HOOP MAY-JUNE 2015

LeBron James

Steph Curry

Kyrie Irving

Zach LaVine

MAY/JUNE 2015

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WARM UPS

When you’re as dangerous a three-point marksman as Kyle Korver is, you tend to attract plenty of attention anytime you go up for a shot.

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WARM UPS

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The Splash Brothers might have earned their nickname through wet jumpers, but Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry know how to set each other up to maximize their wetness.

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Hearing her giggle when you say: Play episode “Natural Hair for Newbies.”

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C H A R G E D B Y B E L I E F. Stephen Curry’s path wasn’t lined with people saying he was great. He had to rely on the Will, Skill, and Belief inside him. Grinding every day…shot after shot after shot.

AND NOW, HE’S WRITING HIS OWN STORY.

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WARM UPS It’s not easy to get a shot over Anthony Davis.

Even 7-footers like Andrew Bogut have a hard time scoring against a guy whose reach can barely be contained on this page.

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WARM UPS

It only looked like Blake Griffin gave Aron Baynes a highfive before dropping a big two on the San Antonio center.

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Catch every jump shot of your favorite NBA teams plus 24/7 news and expert analysis on SiriusXM NBA Radio. With over 140 channels, including commercial-free music, plus the best sports, news, talk and entertainment, SiriusXM® makes every moment feel like the greatest one yet.

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THE GAMEPLAN

MAY/JUNE 2015

FEATURES

60 20 For 20

With almost 20 years since the announcement of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, we decided to weigh in on which 20 players (spoiler alert: Tim Duncan and LeBron James get in) deserve the same honor in the two decades since the League immortalized the 50.

44 School of Hard Rock

74 Horrific Ending

The beard has become synoymous with James Harden, making him one of the most recognizable players in the NBA. But with his burgeoning game, Harden’s play on the court could one day outgrow his trademark facial hair.

38 Game of Thrones

Much like the never-ending battle for the Iron Throne that takes place in Westeros, the struggle for NBA supremacy might take place on the courts, but the real battles are waged behind the scenes.

52 The 6’s 6th

It’s probably the biggest shot in Robert Horry’s career.

For most people, that’s not saying much, but when you’re a guy with “Big Shot Rob” as a nickname, that carries extra weight. We relive the shot from a few different viewpoints in our oral history.

The NBA uprising in the North might be led by the backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, but playing a big part is the overlooked—at least until he was named the 2015 Sixth Man of the Year—scorer off the bench, Lou Williams.

Poster

Kyrie Irving gets the honor of sharing a poster with the GOAT. 014

Cover photograph by Bill Baptist; Illustration by Matt Candela

Kevin Durant

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THE GAME PLAN MAY/JUNE 2015 DEPARTMENTS

2 Warm Ups 18 The Point 20 Jumpball Starting Five: Jason Terry jets back in time to come up with his favorite quintet of teammates; Transition Game: LeBron James has seen his game and look evolve over the years; First Ride: Timofey Mozgov’s frst car was a bimmer that was as old as he was at the time; First Five: Hassan Whiteside, Rudy Gobert, Marreese Speights, Mo Williams, Solomon Hill; Head2Head: Both Mike Conley and Jeff Teague are unheralded point guards, but who’s better?; Peripheral Vision: David Diamante adorns the Nets arena experience with his ornate in-game announcements; Know Your Newb: Niko Mirotic is a rookie by name only as he plays like a longtime vet; Celeb Row: After getting embarrassed with his lack of game, Taye Diggs made sure he got better; Brack-It: The best elimination playoff games of the last 20 years; Check Yo Man: A few players scratch their collective heads on how to guard Stephen Curry; Numerology: The 123s of the NBA.

36 24 Seconds with Zach LaVine We did our best to hang in the air with Zach LaVine for his inquisition. Good thing it was only 24 questions.

94 Stepback Reminiscing about the 2009 Finals.

96 Call-Out NBA good deeds go noticed.

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83 Check-It Spin Moves: We know how intense Russell Westbrook is on the court. Thankfully his off-court fow takes it down a few hundred notches.; The Goods: A trio of white-knuckle rides for the summer and two fagship Android smartphones; Gear: After thorough hooping sessions, we gave a verdict on the CP3.VIII AE, HyperRev 2015, LeBron 12 Elite and the Kobe X Elite; Wear: A few minimalistic selects for maximum summer vibes.

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THE POINT Volume 43, No. 4

Editor-in-Chief Ming Wong #2 Design Director Kengyong Shao #31 Online Editor Darryl Howerton #21 Editor-at-Large Jeramie McPeek #4 Copy Editor Trevor Kearney #8 WNBA Editor Lois Elfman #40 Senior Writer Michael Bradley #53

I remember poring over the list of 50 names when the NBA announced the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.1 Of course I was more biased toward the players that I grew up watching and I tried not to hold anything against those who predated my NBA knowledge. I recall being puzzled that fourth-year Shaquille O’Neal2 was on the team and Dominique Wilkins3 was left off.

But by and large, 49 out of 50 is pretty good.

Then I turned to the current players at the time that would likely jockey for a spot on the next anniversary squad. Penny Hardaway4 was an absolute can’t-miss. Grant Hill5 was a lock. Chris Webber,6 you can write that name with a Sharpie. Kevin Johnson7 was kind of a snub for the 50 Greatest, but he certainly wouldn’t be denied for the next team.

Shawn Kemp8 was a no brainer. Tim Hardaway9 had a good shot. He hadn’t yet gotten one game under his belt, but Allen Iverson10 was already someone to consider.

Almost 20 years later, I got a chance to unoffcially make amends.

It ain’t easy.

My original list of defnites? One for seven.

No one could foresee injuries that robbed years and production from Penny, Hill and to lesser extents, Webber and Hardaway.11 No one could have predicted the Kemp fall-off12 and KJ just got passed by other more deserving greats. Oddly enough, the least sure thing of the bunch, Iverson, made the cut.

It shows you the breadth of talent the League has seen in the past 20 years. Of the 20 we went with for the Next 20, I’d say that nine (Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Iverson, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James) are good enough to push an original 50 made man out. Then you have a few like Dennis Rodman, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade that warrant discussion. Lastly you have Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, players who with a few more good seasons could conceivably belong in the half-century team. That means in the last 20 years extrapolated, we have seen more basketball talent than the game’s frst 50 years.13 And let’s not forget the young guys just hitting their stride. Our cover guy, James Harden, and previous covers14 from this season, Anthony Davis,15 Steph Curry16 and Kyrie Irving.17 Already All-Stars in DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Paul George and a Finals MVP/Defensive Player of the Year in Kawhi Leonard.18 And don’t forget Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins and all the upcoming talent who have yet to shake NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand.

I’d say the NBA is pretty set in the near and far future.

BONUS POINTS 1. It was 10/29/96, so it might’ve been a fax at my college newspaper offce.

2. Granted, it was four seasons where he averaged 27.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 58 percent. He was also coming off three All-NBA selections and a Finals appearance.

3. ’Nique detractors might argue that he was a one-dimensional scorer, but he did it pretty damn well, not to mention he was one of the most popular and infuential players of the time.

4. One of the few cats that even Michael Jordan looked like he struggled against.

5. Hill was kind of like LeBron now, minus the physical advantage.

6. I was always mesmerized by how Webber sucked up the ball in his vacuum-like mitts.

7. A 20-ppg/10-apg guy who could defend and shoot the ball with accuracy.

8. Imagine peak Amar’e Stoudemire with better defense and rebounding.

9. Hardaway had that clutch knuckle j and that knee-buckling crossover.

10. That 1996 draft was stocked and in spite of his off-court past, Iverson was still No. 1. That says a lot.

11. Both Hardaways, Webber and Hill managed some success after injuries, but were never the same after injuries robbed them of their explosiveness.

12. He was Reign Man in Seattle and Rain Man after getting traded to Cleveland.

13. And not counting players like Arvydas Sabonis and Drazen Petrovic, international talents that either came to the NBA late or left too early.

14. We did pretty well this season.

15. March/April.

16. Jan/Feb. 17. Kyrie shared our Nov/Dec cover with LeBron and Kevin Love.

18. Klaw is one of just three men to have won DPOY and Finals MVP, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Ming Wong #2 018 facebook.com/HOOPmagazine

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Contributing Writers Russ Bengtson #43, Seth Berkman #91, Alex Bracetti #44, Frank Capa #28, Christopher Cason #24, Jon Cooper #10, Bryan Crawford #26, Jim Eichenhofer #12, Anthony Gilbert #1, Brian A. Giuffra #17, Jarrel Harris #3, Melody Hoffman #34, Steve Hunt #29, Andy Jasner #27, Steven Lebron #88, Holly MacKenzie #32, Brett Mauser #25, Branden Peters #63, Duane Watson #7, Terrence Watson #24 Illustrator Matt Candela #52 Retired Numbers #6, #11, #13, #30, #99

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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 bimonthly, December through June, by PSP. © 2015 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.

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JUMPBALL STARTING 5

JASON TERRY

HOUSTON ROCKETS For 16 NBA seasons, Jason Terry has been one of the NBA’s most consistent scorers and one of its best longdistance shooters.

A Seattle, Wash., native, “The Jet” sits in third place all-time in League history in three-point feld goals made (tops among active players) and is one of only four players ever to make 2,000 threepoint feld goals (joining Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, and Paul Pierce). No matter where Terry has been—Atlanta, Dallas, Brooklyn, Boston and currently Houston—he’s been one of the best scoring options for his team.

This goes back to even his pre-NBA days.

Terry had his #31 retired at the University of Arizona, following a stellar four-year career during which he helped the Wildcats to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, a pair of Elite Eights and a Final Four, resulting in the 1997 National Championship.

The Atlanta Hawks selected Terry 10th overall in 1999, and in fve seasons in the ATL, he ranked among the franchise’s all-time top 10 in three-point feld goals, free throw percentage, steals, and assists, while recording the secondand third-highest scoring games for a Hawk at Philips Arena.

Following the 2003-04 season, JT was traded to Dallas, where he spent the next eight seasons. The combo of Dirk Nowitzki and Terry provided a 1-2 punch that fueled the Mavericks’ run of seven straight 50-win seasons and frst back-to-back 60-win seasons, including a franchise-record 67 in 200607. The duo also propelled the Mavs to a pair of Finals appearances—frst in 2006, when they lost to Miami, then in 2011, when they brought home the Mavs’ frst NBA Championship in the rematch. On the way to the title, Terry was second only to Nowitzki in scoring (17.5 ppg), and shot a blazing .497, .442 from three.

Starting with the ‘08-09 season, Terry made the transition to coming off the bench and won Sixth Man of the Year that year.

Terry left Dallas following the 2011-12 season and after a year in Brooklyn and one split in Boston and Sacramento (he was hurt and never played for the Kings), he was traded to Houston on Sept. 17, 2014.

In 2014-15, at age 37, a healthy J.T. returned to form, keying the Rockets’ three-point-heavy attack that attempted and made more three-point feld goals than any team in the League.

In keeping with his M.O. of shooting from the hip, Terry named his all-time teammate team.

020

AS TOLD TO JON COOPER #10

POINT GUARD: JASON KIDD Teammates in Dallas from 20082012 “Jason Kidd obviously is the greatest point guard in my era. He’s the guy that could see the game before the game could even happen. I learned a lot from him and playing in the backcourt with him. We won the championship.”

SHOOTING GUARD: JAMES HARDEN Current teammate in Houston “If I had to pick a shooting guard other than myself, I’d have to pick James Harden.

Right now, he is the upper-echelon of shooting guards in this League. He is the MVP. His ability to not only score the ball at will but to facilitate for others is key. That’s why I love playing with him at all times. It allows me to play off the ball, too. The only thing that surprises me is his consistency.

You see guys come in this League at the shooting guard position and they’ll have stretches where they go for big numbers.

But he’s been so consistent throughout this year. He never really had a drop-off game.

He’s a physical specimen and he’s a tremendously hard worker. You never want to mess with him and I’ve seen that side playing against him since he’s been in the League, when he was in Oklahoma I had to match up against him. He’s always been a tough, tough competitor.”

POWER FORWARD: DIRK NOWITZKI Teammates in Dallas from 2004-2012 “Dirk is THE best foreign-born player ever to play the game. His ability to stretch the defense is second to none and the two-man game that we had in Dallas is the best two-man game ever besides Stockton and Malone. I love Dirk.”

SMALL FORWARD: KEVIN GARNETT Teammates in Boston from 2012-2013, in Brooklyn from 2013-14 “Obviously, his competitiveness, his leadership, his ability to make his teammates better without even scoring the basketball is, bar none, one of the best. I loved my time with him. I played with him for two years and I learned so much. In this League for the last 20 years he’s been someone that guys lose sleep over the night before the game knowing that they have to face a Kevin Garnett team. His attitude, the way he carries himself, all his teams played that way. You knew you were in for a tough matchup that night if Kevin Garnett was on the team.”

TRANSITION GAME

LEBRON JAMES

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CENTER: TYSON CHANDLER Teammates in Dallas from 2010-2011 “It didn’t always show up on the stat sheet but his leadership, his ability to work the pick-and-roll and the way he communicated defensively, he’s my guy in the middle.

Defensively, he’s the anchor. He’s the guy quarterbacking the team.

He’s always communicating, he’s always in position and if you’re not he’ll get you there. He’s the ultimate teammate. This is a guy that is a team-first guy. He couldn’t care less if he scores one point out there on the floor as long as his team wins the game and everybody plays as hard as they possibly can.”

WILD CARD: JASON TERRY “I’m definitely in there. Sixth man extraordinaire, the way I’ve been able to just be consistent over my career, of coming in and being the impact guy on either end of the floor. My competitive side along with my ability to win at all levels is what separates me from the rest.”

BILL BAPTIST (2); ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; LAYNE MURDOCH; GLAENN JAMES; NATHANIEL S. BUTLER (3); ISSAC BALDIZON ; VICTOR BALDIZON; JENNIFER POTTHEISER; GREGORY SHAMUS (2); ROCKY WIDNER; GARRETT ELLWOOD/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; MADDIE MEYER; CHRISTIAN PETERSEN; CHRIS TROTMAN; MIKE EHRMANN (2)/GETTY IMAGES

021

JUMP BALL You must love the game. After all you actually worked with a coach on your jumpshot.

It was pride. I’ve always been athletic and I could always jump and run. I was one of those athletic people that thought he could pick up any sport and play. Once I realized that was not the case with basketball, I had to save face just for myself. I figured out where I was the weakest and that was with fundamentals. Then once that started I really developed a love for the game. Once I learned the language I could watch and understand even more.

You had a couple of scenes on Private Practice where you were playing hoops. Is there a favorite moment or shot from one of those scenes?

That was tough because they always had me in tight shirts, so I could never really play. The fun moments were before we actually shot and we would rehearse. We’d just come in our sweatpants and play two-on-two with the crew.

Your degree from Syracuse University is in musical theater, but the school also has a serious basketball program. Were you the only theater guy who had a passion for basketball and went to games?

I worked at the Carrier Dome, so I was always there, but I was always working.

Obviously, the basketball players were huge celebrities and everyone was starstruck back then. But I wasn’t anywhere near as passionate then as I would be now. I went back last year for homecoming, and I was geeked out watching the players practice.

Who are the NBA players whose games you admire most—present or past?

Coming from a movement background, I still love Kobe. I’ve danced and I’ve always been a mover. So when I look at Kobe Bryant, I see technique, focus and fluidity.

That is something that is a joy to watch. Regardless of where he is in his game or his age or injury, there’s always a beautiful sense of movement that is consistent. The amount of speed that these people have, it’s a trip. Back when AI was playing...the amount of speed. He was always great to watch.

CELEB ROW

TAYE DIGGS For award-winning TV, film and stage actor Taye Diggs, a true love and appreciation for hoops came as an adult. After being disappointed in his performance at a charity basketball game, he started working with a coach to hone his skills. That came in handy when he got to play out some hoops action on his long-running series Private Practice and at the 2007 All-Star Celebrity Game (pictured). Diggs even had an on-court scene early in his current series, Murder in the First. Before the filming of season two of Murder in the First started, he spent some time on the East Coast for a role in The Good Wife. The proximity to two NBA teams proved inspiring.

As a fan of the game, is basketball something you incorporate into your parenting?

The pressure is on more so now than ever for me personally as a father. I have a five-year-old son (Walker). I made it one of my serious assignments to make sure I expose him as much as possible to sports that I love because I have such a deep background in the arts. I want to make sure that he’s as well rounded as possible. I started playing the game late. I got so much joy and there’s so much to learn from sports and literally the game of basketball.

When in New York, do you prefer the Knicks or Nets?

There’s excitement surrounding both. Obviously, at the Garden you have the history. With the Nets, it can be more of a full-day event going out to Brooklyn.

When I have my boy all weekend, we can make a day out of going to Brooklyn.

It’s got all that new, exciting energy.

022

Have you experienced a great game live and in person?

I’m still at the point where every game is an experience [especially] when you get really great seats and you’re [down] on the court. [I sat courtside at] the L.A.-Toronto game where Kobe dropped 81—I have a photo made into a poster. I had never imagined or seen anything like that. It was one of those days where you run out the very next day and you’re hyped because you think you can do everything he did because he made it look so easy.

Do you prefer courtside or box?

I like to see it live and to hear what they’re saying. It’s more of a social situation when you’re in a box. When you’re courtside, I get stage fright. I get nervous just sitting next to these cats. You’re lucky if you catch someone’s eye and they give you that nod. It’s an experience that everyone should be allowed to go through at least once.

Do you view a film or TV project with a basketball team mentality?

I use basketball analogies for everything.

On Murder in the First, do you see yourself as the floor general?

Work is something different. It’s all in the writing. Sometimes I’m point and sometimes I’m number two. I’ve got to think about that this season.

What do you think your son’s future holds—hardwood or the stage?

Hopefully he’ll be an amazing performer and an amazing athlete. Both of them affect people deeply. LOIS ELFMAN #40

ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

JUMP BALL

BY JON COOPER #10 FIRST FIVE

Heat center Hassan Whiteside was a lonely guy as the 2014-15 NBA season wound down.

“Guys don’t even come near me anymore,” says the Miami Heat’s 25-year-old, seven-footer from Gastonia, N.C., prior to a late-season game against the Atlanta Hawks. “They went from just driving all the time at me to now I can’t even get guys to come around me.”

Whiteside has no one to blame but himself.

After all he was the one who rejected advances from anyone that came near him or the rim. The isolation actually began following Miami’s game in Chicago on Jan. 25, when Whiteside torched his favorite team growing up, recording a “triple-dozen,” scoring 14 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking a franchise-record 12 shots. It was not only remarkable because he did it coming off the bench1 but also historic, requiring less than 25 minutes.2 Whiteside, who was originally drafted by Sacramento in 2010 after one year at Marshall and played two years internationally after the Kings waived him, got back on opposing teams’ radar3 in November, shortly after signing with Miami.

Getting the chance to play due to injuries, he became a dominant force in the paint on both ends of the floor,4 reminding Miamians of Heat greats Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal.5 He even drew a comparison to the great Bill Russell from no less a source than Russell’s teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bob Cousy.6 “That’s amazing! That’s a really big compliment, especially when he said he hasn’t said that about anybody else in 40 years,” says Whiteside. “I’m the first one that he’s seen to make him think of him. I know Bill Russell’s all about winning.”

Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra won’t make any comparisons or set any limits.

“I don’t want to put a ceiling on it right now,” he says. “There’s a joy and purity of getting an opportunity. He had to fight and scrap to get back into this League. He has great perspective about that and he’s making the most of his opportunity.”

Whiteside just wants to stay on the road he’s on.

“It means a lot to me that I became a factor in the NBA,” says Whiteside.

“I just want to keep building on that.”

BONUS POINTS 1. According to Elias Sports, since 1973, when blocked shots became an official stat, only Dallas’ Shawn Bradley (22 points, 22 rebounds, 13 blocks on 4/7/98 against Portland) and Utah’s Mark Eaton (12, 14, 12 on 3/13/83 at Denver) had a points/rebounds/blocks triple-dozen coming off the bench.

2. No one has done it in fewer than 25 minutes. Whiteside did it in 24:37, to be exact.

3. Whiteside was originally drafted by Sacramento in the second round, 33rd overall, in 2010, but played in only 19 games and made two trips to the D-League before being waived by the Kings in 2012. After two years playing in Lebanon and China, he twice signed deals with Memphis, but was waived both times, the second time on 11/20/14.

The Heat signed Hassan four days later and after a short stint in the D-League, he came up for good.

4. Hassan led the Heat in rebounding (grabbing close to 12 boards a game), blocked shots (swatting away better than 2.5 shots) and field-goal percentage (scoring at better than 61 percent efficiency).

5. Whiteside’s fourth 20-rebound game pushed him past Zo for the most 20-rebound games in a Heat career. His 20/20 double-double (24 points, 20 rebounds) on 2/4/15 at Minnesota was the seventh in Heat history and first since Shaquille O’Neal went for 23 and 21 on 11/12/04 at San Antonio.

6. Cousy, who played with Russell for seven seasons, told the Worcester Telegram on 3/26/15, ”I have never said this in the 40 years since I retired, but he is the first big guy, not [Patrick] Ewing, [Hakeem] Olajuwon, [Shaquille O’Neal], who reminds me defensively and on the boards of Russell. He runs the floor well, he has excellent timing, he blocks shots and keeps them in play the way Russell did.”

ISSAC BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

21 HASSAN

WHITESIDE CENTER - MIAMI HEAT

023

JUMP BALL

BY BRETT MAUSER #36 FIRST FIVE

27 RUDY

GOBERT

Former NBA commissioner David Stern made trip after trip to the podium—still nothing. It was the 2013 NBA Draft, and Rudy Gobert waited far longer than he expected to hear his name called. Team after team passed on the center from Saint-Quentin, France.

It was a difficult day.

“I felt like I was one of the top five players in the draft,” says Gobert, who finally went 27th to the Jazz.1 “Any team can get you in the draft—they don’t have to trade for you— but these teams didn’t believe in me.2 It’s only given me more motivation to make them pay for not drafting me.”

He’s doing that and then some in his second season with Utah. Gobert’s development3 prompted Utah to trade Enes Kanter, the third overall pick in 2011 and the team’s starting center, to Oklahoma City in February. With more minutes to be had, the 22-year-old has been a doubledouble machine—15 points and 24 rebounds at Memphis in March, 19 and 22 against the Rockets a week later, 13 and 15 in Utah’s win over Kanter4 and Oklahoma City later in the month.

On defense, he has earned an appropriate nickname— the Stifle Tower. Like the monument for which his home country is best known, the 7-1 Frenchman’s presence is unmistakable in the paint, averaging better than two blocks a night,5 good for a top five finish in the League.

On both sides of the ball, the sense is that he’s only scratched the surface, a scary thought for rest of the Western Conference—and doubly disappointing for those who went elsewhere on draft day two springs ago.

“I’m not trying to be any one player,” Gobert says. “I try to take the best of every player I’ve watched and to put everything together. I just want to be myself. I don’t want to be a copy of somebody.”

BONUS POINTS 1. Utah drafted in Detroit’s spot, selecting Gobert while sending its second-round pick (eventually Erick Green) and cash to the Motor City.

2. Gobert feels like he was more of a question mark to the mainstream in comparison to other international big men like Alex Len (fifth overall to Phoenix) and Steven Adams (12th to Oklahoma City), who gained experience and exposure in the college ranks at Maryland and Pittsburgh respectively.

