NBA2007

Portland trail Blazzers - Minnesota timberwolves 88 : 86

2006-11-05T20:35:00.000-08:00

Portland Trail Blazzers were closed to loose their home opener against Minnesota Timberwolves, but 3-point shot by Juan Dixon, 6.2 seconds left, came in and they won.
Timberwolves had advantage through all game, first quarter finished with Minnesota + 16, but Portland kept pushing and finally won the game .

Travis Outlaw led Blazers with 18 points and 15 rebounds, Kevin Garnett was best in Minnesota scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Minnesota Timberwolves 30 22 22 12 ( 86 )

Portland Trail Blazzers 14 27 28 19 ( 88 )

Utah Jazz - Golden State Warriors 106 : 82

2006-11-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we can already start talking about Utah Jazz, as one of better teams this season, or is too early ? we'll see...
Utah has great start, 3 clean wins, playing great basketball, and if they continue like this, they could go high in this season.
Las night Golden State Warriors had been beaten 106 : 82.

Mehmet Okur scored 21 points and 12 rebounds, Carlos Boozer added 17 points and 14 boards, C.J Miles finishet at 17 too, and Matt Harping added 12 points for Jazz.

Three Warriors layers finished at 12 points each - Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu.

G.State Warriors 22 19 21 20 ( 82 )

Utah Jazz 29 31 25 21 (106)

Houston Rockets - Dallas Mavericks 107 : 76

2006-11-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Dallas Mavericks, defending Western Champions, culd not been recognized in last night loss 76 : 107, in Houston .
Bad Mavericks shot, 22 turnovers and not finding a way to stop Yao Ming, were main reasons for that.
Dallas has 0:2 season opening, first time after 13 years, but not playing good is more worring than bad results.

Ming scored 36 points for Houston Rockets and Raffer Alston had a great night with 14 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds.

Dirk Nowitzky finished at 24 points, and Josh Howard added 16 for Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks 16 22 23 15 ( 76 )

Houston Rockets 25 27 23 32 ( 107)

Milwaukee Bucks - Sacramento Kings 104 : 91

2006-11-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

Michael Redd scored 26 points, Charlie Villanueva 25, and rookie Andrew Bogut added 21 points and 8 rebounds for Milwaukee Bucks win over Sacramento Kings 104 : 95.
All 5 starting players made double figures for Bucks, as Mo Williams scored 15 points and 12 assists and Ruben Patterson added 10 points.

Reserves John Salmons ( 18 points ) and Shareef Abdur-Rahim ( 15 points ) led Kings in last night game. Kevin Martin scored 15 too, and Mike Bibby finished at 12.

Sacramento Kings 27 28 16 20 ( 91 )

Milwaukee Bucks 30 19 37 18 ( 104)

Detroit Pistons - Memphis Grizzlies 95 : 86

2006-11-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Five Pistons players scored double figures, and made a difference that pushed Detroit to the win over Memphis Grizzlies 96 : 85.

Richard Hamilton scored 24 points, Rasheed Wallace 15, Nazr Mohammed and Jason Maxiel 13, Tayshaun Prince 12.

Hakim Warrick led Grizzlies with 21 , followed by Chucky Atkins with 19 points.

Memphis Grizzlies 25 15 22 24 ( 86 )

Detroit Pistons 23 23 23 25 ( 95 )

Indiana Pacers - New York Knicks 109 : 95

2006-11-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

Poor New York Knicks defence couldnt stop Al Harrington , and his 32 points pushed Indiana Pacers to win 109 : 95.

Jermaine O'Neal added 17 points, Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 16 and Jamaal Tinsley had 14 points.

Steve Francis led Knicks with 25 points, followed by Eddy Curry with 22.

Indiana Pacers 22 23 32 32 ( 109 )

New York Knicks 14 26 36 19 ( 95 )

Charlotte Bobcats - Cleveland Cavaliers 92 : 88

2006-11-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Charlotte Bobcats scored their first NBA 2007 season victory over Cleveland Cavaliers 92 :88.

After great play vs Spurs, LeBron James was hold on 16 points in Charlotte, and Cavaliers couldnt make anything better than -4 loss from Bobcats.

Raymond Felton scored 25 points for Bobcats, Brevin Knight added 17, Sean May 14, Adam Morrison 13 and Emeka Okafor 12 points.

Drew Gooden was best in Cleveland scoring 21 points and 16 rebounds, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Donyell Marshall added 14 each, and Larry Hughes 12 points.

Cleveland Cavaliers 28 22 16 22 ( 88 )

Charlotte Bobcats 20 26 23 23 ( 92 )

Great Gilbert Arenas Show for Wizzards win over Boston Celtics

2006-11-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

Gilbert Arenas played a great game, scoring 44 points, to help Washington Wizzards win 124:117 over Boston Celtics.
Antawn Jamison helped with 29 pints and Caron Butler added 20 points.

Wally Szczerbiak led Celtics with 33 points, Sebastian Telfair scored 24, Paul Pierce 23 points.

Boston Celtics 28 29 31 29 ( 117 )

Washington Wizzards 35 23 40 26 ( 124 )

Golden State Warriors - Portland trail Blazzers 102 : 89

2006-11-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Golden State Warriors continued something that could be called as a small tradition already.
It was seventh straight Warriors victory, they have not loose from Portland Trail Blazers since January 2005.

Baron Davis played great game and scored 17 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Monta Ellis dded 15, Troy Murphy 12 and Ike Diogu 10 points for Golden State.

Zack Randolph scored 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, rookie Brandon Roy followed him with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Portland Trail Blazzers 25 20 20 24 ( 89 )

Golden State Warriors 24 22 28 28 ( 102 )

LA Lakers - Seattle SSupersonics 118 : 112

2006-11-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

NBA 2007 season sarted great for Lakers.
They scored 2.0 in first two games playing without Kobe Bryant. He came back in third, and Lakers won again , for best team score this season.

Lamar Odom was great with 28 , Kobe Bryant added 23 points for Lakers.

