louder, but by plugging in more powerful external speakers, this issue is solved. You can even plug in a karaoke

mic, slip in a karaoke DVD and have a karaoke jam on the side of your garage. That is enough to sell me. The

Epson Movie Mate 60 gets the thumbs up. As someone who entertains quite frequently, this will be sure to be

a crowd pleaser.

Epson MovieMate 60 Projector$699.99

For video reivews of Shane’s TECHed page, check out hoopmag.com

proS:

+ Good picture quality

+ Portability

+ Connectivity

+ Ability to watch a movie pretty much anywhere

conS:

– Sound could be louder

– Not HD

tech ed

HOOP0708-TechEd.indd 90 7/1/10 5:02 PM

TEAM_NBAstore:Layout 1 3/17/09 10:28 AM Page 1

YES! Send me one year of HOOP MAGAZINE for only $15.99 and reserve a copy of the official 2010 NBA All-Star souvenir program as my FREE GIFT.**

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HOOP-9x10.875-09.indd 3 2/2/10 3:59 PM

It’s kind of crazy to think that Nike’s much vaunted Flywire system of shoe manufacturing is

but two years old and the folks at Beaverton are already rolling out another revolutionary way

of putting a shoe together with the Zoom Hyperfuse. Based on research of Chinese basketball

players who typically play outdoors and in meshed running shoes which lack the proper

lateral support and durability required for the sport, the Hyperfuse marries the lightweight

and breathability of a running shoe with the toughness and support of a basketball sneaker.

The upper is a tri-layered composite that is made up of sturdy base material that holds

the shoe together, a mesh layer for ventilation and strategic placement of a skin layer

(reminds us of Foamposite) for added protection and durability. The fusion of the three

materials, besides offering performance benefits, will potentially allow for some cool aesthetic

combinations (think different colored layers). We’re certainly looking forward to seeing Nike

getting creative or letting users let their imaginations run wild on NikeID.

Once cinched, the first thing you’ll notice is the lockdown fit. That coupled with its

smidgen-over 12 ounce weight, and the Hyperfuse feels like you don’t even have a shoe on—a

mark of a good fitting shoe. Lateral movement was good, the upper and outsole remained true

with no slipping even during the most aggressive of cuts. With a shoe that features so many

panels of mesh, we were surprised to find the ventilation lacking. It wasn’t terrible but we’ve

had better results from other shoes. Cushioning wasn’t pillowy (never really is with Zoom) but

it did the job. Lastly, for a shoe built for the outdoor player, the traction of the Hyperfuse was

a bit iffy. We experienced some slippage on decent paved courts.

During the playoffs, only Rajon Rondo was spotted wearing them and his results speak

for themselves. Like Rondo, the shoe is really designed for the lighter speedier player (you’ll

be seeing them on Nike athletes this summer at the FIBA World Championship). Our only

concern is the long term durability. Being a new upper material made up of three thin skins,

we wonder how it’ll hold up over time. Otherwise, there’s no better shoe out there right now.

Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation: We’re not sure how Jordanaires will take the Jordan Air’s. Many fans of the brand are drawn

to the upscale look and design of Jordan’s offerings; the Air’s are a bit different, looking more

a technical shoe that Nike would drop. From the Huarache-like ankle cutout, the mesh inlays

and visible Air Sole, it resembles a bit of a training shoe. Looks are always subjective, but

most of the folks we encountered during trials gave the shoe approving nods, including us. It

evokes a throwback look of shoes in the ’90s.

The first reaction once we inserted our foot in was the comfort the inner neoprene sock

liner provides. After a few runs up and down the court, we notice that the shoe has a clunky

feel to them. The shoe’s chassis sits high, the soft midfoot and relative weight all contributed

to it. Big men might not be bothered as much by these things, making this a good buy for

them. And even with the abundance of visible mesh—perhaps due to the inner sock liner, the

shoe left feet overheated and wet. Cushioning, especially in the rear, was excellent.