3. Gobert credits first-year Jazz coach Quin Snyder for his all-around development. “I’m more confident, and Coach Snyder is a big part of that. He trusted me, and made sure I understood my responsibilities even though I wasn’t bringing a lot to the table at first. The next thing I knew he was counting on me. I’ve just had to stay very focused and keep doing what I do.”

4. Gobert added three steals and four blocks for a big box score day.

Kanter wasn’t too shabby either: 18 points, 11 rebounds.

5. Even with Gobert’s emergence, the Jazz finished well out of the playoff hunt out west. “The next step for us will be consistency,” says Gobert. “We’ve beaten some really good teams, but we’ve also lost to some teams that we think we should have beaten. Every team is an NBA team, and we need to play everybody the same way and not relax.”

CENTER - UTAH JAZZ

024

MELISSA MAJCHRZAK/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

BY JIM EICHENHOFER #12

CHECK YO MAN

STEPHEN CURRY His elite ballhandling skills have earned him the nickname “The Dry Cleaner” on Steve Smith’s popular weekly under-the-rim highlights package, but that’s far from the only way Stephen Curry causes sleepless nights for defenders. The offspring of one of the NBA’s greatest three-point gunners in the 1990s, Curry possesses arguably the deepest shooting range of any active player. Did we mention he’s also one of the League’s premier passers? With an arsenal like that, good luck slowing down Golden State’s star, but here are a few point guards who give it their best shot when the Warriors are on the schedule.

MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS, MILWAUKEE BUCKS, 6-6, 190 POUNDS “The biggest thing is fnding him in transition and stopping him early. If you can try to do that consistently, I think you can contain him. But it’s tough to stop because he’s so good at driving to the hoop and fnding his teammates.

Of course his outside shot is a problem. I don’t think he’s struggled against anybody, but the most success you can have is making sure you pick him up in transition and make him more of a facilitator than a scorer.”

TY LAWSON, DENVER NUGGETS PG, 5-11, 195 POUNDS “You defnitely try to trap him and force him to come off the ball, and have somebody else make a decision. Because when you’re defending pick-and-rolls, your big man is not going to come up [and switch to get over] the screen, which gives Steph an easy three. Or Steph rejects the screen. It’s easier to just trap him.

When he puts you in a pick-and-roll and picks you off, then it’s just him one-onone with a big man. That’s why most teams try to trap him and contain him that way. But Andrew Bogut and their other guys set good picks, so he gets open a lot. He’s going to get his 24 or 25 points, but you try to disrupt him.”

SAM FORENCICH; ROCKY WIDNER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; KEVIN C. COX; DOUG PENSINGER; MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES

DARREN COLLISON, SACRAMENTO KINGS PG, 6-0 185 POUNDS “Try to stay in his jersey as much as you can. With a player like that, he’s going to get the shot attempts and he’s still going to make some crazy shots regardless, but just try to make it tough on him. What’s worked for me is to just stay as close as possible, not give him too much space. It’s defnitely tough because he has such deep [shooting] range.”

JASON TERRY, HOUSTON ROCKETS PG, 6-2, 185 POUNDS “You’re not going to stop him, but the key to making it diffcult for Steph is to be physical with him and wearing him down throughout the course of the game, giving him multiple defenders, so he doesn’t get the same look every time. Once he gets on a roll shooting, you must deny him the ball and not let him catch it. Because if he catches it anywhere, he has unlimited range. With the ball in his hands, he’s always deadly, but if you take the ball out of his hands, he’s not as effective: He can’t penetrate; he can’t shoot from deep. At that point when he really gets going though, you’re in old-school, college, boxand-one defense.”

025

JUMP BALL BRACK-IT

EIGHT THINGS. ONE UNDISPUTED CHAMP.

BEST PLAYOFF ELIMINATION GAME IN LAST 20 YEARS

1998 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 7, INDIANA AT CHICAGO vs. 1999 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND GAME 5, NEW YORK AT MIAMI

When the Pacers and Bulls met in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Michael Jordan was seeking his second threepeat and sixth career championship. The Pacers were a formidable foe, winning all three games at home in the series and forcing a Game 7 in Chicago. The Pacers led the game in the fourth quarter, but despite Jordan shooting 9-for-25 in the game, the Bulls grinded out an 88-83 victory. The Knicks-Heat series came down to a deciding game 5, and Allan Houston hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to jumpstart the eighthseeded Knicks ultimately headed to the Finals. Choosing between an all-time upset versus a memorable championship team holding on one last time, we’ll go with Jordan and the Bulls.

026

2002 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 7, LOS ANGELES LAKERS AT SACRAMENTO vs. 2006 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS GAME 7, DALLAS AT SAN ANTONIO

The 2002 Western Conference Finals was memorable throughout, and Game 7 was no different. The Sacramento Kings played the little brother role to Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers in the West, and this was their chance to unseat them at Arco Arena. But the Kings shot 16-for-30 from the free-throw line, Shaq and Kobe combined for 65 points, and the Lakers prevailed in overtime. In 2006, the Mavericks had a 3-1 lead on the Spurs, and were up by double digits in Game 7, but the Spurs came back and were up three with under a minute left. Then, Dirk Nowitzki drove to the rim and made his layup and was fouled by Manu Ginobili.

Nowitzki tied the game with his free throw, and the Mavs went onto win in overtime. Two ridiculous overtime finishes, but given the stakes of the Lakers-Kings series, it’s moving onto the next round.

2001 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS GAME 7, TORONTO AT PHILADELPHIA vs. 2002 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND GAME 5, INDIANA AT NEW JERSEY

The 2002 series between the Raptors and Sixers was an individual showcase for Allen Iverson and Vince Carter. But Game 7 was all about Vince, who flew to North Carolina for his graduation earlier in the day, then played later that day, and missed a game-winning attempt at the buzzer. Some may forget the Pacers-Nets series, but Game 5 featured an insane finish, when Reggie Miller hit a game-tying three at the buzzer from just inside half court. The Nets would prevail in overtime, but it was an iconic game because replays showed Miller released the shot after the clock hit zero, which prompted the League to implement instant replay the next season. Still, Iverson-Carter was a once-in-a-generation showdown.

2000 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 7, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT L.A. LAKERS, GAME 7 vs. 2009 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND GAME 7, CHICAGO AT BOSTON

The Trail Blazers blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter in Game 7 against the Lakers, allowing Shaq and Kobe to make it to their first Finals together, capping off one of the most incredible comebacks (or chokes, depending on your perspective) in playoff history. On the other hand, the Bulls and Celtics randomly delivered perhaps the most memorable first round series in League history. Games 1, 3 and 5 went to overtime, Game 4 went to double overtime and just to top it off, Game 6 went to triple overtime.

The Celtics would win Game 7 by 10 points. In terms of meeting expectations based on how the rest of the series had gone, we give the edge to the Blazers-Lakers series.

BY STEVEN LEBRON #88

1998 ECF GAME 7 vs.

2002 WCF GAME 7

The similarity of these two series, aside from Phil Jackson presiding over both Game 7 victors: Both series winners went onto complete a threepeat in the Finals. The difference? A few things. First, the stakes were arguably much higher for Lakers-Kings, since the Western Conference Finals essentially decided the championship because the East was clearly the inferior conference (the Lakers would go on and sweep the Nets in the next series). While the Bulls’ Game 7 victory over the Pacers was impressive, it wasn’t even the most memorable game in that postseason for Chicago, not with Jordan eventually hitting the game-winner in his final game in a Bulls uniform in Game 6 of the Finals against the Jazz. Also: Shaquille O’Neal had 35 points and 13 rebounds on 12-for-25 shooting and more importantly, 11for-15 from the line. Kobe added 30 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. And they were on the road. It was also the last big game the ShaqKobe duo would ever play together.

2000 WCF GAME 7 vs.

2002 WCF GAME 7 2000 WCF GAME 7 vs.

2001 ECS GAME 7

Carter’s graduation and Iverson capping off an incredible series made Raptors-Sixers one of the best Game 7s in recent memory, but Blazers-Lakers is in a whole different class because you could argue it was the best fourth quarter comeback in not just elimination game history, but playoff history.

The Kobe alley-oop to Shaq to clinch the game late is iconic, and without the comeback, who knows how the Kobe-Shaq partnership would have played out. It started them on their way to three consecutive championships, and when you look back and realize how different their legacies would be without that comeback win, it’s hard not to argue that Blazers-Lakers deserves to move on.

JESSE D. GARRABRANT (2); NATHANIEL S. BUTLER (3); ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN (3); FERNANDO MEDINA; ROCKY WIDNER (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; ELSA; TOM HAUCK (2); RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

It’s the start of the threepeat versus the end of it. A case can be made for both, whether it’s more difficult to win that first championship, or survive multiple playoff runs and win a third title when everyone is gunning for you. It’s the fourthquarter comeback at home versus an overtime win on the road at one of the most hostile arenas in the League. The 2000 Lakers were supposed to win. They hired Phil Jackson that year, Shaq was in his prime and Kobe was coming into his own as a superstar. They led the series 3-1, and it should have never gotten to that point. The 2002 Lakers? It could be argued they were underdogs against the Kings.

They fell behind 2-1 in the series, and 3-2, and then had to win in Sacramento in a deciding Game 7.

To get that victory and cap off three consecutive titles? That makes the 2002 Game 7 more memorable and impressive.

Best Playoff Elimination Game in Last 20 Years: 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 7

027

JUMP BALL

BY STEVE HUNT #29

5

MARREESE

SPEIGHTS

FORWARD - GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

FIRST FIVE

Marreese Speights has an important role off the Golden State Warriors1 bench: Provide instant offense. Through 69 games, Speights was averaging a career-best 10.7 points per game, a number which pleases first-year Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.2 “He’s one of the best shooting bigs in the NBA and it’s great to have him out there with our second group because he can provide instant offense for us,” says Kerr.

Now in his second season with Golden State,3 Speights’ off-the-bench scoring prowess earned him a nickname: “Mo Buckets.”4 With this being his fifth year in the League, Speights been around long enough to realize some nights coach calls your number and other nights he doesn’t. The important thing is to not take anything personally and to be ready for when he does get some minutes.

“I’m just really blessed to have the opportunity to be on a good team like this,” says Speights. “Sometimes I might not play, but when I do, I make sure I give my best. At the end of the day, you got to sacrifice to win a championship, so if that’s what it is, I’d trade it for a championship5 any day.”

028

BONUS POINTS 1. Speights wears #5 with the Warriors, his favorite number.

He also wore it in Memphis. But he couldn’t get the digit in Philadelphia, choosing #16 instead, and Cleveland, where he went with #15.

2. Early in the season, Speights had to earn Kerr’s trust and show he could play every night.

3. Speights previously played with current Warriors teammates Andre Iguodala in Philadelphia and with Shaun Livingston in Cleveland.

4. There is some debate about who first coined the nickname “Mo Buckets.” Credit belongs to either teammate Brandon Rush or Warriors assistant coach Bruce Fraser.

5. Speights played on Florida’s national championship team in 2007 as a true freshman before the 76ers made him the 16th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

GLENN JAMES/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

FIRST RIDE

TIMOFEY MOZGOV

KNOW YOUR NEWB

NIKO MIROTIC CHICAGO BULLS

Since March 1 you’ve led the NBA in fourth quarter scoring. How does that make you feel?

I didn’t even know. Sometimes I hear what people say, but I try to stay focused on playing well. One month is good, but it’s nothing new for me. I know that I can play, especially in the last quarter because I’ve played some really important games in Spain and taken some important shots, too. This is just one small part of my best basketball and I think people will see really soon what else I can do.

In Russia, you get a driver’s license at 18. I started to drive a little bit early like everybody in Russia. My first car was a BMW 735i. It was 20 years old so it was like the same age as me.

It had some problems, but I fixed everything.

Right now I don’t have time even if I want to.

It was a long time ago, I had free time. I would do some things with my hands, simple stuff.

There was just a regular stereo, not like how guys put in here. I didn’t have money. It was a car for $2,000, so it was a stereo for a $2,000 car. It was just loud, that’s it [laughs]. I fit well in it. It’s still BMW, so even after 20 years, it’s BMW quality. It was black and on the side it was like black with red. One day, I had a bet with my brother and I lost to my brother so as a man I say I lost the bet and I gave it to him. When I moved here my first car was a Chevy Camaro.

I drove American cars before, like a Chrysler Sebring—that’s really American. My dream car would be a Lamborghini, but it’s never gonna happen because I can’t afford that [laughs]. I’m a big car guy. It doesn’t mean I have a lot of cars, but I love them.

For Chicago Bulls fans, Niko Mirotic was like the equivalent to Santa Claus: When he shows up, you know he has a lot of gifts with him, you’re just not sure if he’s actually real. After years of waiting for Niko to finally make the trip to America (Mirotic was the 23rd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by Houston before being traded to the Bulls on draft night), his arrival in the Windy City has been nothing short of refreshing.

With a variety of skills outside of just shooting the ball, Mirotic has established himself as an integral part of the Bulls’ core going forward. But coming to a new country and being a rookie in the NBA comes with a steep learning curve and measure of culture shock.

So far, Niko has taken it all in stride.

How much fun has the NBA been for you so far in your rookie year?

It’s been really fun. It’s been tough too, especially in the beginning of the season. I wasn’t playing a lot. I’m living in a new city with a new lifestyle—everything was different. I think I’m having more fun now because I’m playing and getting more minutes; I feel important.

How do you like Chicago?

Chicago is a great city. The people are great, the franchise has a great history; I feel lucky to be a part of this organization. My family is here to support me, so I have everything I need.

RANDY BELICE; JESSE D. GARRABRANT/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Do you feel like a rookie and do your teammates treat you like one? Do they make you bring donuts or wash their cars?

Actually, I just washed a car yesterday... No, I’m kidding. I don’t feel like a rookie. I know that I am because it’s my first year in the NBA, but I played professionally in Spain for five years and won five championships with Real Madrid. But I’m lucky because I’ve played on teams that are popular and have a history of being good. My teammates don’t talk to me like a rookie or treat me like one. They really respect me and trust me on the court and that’s a really good feeling. It’s helped me a lot.

What was All-Star in New York like?

That was a big experience for me. It was really good.

For me, it was important to take part in All-Star in any way because it’s my first year. It was good to be there and it was a lot of fun. And after [the Rising Stars Challenge] I flew to Miami with my family to take some days off.

How hard is it to maintain that beard?

Not too difficult. The hardest part is growing it because it gets really itchy. But now it’s easy.

Do you regularly get food stuck in it? [laughs] Sometimes. When you have a big beard like this you get food stuck in it here and there, so you need to take care of it. Especially when you’re going somewhere. You want to make sure it’s clean.

You look like the rapper Rick Ross with the beard. Do you know who that is?

No. I don’t really listen to rap music that much. But if you showed me a picture I might know. [shows picture of Rick Ross] Damn! That’s a nice beard.

We’re gonna call you Niko Ross from now on. [laughs] OK. That’s fine. BRYAN CRAWFORD #26

029

JUMP BALL

BY MELODY HOFFMAN #34 FIRST FIVE

7 MO

WILLIAMS

Mo Williams has played in the NBA for 12 years and he remembers his career-high night as if it were just a few months ago. Well, that’s because it was just a few months ago. This season the 32-year-old proved that after a decade-long career he can still splash shots and put up big numbers.

“It’s funny, you play so many games in the NBA and some of those days...the energy level is just not there,” Williams recalls of the night he torched the Pacers for 52 points.1 “A lot of things were not going right throughout the day.

I remember it was cold. I remember sitting in the locker room and not even going to warm up before the game; I just got mentally prepared. Then all of a sudden I had 15 in the first half. I got in the rhythm and then the third quarter I think I had 25 or something like that…it was an amazing night. It’s unexplainable. You get in that zone. Definitely a milestone2 that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

Charlotte picked up the penetrating, playmaking point guard Feb. 10 in a trade3 with Minnesota. In his first game donning a Hornets jersey, Williams saw the challenge of playing for a new team at mid-season and raised it with a team-high 24 points and game-high 12 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In fact, in Williams’ first 12 games for the Hornets, he scored in double figures.4 “I am an instinctive5 player and I pick up on things pretty quick. There were a few things [head] coach [Steve Clifford] put in for me that made it real easy for me to adjust and I was able to go out and play comfortable, free of mind and get the job done.”

BONUS POINTS 1. Williams played for the Minnesota Timberwolves 1/13/15 when he scored his career-high 52 points. That game broke a Timberwolves 15-game losing streak and broke the franchise record set by Corey Brewer and Kevin Love’s 51 points. It is tied for the fourth-most points this season.

2. Another honor Williams said that he would treasure is being the first player to earn the Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Week in the same season. “It may not be a big deal for everybody, but for me it is. Being the only person in the history of the NBA to ever do it, it’s a great honor.”

3. Charlotte is the seventh franchise that Williams has played for in his NBA career so change is nothing new to the vet. The trade allowed Williams to fill the void of Kemba Walker, who was sidelined after knee surgery.

4. Four of those double-figured games were points-assists doubledoubles. From the 2/10/15 trade through the month of March, Williams averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 assists for the Hornets.

5. “The flow of the offense has a lot of my strengths,” says Williams, who is a strong outside shooter and a wise decision-maker. “We run a lot of pick and rolls, a lot of triple screens catch and shoot and we play out the post a lot with Big Al Jefferson.” Williams also says having Jefferson, a close friend on the squad, helped with the midseason adjustment. “We’ve been teammates twice throughout our careers, in Utah and now here. We go back from Mississippi about 15 years. It’s beyond basketball with us. We’re hometown homeboys.”

GUARD - CHARLOTTE HORNETS

030

KENT SMITH/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

0

NUMEROLOGY

On 3/8/15 Tim Duncan didn’t make a field goal in a game for the 1st time in his career,* going 0 for 8 in 28 minutes. This was the longest such streak, spanning 1,310 games (1,545 including playoffs), beating Hakeem Olajuwon (1.075 games from 1984 to 1999) and Michael Jordan (1,072 games from 1984 to 2003). Before his 0-for night, the last time Duncan didn’t make a field goal was during his freshman year in Wake Forest.

15

The Golden State Warriors became just the 10th team in NBA history to reach 67 wins in the regular season. Of the other 9 teams to reach at least 67, only 2 (the 1972-73 Boston Celtics and 200607 Dallas Mavericks) failed to win the NBA Championship in the same season.

The Miami Heat became the first team since the 2004-05 Lakers to miss the playoffs the year after appearing in the Finals; Russell Westbrook became the first scoring champion to not make the postseason since Tracy McGrady in 2003-04.

The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic combined for the lowest scoring quarter in the shot-clock era when both teams totaled just 15 points, “besting” the previous futility record of 18.

On 3/15/15, Anthony Davis became the 1st player since blocks were recorded (1973-74 season) to record at least 36 points, 14 rebounds, 9 blocks and 7 assists in a game. Davis also became the second player (along with David Robinson) to ever notch more than 30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 blocks and 7 assists.

36/14 /9/7

67

1,000/700

For the 14th time, Duncan reached 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in a season, tying him with Elvin Hayes and Karl Malone for No. 2 all time. He needs 1 more to tie Moses Malone, who has 15 1,000/700 seasons.

21,926,548 The attendance for the NBA in 2014-15, besting last season’s mark of 21,841,480.

25

LeBron James tied the record for the longest streak of at least 25ppg in consecutive seasons with his 25.3 ppg in 2014-15. It was the 11th consecutive time he’s topped 25 ppg, tying the mark he now shares with Jerry West, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan.

NYK17, LAL21 The New York Knicks and Los Angeles

Lakers both set franchise lows in wins.

The Knicks totaled just 17 while the Lakers won just 21 times.

* Duncan did make a field goal in the game, inadvertently tipping in a missed shot in the other basket, but Joakim Noah got credit for the basket.

FERNANDO MEDINA; C. CLARKE EVANS; LEBRON JAMES; LAYNE MURDOCH JR./NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

031

JUMP BALL HEAD 2 HEAD

Mike Conley vs. Jeff Teague

So many of the NBA’s top playoff teams are led by famboyant point guards who are so famous we don’t even need to say their last name anymore. Steph...CP3...Kyrie...Tony …Dame…and so on.

Jeff or Mike? No such frst-name recognition there.

Jeff would be Teague, a frst-time All-Star in 2015, but only after injuries opened up a Cinderella spot for the Atlanta foor general.

On the fipside, Teague’s Western counterpart Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies was bypassed for the All-Star Game once again, thus keeping his title as probably the best NBA player yet to play in an All-Star in his career.

So with this lack of shine in mind, we thought it best to focus the spotlight on two standout point guards who deserve some shine at playoff time, especially considering their teams rank among the NBA’s top fve this season.

01 Scoring: Saying Jeff Teague is a better scorer than Mike Conley is like saying the 2013 Heat were better than the 2013 Spurs. It is a true statement, but only by the narrowest of margins. Such is the case when sizing up Teague versus Conley as scorers. Both are essentially 16 points per game scorers this season while playing 31 or 32 minutes per game. The only reason we give Teague the advantage here is that his 16.1 points in 30.7 minutes per game converts to 18.9 points per 36 minutes, while Conley’s 15.9 points in 31.8 minutes per game converts to 18.0 points per 36 minutes. Teague also edges Conley in true shooting percentage, .571 to .558. It also did not hurt Teague’s case that—in seven games—the Hawk pumped in a 19-point average in 34.6 minutes per game during the 2014 NBA Playoffs, while Conley maintained a 15.9 scoring average in 38.1 minutes per game in seven postseason contests.

Advantage: Teague.

Jeff Teague

Guard, 6-2, 181 pounds Atlanta Hawks Conley

Teague

G

69

68

MPG

31.8

30.7

PPG

15.9

16.1

RPG

3.0

2.4

APG

5.4

7.0

SPG

1.3

1.7

TOPG

2.2

2.8

FT%

.859

.870

2FG%

.474

.498

3FG%

.383

.352

3sPG

1.5

1.0

ORPM

+2.91

+1.58

DRPM

-0.80

+0.66

RPM

+2.11

+2.24

Key: G games; MPG minutes per game; PPG points per game; APG assists per game; RPG rebounds per game; SPG steals per game; TOPG turnovers per game; FT% free throw percentage; 2FG% two-point feld goal percentage; 3FG% three-point percentage; ORPM offensive real plus-minus; DRPM defensive real plus-minus; RPM real plusminus.

Sources: Basketball-Reference, ESPN, NBA

032

02 Floor Game: Not many in the League can set a table like Conley, whose +2.91 Offensive Real Plus-Minus ranks 11th among point guards this season, while his +4.28 ORPM of 2013-14 rated sixth among NBA PGs. Conley may not run the fastest of paces—the Grizzlies are 26th in 94.3 possessions per game—but that is only consistent with his chess-like dissemination of the basketball that helps Memphis rank top 10 in both assist ratio and low turnover ratio. Still, Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer has worked wonders with Teague’s foor game, helping his Hawks point guard elevate his -0.22 ORPM of 2013-14 to a +1.58 score in 2014-15. In many ways, Coach Bud has helped the 26-year-old Teague become a Tony Parker-like point guard in Atlanta’s Spurs-like motion offense (remember, Parker was not thought of as a natural point guard when he frst joined the Spurs as a 19 year old).

Advantage: Conley.