Ray Allen had 30, and Rashard Lewis scored 28 for Seattle Supersonics, and they still wait for first season win.

Seattle Supersonics 26 30 32 24 ( 112 )

Los Angeles Lakers 38 27 21 32 ( 118 )

Utah Jazz - Phoenix Suns 108 : 104

2006-11-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

Utah Jazz was down 15 points in third quarter.
Then Jerry Sloan inserted reserves Gordan Giricek, Derek Fisher and Matt Harpring. That changed everything.

Utah came on 101 : 103, only minute and 10 seconds left, when Harpring scored 3 free throws for Jazz advantage. Kurt Thomas tied 44 seconds left, but that was all from Suns.

Carlos Boozer scored 21 points and 12 rebounds for Utah, followed by Derek Fisher ( 18 ), Harpring ( 17 ) and Andrei Kirilenko ( 17 points and 14 rebounds ).

Leandro Barbosa was best in Suns scoring 22 points, Shawn Marion added 19, Steve Nash and Raja Bell 17 points.

Utah Jazz 29 18 30 31 ( 108 )

Phoenix Suns 18 36 29 21 ( 104 )

Minnesota Timberwolves - Denver Nuggets 112 : 109

2006-11-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Timberwolves has Kevin Garnett...
If he is in the mood, they can win anyone, and Kevin was great in 112 : 109 win over Denver Nuggets.
He scored 27 points and added 15 poinths for his 35th straight double-double. He is good, one of best today.
His teammates were good too.Rookie Craig Smith added 20 points, Ricky Davids 19 and Mike James 18.

Carmelo Anthony scored 28 for Nuggets.

Minn. Timberwolves 26 27 31 28 ( 112 )

Denver Nuggets 27 30 34 18 ( 109 )

Sacramento Kings - Chicago Bulls 89 : 88

2006-11-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

The game finished with a nice gest..

Ben Wallace, from Chicago Bulls, came in the Sacramento Kings locker room after the game, and hugged Ron Artest.
One of biggest incidents in NBA history - fight between Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons players, where Wallace and Artest were main actors.

Now, about the game itself.
Nice, exciting game, winner could not be known till the last seconds.
Sacramento had better finish, and won a game with tiny +1.

Kevin Martin scored his career-high 30 points, Mike Bibby added 23, and Ron Artest scored 7 points in last 1:10 for Sacramento.

New idol of Chicago Bulls fans, Ben Wallace had 13 rebounds in his first regular-season home game for Bulls, and Loul Deng played on of the biggest career game scoring 29 points for Chicago.

Sacramento Kings 14 20 28 27 ( 89 )

Chicago Bulls 17 23 22 26 ( 88 )

Cleveled Cavaliers - San Antonio Spurs 88 : 81

2006-11-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

LeBron James !!!
Cleveland Cavaliers waited 19 years to bring a victiory from San Antonio, but they would not wait so long if they had such an amazing player as LeBron james is, in past years.

This guy was like a tornado for Spurs in last night game, he scored 35 points, added 10 rebounds for just a brilliant play.

San Antonio had 16 missed free throws, with LeBron's great night, this is the main reason for their rare home loss.

Even, Tim Duncan, with 25 points and 12 rebounds could not change it.

Cleveland Cavaliers 23 20 19 26 ( 88 )

San Antonio Spurs 18 18 20 25 ( 81 )

Memphis Grizzlies - Charlotte Bobcats 96 : 83

2006-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

When you have a player who score 27 points, 21 in last quarter, you will probably win a game.
Memphis Grizzlies won their first 2007 season game last nigh , over Charlotte Bobcats 96 : 83.

And Mike Miller was a guy with 21 points in last quarter, he was Grizzlies number 1 hero in last night game, Hakim Warrick added 15.

+ 10 after 3th quarter was not helpful for Bobcats cause Grizzlies ( read Miller ) played great last quarter and finished it with 36 : 13.

Rookie Adam Morrison scored 21, followe by Brevin Knight and Gerard Wallace with 12 each.

Charlotte Bobcats 21 26 23 13 ( 83 )

Memphis Grizzlies 24 20 16 36 ( 96 )

Miami Heat - New Jersey Nets 91 : 85

2006-11-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

NBA 2007 season started as a disaster for Miami Heat with their humiliated -41 loss to Chicago.
Lot of us started to ask is there some problems with Miami, as theyhavent play some great games in preseason, too.

But it seems, there are not, or if there are, those problems are not to big that Miami can not handle it.
Proof was last night game, where Miami won over new jersey Nets 91 : 85.

Shaquille O'Neal scored 21 points and 9 rebounds ( you can do it better Shaq ), Dwyan Wade added 17 for Miami.

Vince Carter proofed his quality once again , scoring 27 points, Nenad Krstic and Richard Jefferson added 20 and 15 points for Nets.

New Jersey Nets 24 17 21 23 ( 85 )

Miami Heat 21 22 22 26 ( 91 )

Atlanta Hawks - New York Knicks 102 : 92

2006-11-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

New York Knicks players could not follow tempo dictated by young and athletic Hawks players, so Atlanta scored a win 102 : 92

Joe Johnson was a King of the Night with 30 points , Zaza Pachulia scored 22, and Josh Childress added 12 for Atlanta's win.

Eddy Curry was Knicks leader with 20 points, Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson added 19 and 15 .

New York Knicks 22 15 29 26 ( 92 )

Atlanta Hawks 21 25 26 30 ( 102 )

Detroit Pistons - Boston Celtics 101 : 88

2006-11-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Even he had not start as we are used from him, Rasheed Wallace found himself during the game, and with 18 points and 9 rebounds help Pistons to win over Boston Celtics 101 : 88.
Richard Hamilton led Detroit P.istons with 27 points.

Paul Šiuerce scored 22 points and 8 rebounds, Wally Szczerbiak added 18 , and Al Jefferson had 11 points for Celtics.