We walked away with the conclusion that the Air’s is meant for the bigger player; we

expect to see a summer leaguer or two rock these in Vegas.

Construction: Comfort: Playability: Value: Style: Innovation:

HOOP 093For 360° views, visit HOOPMAG.COM

CHECK IT

Jordan

Air’s$115

Weight (size 11): 18.8 oz.

gEar

Nike

ZoomHyperfuse$100


HOOP0708-Gear.indd 93 7/6/10 10:31 AM

Jordan

AlphaAJ1Outdoor$115

Weight (size 9.5): 16 oz.

We think it’s rather cool to retrofit something old internally with the latest tech while keeping

the exterior the same—a car, house and definitely with shoes. Earlier in the year, Jordan did

that with the Alpha AJ1, tricking the original AJ1 with Zoom Air and tuning it for what a

modern player expects out of his basketball kicks. The Jumpman folks have taken it another

notch, taking the Alpha AJ1 and kitting it for the outdoor game.

The biggest addition to the Outdoor version of the Alpha AJ1 is the ankle strap. Removable,

the strap, which sports the original Air Jordan “winged basketball” logo, connects to the shoe

via Velcro on the heel tab and we’re pretty sure it was meant to be decorative as it easily

slips off the shoe during play since the front of it isn’t tethered. But like Rasheed Wallace’s

trademark AF1 Highs, the straps are more form than function.

The shoes hold their on a court. The Zoom Air brings the AJ1 into the 21st Century. If

you ever balled in the original AJ1, you know exactly why. The interior of the shoe is lined

with additional padding, increasing the comfort and the perforated upper (we were going to

have an intern count them, but spared him the misery) kep[t things nice and cool. Laterally

movement could have been better as hard cuts brought some rocking sensation on the side.

Overall, the experience reminded of the KD2, Kevin Durant’s signature joint.

What we liked most about the Alpha AJ1 Outdoor is the looks. While some purists hate any

sort of updating of a classic, we have no problems with it as long as they’re subtle. Personally,

we could’ve done without the Jumpman logo in the heel counter, but it’s not a deal breaker.

It’s definitely a shoe that can transition from game to postgame and with the many color

variations of it available, could certainly see people buying it just for that reason alone.


gEar

CHECK IT

For 360° views, visit HOOPMAG.COMHOOP094

Gear CheCkJump Into one

Reebok had success with the release of the

EasyTone in 2009, which promised firmly toned

calf, leg and upper-thigh muscles solely (pun

intended) aimed toward women. Now Reebok is

set to unveil its male counterpart utilizing the same

“balance ball-inspired” technology: the JumpTone.

According to Reebok, the JumpTone is designed

for men to help tone and strengthen key muscles

used in their vertical leap. In other words, these

kicks are supposed to make you jump higher. We

know what you’re thinking. Hasn’t every sneaker

since the beginning of sports, from PF Flyers to the

Air Jordans, said the same thing? Well, this one’s a

little different.

The JumpTone uses three pressure points (heel,

front sole, and toes) filled with “moving air” to build

up those elusive muscles that improve leaping

ability; making it decent for cross-training as well.

Like Jumpsoles, it promises to increase vertical

leaping ability simply by walking and training in

them. Unlike Jumpsoles, it’s without the bulky and

impractical forefoot-only sole design. Your calves

should begin to feel noticeably lighter after just two

days of casual walking. Think akin to a doughnut

weight on a baseball bat.

While it may not be ideal for balling or running

(see: ankle, twisted) and the fit can be a little snug

for a wide foot, the JumpTone packs a unique

cushion-like feel that, can take some getting used

to, but can be rather comfortable in its mission to

make you jump higher. Walking around in these

shoes might not be for the balance-impaired, but if

you’re ready for an increased vertical and don’t mind

a little bounce with every step, then they’re certainly

worth a try. And for the record, you definitely feel

like you can jump higher. Reverse windmill 360s to

follow. Maybe. —Phil D’apolito #14

HOOP0708-Gear.indd 94 7/1/10 5:47 PM

Jordan

AirJordan2010Outdoor$130


Traditionally, Jordan Brand doesn’t do much basketball-wise in the summer but 2010 marks

a change in that philosophy. With two shoes marketed for the al fresco player, Jumpman is

poised to poised to service a neglected market.