BY DARRYL HOWERTON #21

03 Defense: In years past, Conley would have won this category, but Teague’s marked development as a defender—best illustrated by his improved DRPM (from -0.80 in 2013-14 to +0.66 in 2014-15) helps make his case here. It probably helps Teague that center Al Horford is healthy this season, allowing him to team up with fellow All-Star Paul Millsap in manning the paint, which allows Teague freedom to roam the passing lanes on D. This season, Teague’s steal rate has risen from 1.1 to 10.7 per game, while the team’s defensive rating has improved while he has been on the court as well (from 109 in 2013-14 to 105 in 2014-15).

Meanwhile, Conley has been solid on D, but not the plus defender he has been in previous seasons (he has a -0.80 DRPM in 2014-15), with close observers saying that second half of the season injuries have contributed to that regular-season drop-off.

Advantage: Teague.

Mike Conley

Guard, 6-1, 175 pounds Memphis Grizzlies 04 Leadership: Conley credits Damon Stoudamire, now an assistant coach with the University of Arizona, with mentoring him during his rookie season in Memphis. From that point on, Conley has been able to cultivate his no-nonsense, game-managing persona, which now makes him the leader of the Grizzlies’ Grit ’n Grind offense. Teague, meanwhile, grew up on a playoff contender that featured Horford, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith as its leaders. As Johnson and Smith gave way to Millsap and Kyle Korver, Teague assumed a leadership role for himself and is blossoming under the role as Coach Bud’s signal-caller. Still, Conley has leadership credentials that few in this League have, chief among them taking a lowly franchise like Memphis, which was 44-120 in his frst two Grizzlies seasons, to annual 50-plus win status the past three seasons (four, if you count the 2010-11 lockout season when Memphis won 62 percent of its games).

Advantage: Conley.

05 Intangibles: Conley likes viewing the point-guard position as a 48-minute role that is not only flled by him, but also by 32-yearold teammate Beno Udrih, who is Conley’s frst teammate in years that has elder status on him. They work in tandem, with Udrih being a great resource that Conley knows he can tap into during a long NBA season. Conley likes to think very few, if any, teams can match wits with both Conley and Udrih, who has two championship rings, in a 48-minute contest. And judging from Udrih’s 39th-place ranking in RPM scores (he is -1.12), Conley may be right. Only Golden State, Portland and Indiana could make cases that they have two better PGs than Memphis in 2014-15. As for Atlanta, 21-year-old Dennis Schroder (-2.09 RPM) is not quite the same complementary piece for Teague just yet, though both Hawks guards have shown rapid development in Coach Bud’s system these past two seasons.

Advantage: Conley.

The Verdict These point guards, as illustrated time and time again, are more similar than different, and as the years go by, it is getting harder and harder to differentiate the two. Who knows? By the time the 2015-16 season arrives, these two could be in a dead-even heat while leading their teams to the top of the conference charts. In the meantime, though, we’re going to stick with Conley, whose deliberate, old-man game gets his city 50 wins, year after year after year.

DAVID SHERMAN; ALLEN EINSTEIN; SCOTT CUNNINGHAM; NBA PHOTOS/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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JUMP BALL

BY CHRISTOPHER CASON #24 FIRST FIVE

44

While injuries have long been a hindrance to the potential and progress of both players and teams alike, they often provide opportunities to those hungry to prove their worth.

Such is the case for Indiana Pacers’ Solomon Hill.

In the absence of Paul George and the offseason departure of Lance Stephenson, an opportunity opened up for the second-year1 forward. Hill picked up the responsibility of slowing down the game’s most dangerous perimeter threats as his commitment and competitive nature on the defensive end made him an ideal fit with the Pacers’ grind-it-out style.

“Defense is first and foremost,” says Hill. “I want to be able to guard 1 through 4. Defense is what’s going to get me on the floor. Nothing is owed to me, as far as play calls or anything making it easy for me.”

On offense, Hill says he’s still adjusting on when to be aggressive2 and when to take what the defense gives him.

He spent most of last season as a spectator,3 but leaned on George and veteran David West4 for guidance in patience and being ready.

“Even before Paul5 got hurt,” Hill says.

“I knew, this year, an opportunity was going to present itself and I just wanted to establish who I was.”

BONUS POINTS 1. Hill was an all-Pac 12 selection each of his final two seasons at Arizona and finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding in 2012-13.

2. Hill scored a career-high 28 points in a 97-90 loss to the Washington Wizards on 11/8/14.

3. Hill served a two-game stint last season for the Pacers’ D-League affiliate the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He averaged 17 points, 3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game.

4. Hill on West: “The way he carries himself on and off the floor is what being a professional is all about.”

5. Hill on George: “He’s a rising superstar. I’m always trying to pick his brain because of what he’s done in such a short amount of time in the League.”

SOLOMON

HILL

FORWARD - INDIANA PACERS 034

RON HOSKINS/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

PERIPHERAL VISION

DAVID DIAMANTE

BROOKLYN NETS PA ANNOUNCER

The differences between watching a game live and on television are like the differences between eating a Kobe beef burger and a Whopper. But when sitting in the stands, whether it’s up top in the nosebleeds or courtside, the one aspect missing from a live experience is the play-by-play call to keep you informed of the particulars of the game.

Brooklyn’s David Diamante has been the voice of the Nets’ home games at Barclays Center since the arena opened in 2012. As Brooklynites are wont to do, he has already developed a style of his own, from his waistlong hair, sharp suits and fedoras, to his signature call of “Brooklyn ball.”

Before a game, do you do any throat exercises?

I smoke a really nice cigar. I own a cigar lounge, so before I came here I sat in my car and smoked a beautiful Diamante’s Robusto and was ready to go. From what I understand it’s probably the worst thing that someone could do. [laughs] It’s just what I do. I have defnitely been warned against the cigar smoking.

Do you keep lozenges or water nearby during the game to keep the throat moist?

I do like hot black coffee, because the warmth I feel makes the vocal cords really resonant, but water’s always a backup.

What happens if you get sick?

I don’t get sick. [laughs] Even if I get sick, I muscle through it. I try to stay really healthy. It’s a product of really everything — diet, exercise and also lifestyle.

Doing the things you love and keeping a positive outlook I think is really important. I like to be really active and I get my sleep.

How did you come up with your “Brooklyn ball” signature call?

It was just during a game. I think one of the things about the Brooklyn Nets coming to this borough, Brooklynites, it can take them a minute to warm up to REID KELLEY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

something. There was a pivotal moment in a game, like a turnover, and I said, “Traveling. Brooklyn ball,” and I expected a big reaction and there wasn’t really one. It was organic. So I yelled “I said, ‘Brooklyn ball!’ ” I never thought of it before. I think those are the best calls.

I try not to overuse that. I try to use it at a pivotal moment in the game to really get the crowd going.

If you overdo it, it becomes corny or annoying. It’s important to me to know it’s not about me. It’s about the players and the game.

Have you tried to introduce things and they fell fat?

I don’t want to ever be too shticky. My favorite announcer, Bob Sheppard of the New York Yankees, was kind of a standard. He always said be clear, concise and correct. I always try to stick to the three Cs. I want to be informative and let people know what’s happening in the game. But if something does happen then I’ll jump in with it.

When you called the Rising Stars Challenge, how long did you study the international names?

A lot of those guys I had called before. One thing I’m very good at is language and pronunciation and I do a lot of international travel. When I see different names, I really love the phonetic challenges that come with that. When you’re prepared for what you do in anything, you’re gonna do well. I try to make sure to talk to the publicist for the other team and make sure I get the names correct phonetically. It’s not just for the players, but also say someone singing the anthem. It could be the smallest thing but I try to be a real stickler for details. I don’t take this job lightly. It’s something I love to do.

How long have you been calling boxing and are there overlaps with basketball?

Over 10 years. There are similarities, but many, many differences. During a boxing match I’m not calling the action, just the beginning and the end.

With basketball, obviously it’s continuous. Another difference is in boxing, I’m always Switzerland, I never choose a side ever. I really try to maintain an air of neutrality. In the NBA, I always try to be fair and never do anything inappropriate, but I’m pro-Nets. I am the Nets announcer. You never say, “Let’s Go Nets” when the ball’s crossed midcourt. When a guy’s at the free throw line, you never say anything. In the right parameters you try to be pro-Nets.

Are you from Brooklyn originally?

I was born in Baltimore. My family’s from Brooklyn, fve generations, and I’ve lived here for many years.

What’s your interaction like with the players?

Guys will come up when they’re checking in and make comments or make a joke. I always try to say their name correctly and give them props.

Any other pregame routine?

Before the intros I typically say a little prayer to myself. I always give a little fst bump to [scorekeeper] Herb Turetzky to my left and [senior director, game presentation] Paul Kamras on my right, because we’re a team up at that table. So many people ask me about the players, but a lot of the guys I’m involved with and look up to are the guys behind the scenes. It’s like a family.

How many people were at the open tryout for the gig?

Like 400 I think. The fnals there were about 15 to 20. It’s one of those things where I think you go in and for some reason I felt like this was my gig. I had been building a tool belt through my life geared for something specifcally like this, not necessarily knowing it. I feel so passionate about the borough of Brooklyn because of my family history here. It’s where I own my business. There’s something about Brooklyn that has always spoken to me. My mom always told me about the day the Dodgers left. The day the Nets announced they were moving to Brooklyn, I was like, “I’m in.” It seemed a perfect ft.

Did you play ball?

Absolutely. I’m not that good. I still play ball right here on the blacktops in Brooklyn. I live in Bed-Stuy [Bedford-Stuyvesant, a working-class neighborhood located two miles from Barclays Center] and go to the local courts and play pick-up.

Do you watch the game differently as a PA announcer?

One thousand percent. I see things now—it’s amazing, I understand the game on a much deeper level. You see the interactions between the players, coaches, referees, you hear the small minutiae on the court, things TV might not pick up. A lot of the action that happens is not around the ball, it’s off ball movement.

I’m a sponge around Herb Turetzky, he just had his 1,300th consecutive game. I appreciate the game much more.

What can you do to prepare to become a PA announcer?

No. 1: Know the sport. It really helps to know what’s going on. Listen to other PA announcers. Try to hone your skills. I got into boxing and I wasn’t gonna become a pro fghter and I loved the pageantry of the announcers. I did it on a very small level. I did a lot of volunteer work. I announced really small fghts in Brownsville, Yonkers, sanctioned fghts in the streets in the Bronx. I did it because I loved it. And in doing that I built relationships. I watched videotapes and got constructive criticisms. Go to the blacktop in your neighborhood, watch games and call it.

SETH BERKMAN #91

035

JUMP BALL 24 SECONDS

with ZACH LAVINE

HOOP: Congratulations on winning the #GQstylewars.5 LaVine: Thanks. I wanted to show people I’ve got some style, but also win some money for charity. I haven’t decided which charity I am going to donate the prize money to yet, but it will go to help underprivileged kids.

HOOP: How would you describe your style?

LaVine: I would say smooth. My look fits my personality, not too over the top, but a little flashy.

HOOP: Do you shop for yourself, or does your girlfriend help you, or maybe a personal stylist?

LaVine: I shop for myself, for the most part. My dad helps me out a little bit now and then. But I’m always picking up on fashion trends on Instagram, from East Coast to West Coast to European styles.

HOOP: Tell us about your relationship with Andrew Wiggins.

LaVine: That’s my guy. He’s one of my best friends on the team and he is the Rookie of the Year in my eyes.

HOOP: How did your rookie season1 go? Was it what you expected?

LaVine: I had high expectations for myself. Some goals were met and some weren’t, but I thought it went really well. I gained some experience and improved my game.

HOOP: What were some of the highlights or most memorable moments for you?

LaVine: All-Star Weekend was one of the highlights. Having my family come out and see some of my better games.2 And just playing against some of the best players in the NBA and getting used to that, because I want to do that for the next 16 years, as one of the stars of the game.

HOOP: Did you ever feel out of place or overwhelmed coming into the NBA as a teenager?3 LaVine: No, not really. I always felt like I belonged.

HOOP: You mentioned All-Star. Did you think you had a good chance to win the Sprite SlamDunk Championship4 going into Saturday night?

LaVine: I knew I had some good dunks planned. I just had to execute. But I wanted to go out there and have the best experience I could, make my family proud, and put on a show, because we’re entertainers.

HOOP: Those gold kicks were entertaining.

LaVine: Yeah, something different. They were sweet.

HOOP: We hear you collect Jordans?

LaVine: I have a decent amount. You know, all kids grow up loving Jordans, and I’m a Nike guy, so...

HOOP: So they must keep you stocked on retros...

LaVine: [laughs] Every once in a while.

036

HOOP: What does the future hold for the two of you together?

LaVine: I’m looking forward to growing with him. You know, we’re both very confident players and we want to be the best. We want to have long careers and get this team to be playoff contenders year in and year out.

HOOP: The Bounce Bros.?

LaVine: Yeah, I don’t know who came up with that, but I like it.

HOOP: Who would win a game of two-on-two, the Bounce Bros. or Splash Bros.?

LaVine: Ohhhh...you know what, I always pick my talents. So I’ve got to pick me and my boy, but that would be a challenge. Those guys are two of the best in the world.

HOOP: Bounce Bros. is pretty good, but it sounds like Cookie Monsters could work, too. Is it true you raid the cookie tray in the press room?

LaVine: [laughs] How did you hear about that? We’re still young, so we like to get cookies before the game.

HOOP: What’s your first pick in the cookie draft?

LaVine: I mix it up. Sometimes chocolate chip, sometimes peanut butter or sugar cookies. Every once in a while, they’ll have snickerdoodles, which are really good.

BY JERAMIE MCPEEK #4

HOOP: How has it been having KG as a teammate?

LaVine: It’s been great. He’s been a big influence, making everyone talk more. He’s always telling funny stories, but he can be serious, too. He is focused on winning and we are learning from that.

HOOP: Were you intimidated or nervous at all when he came into the locker room for the first time?

LaVine: No. Not at all. There was an article that said I was scared, but I have never been scared of anybody in my life. No, we really connected.

My locker is next to his, so I’m just soaking up everything I can from him.

HOOP: How do you like living in Minnesota? It’s a little colder than it was for you growing up in Seattle, or playing college basketball at UCLA. LaVine: It was definitely an adjustment. I had to get some jackets. But I like it. I’ve never lived in a downtown area before and the people are really friendly.

HOOP: How about the Juicy Lucy?6 LaVine: That was really good. It’s a hamburger with hot melted cheese inside. I didn’t know what it was before I had it, but it was life changing.

HOOP: Wow, that’s strong! They should put that in the restaurant window.

LaVine: Maybe I can get an endorsement.

HOOP: Tell us about throwing out the first pitch for a Twins game.

LaVine: That was really fun. They were playing against my favorite team, the Angels, and I got to see my boy Mike Trout7 play.

HOOP: We hear you were quite a baseball player yourself growing up.

LaVine: I was actually better at baseball than basketball as a kid. I played center field, had good range. But I stopped playing in eighth grade. Basketball was just more exciting to me. But I think I would’ve been drafted if I had kept playing in high school. I still go to the games and hit every weekend.

HOOP: Your father played football, right?

LaVine: He did. He played linebacker for the Seahawks.8 He played baseball, too, and was drafted by the Phillies out of high school. But Dad is the reason I’m here. He drives me, keeps me shooting and working on my game, wants me to be the best I can be.

BONUS POINTS 1. The 13th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, LaVine averaged 10 points, 3.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds a game his rookie season.

2. LaVine scored 28 points on 11-of-14 from the field in a November win over the Lakers, becoming just the second teenager (Kobe Bryant) in Association history to put up 25 points and hand out five assists in a game.

3. The 6-5 guard turned 20 on 3/10/15.

4. ICYMI LaVine rocked Jordan’s No. 23 jersey from the 1996 film, Space Jam, for his first of back-to-back perfect 50 dunks, en route to the dunk crown.

5. Check out Zach’s #GQstylewars looks on Instagram: @zachlavine8.

6. Next time we’re in Minny, we’re hitting up Matt’s Bar! 7. LaVine and Trout traded digits. “I’m looking forward to hitting him up and attending some Twins games this summer,” Zach added.

8. Paul LaVine played one NFL season.

DAVID DOW; CAMERON BROWNE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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Game of Thrones

The on-court skirmishes are what you see, but the key to the kingdom lies behind the battlefield.

By Seth Berkman #91

NOAH GRAHAM/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

038

K

evin DiPietro has arguably has most stressful job in the League come playoff time.

His actions are depended on by the entire Toronto Raptors organization. Name not ringing a bell? You won’t fnd DiPietro announced during starting lineups, or on the backs of jerseys and T-shirts sold at the Raptors team store.

But just like everyone else repping the North, in April, he becomes an intent scoreboard watcher as the playoff race begins to take shape.

While the Raptors are taking care of business on the court, DiPietro is making sure their accommodations for the postseason are ft to a T-Dot.1 Pros are creatures of habit, singularly focused on one goal. Everything must be in sync to grab the LOB trophy—one misstep and you’re gone fshin’.2 Recently, HOOP played the role of psychiatrist, interviewing a group of players and team personnel, having them lay down on our illusory couch to divulge just what it takes to be successful in the spring. The transformation from regular season standout with a model that works through 82 games can quickly go awry once the feld is whittled down to 16.

We’ve pieced together input from current and future Hall of Famers, plus guys you wouldn’t recognize if they were sitting next to you on a bus (but with vital inside knowledge nonetheless). Our results are sporadic, with very few agreements on what the best formula is for success (hint: When in doubt, it doesn’t hurt to just listen to what the folks in San Antonio3 have to say).

Of course, if everyone knew the blueprint, what fun would that be? Consider this our backstage pass as we go behind the curtain of the NBA playoffs and show you the inner workings of the greatest show on earth.

039

Come playoff time, Kyle Lowry believes in sticking to what works.

was on the horn.

“From my standpoint, I love going to smaller cities,” he says. “Milwaukee for me would be a piece of cake compared to Washington.”

In cities closer to Toronto, the coaching staff may even decide to fy back home in between road games. So DiPietro is in constant contact with Dwane Casey.

“We really do put the hotels at this risk of not getting their rooms out and then we don’t want to let them give out the rooms and then we can’t get back in,” DiPietro says.

Last season proved to be a vital learning experience for him. The Raptors fnished the season at the New York Knicks and would be coming back in a few days to play the Brooklyn Nets in the frst round. For the last seven years, the team had stayed at the same location in SoHo, but when DiPietro called back to confrm the booking—the team reserves rooms for the duration of a series, just in case it lasts the full seven games—there were not enough spaces. DiPietro scrambled to fnd a hotel that the Raptors had never stayed at before, in a different part of town.

“You don’t like to do that in the playoffs when teams and coaches are used to staying in a hotel,” he says. “We’re used to a pattern. That’s the challenge when it comes to playoff time when it comes to what we do.

Last year, I was scared to go to my management and tell them.”

DiPietro was also concerned as to how star Kyle Lowry would take to the change, as he stays in the same hotels in certain cities even without the team for events like All-Star. “To now say, ‘Kyle, we’re staying at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park,’—the restaurants are different, the area’s different, shootarounds are different, bus commutes are different.”

In case you forgot, the Raptors lost to the Nets in seven games, dropping two of three games in Brooklyn. No one blames DiPietro, but you can bet he won’t make the same mistake again.

†††††

†††††

Watch any team warm up before a game4 over a period of time and you’ll likely see numerous patterns develop. Take the Raptors as an example.

DeMar DeRozan furiously dribbles two balls5—one with the right and one with the left—while nearby, Jonas Valanciunas stays glued 12 feet away from the basket6 and Amir Johnson carves out his land at the free throw line.7 The habits of a pro are hard to crack and extend throughout a player’s life,8 24/7. This includes the restaurants they eat at, the beds they sleep in, even the neighborhoods they feel most comfortable around.

DiPietro is the Raptors’ travel manager. But his life is far from what Jason Alexander portrayed in a similar role on Seinfeld. (To our knowledge, he doesn’t sleep under his desk, nor has he lobbied adidas for cotton uniforms.)9 DiPietro is always on the move, seemingly at the whim of his players.

Need ticket requests fulflled 30 minutes before tipoff? DiPietro is your man. But he is more than just a facilitator of perks. In fact, there may be no one in the organization who plans as far ahead to make sure the roster is put in the best situation possible for the next game. That pressure is only magnifed in the playoffs.

As the 2014-15 regular season was in its fnal month, DiPietro was already making hotel arrangements for where the Raptors could have been fying to for the frst round of the playoffs. With matchups often not fnalized until the fnal day of the season, he must make sure that a road hotel has enough rooms to accommodate players, staff and a growing roster of family and media members on short notice.

This season, once it became clear the Raptors would be playing the Washington Wizards10 or Milwaukee Bucks in the frst round, DiPietro

Once a team clinches a playoff berth, the entire staff behind the scenes enters a new mode. Arena staff sometimes only has a day or two to redecorate the interior and exterior. With “whiteouts”11 and other fan movements growing in popularity, that means someone has to lay out 18,000-plus T-shirts on every seat in an arena before each game.

Media relations representatives feld dozens, sometimes hundreds more news outlet coverage requests and that can mean everything from upgrading WiFi networks to adding more televisions for writers, to rearranging seating to accommodate the growing number of press.

As the stage is being set, the stars of the show are trying to channel their own personas as the curtain is lifted.

One big change for the players is the amount of practice time in April and after. With teams sometimes playing four games in fve nights and other hectic caveats of the regular season schedule, practices become sparse and often are not long enough to implement serious change.

Alex McKechnie is a Raptors assistant coach and director of sports science. Originally from Scotland, he moved to North America in the 1970s and worked for the Los Angeles Lakers12 before moving to Toronto.

Over his career, he’s learned how valuable postseason practice time becomes.

“The actual postseason gives us a lot more time to do a lot more stuff,” McKechnie says. “The regular season is such an intense, compressed workload, there’s not a whole lot of practicing you can do. You have the opportunity to concentrate some on something you work on in practices.

We actually have more time to work with places.”

Part of McKechnie’s duty is to study what process provides the maximum effect on his players. Because he doesn’t like to interfere with anyone’s

040

RON TURENNE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

sudden become a plodding, post-heavy offense.

Last year, the Spurs’ methodical machine proved to work best, but there are contenders that have been priming strategies in preparation for the playoffs for months.

One thing that has been proven time and time again is that postseason new jacks,13 no matter how good they are from October through April, fnd the brighter lights harder to adjust to.

When the Indiana Pacers made their frst playoff appearance in fve years in 2011, Paul George14 did not know what to expect. Coming from the smaller market of Indianapolis, with every game now on national television, the playoffs became a different beast.

“It’s huge,” he says of the newfound focus. “We’re not used to it.”

The Pacers, as the eighth seed, fell to the Chicago Bulls in fve games in the frst round.

It would have helped if George had some savvy veterans on the roster. Glen Davis, who For many players, including Tim Duncan, everything stays the same in the postseason. played with the Boston Celtics during their 2008 championship run, was initiated15 into the playoffs by some of the best.

“I was fortunate to play with KG, Ray Allen and all those guys,” he says. “They intensifed it because they’d been there and they lost and they wanted to win.”

Over the years, George has played in three more postseasons, posting better numbers16 each time out. He says playbooks get smaller and teams begin to focus on “bread-winning plays.”

“At that point everyone knows what everyone is doing,” he adds. “It’s really about picking out a set group of plays and making sure you execute them perfectly.”

But does that mean you can’t have an ace up your sleeve, one you hold back just for the postseason?

George was coy when asked about the subject. Of course, it is a secret.

“Every team has a wrinkle,” George says.