Detroit Pistons 24 21 21 28 ( 101 )

Boston Celtics 25 21 24 18 ( 88 )

New Orleans Hornets - Indiana Pacers 100 : 91

2006-11-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Peja Stojakovic, biggest star of new orleans Hornets was not in the mood last night and scored only 8 points with 3-10 shot, but his bench teammates showed that there is so many good players in the Leage, that you can't guarantee anything anymore.

David West led Hornets with 20 points and Chris Paul had 16 points and 6 assists. Rasual Butler scored 11 points, all 11 in 4th quarter.

Jermaine O'neal was best in Pacers team with 25 points, Darrel Armstrong scored 11.

New Orleans Hornets 26 22 21 31 ( 100 )

Indiana Pacers 20 20 32 19 ( 91 )

Philadelphia 76ers - Orlando Magic 105 : 103

2006-11-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

Just say Allen Iverson, when you think about Philalphia 76ers.
This man is real king of basketball, and there is no team , and no defence that can stop him, when he had his day ( and he always has, it seems )

39 points + fallaway runner from 10 feet out with 2.2 seconds left, thats too much for much better teamy than Orlando Magic is, and they're not bad.

Kyle Korver was great too, he scored 29 points, Andre Iguodala and Chris Webber added 11 each, for Philadephia victory.

Grant Hill led Magic with 25 points, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard added 15 and 14.

Philadelphia 76ers 26 27 24 28 ( 105 )

Orlamdo Magic 24 28 26 25 ( 103 )

Toronto Raptors - Milwaukee Bucks 109 : 92

2006-11-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Toronto Raptors shot 53 percent and had few double score players for its home opener victory over Milwaukee Bucks. ( 109 : 92 )

Rookie Andrew Bogut was best in Milwaukee with 18 points, Charlie Villanueva added 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Milwaukee Bucks 21 29 25 17 ( 92 )

Toronto Raptors 27 23 29 30 (109 )

Los Angeles Clippers - Denver Nuggets 96 : 95

2006-11-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

Great might of Sam Cassell ( 35 points ) helped Clippers to win their home opener, 96 : 95, over Denver Nuggets.

Game was very exciting, and Nuggets had 95:94 , only 18 seconds before end, but Cassell scored 2 free throws and led Clippers to victory.

Denver Nuggets 24 24 22 25 ( 95 )

LA Clippers 18 31 16 31 ( 96 )

San Antonio Spurs - Dallas Mavericks 97 : 91

2006-11-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

San Antonio Spurs won first BIG game in NBA 2007 season over Dallas Mavericks.

Even San Antonio's two main players Tony Parker ( 19 points ), and Tim Duncan ( 13 points ), were not playing some great game, San Antonio was just too hot to revenge they waited for six months.
Spurs trailed for most of first 3 quarters, but after charged ahead over 6:13 spam, Dallas left without points, and 97 : 91 ,Spurs victory was a result of that period.

Dirk Nowitzky scored 21 points, and Josh Howard added 20 for Dallas.

San Antonio Spurs 26 19 27 25 ( 97 )

Dallas Mavericks 27 24 24 16 ( 91 )

Los Angeles Lakers - Golden State Warriors 110 . 98

2006-11-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

Lakers are winning without Kobe Bryant.
After Tuesdays's surprising victory over Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers won second game without best scoring NBA player, this time over Golden State Warriors.

Rony Turriaf played his best NBA game ever, and scored 23 points and 9 rebounds; Lamar Odom added 22 points.

Monta Ellis scored 22, Baron Davis 18, and Jason Richardson added 15 points for Warriors.

Los Angeles Lakers 22 27 38 23 ( 110 )

Golden State Warriors 22 26 25 25 ( 98 )

Phoenix Suns - Los Angeles Clippers 112 : 104

2006-11-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Phoenix Suns beated Los Angeles Clippers in their home NBA 2007 season opening game with 112 : 104.

Central figures of a game were Shawn Marion ( 27 points and 10 rebounds ), and Steve Nash ( 20 points and 11 assists ).
After a loss from LA Lakers last night, Suns played much better, and had 5 players with double score, 3 of them bench guys.

Elton Brand scored 28 points and had 13 rebounds, Cuttino Mobley and Sam Cassel added 17 points each, and Shawn Livingston had 14, but that wasnt enough for nothing more but loss in Phoenix.

Los Angeles Clippers 20 25 29 30 ( 104 )

Phoenix Suns 24 24 29 35 ( 112 )

Portland Blazers - Seattle Supersonics 110 : 106

2006-11-01T22:11:00.001-08:00

Well, isnt it a story from the dreams ?

Boy is playing his first NBA game in front of his hometown familly friends and former college coaches, score 20 points and become a central figure in his team season openal win.
The boy is Brandon Roy, and 10:16 shot in his debut is just great.
Trail Blazers's Zack Randolph was great too, with 30 points, and 14 of 15 free throws.

Rashard Lewis scored 25, and Luke Ridnour added 22 for Seattle Supersonics.

Portland Trail Blazers 20 28 28 34 ( 110 )

Seattle Supersonics 24 27 27 28 ( 106 )

Utah Jazz - Houston Rockets 107 : 97

2006-11-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Utah Jazz scored a victory over Houston Rockets on NBA 2007 season opening.

Jazz made a great deal this simmer when bringed Derek Fisher to Utah. He made crucial difference for the team, and while scoring 13 points, 6 assists and one very important steal, his actions with Carlos Boozer ( 24 points and 19 rebounds ) and Deron Williams ( 18 points and 10 assists ) were a key for last night victory.

Mehmet Okur scored 17, and rookie Ronnie Brewer, in his first NBA game, scored 9 points for Rockets.

Houston Rockets 26 22 24 25 ( 97 )

Utah Jazz 35 25 25 22 (107 )

New York Knicks - Memphis Grizzlies 118 : 117

2006-11-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

New York Knicks had to play 3 over times to win Memphis Grizzlies on NBA 2007 season opening.
In the middle of 3rd quarter Knicks led 19 points, and that quarter finished with + 11 for New York.
But, Grizzlies played great 4th quarter, and 3 overtimes followed.