The other shoe with the “Outdoor” designation, the Air Jordan 2010 Outdoor is the latest

flagship shoe on steroids. The most distinguishable part of the 2010, the transparent window,

has been shuttered. In its place are square perforations throughout and a rubber toe cap. The

most eye-catching element is the Air-Raid-like cross straps that “X” the shoe. Functionally, it

doesn’t do much; aesthetically, it’s kind of cool, but we could do without the word “Jordan”

(left shoe) “outdoor” (right shoe) printed across it. The outsole also gets the beefed-up

treatment as does the upper, with more interior padding around the ankle and tongue.

We’ve never understood why shoe companies associate an outdoor shoe with added bulk.

Sure, the typical surface of an outdoor court is harsher than an indoor floor, but the needs

of the player—traction, stability, lightweight, cushioning—remain the same. We wished Jordan

would re-tinker the shoe rather than just adding two ounces to it. That said, underneath it all

is a solidly performing shoe (imagine an armored Ferrari). The shoe is comfortable, especially

around the midfoot. The midsole/outsole does not feel too high. At almost 19 ounces, it’s got a

little too much junk in the trunk.; a few ounces shaved off would’ve been preferred.

The 2010 Outdoor could’ve been a gem of a shoe had Jordan decided to re-tool the shoe

rather than adding to it. Many shoe companies think an outdoor shoe requires more, but we

don’t think a rugged shoe can be accomplished without compromising weight.


For 360° views, visit HOOPMAG.COM HOOP 095

Not to be outdone by all the hype and excitement from its little brother the Hyperfuse, the

Hyperdunk quietly makes its re-entry into the basketball landscape with some updates and

a simple “2010” tag at the end of its name. The original was groundbreaking and is still a

staple on NBA courts despite its two-year-old status. The 2010 remains true to the Nike’s

commitment in making the Hyperdunk the shoe that stays true to the basketball player

without the unnecessary bells and whistles. We sung its praises with 9s and 10s two years

ago and it’s still a go-to shoe at HOOP. So for the 2010 Nike decided to not reinvent the wheel,

keeping the overall formula for the Hyperdunk the same.

The biggest difference from the 2010 and the 2008 version is the overlay on the vamp.

For the redux, Nike made the entire upper one piece and did away with the translucent

Flywire, opting for a synthetic upper with the Flywire peeking over. Also gone is the midfoot

Lunarfoam, replaced with a more traditional mid- and outsole (Zoom Air remains).

The minor changes, as expected, did not affect the performance of the Hyperdunk. It’s

still rock solid across the board. Like its predecessor, it’s a nimble low-riding shoe that moves

well north-south and east-west. Like the ’08 version, ventilation on the 2010 is still bad. Save

for a few perforations on the toe and medial side, the Hyperdunk 2010 will gag your feet

in heat and sweat. One small detail worth mentioning is the slight lateral lip that protrudes

out about 1/8 of an inch. It’s found on many of Nike’s basketball offerings and while it may

go overlooked or taken for granted, it does seem to help with lateral stability, keeping the

foot from rolling over the shoe. It’s nothing new (we remember seeing it as far back as the

Huarache 2K4 and perhaps even before) but it’s worth pointing out.

If the ’08 Hyperdunk was the 1.0 version of the shoe, the 2010 is more a 1.1 than a

completely new shoe. It largely keeps its original DNA (a good thing). Design-wise it opts for

cleaner lines (also a good thing). As a basketball shoe, you could not do much better.