“Whether it’s a new play or a play you’ve Even high-octane teams like the Warriors slow it down, adding more rest into their schedule. been running but we throw a wrinkle into it to pregame routine during the season, the postseason sometimes becomes change it up a bit.” the time to let loose some new tricks of the trade.

Dwyane Wade says teams often use counter plays more. But all of his “Everybody’s pregame routine, you don’t want to touch that at all,” he tricks have just about been exhausted. says. “You have to be able to work around those areas and infltrate some “After 12 years,17 I ain’t got nothing else in the bag,” he says. things in different ways, introduce different things over a period of time “Everything’s been out the bag and put back in the bag again...you just try slowly so it becomes part of the routine.” to go out there. Some of it’s about your focus, some of it’s about your will, This season, that has included new nutrition plans, sleep studies and your toughness and all that. The skill part of it, it is what it is.” changing practice and shootaround times, and working with DiPietro to Lowry notes some of the fair also goes away. “You don’t go to the crazy change travel arrangements to maximize recovery. lob plays,”18 he says. “You go to things that are going to work.”

“Hopefully they can carry over to the playoff run,” McKechnie says.

Lowry mentioned how he changes his diet somewhat after the regular season, eating lighter and devoting his focus on the next game and getting ††††† to the next round.

So what do the headliners think of all this tinkering? While many teams “You gotta be on your Ps and Qs19 at all times,” Lowry says. take an overall similar approach, the devil is in the details. Every club is While current players seemed to concur that it’s very rare new plays are set on the strategy that got it here—you won’t see the Warriors all of a added in the postseason, Dominique Wilkins says his old Hawks teams ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; NOAH GRAHAM/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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PLAYOFF APPEARANCES FROM 2005-2014 PLAYOFFS 30

GAMES PLAYED

25 20 15 10 5 0

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2011 2012 2013 2014

YEARS

FIVE RULING FAMILIES OF THE PAST 10 YEARS

Perennial playoff squads like the Spurs and Clippers are so familiar with each other that it comes down to execution and intensity. actually received fatter playbooks.

“Every guy gets a playbook on his player that he’s guarding,” he recalls.

“You gotta know what that player does inside and out.”

In fact, when ’Nique was trying to take down Larry Bird20 and Michael Jordan, it felt like he was back at Georgia, studying for fnal exams.

“The game slows down in the playoffs,” he says. “People see if you can play a halfcourt game. Possessions are precious. You gotta be able to limit your turnovers in the playoffs. We used to watch flm after flm after flm21 to prepare ourselves for our opponent.”

The current head coach of the Hawks feels teams will rely on the things “you know you’re gonna execute on a really high level,” but there will be times when a team needs a boost and you go to a play that is unscouted.

“But whatever you do in the playoffs, you gotta do it well,” Mike Budenholzer says.

††††† A common denominator among players was that they try not to deviate too much from their routines on or off the court.

“Your preparation should be the same throughout,” J.J. Redick says.

“I don’t think guys are necessarily superstitious,22 but routine is very important to athletes and maintaining that routine is huge.”

In no shock to anyone, the Spurs abide by this rule of thumb: Tim Duncan says that while the intensity of games go up, he doesn’t try to make any sharp changes in his daily regimen in the playoffs if something isn’t working.

“I try to keep it as regular as possible,” says Duncan. “All in all, I don’t 042

When we originally dug into the data to fnd the most successful playoff teams of the last decade, we had some pretty solid hypotheses: the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat would likely be at the apex, but did a team like the Los Angeles Lakers have enough to crack the top fve, given Kobe’s diminishing durability in recent years?

All in all, we slept on the consistency of the Dallas Mavericks, as well as the ability of KG, Ray and Truth’s Boston Celtics teams to make deep runs over a short period of time. (Not to mention overrating the recent success of teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls, while the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons just missed the cut.)

Here are the top fve playoff teams from 200514, ranked in order of games played. [Ed note: We understand a team can sometimes have a dominant stretch, sweeping through teams in the early rounds, lowering their total games played output—such as the 2013-14 Miami Heat—but as the numbers show, longevity equals success.]

1. San Antonio Spurs 3 championships 152 playoff games 92-56 record .605 win percentage 2. Miami Heat 3 championships 141 playoff games 90-51 record .638 win percentage 3. Boston Celtics 1 championship 106 playoff games 59-47 record .556 win percentage 4. Los Angeles Lakers 2 championships 105 playoff games 59-46 record .562 win percentage 5. Dallas Mavericks 1 championship 95 playoff games 49-46 record .516 win percentage

change a whole lot.”

Duncan adds that he treats off days the same way. Chris Bosh,23 however, stays indoors more during the playoffs, turning off the TV. But when it comes to game time, his repertoire mostly stayed the same.

“I think you’re kind of stuck in your ways,” Bosh says. “You do what works. That’s not the time to change it up. You have to approach it as any other normal game.”

Not all players just become shut-in cyborgs during the playoffs.

Patrick Beverley24 feels it’s important to remain loose, despite the stakes on the line.

“I think you have to continue to be yourself, continue to do the things HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES

Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins can recall from experience that in the playoffs, the game slows down and every possession is magnifed.

Other teams like the Chicago Bulls prefer to ramp things up during the NBA's "second season." you do,” says Beverley, while noting that he did weight train more after the All-Star break and into the postseason. “If you go bowling the night before games, you have to continue doing what you do. You can’t get caught up. You gotta continue to have fun out there.”

The biggest change is the emphasis on recovery time, from players both young and old.

“You try to get as much rest as possible,” Klay Thompson says. “You try to not think about basketball all the time, because the postseason is fun, but it’s a grind.”

Not surprisingly, one team that apparently bucks the trend is the Chicago Bulls. Jimmy Butler says his team “turns it up a notch” throughout the playoffs, ready to outwork any and all challengers.

“You do everything a little bit harder, put in a lot more extra work,” he says. “When the playoffs come around, that’s when it gets real.”

So there you have it folks. It’s time for the backstage tour to end and the show to begin. Before we go though, let’s check in one more time with our pals in San Antonio.

Any loquacious words of wisdom as to why you’ve had so much postseason success?25 “We just try to play together on offense, play good defense—last year, it was amazing how we moved the ball,” Marco Belinelli says. “We’re just gonna try to do that again. It’s not gonna be easy, but that’s our mentality.”

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it?

BONUS POINTS 1. The T-Dot nickname has been around, but lately Toronto has also been going by simply 6.

2. For more than a decade and now an annual postseason rite, the crew at TNT notoriously Photoshops exiting postseason teams into a situational pic where they’ve “gone fshin’” for the offseason.

3. In the 2014-15 season, 9 of the NBA’s 30 teams had either a general manager or head coach that plied their trade under Gregg Popovich.

4. Try to arrive 90 minutes before tip-off and venture down to the expensive seats to observe one of the most interesting peeks at an NBA team or player.

5. DeRozan has improved his ballhandling skills over the past few seasons, especially his left hand.

6. Of Valanciunas’ 652 feld-goal attempts in 2014-15, 577 of them have been inside 10 feet.

7. A 69 percent shooter from the free-throw line, Johnson struggled this season at a career-low .612.

8. Ray Allen was legendary for his meticulous pregame shooting routine that would take place 3 hours before a game.

9. Alexander, who played the character of George Costanza, held the job of assistant to the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees on the show. He infamously built sleeping quarters underneath his offce desk and had the team play in cotton uniforms, which were more comfortable, but shrunk in the laundry.

10. Booking in D.C. in April can be a nightmare. As the weather gets nicer and the cherry blossoms come out, tourists fock to the nation’s capital.

11. The NHL Winnipeg Jets (now Phoenix Coyote) get credit for being the frst sports team to institute the “whiteout” in a 1987 playoff game. The Miami Heat were the frst NBA team to do so.

12. McKechnie won titles in 2009 and 2010 with the Lakers. He didn’t get into sports science and training until he moved to the U.S., after graduating college in England.

13. In 2014-15 the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans were new to the playoffs after having missed the postseason the previous season.

14. PG13 was just a rookie with 61 games under his belt at the time.

15. Davis saw a scant 8.1 minutes per game in 17 postseason contests in 2008.

16. George has averaged 6.0 ppg, 9.7 ppg, 19.2 ppg and 22.6 ppg in his four playoffs before this season.

17. Wade has played 152 playoff games in that time span.

18. Teams are less apt to do anything that can be perceived as showing up an opponent since the next game is only a few days away.

19. The term has British roots, meaning to mind one’s manners and behave properly.

20. On 5/22/88 the Atlanta Hawks went up against the Boston Celtics for a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifnals. If you don’t know, go to YouTube immediately. Wilkins and Bird combined for 81 points, at one point trading baskets in an in-game contest of one-on-one, one that saw Wilkins win the individual game with 47 points but Bird winning the team game as his Celtics prevailed, 118-116. Bird later said, “I played in a lot of great games, and it’s hard to rank them. They’re all different, you know. I know I felt one thing after that game: It was the best one I ever played.”

21. Pretty meta, considering Wilkins’ nickname was the “Human Highlight Film.”

22. In years past, LeBron James has sworn off social media and taken to reading in solitude during the playoffs. Jason Terry once broke every broom in his house to avoid a playoff sweep.

23. In March, Bosh announced that his recovery from a blood clot in his lung was on schedule and that he should be on track to resume basketball activities by September.

24. Beverley missed the 2015 playoffs due to a wrist injury.

25. San Antonio has not missed a postseason berth in the past 18 seasons. During that time span (excluding this season), they’ve played an NBA-best 239 games, with a record of 149-90 and fve championships.

043 GARY DINEEN; DICK RAPHAEL/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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By Michael Bradley #53

James Harden has been teaching the basketball world that there’s plenty more beneath the beard.

T

he curators of the GIFs, vines, memes and other representations1 of the rather cavalier approach to defense James Harden often took in seasons past wouldn’t have been too happy in the waning moments of Houston’s late-March meeting with Washington. Though the hobbled Rockets had exercised sufficient control over the proceedings throughout the matinee, they weren’t exactly closing things out so ruthlessly when Wizards guard Bradley Beal found himself alone on the left sideline with less than 30 seconds remaining and Houston holding a 97-91 advantage.

Harden had glided back to stop a Washington break and was positioned in the paint as a last line against John Wall’s anticipated penetration. Instead of trying to reach the hoop, Wall dished, and Beal loaded up for a three that could have made things pretty tight. Beal rose and launched, but Harden flew toward him and blocked the shot cleanly, a huge play that sent the Verizon Center crowd scurrying into the strangling downtown traffic. Forget for a moment how infrequently we see outside shots swatted away and consider that it was Harden—who had often treated defense as a contagion during the early part of his career2—who performed the game-clinching act.

“He’s playing defense this year,” says teammate Corey Brewer before the game. “When I was playing against him [for five-plus seasons], and watching, I would say, ‘He’s not trying.’ Now that he knows he wants to win, and we’re trying to win a title, he’s playing defense. That’s what he has to do. He can play defense.”3 Harden hadn’t been his usual efficient self on the offensive end of the court during the game, shooting just 7-of-20 from the floor and missing five of his six three-point attempts—although he did attempt 10 foul shots (making nine)—en route to 24 points. His late block demonstrated his heightened commitment to playing winning basketball. Rather than allow Beal to take his shot and then hope to make everything all right on the next offensive4 possession, which Harden most certainly had the ability to do, he anticipated the play and decided things with the kind of behavior that doesn’t often appear on his highlight reel. The block gave further juice to his MVP candidacy but was even more important in terms of Harden’s desire to become a winner, rather than just a scorer.

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“We really didn’t think he would make a big step forward like he did. I have said that if we knew he would become an MVP candidate, we would have traded everything that wasn’t bolted down.”—Daryl Morey He got a taste of the champion’s life last summer, when he was the alpha on a team of hard chargers, the USA Basketball national team that stomped its way to the FIBA World Cup.5 Harden led the team in scoring (14.2 ppg), no big surprise, but he also was tops in steals. He showed that he was clearly among the best of the League’s younger vets (more established stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony didn’t participate while Kevin Durant pulled out late) but also learned about the value of being considered a winner, rather than just a producer. It’s a feeling that carried over into the 2014-15 season, and it’s a big reason why instead of remaining in that D.C. painted area that March Sunday, he chose to attack the shot.

“That entire experience helped me,” Harden says about playing in the World Cup. “Being around all those great coaches and great players6 gave me confdence to go out there and play at a high level at both ends of the foor every single night. It just carried over into the preseason and throughout this entire season.”

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Offensively, Harden is the prototypical Rocket,7 someone who takes 70 percent of his shots at the rim or from behind the arc,8 an analytics ideal who specializes in getting to the free-throw line9—often drawing the ire of opponents in the process—but can also set up his teammates when defenses deploy too eagerly against him. In fact, he may be the archetype for the NBA guard over the next half of the decade, someone who eschews the midrange game in favor of layups or foul-drawing sorties to the hoop and whose long-range efforts are generally of a threepoint favor.10 It’s quite a switch from his frst three years in the League, when he was the third option in Oklahoma City. But he learned last year that one-dimensional players don’t win in May and June, so Harden decided to diversify his game, adding more defense and passing, with tremendous results. The Rockets won the Southwest, despite playing without Dwight Howard for half the season, and the MVP decibel level rose to greet the League’s newest all-around force.

“Last year in the playoffs, we had a tough playoff loss to Portland,” Houston coach Kevin McHale says about the Rockets’ six-game, frst-round defeat against the Blazers. “I think he found out that being frst-team all-[NBA] and making the All-Star team, none of that stuff matters if you don’t win. I think in the last year, he really looked hard and said, ‘I’ve got to be a better defender, I’ve got to do whatever the team needs me to do to win,’ and he’s been like that since the start of the season.”

A typical Harden game when he was in high school was something like this: 16 points, six or seven rebounds, and six or seven assists.

That’s a great line for a team-frst facilitator, but it’s not exactly the kind of performance that drives college recruiters to your games in droves. As such, Harden was largely ignored his frst two years at Artesia High School11 in Los Angeles. Things changed considerably before and during his junior season. In the summer after his 10th-grade year, he led Pump-n-Run Elite to the Las Vegas Super 64 AAU title, a spree that included wins over teams led by Michael Beasley and Kevin Love. Harden then averaged 18.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 3.5 apg to drive Artesia to a 33-1 record and the California state title.

That stretch put Harden into serious college play. It also presaged his NBA career, as he started quietly, only to build his play and reputation as he became more comfortable. When Harden was drafted by OKC, the Thunder already had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the roster. And though Harden was an All-American and the Pac-10 Player of the Year, he was clearly seen as a complement to his teammates, even though they weren’t much older than he was. So, he came off the bench, building his minutes and production but remaining a quiet contributor BOB LEVEY; SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES; BILL BAPTIST/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

“Drawing fouls is an art, and he’s very good at it.”—Kevin McHale

PHOTO

and never being seen by those in and around the League as a potential breakout performer.

“James was always a great playmaker,” says an NBA executive. “It wasn’t until he went to Houston that he became a scorer. In high school, James was a Manu Ginobili or Brandon Roy type player. He wouldn’t get you 30, but he would get 18, with six rebounds and seven assists.

“That was always his mindset. He wanted to be an all-around basketball player.”

If, by all-around, one refers only to the offensive end, then Harden certainly qualifed. Even as a bench performer he was capable of creating for himself and his teammates, but he did so rarely. When he was teamed with Durant and Westbrook, Harden was deployed more as a shooter designed to exploit defenses that concentrated on Westbrook’s fearless drives to the basket and Durant’s growing offensive repertoire.

Harden was often found in the corner, waiting for the kickout. He could set people up, but usually when he was with the reserve unit. He didn’t get a chance to be too creative when paired with the Thunder’s stars. When Harden’s fourth year in the League dawned in 2012, it was evident he would continue in his third-option role12 moving forward. That wasn’t the kind of job he wanted, and it wasn’t thought worthy of a max contract. Besides, even if OKC general manager Sam Presti wanted to pay Harden the max, he couldn’t do it.13 And that’s how Harden ended up in Houston. GM Daryl Morey, a frm believer in accumulating assets in order to be capable of taking advantage of a unique market situation just like

047

Harden’s—good player on the cusp of greatness that his present team can’t afford—was ready to pounce.

The six-player, one-pick trade brought Harden and his desire for a secure fve-year max deal14 to Houston and caused some to wonder whether Morey had moneyballed his way into a boondoggle. Harden was a third scorer, not a superstar, and no one in the League envisioned him as such. His highest scoring average in OKC was 16.8, and it required an imagination not readily available to consider him as a 25-a-game producer.15 When the deal was made, Turner’s Charles Barkley said the Thunder had feeced the Rockets, who had surrendered potent wing Kevin Martin, a past frst-rounder (Jeremy Lamb) and a future frst-round pick16 for a player many considered to be not much more than a secondquarter standout.

“We really didn’t think he would make a big step forward like he did,” Morey says. “I have said that if we knew he would become an MVP candidate, we would have traded everything that wasn’t bolted down.”17 Almost immediately, Harden transformed himself from sidekick to headliner. He has been an All-Star all three years in Houston, and his scoring average has surpassed 25 a game each season. McHale says that being a third option means opponents spend fve minutes preparing for

“Being an MVP doesn’t just mean you score a lot of points or make all the assists. Can you elevate the play of your teammates? He’s done that consistently.”—Jason Terry you, while main men get 25 minutes of attention. Harden has countered that treatment with some extra work of his own. “[It has been] a lot of study, a lot of study and watching flm,” Harden says. “A lot of extra work on the court just to build my confdence and build my efforts to become the player that I am right now.”

Harden is the last Rocket to speak after the win over the Wizards. While teammates completed their postgame rituals, and Trevor Ariza and Josh Smith discussed offseason vacation destinations, Harden sat, placidly in front of his corner locker with his feet in a tub of ice water, scrolling through messages on his phone. To his right, Dwight Howard held court on his recent return to the team. The game against Washington was his third since returning from a knee injury, and despite his looking understandably rusty in 19 minutes of action, his spirits were high. He felt good, although McHale said before the game Howard wouldn’t be playing in any back-to048

backs for the rest of the year. That meant the next night’s meeting with Toronto would be an off night for the big man. He was smiling for the media, though, especially when he was asked about Harden’s big block.

“I’m surprised he got up there,” Howard said. “He’s usually not known for blocking shots.18 That’s what MVPs do.”

Before Harden would talk to the assembled tape recorders and cameras, he wandered about the locker room, looking for someone to handle the knotting of his black bow tie. That’s what MVPs do when they don’t know how to tie one. He eventually gave up and met the press with the two ends dangling from his neck, as if it were the end of a formal affair, and he was ready to go home. He answered questions matter-of-factly, without any resentment about having to delay his departure.

Did you think you would block Beal’s three?

“Yeah. I knew where he was, and they needed a three. They were down six. We wanted to take away the three-point shot. I just got there and tried as best as I could.”

Were you impressed by the contributions of (backup guards) Pablo BILL BAPTIST; (3)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

FOUL PLAY It’s very easy to watch Harden play and assume he’s fopping or purposely causing a foul. All great scorers have understood and relied on the free throw (unobstructed 12-foot shots that add a foul to the opponent) to beef up their production. It’s defnitely been a big part of Harden’s scoring output this season; he scored a League-best 8.8 ppg from the free-throw line, becoming just the 11th player to top 700 makes from the charity stripe. But pay close attention and you’ll notice how Harden’s game— be it natural or by design—attracts the whistle-blowers

Harden the beneft of the whistle.

He’s most known for the Euro step, crossing up guys on his fnal two steps, many times fummoxing the defender to just reach out with his arms (especially since he’s usually employing the cookie jar move across his body at the same time) and getting the automatic call. He’s also

Sixth Sense It’s tough to quantify this ability that many great scorers share. Some of it is forged from reputation, but it’s mostly the ability to gauge how a defender is guarding you and then exploit it for a foul. Some might call that “foul creation” but Harden and other greats would label it crafty.

Harden is known to employ a move he dubs “the cookie jar” where he holds the ball out, tempting the defender to take a swipe or poke. Once he senses you going for it, he’ll raise up, leaving his man caught red-handed and with one less foul. He’s also a master of utilizing angles on the court, taking a path a few degrees over that would draw contact, be it with his body, off arm or even legs.

ball move, particularly his hesitation dribble, to throw his man off sync.

Sometimes the result of that is a failing defender prone to committing a foul, other times it’s just getting his man on his hip where he can then put him in a position where he’ll foul.

Of course his pet move stepback jumper causes plenty of anticipating defenders to lunge at him, leaving them vulnerable to a pump fake.

confusing shotblockers who end up whiffng at air, or worse yet, getting a piece of Harden as the ball still fnds its way in.

Southpaw It’s such a simple and basic advantage that Harden has, being lefthanded. Not enough is made in basketball analysis of this. Just like in baseball, where lefties have always gotten a production boost facing righthanded pitchers, Harden uses his natural preference to good results. The NBA by and large is very righthanded, making guarding a

adept at changing up the range of his steps. Sometimes he’ll take the big man giant strides, catching a help defender out of position; or he’ll take two pitter-patter steps and go up before his man can set up to contest; and he’s known to combine both to effective results.

Timing

Ballhandling When you think of dribbling moves, you might frst picture a defender left in the wake after a crossover or hesitation move while the dribbler rises up for a jumper or an open layup.

Harden has left his men as crumpled messes before, but he’ll also use a

Footwork The foundation of every supreme scorer lies in the feet. Just look at Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and even nimble big men like Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal. Good balance and footwork means you stay in balance while defenders are left on rickety footing, giving

SCOTT HALLERAN; MIKE EHRMANN/GETTY IMAGES; RON HOSKINS; NED DISHMAN; BILL BAPTIST (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

If Harden were a pitcher, he wouldn’t be one that rears back to impress speed guns. No, he’ll be the cagey strike zone painter (think Greg Maddux) who baits you with stuff off the paint, changing speeds and lulling you to sleep before unleashing a 90-mph pitch that looks every bit as fast as a 100-mph one. Harden is no slowpoke, but he sets it up with little jerks and subtle movements, maybe stopping and jabbing, throwing your timing off enough before he hits you with a quick step. When he gets into the teeth of the defense, he mixes a variety of release points and angles,

lefty a new wrinkle to the usual. The defender might be using his right hand to thwart against Harden’s lefthanded shot, leaving him open to more contact. The tendencies of a righthander are all mirrored with the lefty, adding an often overlooked dimension. It’s defnitely the most subtle aspect of Harden’s ability to get a call, but not one that should be overlooked.

049

Prigioni and Nick Johnson?

“Once again, we’ve got a few guys out, so there's an opportunity for other guys to step up. Pablo did a great job of picking up pace. He and Nick were really aggressive, fullcourt picking up defensively, tiring their guards a little bit. They did a phenomenal job of playmaking as well. It was a great team effort.”

It’s ftting that Harden spoke last. Even on a team with Howard, he is the primary star. That’s the kind of season he had. In 2013-14, Harden was outstanding, scoring 25.4 ppg and helping Houston to a 54-28 record.

He was an All-Star and a frst-team all-NBA choice. But losing to Portland in the frst round practically erased all that. After the series, people were talking about Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who hit the buzzer-beating triple to dispatch the Rockets.

“Being an MVP doesn’t just mean you score a lot of points or make all the assists,” Houston guard Jason Terry says. “Can you elevate the play of your teammates? He’s done that consistently.”