Quentin Richardson led Knicks with 31 points, Jamal Crawford added 21, Stephon Marbury 21, and Eddy Curry 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Chucky Atkins with 25, Hakim Warrick with 22 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Rudy Gray with 21, and Mike Miller with 18 points were best in Memphis.

New York Knicks 20 31 20 18 11 (OT) 8 (OT) 10 (OT) ( 118 )

Memphis Grizzlies 25 21 14 29 11 (OT) 8 (OT) 9 (OT) ( 117 )

Minnesota Timberwolves - Sacramento Kings 92 : 83

2006-11-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

Mike Bibby, the leader of Sacramento Kings, was a ereal team leader for 3 quarters in their opening season game against Minnesota.
Then, when it needed to finish a game, Bibby picked up two technical fouls, in the middle of 4th quarter, and Kings lost a game.

Kevin Garnett finished with 24 , and Troy Hudson added 15 points, for Timbervolves win.

Kevin Martin with 23, and Ron Artest with 16, were best in Sacramento.

Sacramento Kings 16 25 25 17 ( 83 )

Minnesota Timberwolves 23 20 21 28 ( 92 )

Milwaukee Bucks - Detroit Pistons 105 : 97

2006-11-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

Milwaukee Bucks and Michael Redd ( 37 points ) , took advantage of Ben Wallace's departure, and won one of main favourits for winning NBA 2007 Championships, Detroit Pistons.

Detroit Pistons are just not same team with, or without Ben Wallace.
Wallace is NBA best defence player for last 4 years, and Pistons just cant play as good defence, as they play, with their former biggest star.

Detroit Pistons 21 24 27 25 ( 97 )

Milwaukee Bucks 30 25 23 27 (105 )

Cleveland Cavs - Washington Wizzards 97 : 94

2006-11-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Larry Hughes had 27 and Lebron James scored 26 points, in Cleveland Cavalliers NBA 2007 season opening win over Washington Wizzards.

It was very equal and exciting game, and couls easily finished in over time if Antawn Jamison scored a three point shot 2.9 seconds before the end.

Caron Butler led Wizzards with 23 points, Antawn Jamison followed with 20, and Etan Thomas added 14 points .

Washington Wizzards 28 17 24 25 ( 94 )

Cleveland Cavalliers 26 21 28 22 ( 97 )

New Jersey Nets - Toronto Raptors 102 : 92

2006-11-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Great 4th quarter play by Jason Kidd, was a key for New Jersey Nets victory over Toronto Raptors on NBA 2007 season opening.
Jason Kidd had 8 points, 4 assists ans 4 rebounds after 3 quarters, but finished a game with triple-double 14 points. 10 asists and 10 rebounds.

Vince Carter, former Raptors player, added 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic and Bostjan Nachbar followed with 16 and 14 points.

Anthony Parker led Raptors with 22 points, T.J. Ford followed with 19, and Chris Bosh scored 14 points.

Toronto Raptors 27 22 21 22 ( 92 )

Ney Jersey Nets 28 21 25 28 (102 )

New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets - Boston Celtics 91 : 87

2006-11-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

Boston Celtics have not succeed to win in season opening game, and its first game after death of Celtics Icon coach Red Auerbach.

New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets were better , and won a game with 91 :87.

Chris Paul with 20 and David West with 18 points were best in Hornets team.

Paul Pierce led Boston Celtics with 29 points and 19 rebounds, and Wally Szczerbiak and Al Jefferson added 21 / 13 points.

New Orl /Okl City Hornets 26 28 21 16 ( 91 )

Boston Celtics 16 25 24 22 ( 87 )

Philadelphia 76ers - Atlanta Hawks 88 : 75

2006-11-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Allan Iverson was great with 32 points, and Andre Iguoadala helped him with 15, in 76ers season opening won over Atlanta Hawks.

Philadelphia played great defence and left Hawks at only 75 points.
Joe Johnson led Atlanta Hawks with 25, and Zaza Pachulia and Josh Childress added 15 each for Atlanta.

Everbody are pretty surprised about very good Sixers game, as almost nobody havent expect some revolutinary changes in Philadelhia play, after not changing almost anything during summer.
But if season is going to be like its opening, then maybe we'll see 76ers in Playoff after 3 seasons.

Atlanta Hawks 14 21 23 17 ( 75 )

Philadelphia 76ers 29 20 24 15 ( 88 )

Orlando Magic - Chicago Bulls 109 : 94

2006-11-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

Orlando Magic's +15 victory over Chicago Bulls looks like a surprise after brilliant season opening Bulls victory over Champions Miami Heat.
Even Magic coach Brian Hill thought that after watching brilliant Chicago game last night.But he is happy that he was wrong.

Dwight Howard scored 27 points and added 17 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson added 21 points for big Magic win.

Ben Gordon and Kirck Hinrich were best in Chicago Bulls team with 24 and 14 points.

Chicago Bulls 20 25 25 24 ( 94 )

Orlando Magic 32 31 23 23 (109 )

Indiana Pacers - Charlotte 106 : 99

2006-11-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

Charlotte, November 1.
Jermain O'Neal and Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 20 points both and Stephen Jackson added 18, in Indiana Pacers season opening won over the Charlotte Bobcasts.

Emeca Okafor was best in Bobcast team with 18 points.

Indiana started to play good in seconfd half time, and after first lead in third quarter, Bobcasts, in first game with Michael Jordan as a partial owner, couldnt do anything more than - 7 loss.

Indiana Pacers 23 26 28 29 ( 106 )

Charlotte Bobcasts 27 23 23 26 ( 99 )

Who won the Championships last Year - Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat ?

2006-11-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally started.
Last night was officional open of NBA 2007 season.

Only few months ago, Miami Heat won first Championships in its history.
Last night game was, so far, the NBA History biggest loss by defending Chamipons in opening night.
While Miami looked like some street team, Bulls have played like they get their rings before the game.
Kirk Hinrich scored 26, Chris Duhon added 20, in Chicago humiliating Heat 108-66, in Miami.

After game, boath coaches agreed - it was one side game, where Bulls looked like real Champs.
Its definitelly not indicative, but Heat players will have to do much more in next games, last season has finished long time ago.