Nike

Hyperdunk2010$110


HOOP0708-Gear.indd 95 7/1/10 5:48 PM

HOOP096

wear(Clockwise from top left) Junk Food Beatles, $32; New Era MVP Delta Shirt, $45; Kangol Jacquard 504 Cap, $45; Jordan V.2 Grown, $90; PUMA Bolt YugoRun, $75

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 96 7/1/10 6:02 PM

HOOP 097

CHeCK IT

(Clockwise from top left) adidas Originals MEGA Softcell RF, $100; Jordan Crackle Up Tee, $34; addias Originals Superstar 2, $65; Jordan Air Jordan 1 Retro High, $110; American Classics Yarndye Polo, $9

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 97 7/1/10 6:02 PM

HOOP098

CHeCK IT

(Clockwise from top left) LRG Young Revolutionaries Tee, $26; adidas Originals Hillside, $75; adidas Originals Roundhouse, $85; American Classics Gingham Shirt, $12; LRG Core Collection Cargo Short, $59

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 98 7/1/10 6:03 PM

HOOP 099

wear(Clockwise from top left) New Balance 574 Sonic, $74.95; ArgyleCulture Multi-Stripe Polo, $48; Jordan Trunning Short, $32; LRG Classic Tree Backpack, $49

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 99 7/1/10 6:03 PM

HOOP100

(Clockwise from top left) Junk Food Batman Tee, $32; adidas Originals Campus II Suede, $60; adidas Originals Mega Torsion, $80; New Era Sweet Sixteen, $36.99; adidas Originals Jamaica Tee, $25

wear

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 100 7/1/10 6:04 PM

HOOP 101

(Clockwise from top left) Reebok Court Victory Pump, $119.99; Junk Food The Who Tee, $44; adidas Originals Samba Lea, $60; Kangol Jacquard 504 Cap, $45; New Balance PROHIWT, $59.95

CHeCK IT

HOOP0708-Wear.indd 101 7/1/10 6:04 PM

andy hayt/nBaE/GEtty ImaGEs

HOOP102

march 21, 1995 mIlwaukEE Bucks vs. GoldEn statE warrIors Bradley center, milwaukee, wISTEP BACKBuilt in 1988, the Bradley Center in Milwaukee will be the third oldest arena in the League at the start of the 2010-11 season (tied with ARCO Arena and the Palace of Auburn Hills, trailing Madison Square Garden and Oracle Arena).

Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson was the first overall selection of the ’94 Draft. He was an Indiana “Mr. Basketball” award winner in high school, and an All-Conference player, All-American and College Player of the Year at Purdue.

Robinson finished his career averaging 20.7 ppg and won a title with the San Antonio Spurs during the ’04-05 season. He trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Bucks’ all-time scoring list.Wood also won a bronze

medal as a part of the ’98 World Championship team, coached by Rudy Tomjanovich. This team did not field players active in the League at the time.

The stadium was actually a gift from the Pettit family in honor of Harry Bradley.

In a hockey-crazed state, the stadium has played host to three NCAA Frozen Fours and the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals. The Bradley Center is the home court for Marquette basketball as well.

Known by his nickname “Mister,” Keith Jennings shot 59 percent from deep during his senior year at East Tennessee State. An undrafted guard, he spent three season in the League with Golden State.

David Wood played for eight teams from 1988-97, including three teams (Golden State, Phoenix and Dallas) during the ’95-96 season.

Now an analyst for ESPN and ABC, Barry has joined Brent and Rick in transitioning from the hardwood to the booth after their playing career.

Barry wore #17 in Milwaukee due to his admiration of Chris Mullin. He is also an avid golfer and his brother-in-law is golfer Billy Andrade.

The 11th pick of the ’94 Draft, Rogers was originally taken by the Seattle SuperSonics, and was immediately dealt to Golden State in a six-player deal.

The 5-7 Jennings was honored with Keith Jennings Day at ETSU in 2004.

Along with brothers Scooter, Drew and Brent, Jon Barry carried on the basketball lineage of his legendary father, Rick, by playing 14 seasons in the League.

A two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, Carlos Rogers was hampered by injuries during most of his pro career. He went on to play with Toronto, Portland, Houston and Indiana before retiring in 2002.

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