Harden’s increased commitment to each night’s verdict and his more robust production—10 40-plus point games, 27.4 ppg and the secondhighest percentage19 of a team’s offensive output in the League— demonstrate his growing appreciation of the need to help Houston win, rather than just look good during the regular season. In the process of developing into a frst-tier star, Harden has begun to redefne the guard position. In the NBA’s frst few decades, there weren’t such stark delineations of lineup responsibilities. Guards played guard. Forwards played forward. The specialization started in the 1970s, and since then we have looked for pure points and scoring wings. Well, Harden is a throwback of sorts. He creates. He scores. And he does so as the ideal manifestation of Houston’s analytics-based approach, in which the area between the basket and three-point line is to be treated as if it were flled with crocodiles.

“He puts so much pressure on a defense,” Terry says. “We have a plan of attack, how we like to play and it’s all predicated on attacking the defense.

If the layup’s there, we’ll take it. If not, we’ll take threes when the defense has collapsed. It’s a big part of our game.”

Harden is an advanced metrics geek’s dream, logging a 26.76 PER, fourth in the NBA. He was second in the Value over Replacement Player20 category, the League’s version of baseball’s WAR. Harden led the League in free throw attempts and shot a strong 37.5 percent from three-point range.

In other words, he lights it up from long range and excels at getting fouled

BONUS POINTS 1. Sadly, in sports, players are boiled down to six seconds or a few frames, all played in an endless loop.

2. Harden’s defensive win shares this season was a personal-best 4.2.

3. By every defensive metric—blocks, steals, defensive win shares, defensive rating—Harden has improved.

4. Harden’s 12.2 offensive win shares trailed only Chris Paul’s 12.9 in 2014-15.

5. USA went 9-0, routing opponents by an average of 33 points per game.

6. Harden was joined by fellow MVP fnalists Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis on the roster.

7. The Rockets shot 2,680 threes this season, besting the second-place Cavaliers by more than 400, and Houston made 933, both of which were new NBA records.

8. Harden and teammate Trevor Ariza were tied for the team lead in three-point attempts with 555.

9. Houston was second in the League with 2,133 free-throw attempts.

10. We’ve termed it the 1-2-3 player. One for free throws, 2 for layups and 3 for three-pointers.

11. Located in Lakewood, Calif., Artesia is a public high school that has seen its share of notable basketball alumni besides Harden: Tony Tolbert, Charles O’Bannon, Ed O’Bannon, Jason Kapono and Tony Farmar.

12. He was quite good at it, taking the Sixth Man of the Year trophy in 2012 for his 16.8-ppg, 4.1-rpg and 3.7apg season.

13. The Thunder had previously maxed out Durant and Westbrook while inking forward Serge Ibaka to a fouryear, $48 million extension.

14. After the trade, the Rockets promptly offered and agreed to a fve-year max deal with Harden for $80 million.

15. Many good players can top out at 20-ppg, but the great ones can push it another fve points per game.

16. Which subsequently became Thunder center Steven Adams.

17. True statement. The 2011-12 Rockets overachieved with a ragtag lineup that featured Luis Scola as their primary offensive weapon.

18. Harden did block a career-best 60 shots this season, almost doubling his previous high.

19. Harden’s former Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook (who also edged Harden for the scoring title) was frst with 27 percent to Harden’s 26.4.

20. Harden (7.8) was just a tick below Stephen Curry’s 7.9.

(see sidebar)—even if there are those around the League who criticize him for just trying to get fouled at the hoop and not trying to score all the time once there. McHale is certainly cool with that.

“Your job as a player is to put the referee in a position to have to blow the whistle,” he says. “So, you attack and attack as much as you can, and [defenders] reach. He’s strong with the ball. He’s not afraid of body contact, getting to the hole. There’s a knack to it. At 14, 15, 16, somewhere along the line, you learn how to get fouled. If you haven’t learned how to get fouled by the time you get to our League, you aren’t learning how to get fouled. He learned as a young kid how to draw fouls.

“Drawing fouls is an art, and he’s very good at it.”

These days, there doesn’t seem to be very much Harden isn’t good at—except perhaps fguring out a bow tie. He fashioned a robust MVP campaign from the ashes of last year’s playoff disappointment and in the process established himself further as the Modern Guard, a hole-driving, foul-drawing, long-ball-drilling playmaker with the wins and the numbers to back up his argument. Oh, yeah, he plays defense now, too.

Imagine that. A whole lot of people couldn’t, once upon a vine.

050 SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES; LAYNE MURDOCH/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Travel to your heart’s content – the ref won’t mind.

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The

6’s 6th

Lou Williams’ career went from going south to becoming the Sixth Man of the North.

By Holly MacKenzie #32

L

ou Williams spent his first weekend in Toronto repping OVO.1 Before hip-hop superstar and Raptors global ambassador2 Drake was “Boomin’ out in South Gwinnett like Lou Will” on his mixtape, Williams took the court with Drake’s Team OVO for the annual summer OVO Bounce Basketball tournament3 held in Toronto.

The trip was Williams’ first to the city since being traded4 by the Atlanta Hawks to the Toronto Raptors, and fell into place after Williams received a call from Drake.

“I thought he was calling on behalf of the team or something, but he was just welcoming me to the city,” says Williams. “He was the first person to bring me here when I got traded here. He called me and said he’d love for me to come and play on his team in the pro-am.”

The weekend gave Williams his first glimpse into the growing basketball culture in Toronto. Williams, a year removed from surgery for a torn ACL, spent the 2013-14 season with his hometown5 Hawks trying to rediscover the speed and quickness that had been his trademark in the first eight years of his career.

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Fast-forward nine months and Williams is at the Royal York Hotel. His family, friends and high school coach are seated in the hotel’s ballroom to watch him be presented with the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.6 Teammates DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Chuck Hayes are on hand.

DeRozan is pouring a bag of Miss Vickie's salt and vinegar chips into his mouth. There is a KIA Sorento LX SUV sitting in the middle of the third foor of the hotel. Williams will donate7 it to The Remix Project, a program that helps young people from disadvantaged communities who are trying to enter creative industries or further their formal education. A lot has happened for Williams since that frst weekend in Toronto.

••••• Last year, when the postseason hit, Williams and the Atlanta Hawks faced the Indiana Pacers.8 When the Hawks weren’t playing, though, Williams found himself tuning in to the frst-round series between the Raptors and Brooklyn Nets. He was drawn to the battle between the young Raptors and the veteran Nets. He didn’t watch any other playoff games, but kept going back to the Toronto-Brooklyn series because he was rooting for the Raptors to advance. He knew a young Kyle Lowry from his days in Philadelphia and admired his tenacity. He enjoyed the spirit shown by the fans, and thought Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri was “pretty dope.”

Eight weeks after the Nets eliminated the Raptors from the postseason with a one-point Game 7 victory, Williams was a Raptor. Being traded by his hometown team was an odd experience, but not nearly as diffcult as the road back from his injury.

“It was scary,” says Williams. “Once I tore my ACL, I said early on that was the closest I felt to retirement. You don’t know what’s ahead — the fear of not knowing, as people say. I didn’t know what kind of player I’d be. Once I fnally got back on the court, I realized I couldn’t jump as high. I wasn’t as fast. It takes me a little while to get my legs going. It’s a frightening thing.”

During the rehabilitation process, Williams had support from his high school9 coach, Roger Fleetwood. When Fleetwood frst saw Williams when he was 14 years old, Fleetwood knew he had the talent to make it all the way.

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“He had 10 seniors and a scrawny freshman and he had the heart to start the scrawny freshman over the seniors,” says Williams of Fleetwood.

The relationship between the two became much more than basketball with Fleetwood picking up Williams and driving him to school every morning. The two had plenty of time to talk. The most important lessons were taught in the car, not on the court.

“He’s such a proud guy,” says Fleetwood. “He did not want to end his career that way [after the injury in Atlanta]. He worked really hard. He’d never had any adversity like that before. It made him a better man. It made him a stronger man. It made him more committed to being a professional, to coming back and playing the same way.”

Shortly before Williams moved to Toronto to begin his frst season with the Raptors, his parents threw him a surprise party. Drafted straight out of high school in 2005,10 Williams is now 10 years into his career and his family wanted to honor a decade of service in the NBA. Fleetwood was there.

“I told him I thought this would be his best year,” says Fleetwood. “I could tell from looking in his eyes that he had the commitment and he had the want to come show everybody he was still Lou Williams. He could still play. Even if he isn’t as quick as he was when he came into the League, he’s getting pretty close to getting back. He’s still pretty dog-gone quick.”

There was never any doubt over the role Williams would play in the minds of team captains Lowry and DeRozan. Lowry told Williams he RON TURENNE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES

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expected him to be Toronto’s sixth man and average 15 points per game.11 DeRozan was thrilled at the opportunity to pick the brain of a veteran who had played with Allen Iverson12 at his peak.

“Our wait-and-see question was answered in preseason,” says Raptors assistant Bill Bayno. “We saw immediately in practice what a scorer this kid is. He’s just a cold-blooded scorer.13 He has no fear of the missed shot.”

It didn’t take long for Williams to show Raptors fans what his teammates and coaching staff had learned in training camp. In a late-November road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, DeRozan and Lowry were struggling from the foor and the team needed a jolt of energy. Williams shot his way to a career-best 36 points in 29 minutes, helping the Raptors turn an 18-point defcit into a 17-point win. Toronto outscored Cleveland by 37 points when Williams was on the foor.

“I was hot early and they just started force-feeding me the ball,” remembers Williams. “They were encouraging me, ‘Just go. Just go.’ I think that was one of those games that was a turning point in the season where I was like, ‘Okay, it’s very clear what this team expects of me.’”

That performance earned Williams Player of the Week honors for the frst time in his career. Before long, fans at the Air Canada Centre were chanting “LOUUUU” when he’d touch the ball or check into the game. A game operations staffer with a larger-than-life fag with Williams’ face plastered upon it would race around the court whenever he’d hit a huge shot. From forgotten on his home team to beloved in his new city, Williams found his groove.

There was zero hesitation when Lowry was asked for his favorite song from Drake’s new If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mixtape during AllStar. As with every Drake release, tweets and Instagram captions citing lines from the project started popping up everywhere. The song “6 Man” where Drake raps about Williams became every Raptors player’s favorite track. Patrick Patterson said the rapper predicted Williams’ Sixth Man award. “Boomin’ out in South Gwinnett like Lou Will” and “6 man like Lou Will” became the unoffcial hashtags for Williams’ season.

Shortly before the mixtape dropped, Drake posted a photo to his Instagram account of himself in the studio, wearing a South Gwinnett jersey. The post didn’t surprise Williams because he’d had to smash the frame that held the jersey to give it to him. In addition to the shout-out, Williams has the inside track on exclusive OVO-branded Jordans through Drake’s deal with Jordan Brand.14 Because the two wear the same size,15 Drake will often give Williams his own shoes that cannot be bought.

Williams has more in common with Drake than the shoe size. Although he has played basketball since he was 10 years old, music was Williams’ 056

Everybody in the NBA can score. Playing the role of scoring sixth man is a little more challenging. Coming off the bench, entering the game and knowing it’s your responsibility to quickly put points on the board is a role that can only be played by those with a particular kind of confdence. Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford have made lengthy careers out of it, while Isaiah Thomas is proving he excels at it.

What makes a player able to fip the switch as soon as he steps onto the foor? Being unaffected by makes and misses is important.

As is having the support of your teammates. An ability to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line also helps. A lot.

Ask Williams to outline how he’s able to goad his defender into fouling and he’ll say he doesn’t know. This is probably the truth, as he’s been doing it since he started playing basketball.

“He shot so many free throws in high school it was unbelievable,” says Fleetwood.

“He was always at the free-throw line,” Fleetwood continued. “He’s able to lean and use his body. [He has a] great shot fake. He gets a lot of his threes by shot faking and stepping around. He’s so crafty at what he does.”

Despite opponents knowing the scouting report on Williams, he was still able to draw more shooting fouls on jump shots than any other player in the NBA this season. That prowess extended beyond the arc as well, where Williams drew 44 shooting fouls on three-point shots, also frst in the League.

His ACL surgery robbed him of some his trademark quickness, making those three-point shots a necessity as much as a crowd pleaser.

“He ain’t going to wow you with a crossover or dunk on somebody every night,” says Hayes. “He’s a boxer. He’s a jabber. He’s going to jab you all the way down until the end of the game.”

Williams says it’s as simple as proving you’re a threat to score from the perimeter.

“When you make shots, teams have to guard you honest,” says Williams.

“I think that’s shown with a guy like a James Harden or a Jamal Crawford and other guys that get fouled so much on shooting attempts. If you make shots, teams have to guard you honest and you start using that to your advantage when guys want to reach in, want to be physical.”

Hayes doesn’t think his teammate gives himself enough credit.

“It’s an art,” says Hayes. “When they say ‘perfect your craft,’ that’s what he did. He’s been able to sustain 10 years and he’s got a lot more to go.”—#32

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BONUS POINTS 1. October’s Very Own, a Toronto-based record label and crew started by Drake.

2. Some of the duties of the plum gig include sitting courtside, getting access to the locker room and promoting the team over social media.

3. The showcase, which started in 2013, features top basketball talent in Toronto and NBA players.

4. Williams was traded with Lucas Nogueira for John Salmons.

5. Williams was born in Memphis, but grew up 45 minutes outside of Atlanta.

6. It was the ffth time a member of the Raptors franchise had won a postseason award, joining Rookies of the Year Damon Stoudamire (1996) and Vince Carter (’99), Sam Mitchell (Coach of the Year, ’07) and Bryan Colangelo (Executive of the Year, ’07).

7. Russell Westbrook gave up his All-Star MVP prize, also a Kia Sorento, to a single mom.

8. Williams’ Hawks fell to the Pacers in seven games.

9. South Gwinnett, located in Snellville, Ga. 10. Williams was a second-round pick (45th overall) of Philadelphia.

11. Mission accomplished: Williams put up 15.5 a night in 2014-15.

12. Williams teamed with the Answer for a season before Iverson was traded during Williams’ second NBA season.

13. Over his career, Williams has averaged 18.8 ppg per 36 minutes.

14. The Drake-Jordan Brand partnership dates back to 2013.

15. They both wear a size 11.5.

16. Williams notched career highs this season with 1,242 points, 88 steals, 340 free throws and 152 threes.

17. Johnson, also a high-school prospect, was drafted 11 spots (56th) after Williams in ’05.

18. Says Williams of being a dad: “The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

frst love. His slight frame and generously listed 6-2 height make it easier to believe he was a professional musician than professional basketball player.

“If you saw Lou Williams on the street in street clothes and you didn't know anything about basketball, you wouldn’t think he would go out in a game amongst giants and dominate,” says Bayno. “He’ll have a matchup and he’ll go, ‘I’m out of my weight class.’ He gives up a lot of weight in some scenarios but he never shies away from putting his nose in there. He gives us everything he has.”

Interacting with Williams, it doesn’t take long to recognize you’re speaking with someone who is extremely comfortable with who he is.

Confdent in his choices and okay with living with the results, this mindset helps Williams to enter the game shooting. It prevents him from getting discouraged or upset if the shots aren’t falling.

“He’s cool Lou,” says Bayno. “He’s just smooth and has a lot of self confdence but he’s not outwardly open about it. He’s not a guy that brags.

He does his job. He’s not a big talker. He just does his thing. Hits a game winner and we’re all excited and to him it’s no big deal.”

Lots of players talk about staying even-keeled, but few are able to remain emotionally steady through the ups and downs of an 82-game season.

Fleetwood remembers worrying about freshman Williams, starting with the seniors, being so relaxed before a game, only to see him fip a switch the second the ball went up. Raptors teammates are familiar with the same. Raptors head coach Dwane Casey says an unexpected beneft of Williams being in his locker room is his “quiet leadership.” “[He’s been] a backbone [for us],” says Patterson. “Being a guy who has held things together. There were times we needed a basket, needed a scorer if we’re struggling, and Lou rose to the challenge and made the plays. He carried us when Kyle or DeMar weren’t playing or weren’t making their shots. He was the savior, the superhero to lead us to victory.”

One of the biggest reasons why Williams was named Sixth Man of the Year was how he stepped in for Toronto when DeRozan missed 21 games with a groin injury. Williams recorded career highs in points, steals, made free throws, attempted free throws and made three-pointers.16 In his frst season with the Raptors, Williams feels grateful for the way his teammates embraced him and encouraged him to play his game. At the conclusion of training camp, Williams said the group was as tight knit a group as he’d been around in his career. Williams, DeRozan, Lowry and Hayes often discuss league happenings in group texts. Johnson17 served

as the unoffcial Toronto tour guide during Williams’ frst few weeks in the city, helping him fnd a barber and showing him his favorite places to eat or hang out.

“In my 10-year career, I’ve never been over to my teammates’ homes as much as I have with this group,” says Williams. “We sit around, we watch games, we break down games, we talk about our team. And just the camaraderie and the bond that these guys have is head over heels, completely different than what I’ve experienced on other teams.”

Hayes says Williams is one of the funniest guys in the locker room.

Patterson says he’s “really chill, really calm,” and that he’s earned the ear of the team. The younger players on Toronto’s roster mention Iverson when asked about the experience Williams has to offer. Williams calls playing alongside Iverson “experiences you couldn’t pay for” and understands the excitement for stories about him.

“Everybody’s always going to give [Iverson] a hard time about the practice thing, but if you look over the course of his career, he always played with a ton of injuries and went out there and give you 110 percent,” says Williams. “He was the guy that would grab me after a practice and tell me to put 15, 20 minutes more work in and always be professional, never get in trouble.”

A decade into his playing career and two years removed from the frst serious injury in his career, Williams’ game is more grounded now. He, too, is more grounded. The father to two girls, Williams says fatherhood18 has given him a new life’s purpose and a responsibility outside of himself. Fleetwood couldn’t be prouder of how his star freshman pupil has turned out.

“He’s the same Lou,” says Fleetwood. “He’s just a more mature Lou. He’s the same Lou he was at 14. He’s kind-hearted. He’s dedicated to his family, dedicated to his friends. He loves basketball. He loves a good laugh. He enjoys life. Everybody should approach life like Lou approaches life. He’s sincere. He does things the right way. He cares about the right stuff.”

Fleetwood was seated with the Williams family when Williams was presented with his Sixth Man of the Year award. He’d gotten a passport specifcally for the trip after Williams asked him to come for the team’s frst two home games of the postseason. Watching his former player be recognized as the best reserve in the League was special, especially after the injury. Williams thanked Fleetwood for the impact he’d had on his life and mentioned those car conversations in his acceptance speech before providing some wisdom of his own.

“Anything is possible if you stay faithful to the grind,” says Williams.

“Stay faithful to everything that put you in the position to be successful.”

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20 Fo 060

or 20 In 1996, the NBA triumphantly announced the League’s all-time squad of 50 for its half-century anniversary.

The almost 20 seasons since have seen a generation of transcendent players that would be worthy of cracking the next 20.

By Darryl Howerton #21

T

wenty years ago, the NBA assembled a special panel of current and former NBA personnel to take a vote, and later named “The 50 Greatest Players In NBA History.”

Two decades years later, we thought it was time somebody honored “The Next 20 Greatest” as the NBA enters its 70-year anniversary as the world’s top basketball league.

Since the previous “50 Greatest” list was created in 1996, we determined that only players who had played from 1996 through 2015 were eligible for our addendum vote.

Thus, someone like Dominique Wilkins, bypassed by the previous committee while he was still in the midst of his career, qualifed under our vote because he had added more credits to his legacy since the last list came out.

Also, because a then 24-year-old Shaquille O’Neal was allowed entrance into the 50 Greatest list in 1996, we allowed ourselves to include a few young players in their 20-something years of living—Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard—as long as their NBA accomplishments already merited inclusion onto this exclusive list.

We did not mean to punish players who played in foreign leagues or others who won medals in Olympic and World Cup action. But since this was a list to honor NBA greats, we only considered NBA accomplishments for our Next 20 Greatest candidates.

This is where we differ from the Basketball Hall of Fame, which recognizes international play and accomplishments, collegiate accolades and so on.

Who’s Got Next?

ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN (3); LAYNE MURDOCH; GARY DINEEN; GARRETT ELLWOOD (2); RON HOSKINS; KENT HORNER; DAVID SHERMAN; BILL BAPTIST (3); NATHANIEL S. BUTLER; NED DISHMAN (2); SAM FORENCICH; DAVID LIAM KYLE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; MIKE EHRMANN; BRIAN BAHR; STEPHEN DUNN; ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES

061

are coming to the end of our time together. And Manu, too. Every time we all step together on the court, it’s special. But none of this happens without Tim.”—Tony Parker, current San Antonio teammate

Tim Duncan

The Résumé: 18 seasons (1997-98 through present) 5 NBA Championships, 6 NBA Finals, 18 NBA Playoffs 3 NBA Finals MVPs, 2 NBA MVPs, 14 All-NBA, 14 AllDefense, 14 All-Star Games Record holder in all-time NBA Playoffs minutes and blocked shots 6th all-time in regular season win shares, 6th in blocked shots, 8th in rebounds, 13th in Player Effciency Rating (PER), 14th in points Career averages of 20 points and 11 rebounds Career win shares of 201.2 regular season and 36.3 postseason 20 Worthy: The inclusion of Duncan is a no-brainer, so much so that if you redid the NBA’s 50 Greatest, he would leapfrog at least 45 names with his long list of accomplishments.

His fve rings—and his Spurs’ 18 straight playoff appearances—makes Duncan the standard among superstars after Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan, while his consistent longevity puts him in a class of his own, making him the only guy ft to lead the Next 20.

The Vouch: “The Spurs will always be Timmy’s team. There were times the offense ran through me or Manu or Kawhi, but even then, this was still Timmy’s team. He leads our defense. His screens and his passing set up our offense.

If we need him to score in the post, he can do that, too.

He leads our team by example. You could not ask for a better leader, a better teammate than Tim. That is why he is one of the best players to ever play the game. Because he wants to help you become the best you can be, for the good of the Spurs. He has given me so much. I want to win championships for him, especially since we 062

understands the edge he gains by the numbers.

When I would talk analytics with him, I didn’t want to inundate him with the numbers, and say, ‘Look at this! Look at this!’ We’d look over a scouting report, I’d say, ‘Hey, now I’ve had success starting Player X by making him shoot over his right shoulder as opposed to his left shoulder.’ Then, I would sort of give him the math behind it. I think he was able to incorporate some of the analytics into his game.

And as his game became more effcient, he saw the proof was in the pudding.”—Shane Battier, former teammate

LeBron James

The Résumé: 12 seasons (2003-04 through present) 2 NBA Championships, 5 NBA Finals, 10 NBA Playoffs 2 NBA Finals MVP, 4 NBA MVP, 10 All-NBA, 6 All-Defense, 10 All-Star Games 2nd all-time in PER, 11th in win shares, 20th in points Career averages of 26 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists Career win shares of 178.9 regular season and 33.8 postseason 20 Worthy: Ten years ago, LeBron became an All-Star. Eight years ago, he led his frst team to the Finals. Six years ago, he became an MVP. Three years ago, he became a champion. Now the 10-time All-NBA, four-time MVP, two-time champ has enough accolades, rings and awards to rank among the 10 greatest players ever. He is Living Legend LeBron, competing only against legends as he slowly overtakes them on the ledger. Standing tall on his mountaintop at age 30, LeBron is the undisputed king leading this current generation.