In second last night game, LA Lakers beat Suns 114-106, with impressive comebackafter 19 points first quarter deficite.
Lamar Odom, was best in Lakers with scroing 34 pointsand Andrew Bynum added 18 for first LA Lakers 2007 season victory.
Kobe Brian , top Lakers scoree, missed a game, and will miss next one too, due to injury.

Leandro Barbossa scored 30, Steve Nash added 15 points and 13 assists for Phoenix Suns.

CHICAGO BULLS - MIAMI HEAT 108 : 66

PHOENIX SUNS - LA LAKERS 114 : 106

NBA 2007 Final Countdown

2006-10-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I was pretty lazy these days, thats only reason why your favorite blog has not been updated last 10 days.
But it should be a history, its pretty warm now , final countown had started, and there is only 2 days left till the Big opening week.

Latest news says that Kobe Bryant knee is " a little sore", but biggest NBA Star will not miss opening game vs Phoenix Suns.He was doubtful for few days, but Lakers coach Jackson siad today that Kobe will probably play on Tuesday .

Dallas Mavericks are making great job in this preseason deals.
After resigning Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzky, on Saturday they signed Josh Howard to a contract. Terms of deal are not public, but estimates says that its more than 40 mil, for multiyear contract.

One sad news - Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics premium coach that won 9 titles with Celtics, died on Saturday in age of 89.

OPENING WEEK GAME SCEDULE :

October 31. - Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers

November 1. - Atlanta Hawks Philadelphia 76ers
Indiana Pacers Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls Orlando Magic
NO / Okl. City Hornets Boston Celtics
Toronto Raptors New Jersey Nets
Milwaukee Bucks Detroit Pistons
Washington Grizzlies Cleveland Cavs
New York Knicks Memphis Grizzlies
Sacramento Kings Minnesota Timberwolves
Houston Rockets Utah Jazz
Portland Blazers Seattle Supersonics

Let the Games Begin!

NBA Live 2007

2006-10-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

After not so big success with NBA Live 2006, EA had to stay in touch with hard NBA 2k competition, and to make something new and better with new NBA Live 2007.

And it seems, they have done it cause NBA Live 2007 is probably one of the best Basketball games I have ever played.

EA jumped in making dinasty games mode what has became a standard for almost every professional sports game, and sports games fans are just used to some features.

Some of features in new NBA Live 2007 are hiring up to 3 assistant head coaches, scouts and trainers ( as your budget allow place for this ).

There is a new feature of player rotation screen that allow you to have full control over players - they minutage, game position etc.

You would like to play as Draft Manager ?
No problem, you can do it too in new NBA Live 2007 game.

You're fan of NBA All Star Weekend ?
Then this is real game for you, as NBA Live 2007 covered all All Star Weekend events - T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, Dunk Contest, 3 Pt Shootout and the actual All Star Game.

NBA Live 2007 comes in Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, Xbox and PC versions.

So, my final thoughts are :

This game has everything that realistic basketball game should have - good dinasty features, great freestyle superstar moves, easy controls.
I am definitelly in, NBA Live 2007 Rocks.

You can buy any of Nba Live 2007 games versions here :

NBA Live 2007 Playstation 2 Game EA

NBA Live 2007 XBOX game EA

NBA Live 2007 PSP Game EA

NBA Live 2007 PC Game EA

NBA Live 2007 Xbox 360 Game EA

New York Knicks free agent Jared Jefrries might miss start of season

2006-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

New York Knicks free agent , forward Jared Jeffries, who was expected to be Knicks started forward might miss start of season after breaking left wrist on Friday's preaseason game against Ney Jersey Nets.

Jeffries was hurt on his Knicks debut game and missed Saturday game against Philadelphia 76ers.

He had a MRI exam on Saturday and Knicks Medical stuff informed that the injury will not require surgery.

On Mondays press confrence, New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas informed that Jefrries could be sidelined three to six weeks.

Clippers lost to CSKA Moscow

2006-10-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Clippers lost their second back-to-back game to CSKA Moscow, one of leading Russian teams.

Final score of the game where Clippers shot 2-16 for 3 point was 94-75.

Los Angeles Clippers are one of 4 NBA teams holding training camps in Europe as part of NBA program Europe Live.

Chris Kaman was best in Clippers and scored 15 points, while Trajan Langdon with 17, and Tomas Van Den Spiegel with 16 points,led Russian team to victory.

Next Los Angeles Clippers preaseason game is vs Phoenix Suns, on October 17.

Stephen Jackson from Indiana Pacers hit by car and fired a gun in front of Night Bar

2006-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Stephen Jackson , Indiana Pacers player, fired a gun in the air, apparently in self-defense, outside a strip club early Friday after he was slugged in the mouth and struck by a car that sent him tumbling onto the hood, police said.Nobody was injured by his gunfire.

Jackson refused medical threatment at a scene, but sought a treatment at hospital after conferring with team trainer.

Jackson was at the Indianapolis club with teammates Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie Hunter. Tinsley and Daniels also had guns in their cars, and all three armed players had weapons permits, Mount said, although Daniels' permit was issued by Florida.

Police were looking for the car that struck Jackson and three men believed involved.

Jackson told officers he fired his 9 mm pistol five times after he was hit in the mouth and tossed on the hood of the car.

The Pacers said Friday that all involved are cooperating with police, and none of the players at the strip club would be available to the media after practice Friday.

"Since this is an ongoing review of the matters that took place Friday morning, the Pacers will have no further comment at this time," the team said in a statement.

The NBA's drug policy says players who test positive for marijuana face rehabilitation, fines and suspensions, depending on whether it is a first offense. Testing is done randomly throughout the season and for reasonable cause.

League spokesman Tim Frank declined to comment on the specifics of the case but said the NBA was monitoring the situation.

Lakers coach Jackson on hip replacement surgery

2006-10-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson had right hip replacement surgery Tuesday and is expected to be released from a hospital on Wednesday.