The Vouch: “LeBron is an extremely intelligent player. Like any intelligent player, you’re always looking for a slight edge. And in my time in Miami with him, I learned he was always looking for anything that could help him create a slight edge. If he knew he could shave off 10 basis points by sending a guy left versus right, he knew over the long run, that 10 percent may help him win a game. He’s obviously one of the most effcient players in the League. He’s actually very cerebral and

Kevin Garnett

The Résumé: 20 seasons (1995-96 through present) 1 NBA Championship, 2 NBA Finals, 14 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA MVP, 9 All-NBA, 12 All-Defense, 15 All-Star Games 8th all-time in win shares, 9th in rebounds, 15th in points, 16th in steals and 19th in blocked shots Career averages of 18 points and 10 rebounds Career win shares of 190.4 regular season and 16.4 postseason 20 Worthy: He entered the League as The Kid, a still-growing prom-to-pro prospect who was the pied piper of his ’90s prep generation of straight-to-NBA players. As that youngster though, the teen shied away from his height, not allowing his coach to call him a sevenfooter for fear he’d change positions from power forward to center (“So I said he was 6-13 instead,” said Flip Saunders). As KG grew and matured, however, the cagey vet transformed himself into one of the leanest, meanest defenders—not to mention, all-around players— the NBA has ever seen.

The Vouch: “We’ll never see another one like him. He was a complete NBA original. The frst of his time to go straight from high school to the NBA who also paved the way for Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and others from the ’90s who went straight from high school to play professional basketball in the NBA. What I’ll always remember about Kevin is how much he D. CLARKE EVANS; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; BRIAN BABINEAU; ISSAC BALDIZON; JORDAN JOHNSON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

loved basketball.

Then and now. It was rare to fnd such passion and a willingness to work at age 19 as what we had in Kevin.

Through the years, he used that passion as a fuel to become a great player, a great teammate and a great leader. He worked with Kevin McHale and came away from that as a premier post player. He also worked on his defense with the same work ethic until he became one of the best players of all-time— guarding wings, power forwards and centers.

When he played with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo in Boston, the world recognized how great he was. But people in Minnesota knew all along. He will go down as one of the greatest players who ever played the game.”

—Flip Saunders, Minnesota Timberwolves general manager/head coach

It’s no wonder the Mavericks became playoff contenders as soon as Nowitzki’s game took off.

The Vouch: “At frst I tried to reach out to him because he was a 20-year-old kid who had never lived away from home, coming to this crazy world of the NBA. Soon our friendship overcame that feeling of being a tour guide, we became great friends. We’ve been able to go through a lot together— enjoying success as teammates, as individuals, as individuals on separate teams, leading those teams to greatness. But not much has changed when you look at our relationship, our friendship. He’s still the same old Dirk to me. Basketball-wise, you cannot measure how Dirk’s contributions changed the game—not only for the Dallas Mavericks, who made the playoffs every year, but also for the League. Pretty much every team since 2000, has tried their hand at starting a seven footer, or 6-11 big man, in hopes of fnding the Next Dirk. Unfortunately, they’ll never fnd another one like Dirk. He is one of a kind.”—Steve Nash, former teammate

Dirk Nowitzki

The Résumé: 17 seasons (1998-99 through present) 1 NBA Championship, 2 NBA Finals, 14 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA Finals MVP, 1 NBA MVP, 12 All-NBA, 12 All-Star Games 7th all-time in win shares, 7th in points, 14th in free throw percentage, 17th in three-pointers, 18th in PER Career averages of 22 points and 8 rebounds Career win shares of 192 regular season and 11.9 postseason 20 Worthy: At the turn of the century, Dirk Nowitzki took NBA’s novel-at-the-time stretch 4 position of the mid-’90s and stretched the outside-shooting, power-forward role into a new defnition. A new dimension. Never before had a starting stretch 4 been a seven footer who could score 25 points per game while also making 40 percent of his threes. The foor-spacing benefts created easy offense, not only for himself, but for his teammates.

DAVID SHERMAN; NATHANIEL S. BUTLER; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN (2); JUAN OCAMPO; NOAH GRAHAM/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

20 WORTHY: He was Batman to Shaquille O’Neal’s Superman during the Lakers’ frst dynastic run to start the century, winning three straight NBA titles from 2000 through 2002. Then, in his second act as Los Angeleno superhero, Kobe led a new cast of characters to three more straight Finals, winning back-toback titles in 2009 and 2010. Now, the world awaits the Bat signal, anxious to see if there is a third act to this Dark Knight trilogy.

The Vouch: “When we had that private workout with Kobe before the 1996 NBA Draft, we were in the middle of a rebuild. Jerry West had done a really good job drafting in a short period of time, taking Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Vlade Divac. We were on our way, but I did not know at that time that Kobe would be the guy who would lead us to fve NBA championships and seven NBA Finals.

I knew he was gifted. He had energy. But would I have said that 19 years later, he’d be on your Next 20 sequel to the NBA’s Greatest 50 Players list? No. But we knew we saw someone special in that workout. Having a guy like that to build around for 19 years? I doubt I would be given as much credit as I’ve been given if it wasn’t for him. He has done so much for the organization.

Kobe has been such a big part of numerous championship teams with so many changing parts around him.”—Mitch Kupchak, Los Angeles Lakers general manager

Reggie Miller

Kobe Bryant

The Résumé: 19 seasons (1996-97 through present) 5 NBA Championships, 7 NBA Finals, 16 NBA Playoffs 2 NBA Finals MVPs, 1 NBA MVP, 15 All-NBA, 12 AllDefense, 16 All-Star Games 3rd all-time in points, 14th in three-pointers, 14th in steals, 15th in win shares, 19th in PER Career averages of 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists Career win shares of 173.1 regular season and 28.3 postseason

The Résumé: 18 seasons (1987-88 through 2004-05) 1 NBA Finals, 15 NBA Playoffs, Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (2012) 3 All-NBA and 5 All-Star Games 2nd all-time in three-pointers, 6th in true shooting percentage, 10th in free throw percentage, 14th in win shares, 18th in points Career average of 18 points Career win shares of 174.4 regular season and 19.9 postseason 20 Worthy: Every story needs a villain, and Miller was oh-so-eager to play the role of heel in sports-television dramas of the late ’90s and the early 2000s. He was made for TV, whether antagonizing the game’s headliners, 063

the courtside-sitting celebrities or providing the late-game heroics himself, making miraculous shot after miraculous shot, time and time again.

The WWE could not have scripted his act any better, which is probably why he works today as a TV analyst, stirring up mischief as he always has.

The Vouch: “Reggie worked. People talk about his clutch three-pointers in big playoff games all the time. But you don’t hit big shots in fourth quarters in April, May and June, without being in top physical condition.

He became bigger when others got tired. He worked year-around on his game and stamina, much like Magic, Larry and Michael—the greats before him. You don’t become one of the best shooters of all-time without having a supreme work ethic. To win at this level, you need quality people with a passion to play and practice. Passion with character factored in, beats talent and questionable attitude more often than not. Reggie always had that passion to play and practice.”—Rick Carlisle, former Indiana Pacers head coach

Paul Pierce

The Résumé: 17 seasons (1999 through present) 1 NBA Championship, 2 NBA Finals, 12 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA Finals MVP, 4 All-NBA, 10 All-Star Games 4th all-time in three-pointers, 16th in points and 20th in steals Career averages of 21 points and 6 rebounds Career win shares of 149.1 regular season and 15.2 postseason 064

20 Worthy: There was a four-year stretch in the early 2000s when the Celtics ranked as one of the Eastern Conference’s top contending teams, with Pierce and fellow All-Star Antoine Walker even leading them to a Conference Finals. However, it was not until the 2007-08 season, when Boston management teamed Pierce with two more members of this Next 20 list—Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen—that Pierce’s Celtics were able to rise to the highest of plateaus, winning the 2008 NBA Championship and reaching the 2010 Finals.

The Vouch: “He shot the big shots, he made the big plays. He just knows how to win. I thought Paul was going to play his whole career in Boston, and even though that didn’t happen, I can tell you, those fans will love him for life for all he did for that city. From his early Celtics days where he was making a name for himself to his later years when Boston was going to the Finals and won the championship.

He just does so much for the city. And all of us here in Los Angeles know all about that, with Paul giving so much of himself to his home here every single year. And not just Inglewood, but all parts of L.A., all over. That’s The Truth.”— Baron Davis, childhood friend

Ray Allen

The Résumé:18 seasons (1996-97 through 2013-14) 2 NBA Championships, 4 NBA Finals, 12 NBA Playoffs 2 All-NBA and 10 All-Star Games 1st all-time in three-pointers and 7th in free throw percentage Career average of 19 points Career win shares of 145.1 regular season and 18.0 postseason

20 Worthy: Early in Allen’s career, director Spike Lee cast the basketball player in the 1998 flm He Got Game as Jesus Shuttlesworth, a college recruit with an iconic name that would later ft this professional sharpshooter’s game.

With threes raining from Heaven, Allen truly was something to behold, going down as the game’s most prolifc three-point shooter ever.

He wasn’t afraid to put the work in, always showing up at home and away arenas threeand-a-half hours before every game—a ritual he began after his rookie season. That hard work early often led to later late-game heroics, as anyone who saw Game 6 of the 2013 Finals can readily attest.

The Vouch: “I always tell Ray, he wasn’t an All-Star until we became teammates.

Truth is, you’d have to be crazy as a point guard not to get the ball to him.

He was always the best shooter on the foor and nobody worked harder at shooting than Ray. That’s how you get to be the greatest.

That’s how you get supreme confdence.

I had that confdence with my midrange shot.

Back in the day, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles even used to call me ‘Two-Point Geezer’ for my old-school game. If I was ‘Two-Point Geezer,’ Ray is ‘Three-Point Geezer.’ Everybody nowadays shoots the three, but back in our time, nobody shot the shot like Ray and Reggie [Miller]. And through the years, like all shooters do, Ray just got better and better.”—Sam Cassell, former teammate

ELSA; ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES; NATHANIEL S. BUTLER; STEVE BABINEAU; ; GARY DINEEN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

21-AND-OVER These men, who are all good locks for the Hall of Fame, just barely missed the cut when it comes to our more exclusive Next 20 Greatest NBA Players list.

For those still playing, it’s conceivable that a few more productive years and titles will mean they crash our list of 20, but as it is, they’re just outside of the club.

Chris Bosh The 10-time All-Star is still in his prime and at age 31 will undoubtedly add more than enough credits to his résumé, hopefully enough to place him on this greatest ever list.

Win shares: 99.6 regular season and 9.4 postseason

Pau Gasol

Ben Wallace

Gasol frst earned League-wide respect when he led Memphis to its frst of three straight playoff series ever in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Spaniard solidifed his place in the Hall of Fame by helping Kobe lead the Lakers to back to backto-back NBA championships in 2009 and 2010.

He’ll likely get himself on the next Next 20 list if he is able to lead his Chicago Bulls to similar kingdoms.

He only has one ring, but one could say Big Ben is just as deserving as Dennis Rodman, who has fve championship rings. Like the Worm, Wallace was one of the best defender/rebounders of his day, ranking 14th all-time in defensive win shares and 30th in rebounds.

Win shares: 122.8 regular season and 13.5 postseason

Tracy McGrady

Chauncey Billups Mr. Big Shot was the Reggie Miller of his generation, only he did it as a point guard and actually won a ring and Finals MVP in the era of Timmy, Shaq and Kobe, no easy task. That said, Billups came into his own late (he didn’t play big minutes until his ffth season) and did not have the longevity of Miller, so he just missed this cut.

Win shares: 120.8 regular season and 20.6 postseason

Dikembe Mutombo

Win shares: 93.5 regular season and 15.4 postseason

T-Mac is in a similar boat as third cousin Vince Carter. The only difference is that 35-yearold McGrady, who retired three years ago, is not having the third act to his career that the 38-year-old Carter is having with his journey.

Win shares: 97.3 regular season and 4.5 postseason

Chris Mullin Mullin’s pre-Dream Team career made him look like a sure bet to make this list. However, injuries from 1993 through 2001 curtailed many of his 30-something seasons.

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year made it fashionable in his day to pick defense-frst centers for All-Star Games (eight times for Deke) and for the Hall of Fame later this year.

Win shares: 93.1 regular season and 3.8 postseason

Win shares: 117.0 regular season and 9.9 postseason

There was no era for boxing heavyweights like the ’70s and the same was true for NBA centers in the ’90s. Was Zo better than David, Hakeem, Patrick and Shaq? No, but he played on their level throughout most of the decade.

Manu Ginobili If Real Plus-Minus stats were followed in Ginobili’s hey-day, he would’ve been a seventime All-NBA selection and fve-time Sixth Man of the Year. In the box-score world, however, Ginobili was the sacrifcial sixth man in San Antonio, winning two All-NBA, two All-Star and one Sixth Man award. Oh, yes … and four NBA championships.

Win shares: 97.3 regular season and 19.0 postseason

Alonzo Mourning

Win shares: 89.7 regular season and 7.5 postseason

Carmelo Anthony Melo is still writing the autobiography to his story. The 30-year-old Knick is only 4,000 points away from being a top 20 NBA all-time scorer, but the question, “Can he add a banner to the Madison Square Garden rafters?” remains as the fnal chapter of the book.

Win shares: 86.0 regular season and 5.7 postseason

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frst and the NBA frst, he was able to teach me lessons from those levels before my time. Gary has always been my teacher and always will be. Since I was 15. He taught me most of what I know.”—Jason Kidd, childhood friend

would crack me up. John Stockton was still in his 30s, taking teams to Finals. I was at the top of my game, and these know-nothings actually thought they were the best point guards in the game. Perhaps it was the way Jason grew up.

Perhaps it was the way he came at people like me and Brian Shaw, when we were all growing up in Oakland. He’d compete, but he’d pick our brains to learn the game. He was always learning. And he always respected the game.”— Gary Payton, childhood friend

Gary Payton The Résumé: 17 seasons (1990-91 through 2006-07) 1 NBA Championship, 2 NBA Finals, 15 NBA Playoffs 1 Defensive Player of the Year, 9 All-NBA, 9 All-Defense, 9 All-Star Games, Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (2013) 4th all-time in steals and 8th in assists Career averages of 16 points and 7 assists Career win shares of 145.5 regular season and 11.1 postseason 20 Worthy: GP. PG. Trash talk. Defense. The Glove. SuperSonic. Alley-oop. To Rain Man. Playmaker. Scorer. Oakland. Mr. Mean. Mentor.

B-Shaw. J-Kidd. Stockton’s rival. Otherwise unrivaled in the ’90s at the PG position. You play word association with Payton, and you will never run out of words to describe one of the NBA’s most loquacious players ever. He always let his game and his mouth do the talking, and by the time he retired, he left the game with a ring and a bust in the Hall of Fame. Humbled.

The Vouch: “Growing up as a teenager, when Gary was beating me bad in one-onone, he’d rub it in, saying, ‘You’re not ready.’ He’d give me a hard time, saying I got a lot to learn.

I didn’t mind that type of trash talk because I knew I had a lot to learn.

That’s why I was playing against Gary, Brian Shaw and later Tim Hardaway, when he became a Warrior, and whoever else ever came through Oakland. I may have been a teenager, but I was always looking to stay ahead of the next person. Gary was fve years older than me and by him going through college 066

Jason Kidd The Résumé: 19 seasons (1994-95 through 2012-13) 1 NBA Championship, 3 NBA Finals, 17 NBA Playoffs 6 All-NBA, 9 All-Defense, 10 All-Star Games 2nd all-time in assists, 2nd in steals, 5th in three-pointers, Career averages of 13 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists Career win shares of 138.6 regular season and 14.5 postseason 20 Worthy: He was one of the smartest players when he was at Cal—studying opponents’ breathing patterns for signs, stealing signs from opposing coaches, directing older teammates on the foor. By the time he got to the NBA, Kidd was a pro prodigy. He always saw the basketball foor like a game of chess, and knew opponents’ moves before they made them. That is why scorers loved to play with Kidd—the ultimate playmaker. That is why coaches loved to have him—the ultimate coach on the foor. That is why players love to play for him today—the ultimate boss who once played.

The Vouch: “Jason was never your typical young cat. He didn’t enter the League thinking he owned it, thinking he was better than everyone else. I remember when I was in my 30s, John Stockton was in his 30s, the young guards in the League would talk to the press like they were already the best. They

Steve Nash The Résumé: 18 seasons (1996-97 through 2013-14) 12 NBA Playoffs 2 NBA MVPs, 7 All-NBA, 8 All-Star Games 1st all-time in free throw percentage, 3rd in assists, 10th in three-point percentage, 13th in true shooting percentage, 15th in three-pointers Career averages of 14 points and 9 assists Career win shares of 129.7 regular season and 11.9 postseason 20 Worthy: He could have played soccer, rugby, hockey, baseball, football, track and feld, Wipeout, American Ninja Warrior, Dancing With The Stars, you name it. But he chose basketball. And as the NBA’s greatest all-around athlete, Nash helped usher in a style of play in the 2000s with the Phoenix Suns that encouraged fast-pace, spread-the-foor, motion-offense, point-guard-probing basketball.

Those Phoenix teams may have never won an NBA championship, but that hasn’t stopped championship-contending teams—Spurs, Warriors, Hawks—from adopting that blueprint from the last decade.

The Vouch: “If it wasn’t for Steve my frst year in Dallas, I don’t know how I would have made it. I was so homesick, and he forced me to go out and enjoy myself. On the court, Steve was always looking for me. Michael Finley, too. They

ROCKY WIDNER; JESSE D. GARRABRANT; ISSAC BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; OTTO GREULE JR.; CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES

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THE ORIGINAL 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Nate Archibald Paul Arizin Charles Barkley Rick Barry Elgin Baylor Dave Bing Larry Bird Wilt Chamberlain Bob Cousy Dave Cowens Billy Cunningham Dave DeBusschere Clyde Drexler Julius Erving Patrick Ewing Walt Frazier

helped me so much with my confdence.

You see that with Steve wherever he’s been. Steve’s Phoenix Suns teams were legendary and it’s just a shame they didn’t win a championship.

But they played like champions every year and I believe Steve was the big reason why. He made them believe they were the best and that’s why they won 60, 50 games every year. I’ve tried to carry Steve’s example with me to this day. It’s not only about putting in the work to become the best you can be. It’s about helping your teammates become their best, too.”—Dirk Nowitzki, former teammate

Chris Paul The Résumé: 10 seasons (2005-06 through present) 7 NBA Playoffs 6 All-NBA, 6 All-Defense, 7 All-Star Games 6th all-time in PER and 16th in assists Career averages of 19 points and 10 assists Career win shares of 131.3 regular season and 8.1 postseason 20 Worthy: The value of a player can be measured when he leaves one franchise (New Orleans) that consistently made the playoffs to join another franchise that consistently 068

missed the playoffs (L.A. Clippers), and then the fortunes of each organization are reversed upon his arrival. At least that’s what Ralph Lawler believes, and as the Clippers’ TV/radio play-by-play man for 37 seasons, he should know. Before Paul arrived four seasons ago, L.A. had only won one playoff series. Since CP3’s arrival, L.A. has already won more—two playoff series, entering this postseason—and has made the NBA Playoffs all four seasons with a vision of adding its own championship banner to the house it shares with its more celebrated arenamates.

The Vouch: “Chris’ teammate J.J. Redick had an interesting quote the other day, when he said, ‘If Chris Paul wins a championship, he will go down as the greatest point guard of all-time.’

We all had a little jolt when he said that, but when we stopped and thought about it and realized he’s right. When you go through all the metrics that are available to us now, I think he’s one of only two current-day players who’s on

George Gervin Hal Greer John Havlicek Elvin Hayes Magic Johnson Sam Jones Michael Jordan Jerry Lucas Karl Malone Moses Malone Pete Maravich Kevin McHale George Mikan Earl Monroe Hakeem Olajuwon Shaquille O'Neal Robert Parish

Bob Pettit Scottie Pippen Willis Reed Oscar Robertson David Robinson Bill Russell Dolph Schayes Bill Sharman John Stockton Isiah Thomas Nate Thurmond Wes Unseld Bill Walton Jerry West Lenny Wilkens James Worthy

the list of top six of Player Effciency Ratings, back to the beginning of all-time. Only he and LeBron James rank among the top six all-time.

He is that good.

The thing that separates him in my mind from Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry right now is the fact he is a great two-way player. When you put that with the 41 points and 17 assists he had last night, you see he is a one of a kind player.”—Ralph Lawler, Los Angeles Clippers TV/radio play-by-play announcer

Dwyane Wade The Résumé: 12 seasons (2004-05 through present) 3 NBA Championships, 5 NBA Finals, 10 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA Finals MVP, 8 All-NBA, 3 All-Defense, 10 All-Star Games ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN (2); ISSAC BALDIZON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; BRIAN BAHR; RONALD MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES

8th all-time in PER Career averages of 24 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists Career win shares of 108.9 regular season and 19.8 postseason 20 Worthy: Shaq named him Flash upon his Miami arrival and within two seasons the Heat became NBA champions. So there was little surprise that when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade in 2010, the Heat would become champions within two seasons—again and again. You see, D-Wade is a special player who is both capable of playing a leading role, as 2006 Finals MVP, or sitting in the cut as an award-winning supporting actor while someone else—LeBron in this case—grabs the limelight.

Men like Wade, who took a pay cut for the latter to happen, are few and far between.

The Vouch: “The superstars today are no different than they were in the ’90s— from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to D-Wade. They all want to put in that extra work to reach that next level that only they can reach. Dwyane is cut from that same cloth as Kobe and Michael.

They put in the extra work in the offseason, when others don’t, and they put that extra work during the regular season, too. The stuff we do together isn’t general ftness, it’s sports-performance related. Geared to make them better on the court. Everything from the workouts, to the rehab, to the nutritional aspects, which speed up the healing process, is all geared toward getting Dwyane healthy or keeping him healthy. He has that same level of dedication of the greats when it comes to getting his body in peak performance for the NBA Playoffs. That’s the goal when you to get to where they’re at in the game.”—Tim Grover, legendary NBA trainer

Vince Carter

The Résumé: 17 seasons (1999 through present) 11 NBA Playoffs 2 All-NBA and 8 All-Star Games 6th all-time in three-pointers Career averages of 19 points and 5 rebounds Career win shares of 116.6 regular season and 6.8 postseason 20 Worthy: Can we just say it? Carter’s dunk over Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics was RANDY BELICE; RON MODRA; FERNANDO MEDINA; NBA PHOTOS; ROCKY WIDNER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Hall of Fame (2006) 12th all-time in points Career averages of 25 points and 7 rebounds Career win shares of 117.5 regular season and 3.6 postseason

the greatest play in the history of basketball.

Next, Carter’s series of dunks at 2000 NBA AllStar Weekend was the best showcase of dunk artistry in the history of slam-dunk contests.

Now, what did that have to do with making Carter one of the 20 greatest players of the past 20 years. Technically nothing, as neither counted in his 23,000-plus career points. But with a résumé that is chock full of deserved accomplishments and immeasurable infuence and swag, it is good to note that this man of substance came wrapped with a style in his prime that nobody else on this list could match.

The Vouch: “I learned a lot from my time in Toronto, playing with Vince. I saw how the fans loved him. I also saw the times they turned on him, too.