Team spokesman John Black said there is no timetable for the 61-year-old coach's return to training camp, which opened Tuesday with assistant coach Kurt Rambis running the drills.

The 45-minute operation was performed at the Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Jackson, who will be re-evaluated next week, said Monday at the team's media day that he plans to be ready when the Lakers open the season Oct. 31 against Phoenix.

"I heard everything went well for him," said Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who is recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee and watched Tuesday's practice from the sideline. "Hopefully we'll have him back sooner rather than later."

Indiana Pacers Training Camp - Accent on Condition

2006-10-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was serious when said there was going to be a huge accent on conditioning.

"Running and conditioning has to become a way of life now," Carlisle said. "It's got to be an everyday commitment, because to maintain over a 100-game season, your conditioning has to be through the roof."

"It's going to be a hard thing to do and hard on our bodies, but at the same time, it's not going to do anything but make us better," Stephen Jackson said while breathing heavily after practice. "Nobody said it's going to be easy. Winning a championship ain't easy, either. We have to start somewhere."

Sacramento Kings signed Free Agent Maurice Taylor

2006-10-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Sacramento King's President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today that Team has signed free agent forward Maurice Taylor to a contract.Per club policy,terms of agreement are not public.

“We feel fortunate to add Maurice to our roster,” explained Petrie. “We look forward to having him provide us with some additional depth, flexibility and veteran experience on our frontline. We think he’ll fit in really well.”

Taylor entered his career as 14th overall 1997 first round pick, and was selected by Los Angeles Clippers where he spent three seasons.

On August 25, 2000 Taylor signed with Houston Rockets and played five seasons there.
On February 24, 2005, he was traded to Knicks .

“The addition of Maurice gives us an experienced veteran who can make open shots and play both the four and five,” said Kings’ head coach Eric Musselman. “We’ll probably look to him to contribute more at the center position.”

Player Movement 2006

2006-09-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

June 30
Milwaukee Bucks have acquired forward Charlie Villanueva from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for guard T.J. Ford and cash considerations.

July 12
New Jersey Nets have signed their two First Round draft picks from the 2006 NBA Draft, guard Marcus Williams and forward Josh Boone, to multi-year contracts.

Philadelphia 76ers re-signed restricted free agents - forward Shavlik Randolph, and guard Willie Green.

Indiana Pacers announced they have acquired forward/guard Marquis Daniels from Dallas Mavericks , in exchange for forward Austin Croshere.

Memphis Grizzlies acquired Stromile Swift and the draft rights to Rudy Gay, the eighth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, from Houston Rockets in exchange for Grizzlies forward Shane Battier.

San Antonio Spurs announced that they have signed guard Jacque Vaughn.

Atlanta Hawks announced the team has addressed one of its biggest needs with the signing of free agent guard Craig “Speedy” Claxton to a contract.

LeBron James signed his extension with the Cavs that will keep him in Cleveland – with his eyes on the NBA Championship – for more four years .

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced that they have acquired forward Peja Stojakovic and cash considerations from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the draft rights to Andrew Betts.

Los Angeles Clippers re-signed free agent point guard Sam Cassell.

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony signed a multi-year contract extension.

Golden State Warriors have acquired guards Devin Brown, Keith Mcleod and Andre Owens from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Derek Fisher.

The Toronto Raptors announced they have signed free agent guard-forward Anthony Parker to a multi-year contract.

Miami HEAT re-signed guard Dwyane Wade.

Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent guard Shammond Williams.

Dallas Mavericks have re-signed center DJ Mbenga.

July 13
Dallas Mavericks signed free agent guard Greg Buckner.

Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

Utah Jazz re-signed forward Matt Harpring.

Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard-forward Keith Bogans.

Los Angeles Clippers signed free agent forward Tim Thomas.

Phoenix Suns signed unrestricted free agent guard/forward Eric Piatkowski to a two-year contract.

Chicago Bulls has signed free agent forward Ben Wallace.

Joel Przybilla returns to Portland Blazers.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced that they have traded guard Kirk Snyder to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations and a conditional 2008 second round pick (the Hornets will receive the higher second round draft slot between the two teams in the 2008 NBA Draft.

July 14

The Toronto Raptors resigned Chris Bosh to multiyear contract.

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced that they have acquired center Tyson Chandler from Chicago Bulls in exchange for forward PJ Brown and guard J.R. Smith .

The Boston Celtics have agreed with team Captain Paul Pierce to extend his contract through the 2010-11 season.

The Detroit Pistons signed guard Ronald “Flip” Murray to a multi-year contract.

July 18

The Detroit Pistons signed center Nazr Mohammed to a multi-year contract.

July 19

The Washington Wizards signed forward Darius Songaila .

The Detroit Pistons re-signed guard Lindsey Hunter to a multi-year contract.

The Houston Rockets signed Greek combo-guard Vassilis Spanoulis to a three-year agreement.

The Charlotte Bobcats signed free agent forward Othella Harrington.

July 20

The Denver Nuggets have re-signed F/C Nenê to a multi-year contract

The Denver Nuggets have acquired J.R. Smith from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Howard Eisley and two second-round draft choices .

The Phoenix Suns signed Marcus Banks.

July 21

The San Antonio Spurs signed Jackie Butler.

July 24

The Indiana Pacers traded Darrell Armstrong and young forwards Rawle Marshall and Josh Powell , to Dallas Mavericks, in exchange for point guard Anthony Johnson.

The Sacramento Kings signed free agent guard John Salmons to a multi-year contract.

July 25

The Dallas Mavericks re-signed veteran guard Jason Terry.

The Toronto Raptors signed free agent guard Fred Jones.

The Denver Nuggets have signed rookie Yakhouba Diawara to a contract.

The Boston Celtics announced today they have signed rookie free agent center Kevin Pittsnogle.

July 26

The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent guard Bobby Jackson and re-signed forward Rasual Bulter.

The Toronto Raptors signed Uros Slokar.

The Phoenix Suns signed unrestricted free-agent forward/center Sean Marks to a one-year contract.

July 27

The Orlando Magic re-signed restricted free agent forward Trevor Ariza.

The New Jersey Nets acquired center Mikki Moore from the Seattle SuperSonics for a second round draft pick in 2009.

July 28

The Denver Nuggets have signed F/C Jamal Sampson to a contract.

The Charlotte Bobcats re-signed Bernard Robinson.

The Indiana Pacers signed Maceo Baston.

The Portland Trail Blazers traded guard Steve Blake, forward Brian Skinner and center Ha Seung-Jin , for All Star center Jamaal Magloire from Milwaukee Bucks.

August 1.

Memphis Grizzlies signed a one-year contract with free agent guard Lorinza ‘Junior’ Harrington.

August 2

The San Antonio Spurs signed Francisco Elson.

The Dallas Mavericks signed free-agent forward Devean George.

The Houston Rockets signed free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike.

August 5

The Washington Wizards signed guard DeShawn Stevenson.

The Phoenix Suns signed guard Leandro Barbosa to a five-year contract extension.

August 8

The New York Knicks signed free agent forward Jared Jeffries.

August 10

The Milwaukee Bucks traded forward Joe Smith for forward Ruben Patterson, from Denver Nuggets.

August 15

The Seattle SuperSonics re-signed Chris Wilcox.

August 17

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Eddie House.

August 18

The Miami HEAT re-signed center Alonzo Mourning.

August 22

The Indiana Pacers bring back Al Harrington from Atlanta Hawks, in trade for 2007 first-round pick.

September 5

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard David Wesley.

The Houston Rockets signed Casey Jacobsen.

September 22

The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free-agent guard Mike James.

The Minnesota Timberwolves re-signed restricted free agent forward Justin Reed.

Playoffs

2006-09-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

The NBA Playoffs always begin in late April, with eight teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. The top three seeds for each conference are determined by taking the winners of the conference's three divisions and ranking them by regular season record. The remaining five seeds are determined by taking the five teams with the next-best records from among the non-division winning teams in the conference. However, the seeding system has one feature that is unusual in North American sports; division champions do not necessarily have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Although the playoff brackets are not reseeded, home-court advantage is based strictly on regular-season record, without regard to whether a team won its division.

Having a higher seed offers several advantages. Since the first seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed in the playoffs, having a higher seed generally means you will be facing a weaker team. The team in each series with the better record has home court advantage, including the First Round. This means that, for example, if the team who receives the 6 (six) seed has a better record than the team with the 3 (three) seed (seeded thus by virtue of a divisional championship), the 6 seed would have home court advantage, even though the other team has a higher seed. Therefore, the team with the best regular season record in the league is guaranteed home court advantage in every series it plays.

The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays a rival in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing into the second round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs. In the next round, the successful team plays against another advancing team of the same conference. Thus, all but one team in each conference are eliminated from the playoffs. Since the NBA does not re-seed teams, the playoff bracket in each conference uses a traditional design, with the winner of the series matching the 1st and 8th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and the winner of the series matching the 2nd and 7th seeded teams playing the winner of the series matching the 3rd and 6th seeded teams. In every round except the NBA Finals, the best of seven series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3, 4, and 6. For the final round (NBA Finals), the series follows a 2-3-2 pattern, meaning that one team will have home court in games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other plays at home in games 3-5.

The final playoff round, a best-of-seven series between the victors of both conferences, is known as the NBA Finals, and it is held annually in June. The victor in the NBA Finals wins the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. Each player and major contributor, including coaches and the general manager, on the winning team receive a championship ring. In addition, the league awards an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, which nearly always goes to a member of the winning team, though not by rule. There has been only one exception to date: Jerry West won the award in 1969 (the award's first season) even though his Los Angeles Lakers did not win the championship.

On August 2, 2006, the NBA announced the new playoff format. The new format takes the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and rank them 1-4 by record. The other 4 slots are filled by best record other than those other 4 teams. This might be in relation to the 2006 playoffs when Dallas and San Antonio, the two best Western Conference Teams, faced each other in the semifinals. This new format ensures that the two best teams will not meet until the Conference finals.

Regular season

2006-09-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Following the summer break, teams hold training camps in October. Training camps allow the coaching staff to evaluate players (especially rookies), scout the team's strengths and weaknesses, prepare the players for the rigorous regular season, and determine the 12-man active roster (and a 3-man inactive list, if needed) with which they will begin the regular season. Teams have the ability to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA development league. After training camp, a series of preseason exhibition games are held. The NBA regular season begins in the first week of November.

In the regular season, each team plays 82 games, which are divided evenly between home and away games. Schedules are not identical for all teams. A team faces opponents in its own division four times a year, teams from the other two divisions in its conference either three or four times, and teams in the other conference twice apiece. A team can therefore have a relatively easy or difficult schedule, depending on the division and conference it is located in. Following the recent changes to the National Hockey League's scheduling format, the NBA is now the only major league in North America in which all the teams play each other during the regular season, and where a season ticket holder can see every team in the league come to town in any one season.

In February, the NBA regular season is interrupted to celebrate the annual NBA All-Star Game. Fans are balloted throughout the United States, Canada and through the internet, and the top vote-getters at each position in each conference are given a starting spot on their conference's All-Star team. Coaches vote to choose the remaining 14 All-Stars. Then, East faces West in the All-Star game. The player with the best performance during the game is rewarded with a Game MVP award. Other attractions of the All-Star break include the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge game, which pits the best rookies and the best second-year players against each other; the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, a competition between players to see who is the best three-point shooter; and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk contest, to see which player dunks the ball in the most entertaining way.

Shortly after the All-Star break is the league's trade deadline. After this date, teams are not allowed to exchange players with each other for the remainder of the season, although they may still sign and release players. Major trades are often completed right before the trading deadline, making that day a hectic time for general managers.