Through it all, Vince always kept to himself, but always kept a positive vibe for his teammates. He never let them see that others could get to him. Vince always led his team the best way he knew how, taking the Raptors to the playoffs year after year. Nobody could duplicate the moves he made. The highfying dunks. He’ll go down as one of the best all-around players of the 21st Century too. He has covered the whole gamut in his career, going from Half-Man, Half-Amazing youngster all the way to wise, crafty veteran.”—Tracy McGrady, former teammate

Dominique Wilkins

The Résumé: 15 seasons (1982-83 through 199495; 1996-97; 1998-99) 11 NBA Playoffs 7 All-NBA, 9 All-Stars, Naismith Memorial

20 WOrthy: Today, he would be called Vines or Instagram Video or YouTube. But back in the analog ’80s, Wilkins was The Human Highlight Film because one would have to wait for that night’s sports telecast to see his fancy work, on the nightly news show. But like Carter, ’Nique was so much more than a one-dunk pony, engaging in legendary scoring duels that allowed Atlanta’s leader to go toe-to-toe with MVP legends like Larry Bird one night, while leading his Hawks to other regions of playoff success on other nights. He averaged 25 points a night for his career, which is tough to do when you have a franchise riding on your back.

The Vouch: “Dominique was such an incredible player. To this day I think he is still underrated with what he could do on the court. He had the ability to rise to the challenge every night when the lights came on and the popcorn was popped. He really could just be absolutely dominant, especially on offense. He was maybe the only player I know who had the ball for the fnal shot, and would look for and could get a game-winning dunk. He is just one of the best scorers of all-time, and a true 069

competitor. As a point guard, playing with him made me look good because I knew most of the time if I got him the ball, he was going to score … and he was going to make the guy guarding him look bad. He had a unique and special relationship with the city of Atlanta. He really was and in some ways still is basketball in Atlanta and I think that is great.”—Doc Rivers, former teammate

dominate in the middle and that is the value of a true big man. That is what Dwight does best. When I work with Dwight in the summer, I tell him, you cannot listen to what others say they think a center should do. The true value is in what you already do.

He already knows you must be a well-rounded player and he takes that same mindset and applies it to life. That is why he works so hard on all aspects of his game in the summers.

Off the court, he jokes around a lot, but on the court, he takes it very seriously. When he is healthy and not having back issues, that is when you truly see Dwight dominate.”— Hakeem Olajuwon, Hall-of-Fame summer basketball mentor

Dwight Howard The Résumé: 11 seasons (2004-05 through present) 1 NBA Finals, 9 NBA Playoffs 3 Defensive Player of the Years, 8 All-NBA, 5 All-Defense, 8 All-Star Games 5th all-time in feld goal percentage and 20th in true shooting percentage Career averages of 18 points and 13 rebounds Career win shares of 106.7 regular season and 10.2 postseason 20 Worthy: He never stops. Smiling.

Laughing. Joking. Some people get rubbed the wrong way. Thinking his happy-go-lucky nature takes his focus off the seriousness of basketball. They couldn’t be more mistaken. You cannot defend in this League or rebound in this game without taking the game seriously. After all, playing the center position is a man’s game, and Howard, even as a young 20-something, established himself as one of the game’s best players in a man’s game, even leading his Orlando Magic team to the 2009 Finals. Since that time, Howard has spent three seasons battling back injuries and playing at a lessthan-superstar level. That’s not to say, however, that his game has left him. Not by any means.

That is why today, you still see him smiling, laughing and joking.

The Vouch: “Blocking shots is an art, which is all about anticipation and timing. Being a shotblocker allows you to intimidate and 070

Antonio basketball has never been better— reaching the 2012 Western Conference Finals, reaching the 2013 Finals and winning the 2014 NBA Championship.

The Vouch: “I’ve been blessed to play with Tony from his days as a 19-year-old rookie, learning to play the position to now—where he has won numerous rings and games for us. He has extended my career. Kept basketball fun for me all these years.

I couldn’t ask for a better teammate, someone who’s selfess, who only cares about winning basketball games. He has sacrifced stats, awards and money for us because he only cares about one thing—winning. With all he’s accomplished, it’s no surprise he’ll go down as one of the greats. He’s been a monster for us, where we’ve just ridden his coattails. And he’s been so steady over his career. ”—Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs teammate

Tony Parker The Résumé: 14 seasons (2001-02 through present) 4 NBA Championships, 5 NBA Finals, 14 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA Finals MVP, 4 All-NBA, 6 All-Star Games Career averages of 17 points and 6 assists Career win shares of 100.1 regular season and 13.0 postseason 20 Worthy: When Parker frst joined the Spurs, he was a 19-year-old thoroughbred from France’s Paris Basket Racing team, trying to run fast in a Spurs’ robotic offense that was tailored around Tim Duncan’s post-up play.

Parker adjusted his game immediately, content to feed Duncan on series after series of postups, though with great success as their teams won championship after championship. As time wound on, both Parker and Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili were given their own time to shine—as All-Stars, mind you—and shine they did, as champions too, winning again in 2007. Ultimately, the 2010-11 Spurs offense was remade to ft their skill sets, and San

Allen Iverson The Résumé: 14 seasons (1996-97 through 2009-10) 1 NBA Finals, 10 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA MVP, 7 All-NBA, 11 All-Star Games 12th all-time in steals Career averages of 27 points and 6 assists Career win shares of 99.0 regular season and 7.3 postseason 20 Worthy: A.I. never met a shot he didn’t like. And he never met a defender he couldn’t cross over. Iverson had this crossover dribble that could make the greatest of the great—Hi MJ!—look foolish. He was fun to watch. And when surrounded by good rebounders and defenders, his teams could win. He may not D. CLARKE EVANS (2); BILL BAPTIST; JESSE D. GARRABRANT (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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have shot a good percentage from mid- or long-range, but it was Iverson’s penchant to take punishment, drawing nine free throws per game, that enabled him to average 27 points per game as one of the NBA’s top scorers of the 2000s. Infuential? Just poll today’s under-25 NBA players of their favorite NBA player growing up. The Answer? Exactly.

The Vouch: “I’ll always be connected to Allen Iverson, Larry Brown and the great 2001 Philadelphia 76ers team that went to the NBA Finals. On one hand, we had a highmaintenance player and on the other hand, a high-maintenance coach, who had trouble getting along sometimes. But when they did get on the same page, we were incredible.

I remember Larry having some problems with Allen in the beginning—not being on time, missing a practice—and after we threatened a trade, Allen promised he’d be on time and not be a problem. And he kept that promise. I told him, if you do what you say, we’ll win a championship, and we probably would have, if it weren’t for the Shaq and Kobe Lakers that year. Allen had a shorter career than most— partly because he didn’t do the working out, taking care of his body, that other superstars did later in their careers. But also, his career was cut short because he played the game like a football player. He gave so much of his body, gave it up for the city of Philadelphia. That’s why they love him so much to this day.”—Pat Croce, former Philadelphia 76ers president

Career win shares of 93.4 regular season and 12.1 postseason 20 WORTHY: Some may say—as they said 20 years ago with Shaq—that is too early to put Durant on this Next 20 Greatest list. After all, he is only 26 years old, has only played eight seasons in the NBA, and of all things, he is coming off a season where he only played 27 games because of injuries. All true. But instead of focusing on the negative, why not look at the positive: KD fnished frst or second in NBA MVP voting four times; KD made fve straight frst-team All-NBA squads until injury inevitably will keep him out; he ranks 10th in all-time Player Effciency Rating. Even without another game, KD belongs.

The Vouch: “Kevin’s gotta be the best scorer in this League, capable of getting 40 points a night, while shooting 50plus percent from the feld. That’s on a different level. His ability to put the ball in the basket, his array of shots he can make, probably best offensive player we’ve seen in this League since Kobe.

I look to people like LeBron and Kevin as a measuring stick on where I want to be. I always want to get better. I always pick up something to get better at—the way Kevin gets open, how he’ll elevate on his shots. I just think it’s a hunger in me to pick apart others’ games to see what I can take. Kevin is an all-time great, so if I want to reach for the moon and for the stars as far as really untapping everything that I can do on the foor, he’s a player I study. It’s all about wanting it—wanting to be the best player in this League.”—Paul George, USA Basketball teammate

Dennis Rodman

Kevin Durant

The Résumé: 14 seasons (1986-87 through 1999-2000) 5 NBA Championships, 6 NBA Finals, 12 NBA Playoffs 2 Defensive Player of the Year, 2 All-NBA, 8 All-Defense, 2 All-Star Games, Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (2011) Career averages of 7 points and 13 rebounds Career win shares of 89.8 regular season and 11.7 postseason

The Résumé: 8 seasons 1 NBA Finals, 6 NBA Playoffs 1 NBA MVP, 5 All-NBA, 5 All-Star Games 10th all-time in PER, 13th in free throw percentage, 17th in true shooting percentage Career averages of 27 points and 7 rebounds

20 Worthy: Whether he was the rubber-band, elastic-man defender known as Worm to Detroit Pistons fans, or the multi-tattooed, colorful-hairdyeing rebounder known as Rodman to Chicago Bulls fans, there is no denying that this man

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was one of the game’s most unique characters with one of the most advanced skill sets seen before or since. Nobody in the NBA’s modern era—from 1979-80 through present—grabbed a greater percentage of rebounds (23.44) than the 6-7, 220-pound power forward, who knew all the ball-bouncing angles, the arm-wrangling holds, the tap-tap-tapping or rebounds, and all the other tricks of the game to reign as a most unique specialist.

The Vouch: “Dennis was well ahead of his time, though no one is truly sure in what time Rodman fts. He made his reputation with rebounding and was one of the most truly gifted rebounders ever.

He wasn’t Bill Russell, but he had similar instincts. Rodman may not have sounded analytical, but his strength and secret was studying the bounces like Russell did, where the ball would come off, at what angle and what was the best position to take. He may not have been good in math, but he knew geometry. Though perhaps an even greater strength was Rodman’s ability to defend in a way that was before his time.

In this era with the versatility of the game, it’s more common to see teams switching most everything on defense. Though Rodman started as a traditional wing defender in Detroit, by the time he got to the Bulls in 1995 he could switch on every pick-and-roll and defend Hall of Fame centers and power forwards as he did in the playoffs [against] Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Shawn Kemp to play vital roles in three Bulls championships. In the Bulls' 1995-96 ‘greatest season ever’ when the Bulls beat the Supersonics in the Finals, Seattle coach George Karl credited Rodman more than anyone, saying he alone was responsible for two wins and they would have won the series if not for Rodman.”

—Sam Smith, writer at Bulls.com JESSE D. GARRABRANT; ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN; DAVID DOW; SCOTT CUNNINGHAM; MITCHELL LAYTON/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

WITH G

RAN

KRIST T HILL &

OW EN LEDL

ET N O O N S Y A SATURD TM & © 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. © 2015 NBA Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

By Andy Jasner #27

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HORRIFIC

ENDING

The “Big Shot Rob” moniker was born before this indelible moment, but the legend of Robert Horry was certainly cemented with this shot.

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH(2)/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

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T

here have been so many electrifying game-winning shots in NBA history, yet certain ones will always stand out.

It’s no surprise that one of the most memorable came off Robert Horry’s wrist.

After all, that Big Shot Rob1 nickname had to have originated somewhere.

It took place on May 26, 2002, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings.2 The Kings were up 99-97, 11.8 seconds away from a commanding 3-1 series lead with two of the next three games in Sacramento.3 After a timeout the Lakers inbounded the ball to Kobe Bryant at the top of the three-point line and cleared out the right side of the foor. Blanketed by Doug Christie4 the whole way, Bryant actually got a step on Christie but was met at the paint by Vlade Divac.5 Bryant lofted a foater that hit the front of the rim and into the waiting hands of Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq went up immediately for the layup,6 but was met with a throng of Kings, leaving the shot short. As the ball hovered beneath the rim and into the waiting hands of Shaq with 2.5 seconds left, Divac wisely slapped the ball, clearing it into the backcourt, where it took a bounce…into Horry’s waiting hands.7 With 1.5 seconds left and Chris Webber and Christie closing in hard, Horry stepped into the loose ball with zero hesitation, uncorking a three at the top of the arc with 0.6 seconds remaining.

Swish.

A mean mug and a sea of gold at center court followed. Staples Center was so loud that you couldn't hear Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”8 or the rabid chant of "Horry."

Instead of a 99-97 loss and a 3-1 defcit in the series, the Lakers pulled out a miraculous 100-99 victory and evened the series at two apiece.

It also effectively ended a short-lived rivalry9 between the intrastate and Pacifc Division foes.

Horry scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers rallied from 24 points down. The Lakers eliminated the Kings from the postseason for the third straight time in seven games and ultimately swept the New Jersey Nets for their third straight NBA title.

Horry hit clutch shot after shot after shot on his way to seven championships.

This one against the Kings being his greatest.

Fans at Staples Center collectively held their breath as Horry casually took the 24-foot shot, and erupted when it fell through the net, ending the game with a loud chorus of "Horry."

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HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES

Robert Horry: You don't think in that type of situation. You just go out and do what you do. You can’t be afraid of the moment. You have to want the ball. You can’t think. That’s key. I wanted the ball and tried not to think. I just reacted and it worked out very well for us.

James Worthy, Lakers legend and Hall of Famer: It was a great moment in NBA history. He made so many big shots. But in that moment, almost with the season on the line, that’s special. It’s part of Laker history.10 He made a mark with that shot. It saved the series.

Vlade Divac, Kings center: I thought it was pretty lucky. I don’t mean to sound bitter. He grabbed the ball and shot it and it went in.

He didn’t have time to set himself. It was a reaction and it happened to go in. From our perspective, it was unlucky for us and fortunate for him. I tapped the ball out11 but I guess it didn’t go far enough. I regret that a little. Credit to him for making the shot. If he misses, we probably win the series and who knows how the season winds up.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers guard, to the L.A. Times: If he [Horry] gets a good look, it's going down. There's no question about it.

If he gets his feet set and gets his little kickstand down, he's not going to miss it.

Hedo Turkoglu, Kings forward: I was only in my second year in the NBA and I was excited to be part of things. I had come from Europe and was attempting to learn the NBA game.12 We had a great time and were good enough to win a championship.13 That was a tough way to lose because of how it changed the series. They seemed to get more confdence after that win. It was a diffcult loss to take but you have to hand it to Robert. He made the shot.

Horry: I remember that Kobe drove to the basket, Shaq missed a follow and Divac knocked the ball out. I was in the right place in the right time.14 I kind of caught it and shot it in one motion. I think it was probably best not having time to think. The ball bounced out to me and the rest is history.

Divac: Horry had a big fourth quarter. He made plays in big moments. In any game, you have to play and compete for 48 minutes. Maybe another shot15 here or there for us and we win and the last possession doesn’t matter. It happened and the shot made a major difference in that series.

CATHERINE STEENKESTE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES; HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES

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Phil Jackson, Lakers head coach, to the L.A. Times: I didn't draw it up like that, so don't ask me. But we got the shot we wanted.

tipped out and Horry knocks the shot down. When I think back, it’s just, “How come we couldn’t get the ball?”17 It seems so simple. But crazy things happen in games, especially at the end.

Gerald Wallace, Kings forward: That whole series was

Dikembe Mutombo, NBA legend: Big shots. He hit so

intense. Every game had so many big plays. To hit that pressure shot… as a young player, it was crazy to watch. The emotions changed so much with that one shot. If it’s a regular season game, it’s memorable. To happen deep in the playoffs like that is a whole different thing.

many. I remember very clearly. The one in the Western Conference Finals was replayed on TV all the time. It was a big moment.18 He earned it. He won championships and made big shots all the time through his career.

Brian Shaw, Lakers guard: Robert was not afraid of the moment ever. He played hard and always had fun. He looked at pressure moments like fun moments. It was never stressful. You could tell. He hit plenty of big shots. That one, with the playoffs on the line, was at the top.

The whole sequence unfolded so fast and it was ironic that Robert was waiting free for the ball.

Dick Stockton, longtime NBA play-by-play announcer: I’ve been involved with the NBA for a long, long time.

I’ve seen great moments from Hall of Famers like Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Larry Bird and so on. I’ve seen incredible moments like Magic’s hook shot at the Garden. Robert Horry earned his nickname by hitting all those huge shots at the ends of games. That playoff game16 in 2002 has to be right up there in history with clutch game-ending shots. The Lakers may not have won the title without that shot to win.

Wallace: All we have to do is get the ball. Just get the ball. It seems so basic. The ball is bouncing around and we don’t grab it. The ball gets

Divac: It was a wild series19 from beginning to end. Every game felt like a season. I mean, it was so intense. There were terrible calls, physical play and wild fnishes. There were calls that left us scratching our heads.

In that game where Robert hits the shot, I felt like a bunch of calls went against us. You have to play through it but you also think about how it could have been different.

Turkoglu: As a young player, to be in that series … there aren’t many like that. I wish it was different. All these years later, I wish we could have won that game and brought back a title to the fans in Sacramento. Robert’s shot didn’t win the series. But it did change a lot of things. We were up by 24 (50-26) and let it slip away. The fnal shot won the game but there were so many circumstances in between which led to the fnal result.

Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks forward: I remember that game very well. I was a young player with the Clippers. That shot is still shown a lot on TV. It feels like yesterday. Some players just have that knack for big shots. Robert made a huge one in the playoffs and many more through the years. Some guys just have it. He got the job done.

Bryant had beaten Christie on the fnal play that was drawn up, but Divac had stepped in to help, affecting the shot enough to miss. As you can see, Horry was ready for the subsequent batting of the ball into his hands.

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JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES; CATHERINE STEENKESTE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

HALL FOR HORRY? Horry hung it up at the end of the 2007-08 season after a playoff game (Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals) and has been eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for the past two years. But after 16 seasons of a very productive and fruitful career with the Rockets, Lakers and Spurs (and a brief 32-game cameo with the Suns), does Horry’s last stop include Springfeld?

Let’s start with the case against him. Horry played in an era where players were based off traditional statistics (points, rebounds, assists) and defensive numbers were primarily measured by blocks and steals. Viewed through that narrow scope, Horry doesn’t have the raw production that most Hall of Famers boast. Horry’s totals of 7,715 points (7 ppg), 5,269 rebounds (4.8 rpg), 2,343 assists (2.1 apg) could mistaken him for a career journeyman. Horry doesn’t come even close to “HOF milestones” like 20K points, or 10K rebounds, nor did he even dominate statistically for a brief run (his highest scoring season was a scant 12 ppg).

Outside of his frst six seasons in the League when he started most of his teams’ games, Horry was a reserve role player. By the time he was 28, Horry mainly entered the game to either offer up defense or bench scoring.

Accolades? None, unless you count an All-Rookie Team selection—only second team, at that—in 1993. All-Star appearances?

Not unless you count being the NBA legend taking part in the Shooting Stars competition at All-Star 2013.

Why even waste time on this debate as to whether Horry deserves a spot in the Hall?

For starters, Horry has enough rings to share one with Elgin Baylor, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley—and still have one on each hand. Only six other individuals can lay claim to having more rings than Horry—zero if you removed the Celtics dynasty in the ’60s.

It’s not to say Horry warrants a HOF plaque bigger than Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Scottie Pippen, all of whom he one-ups in ring count. There was certainly an element of good fortune in Horry’s career, having played for three of the four teams (Rockets x 2, Lakers x 3 and Spurs x 2) that won multiple titles during his playing career.

While Horry didn’t play a frontline role in any of his seven titles and he was blessed to have played with all-time greats in Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan while coached by luminaries like Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, it can be argued none of his teams would have raised any of those banners without his aid. Which brings up his Big Shot Rob moniker. Horry has never missed a postseason in his 16 years (244 playoff games, second only to Derek Fisher’s 259) and in each of those years, Horry averaged about 15 postseason games, which means his teams have gone on deep runs.

Coincidence perhaps, but those seasons also don’t end with a title without his many big playoff games/shots. His biggest shot is the topic of this oral history, but his Game 5 in the 2005 Finals (21 points) was huge, his 5 three-pointers (on 6 tries) kept the Spurs in it during a pivotal game (his last triple icing the go-ahead victory), and Horry doesn’t get enough credit for his fexible defense and clutch scoring (in a series that didn’t see too many points) during the 1994 Finals.

Horry’s defense shouldn’t be judged on his lack of All-Defensive selections. Defensively, he is one of only 22 players to reach 1,000 blocks and 1,000 steals in his career (although blocks and steals only became an offcial statistic in the 1973-74 season). Don't forget he played at a time when every playoff team in the West had a stud power forward to contend with: Malone, Barkley, Shawn Kemp, Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace and Amar’e Stoudemire. He held his own against them and still found time to help out. Hell, even his foul on Steve Nash in Game 4 of the 2007 West Semis indirectly helped the Spurs go all the way: Boris Diaw and Stoudemire were suspended in Game 5 for leaving the bench after Horry hip-checked Nash into the sidelines, leaving the Suns shorthanded in a Game 5 loss as they lost in six games.

While his regular season numbers might not overwhelm, delve into some postseason modern analytics and Horry really shines. When it comes to postseason win shares, which is based on offensive points produced and defensive ratings, Horry stands 20th all time among players in the NBA’s modern era (1980-present). Among the 19 ahead of him, 12 have been Finals MVPs and 16 are or will be surefre Hall of Famers. If you look at postseason VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) in the modern era, Horry rates 12th at 9.7, behind one-name luminaries like Michael, LeBron, Magic, Scottie, Tim, Shaq, Larry, Kobe, Hakeem, J-Kidd and Charles. If the company you keep is a refection of yourself, then Horry is certainly Hall-worthy.

Basically Horry’s M.O. was to fll in any role his coach needed to win. And when the stakes were high, he’d play with “BSR” on his chest.

And if Horry’s team made it into the Finals, the city can book the street permits, motorcade and confetti as a championship always followed. Horry’s Finals record is a perfect 7-0.

Horry getting rejected at the doorstep? Never happened. It shouldn’t start at the hallowed doors of Springfeld.—Ming Wong #2

ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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Horry: I had a good game all around that day. I had a bunch of rebounds and assists.20 People remember certain things and that shot happened last. Because it was last, it’s most remembered as the game winner.

Jackson, to the L.A. Times: He's poised, he's calm and he has a steel will. He's a player who doesn't get fustered in critical situations. He's going to be under control and have his wits about him.

Aaron McKie, retired NBA player: Robert made a similar shot against us in the 2001 Finals (Game 3). That put the Lakers up 2-1 and they went on to win in fve games. He made those shots all the time.

To do it in the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, he got it done. It felt like a dagger against us. I’m sure the Kings felt the same way.

Turkoglu: Vlade tapped the ball back and who could have thought it would go right to him. He’s like 25 feet from the basket so it’s not all bad.

He got a lot of rebounds in that game and was under the basket a lot. At the end, when the fnal seconds were ticking down, he was outside the arc. It was like he was waiting. Then everything happened in slow motion.

The ball goes through the net and you feel your heart fall to the ground.

Mutombo: I would never call a shot like that lucky. He hit one in the 2001 Finals against us [Sixers]. It was crushing. There are certain players who have been able to do that over and over. It can’t be luck.21 It’s amazing how one player can do that with the lights shining so bright.

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs guard: It takes

BONUS POINTS 1. Or Big Shot Bob as he’s sometimes called.

2. It was short-lived, but Lakers-Kings was the rivalry in the NBA at the start of the millennium.

3. The Kings were an NBA-best at home in the regular season with a 36-5 record.

4. Christie was an All-Defensive Second Teamer that season and was a four-time All-D selection.

5. Divac had left Shaq alone underneath the basket. Upon review, Shaq was wide open for a pass. Kobe-Shaq theorists can debate on that.

6. It was a gimmie for 29-year-old Shaq; had he gathered himself and not rushed it, it should’ve been a dunk.

7. John Stockton couldn’t have delivered a more accurate bounce pass.

8. L.A. sports teams Dodgers and Galaxy also use the song, following wins. The Kings play the song after a home team goal.