Around the end of April, the regular season ends. It is during this time that voting begins for individual awards, as well as the selection of the honorary league-wide postseason teams. The Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the best player coming off the bench (not starting for his team). The Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the most outstanding first-year player. The Most Improved Player Award is awarded to the most improved player. The Defensive Player of the Year Award is awarded to the league's best defender. The Coach of the Year Award is awarded to either the best coach in the league or the coach that has made the most positive difference to a team. The Most Valuable Player Award is given to player deemed the most valuable for that season. Additionally, The Sporting News awards an unofficial (but widely recognized) Executive of the Year Award to the general manager who is adjudged to have performed the best job for the benefit of his franchise.

The postseason teams are the All-NBA Teams, the All-Defensive Teams, and the All-Rookie Teams; each consists of five players. There are three All-NBA teams, consisting of the top players at each position, with first-team status being most desirable. There are two All-Defensive teams, consisting of the top defenders at each position. There are also two All-Rookie teams, consisting of the top first-year players regardless of position.

Current NBA Teams

2006-09-22T21:13:00.001-07:00

NBA is divided in two conferences, and each of them has 2 divisions.

Here is the list of all current NBA teams :

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division :

Boston Celtics ( Boston, Massachusetts , TD Banknorth Garden , Founded 1946 )
New Jersey Nets ( East Rutherford, New Jersey , Continental Airlines Arena 1967 )
New York Knicks ( New York, New York , Madison Square Garden , 1946 )
Philadelphia 76ers ( Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wachovia Center , 1939 )
Toronto Raptors ( Toronto, Ontario - Canada, Air Canada Centre, 1995 )

Central Division :

Chicago Bulls ( Chicago, Illinois , United Centar , 1966 )
Cleveland Cavaliers ( Cleveland, Ohio, Quicken Loans Arena , 1970 )
Detroit Pistons ( Auburn Hills, Michigan, The Palace of Auburn Hills, 1941 )
Indiana Pacers ( Indianapolis, Indiana, Conseco Fieldhouse, 1967 )
Milwaukee Bucks ( Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Bradley Center, 1968 )

SouthEast Division :

Atlanta Hawks ( Atlanta , Georgia , Philips Arena , 1946 )
Charlotte Blobcats ( Charlotte, North Caroline, Charlotte Blobcast Arena , 2004 )
Miami Heat ( Miami, Florida , AmericanAirlines Arena , 1988 )
Orlando Magic ( Orlando, Florida , TD Waterhouse centre , 1989 )
Washington Wizards ( Washington , D.C , Verizon Centre , 1961 )

Western Conference

SouthWest Division :

Dallas Mavericks ( Dallas , Texas , American Airlines Center, 1980 )
Houston Rockets ( Houston, Texas, Toyota Center , 1967 )
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets ( Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ford Center, 1988 )
San Antonio Spurs ( San Antonio , Texas , AT & T Center, 1968 )

NorthWest Division :

Denver Nuggets ( Denver, Colorado , Pepsi Center, 1967 )
Minnesota Timberwolves ( Minneapolis , Minnesota, Target Center, 1989 )
Portland Trail Blazers ( Portland, Oregon , Rose Garden Arena , 1970 )
Seattle SuperSonics ( Seattle , Washington , KeyArena , 1967 )
Utah Jazz ( Salt lake City, Utah , Delta Center , 1974 )

Pacific Division :

Golden State Warriors ( Oakland , California, The Arena in Oakland, 1946 )
Los Angeles Clippers ( Los Angeles California , Staples Center, 1970 )
Los Angeles Lakers ( Los Angeles California , Staples Center, 1946 )
Phoenix Suns ( Phoenix, Arizona, US Airways Center, 1968 )
Sacramento Kings ( Sacramento , California , ARCO Arena , 1945 )

NBA 2006/2007 Season

2006-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

NBA / National Basketball Association

Welcome to NBA 2006 / 2007 Season Blog !

As millions out there, I am a big fun of Basketball, and especially thw World's best part of it - NBA, National Basketball Association.

I am sure everyone who step by here already knows what NBA is, and how important it is to average, not only US and Canada, but Worldwide Basketball fun.

But let me say few words about National Basketball Association and its history, as noted on Wikipedia.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world's premier men's professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of major sports arenas in the Northeast and Midwest, most notably Madison Square Garden in New York City. Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, though, the quality of play in the BAA was not obviously better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance the 1947 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title.

Following the 1949 season, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knickerbockers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers).

While contracting, the league also saw its smaller city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" (the area now known as the Quad Cities) to Milwaukee and then to St. Louis; the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati, the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit.

Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947-48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 is recognized as the year the NBA integrated with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years later, the NBA is made up of players of many different races, with diverse backgrounds and cultures. The majority (80%) of NBA players today are African American.

During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as its first dynasty.

To liven up play, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954.

In 1956, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring and rebounding. Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of team sports.

Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises.

In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war for talent. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Laker championship teams.

However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak and Joe Gushue.

The ABA also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up most viable cities. Following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22.

The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Magic Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five.

Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. By 1989, further expansion had raised the number of teams in the league to 27. During the 1990s, Jordan went on to lead the Bulls to six titles. (1991-1993,1996-1998)

The 1990s also saw greater globalization. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. An increasing number, though, have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year and 2006 World Championships MVP Pau Gasol of Spain, first pick in the 2002 NBA Draft Yao Ming of China, 2002 World Championships and Eurobasket 2005 MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, and 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP Manu Ginobili of Argentina. Today, young players from the English-speaking world tend to attend U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA (notable examples are 2005 and 2006 MVP Steve Nash, a Canadian, and 2005 top draft pick Andrew Bogut of Australia), while other international players generally come to the NBA from professional club teams. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. In 1996 the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ), and in 2001 created an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League.

In 1998 the NBA owners began a lockout which lasted 191-days and was settled on January 18, 1999. As a result of this lockout the 1998-99 NBA season was reduced from 82 to 50 games, which were all played in early 1999.

Today, the NBA has reached 30 franchises and continues to evolve as one of the premier sports leagues in the world.

On June 28th 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006-07 season. Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball features a new design and new material that together offer better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. This marks the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Also, the NBA has jerseys made by Adidas after Adidas purchased Reebok.

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2004-02-29T19:22:00.000-08:00

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