9. Technically it wasn’t much of a rivalry since the Kings never won a series against the Lakers in the playoffs from 2000-02 and stand 1-10 all time in postseason matchups.

10. It certainly joins Worthy’s Game 7 performance in the 1988 Finals when “Big Game James” dropped a championship-clinching triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, helping him earn Finals MVP honors.

11. Divac might’ve been channeling the 1991 Western Conference Finals Game 6, when as a second-year player, he watched Magic Johnson fick a ball over his head into the backcourt to tick away three seconds of the clock, essentially icing the series for the Lakers.

12. Turkoglu was the Kings' sixth man, averaging 10.1 ppg off the bench.

13. The Kings led the NBA that season with a 61-21 record.

14. Horry was the lone man back there as all nine players on the court jammed into the paint after Bryant’s shot.

15. In the Kings' fnal possession, Divac went to the line for a pair of free throws, missing one, which would have put the Kings up by three before the Lakers’ fateful fnal possession.

16. Stockton has called plenty of big games, but the announcing team in this legendary Game 4 was Marv Albert, Steve “Snapper” Jones and Bill Walton.

17. The Lakers outrebounded the Kings by one lone board, 52-51, in Game 4.

18. Mutombo is no stranger to the big moment. His eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets shocked the No. 1 Seattle SuperSonics in the frst round, aided by Mutombo’s 8 blocks in the fnal game. The lasting image of the game was Mutombo holding the ball in his hands in exultation following the series win.

19. To the Kings’ credit, they pulled out a gutty Game 5 win on Mike Bibby's clutch game-winner.

20. Horry fnished with 18 points, 14 boards and 5 dimes.

21. Going into that big shot, Horry was 1 of 6 from three-point in the game.

22. In the 2005 Finals, Horry’s big Game 5 (21 points, 5 of 6 from three) helped the Spurs overcome the Pistons for the championship.

23. During the summer of '02, the NBA approved the use of instant replay to review shots at the end of quarters.

24. Horry’s many clutch moments have helped his teams win plenty; Horry has seven rings to his credit.

confdence and guts, to want the ball with the game on the line. Deep in the playoffs, all the way through the Finals, we’ve had those types of players on our team for years. You need that. I would put Robert right at the top of any list in terms of clutch players.22

Divac: Samaki Walker made a three-pointer just before halftime which cut the lead, I believe, to 14. That shot hurt. If that shot is disallowed, Horry’s shot may never matter.

Rick Adelman, Kings head coach, to the L.A. Times, on Walker’s shot: NBC had it frame-by-frame. How hard is it to take fve seconds to look at [the replay] and make the right call? Every other sport has it [video replay]. It's going to happen in the offseason,23 but it doesn't help us now. I never saw it until I got home. I slowed it down and you could see all zeros behind him as he shot the ball.

What are you going to do?

Mutombo: When I see the replay, I see Divac batting the ball out.

I was a shotblocker, so I understand that. When that ball is loose, it probably would have been best to grab it. If I were in that spot, I probably would have knocked the ball out, too. It’s just a natural reaction. You would never expect a player to get the ball and shoot home a 25-footer to win the game in the last second.

Brand: I will always think of him as a big-time performer. His record speaks for itself. When you remember a certain shot for a lifetime, that’s saying something. But he did it on many occasions.24 That’s what separates him. It didn’t just happen once. He connected on huge shots all the time. This particular one… well, that’s even more special.

Big shot aside, Horry played a fantastic Game 4 with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists.

080 ROCKY WIDNER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

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PICK ’N ROLL

Since man first fashioned the wheel, we’ve been conjuring ways to turn the life-altering invention into speed-seeking thrills. Be it fast cars, bicycles or skateboards, we haven’t stopped trying to up the speed quotient. We caught up with a few powered rides on page 86 that have zero carbon emissions but still deliver plenty of rolling fun.

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BY ALEX BRACETTI #44

RUSSELL WESTBROOK Despite being bitten by the injury bug earlier in the year alongside teammate Kevin Durant, OKC’s sparkplug has overcome the physical setbacks and elevated his game. He’s averaging career highs across all major categories (points, rebounds and assists). More eye-opening are his triple-double outputs that have been nothing short of NBA 2K worthy. With so much riding on the four-time All-Star’s shoulders, the fery point guard still manages to save some time on the shot clock of life to enjoy his off-court hobbies and even pursue his biggest passion: fashion.

SOCIAL MEDIA I’m big on Instagram and Twitter. Those are the main two I use on a daily basis. Snapchat is another one that’s really big as well...defnitely one that I use from time to time.

HOBBIES One of the things I like to do in my downtime is shop. I’m so big into fashion. That’s what I do on my off time and try to fgure out how to get into the fashion world. Working with True Religion now, the vision is to try and help the brand. It’s been around for such a long time and is such an amazing brand. Trying to come in and learn some things, put my two cents in. As a creative director, you’ve got to fnd a way to be hands on, and obviously playing basketball, it can be different. I’ll defnitely try to add my creativity and be impactful.

SNEAKERS Jordan IXs. When I was younger, I wanted some Jordan IXs that had just come out.

They were all-grey, patent leather grey. I wanted to get them for my birthday and had them for a very, very long time— those are one of my favorites.

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MOVIES I’m big into action and mystery, [flms] that have different twists in flms and such. I just saw Gone Girl. I love that movie, Really twisted flm.

MUSIC My favorite artist is Lil’ Wayne, but I listen to different types of music.

I’m big into pop music. Oldies and 1960s-type music, some Frankie Lymon and artists like that. I love Motown. Temptations! I have a variety of songs going on there.

ILLUSTRATION: MATT CANDELA;

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Leatherman Juice XE6 Be it a fshing or camping trip this summer, or even in a glove compartment or pocket for MacGyver duty, the lightweight aluminum and durable 420 high-carbon stainless steel Juice XE6 multitool should have a solution for whatever life throws at you. In the event the compact set of 18 tools—highlighted by the 2.27-inch blade, saw, scissors, can/bottle opener, needlenose pliers, wire cutters and three sizes of screwdrivers—don’t have you covered, then you really should consider a full-time tool belt.

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Bern Unlimited Watts Wu-Tang Edition

Premium materials highlight A-Audio’s headphones, from the luxe diamond-patterned quilted leather band, the rotating steel octagonal bezels to the mirrored chrome fnish and faux croc-skin housing, all inspired from classic cars and timepieces. The sound quality matches its aesthetics. The headphones feature 3-Stage Listening Technology which gives the listener the freedom to shift between three modes to tailor their ears: Bass Enhancer, Active Noise Cancellation and standard Audio. The Bass Enhancer mode was a bit too heavy, but the standard mode produced clear results across the board while the Noise Cancellation mode shuttles the listener away from life’s noisy distractions.

After the inclusion of so many daredevil rides this issue, we’d be remiss to not include a helmet to protect the dome. We went with this one because A) WuTang lives forever and B) the Watts is equal parts stylish and insurance for your head. The combination of ABS hard shell and EPS foam meets the standards for bike and skate in case of a spill, and the limited-edition Wu-approved stamp of approval means you’ll leave the 36 chambers of death unscathed (although getting a listen of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin remains a pipe dream).

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Maverix USA Border X

Part skateboard, part all-terrain vehicle, all adrenaline, the Border X is an 800W-powered board that has the nod of approval from Tony Parker himself. We doubt Parker’s (full disclosure: Parker has a stake in the parent company of Maverix USA) NBA contract allows him to go on the Border X much, but if he ever did, he’d be able to careen down rough terrain, thanks to the board’s suspension system. Before you write off the power of this ride, keep in mind the remote-operated (a variablespeed trigger controls the speed; turns are made by leaning left or right) board can reach up to a white-knuckle 19 mph and features ABS brakes.

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Samsung has thrown its hat into the ring for best smartphone with the sixth iteration of its successful Galaxy line. Make that two hats: The S6 is joined by its curvier sister in the S6 Edge. Both phones have virtually the same hardware, with the one difference being a smooth curved edge (like Samsung’s previous Edge Note, but slightly smaller) that can be used to display notifcations, call up fve favorite friends and work as a bedside clock. If you think these features aren’t groundbreaking, you’d be correct. But you’d also be missing the point. The fact is, the double-sided curved edge is a design aesthetic that the iPhone and other major Android players have not dared to explore, making the S6 Edge stand out. While the S6 is a worthy pick—the gorgeous 1440p ultra-HD screen brings pictures from the phone’s 16MP camera to life while Samsung’s homegrown octa-core processor keeps it all peppy—the added curvature of its sibling makes it too alluring.

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Galaxy S6: $680 Galaxy S6 Edge: $780 (without contract; installment plans based on carrier) 087

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HTC One (M9) Let’s get it out of the way frst: The latest of HTC’s fagship smartphone (available for all major U.S. carriers) isn’t a groundbreaking deviation from the previous M8. Still, there’s something to be noted about the slight upgrades to it. Physically, the M9 is virtually the same dimensions as the previous model. The aluminum body still feels luxurious in hand, and the addition of the bevel around the edge gives it a better grip and an opportunity to dip it in some rampant-among-tech-products gold. Behind the full HD (1920 x 1080, 441 ppi) display might be the biggest upgrade to the phone: the octa-core Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor that doubles up on the previous 32-bit quad core one, making things feel snappier as you navigate through your apps.

Boomsound, HTC’s proprietary audio tech, carries over from the M8 and for good reason: It might be the best smartphone speaker in the market, making any changes unnecessary. Also making a return (and becoming more rare in the smartphone feld) is the microSD slot, letting you pack all your tunes, videos and photos into expandable storage.

After two years of preaching how pixel counts don’t matter with their Ultrapixel lenses, HTC goes the traditional route, offering up a 20MP (previous were 4MP) rear lens, but keeping the Ultrapixel camera in the front to step up the selfe game. Along with the new camera hardware, HTC packs a good slew of editing and post-production options to make your shots shine before trawling for likes on Instagram. A small but underrated new feature to the One M9 is the ability to create themes to your phone based off of a snapshot, making it dead simple to create a fresh look to your phone with a few clicks.

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Inventist Hovertrax Don’t get it twisted with the Segway you see your local mall cop cruising around in; the Kickstarterrealized Hovertrax takes the same principle—gyro-stabilized electric transport—but ditches the old-man handlebars while shrinking the form factor into something that resembles Marty McFly’s hoverboard from BTTF2. The learning curve is easier than expected (if you can stand without tipping over, you’re halfway there). The Hovertrax is very intuitive—the mere thought of moving forward will roll you in the direction.

It’s not mind control—your body subtly leans your weight forward, controlling the Hovertrax. Same goes for going backward and turning. After a few minutes you’ll be gliding effortlessly, up to 5 mph for 30 minutes (a full charge takes an hour), which doesn’t sound like much, but is way more fun than walking.

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Cyntur JumperPack Mini About the size of two iPods (O.G. ones) or if you’ve forgotten, about six iPhones, the JumperPack Mini is a glove compartment-stowable jump-starter lithium-ion battery for whenever the car battery konks out. The JumperPack can bring back to life up to an eight-cylinder engine. The unit holds a charge for a year with every charge, but you’ll likely recharge it more often since it can double up as a power pack for your USBpowered devices with its onboard 2.1-amp USB port. The JumperPack also has a built-in LED light for task lighting or an emergency strobe. A full charge can jump-start a car 25 times, charge your smartphone fve times and a tablet 1.5 times.

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WHERE TO BUY A-Audio Legacy Over-Ear HD Headphones: a-audio.com; Bern Unlimited Watts Wu-Tang: bernunlimited.com; Cyntur JumperPack Mini: cyntur.com; D-Link DIR-895L: dlink.com; HTC One (M9): htc.com; Inventist Hovertrax: inventist.com; Leatherman Juice XE6: leatherman.com; LED Lenser H7.2: ledlenserusa.com; Maverix USA Border X: maverixusa.com; Pronto: getpronto.com; Quirky Aros: quirky. com; Razor Ground Force Drifter: razor.com; Roku 3:roku.com; Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge: samsung.com/galaxy; Sosu Barrel-Aged Sriracha: sosusauces.com; Star Wars BBQ Tongs: underground-toys.com

Razor Ground Force Drifter

This electric-powered ride resembles your average go-kart, but bust a turn with some speed (it tops out at 12 mph) and like its name suggests, the Ground Force Drifter will slide out from back (thanks to the Super Slide POM rear wheels) to reenact your favorite Fast & Furious scene. The GFD features handlebar-type steering with a break on one handle and a variable-speed thumb trigger to control the high-torque, chaindriven motor that can get 40 minutes of runtime on a charge.

$299.99

Pronto

Pair an iOS device (iPhone or iPad) with the humble-looking Pronto and it will control your home theater setup. The mini tower unit relies on Bluetooth BLE to connect with your i-device and from there, bombards infrared signals 360 degrees to all your IR-based components. The list of supported devices totals thousands, ensuring maximum compatibility, and the uncluttered app is dead simple to set up, use and navigate with almost zero lag.

$50

D-Link DIR-895L

Despite its looks, the DIR-895L is neither a robotic alien invader nor killer insect (or a combination of the two), but D-Link’s latest AC5300 tri-band router can deliver the full Wi-Fi bandwdith of 5,300 Mbps simultaneously over its six—six!—repositionable antennas (no, they do not move on their own nor does it hover like a drone). The aggressive look only matches its performance, giving plenty of pipeline and muscle for content streams (think 4K video, videogames, lareg fle transfers) across a multiuser environment.

$309.99

Quirky Aros

A window-unit air conditioner does a great job of effciently cooling down a single room in the house—until you forget to turn it off when you leave the house, turning it into an energy drain. The Aros solves that by putting brains (and beauty, courtesy of the design-centric folks at Quirky) behind the traditional dumb cooling boxes, and linking up with your smartphone via the Wink app, turning it into the remote control (it doesn’t come with one). The Aros also relies on the GPS function on your phone to turn off the unit when it realizes you’re no longer in the room, while the Wink app can help you manage the energy and dollar costs of cooling your room.

$300

089

CHECK IT

Jordan

GEAR

OUR TAKE: Like Nike Basketball’s Elite series, Jordan Brand offers its signature athletes a second-season take on their footwear. A perennial postseason participant, Chris Paul gets the AE (Artisan Edition) treatment for his CP3.VIII. The main change on the AE from the regular VIII is the upper. Gone is the textile woven and fuse on the upper, replaced by a combination of mesh that cages in a foam skeleton (similar setup as the HyperRev 2014). This addresses two shortcomings of the VIII: upper flexibility and breathability. The full mesh on the AE is like a screened-in porch for your foot while the foam frame (with strategic cutouts) dramatically increases foot movement. The rubber TPU wrap keeps the foot locked in and the Flight Web system (Jordan’s version of dynamic Flywire) pulls the foot into the shoe.

Cushioning remains untouched from the VIII. Lunarlon handles landings in the rear while Zoom Air is in the forefoot for responsive and thin shock absorption. What enhances the setup is the podded outsole (one large pod in the heel and three smaller pods in the front), which when pressure is applied, activates the Zoom or Lunarlon like a button.

Traction works great on indoor courts, but typical of most shoes, there is more sliding on outdoor courts.

We’re glad to see Jordan incorporated real improvements on the CP3.VIII AE. They could have simply put in some flashy changes and tech and given it an AE moniker, but they made sure to focus on the shoe’s performance, making the AE a worthy consideration for a summer hoops shoe.—Frank Capa #28

01

CP3.VIII AE Price: $130 Weight: 11.8 oz.

Bungee rear pull tab.

02

Internal foam structure for movement and low break-in time.

0

03

Full mesh upper for flexibility and breathability.

08

Podded Heel Lunarlon for rear cushioning.

07

Rubber TPU wrap and heel counter cups foot into shoe.

06

Flight Web system cradles the foot like fingers.

05

Full-size Zoom Air for forefoot cushioning with trio of offset pods.

Nike

01

Articulated foam collar helps lock in your foot.

Zoom HyperRev Price: $130 Weight: 12.3 oz.

02

Dynamic Flywire integrates with the laces for stability and lockdown.

03

Hyperfuse construction offers durability, breathability and support.

06

Moulded TPU heel counter integrates with the laces for custom lockdown.

05

Lightweight Nike Zoom units deliver responsive, lowprofile cushioning.

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04

Rubber Outsole with herringbone pattern for durability and multidirectional traction.

04

Multidirectional herringbone outsole pattern.

OUT TAKE: While Nike delivers premium signature sneakers year after year, one of its best values outside of the signature line has been its other performance offerings. Athletes like James Harden and Paul George are due for a signature sneaker anytime now.

While Harden is the face of the Nike Hyperchase, Nike modeled the Nike Zoom HyperRev 2015 for George (Kyrie Irving repped it previously before he got his signature shoe). The HyperRev is a lightweight shoe and is designed for a wide-range of players. The HyperRev 2015, like the Hyperdunk, is a shoe outside the Swoosh’s signature shoe line (LeBron, Kobe, KD, Kyrie) that performs to Nike’s standards. Compared to the HyperRev 2014, this year’s model provides a whole new look to the sneaker. Offering a sleeker design, the HyperRev ‘15 includes dynamic Flywire that integrates with the laces to give you extreme stability and lockdown. Fully cinched, it feels like a sock around your foot.

HyperRev ‘15 offers responsive cushioning in Zoom Air for maximum cushioning on impact and support when lifting off, landing and cutting. While the support is there as you move and cut across the court, cushioning was lacking. It’s likely a trade-off for the shoe’s low-profile design.

The traction works really well on the hardwood but prepare to keep it wiped down, as it doesn’t hold up in dusty environments.

The HyperRev fits true to size and wears well right out of the box.

The shoe’s durability, thanks to the Hyperfuse construction, makes it a viable choice for outdoor summer hooping, while the breathable upper does a fairly good job of keeping things cool. Also, if you are someone who has battled ankle injuries, the foam collar gives you a sense of protection.

Nike released the HyperRev ’15 in a few colorways, along with the option of customizing your own on NikeID. If you are looking for a less expensive performance option from the Swoosh line, we definitely recommend getting your hands on these.

—Jarrel Harris #3

Nike

OUR TAKE: Kobe can’t seem to make up his mind whether he wants to go high or low. After going sky-high for the Kobe 9, he went back to his signature low-cut in the X, but takes the elevator again for the Elite edition.

The addition of almost five inches to the shoe doesn’t really change things up too much. Don’t expect the thin material on the ankle to offer much ankle support. The big difference is longtime Kobe collaborator Eric Avar going back to the Flyknit. The X used a combination fuse and mesh upper. We definitely dig the knit material (the use of recycled bottles on the yarn to make the upper adds a nice sustainability story) as it’s strong, light and breathable, making the Elite an improvement from the X in all three areas.

After introducing the Lunarlon/Zoom Air/Free sole combination that makes up the midsole in the X, Nike wisely stayed with it on the Elite. The three combine to make it a very nimble shoe that reacts with every step and toe-off. Just don’t expect the Free-like sole to compare with the flex of a Free running shoe as it is caged in, reducing its bending factor.

The cushioning system works well with the X’s other innovative traction system. Comprised of a system of nubs that grip and flex with added surface area, you will experience maximum stick to the court. The downside of the system is that it is designed for optimal court conditions. Don’t expect the traction nodules to last too long if you take your game outdoors.

Even if you’re wary of the high cut, the Kobe X Elite is certainly worth a look. The innovative cushioning and traction system are worth checking out if you missed out on the X and the Flyknit upper improves the fit and comfort from the X.—#28

01

The Flyknit upper is constructed with recycled polyester yarn. Each pair is made with the equivalent of five recycled plastic bottles.

Kobe X Elite Price: $225 Weight: 14.75 oz.

08

After a low cut in the Kobe X, the Elite sees the return of the high-top.

02

Dynamic Flywire is used to tighten the foot to the shoe.

07

03

Large visible Zoom Air in the heel.

Carbonfiber notch for stability and support.

06

Full-length Lunarlon midsole cushioning.

05

Nike Free-inspired grooves for flexibility.

04

Dynamic traction is comprised of an array of outsole nodules to maximize court grip.

OUR TAKE: As they’ve done the past few years, Nike has given its signature athletes footwear upgrades for the postseason. Previous Elite editions have seen the shoe get lighter or stronger, but the emphasis has always been an enhancement for the rigors of the championship drive.

The LeBron 12 Elite has maintained two carryover components from the regular-season shoe. The Megafuse upper remains and the combination mesh and fused material creates a very pliable yet durable skin. Nike also kept the hexagonal pods of Zoom that have made the LeBron 12 one of the better-cushioned shoes in recent memory. The heel Zoom unit was very noticeable thanks to the offset design; the other five units, while also offset, were less pronounced, but that certainly keeps the foot low to the ground. Overall, a responsive setup, giving Nike no reason to tweak.

The most noticeable difference between the 12 and 12 Elite is the subtraction of the Hyperposite on the vertical wings. In its place are more rigid plastic wings that offer a stiffer fit with a more armored feel. The midfoot wing is integrated into the lacing system, locking in the foot for more containment. We preferred the Hyperposite treatment as the new system feels more like a splint (the contrast between the wings and the upper is extreme), but those looking for more structure in the shoe might say otherwise. We will add that during gameplay, it’s much less noticeable as the three points (two on the top of the vertical wings and the lone midfoot lateral) work well in containing the foot.

It’s important to size the 12 Elite appropriately. A half size too big and you’ll see diminished returns. The Megafuse will pinch and bunch with too much space and the wings can’t cradle the foot properly.

Traction is good on well-maintained gym floors, but between the stylized outsole, the offset Zoom pods and clear sole, you’ll see some slipping if the floor is less than ideal. Translation: Be prepared to wipe the soles down during breaks in action.

At $275, it’s the most expensive shoe in Nike’s signature lineup. With that price it does come with every innovation that Nike Basketball has to offer. And sneaker connoisseurs will appreciate all the many fine details (even often overlooked spots like the back of the pull tab and lace lock feature design discoveries) in the 12 Elite.—#28

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Integrated rear pull tab.

03

Nike

02

LeBron 12 Elite

Vertical wings integrate with the lacing system to wrap the upper foot.

Price: $275 Weight: 18.4 oz.

03

Padded foam ankle collar for comfort and support.

01

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One-piece Megafuse construction combines mesh and composite materials to form a durable “skin” upper.

05

Jeweled lionhead lace lock.

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Mesh niches for ventilation.

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Six visible and independent hexagonal Zoom Air unit pods provide specific zoned cushioning.

06

Flywire pulls the foot into the shoe for secure lockdown.

091

CHECK IT 01 01

WEAR

Under Armour Storm Undeniable Windbreaker The Storm Undeniable checks off all the requisite marks of a reliable windbreaker (water-repellent, breathability and range of motion) but also adds a slight twist: The zip-off sleeves can come off for more fexibility.

$124.99

02

02

adidas D Lillard 1 “Florist City” Dubbed the “Rose City,” Damian Lillard’s home court of Portland was the inspiration to this red-rosed-out edition of the Trail Blazer guard’s signature shoe debut.

$105

03 03

Reebok Day Glo Ventilator

Forget a pop of color, these Ventilators deliver a punch of neon Pantone. But don’t overdo it. We suggest wearing a neutral base and letting these offer up the exclamation point to the outft.

$74.99

04

Under Armour SpeedForm Apollo Vent If you prefer a barefoot ride on your running shoes, the SpeedForm Apollo Vent is a match. The molded seamless heel cup combined with the molded 4D Foam footbed makes for a molded-to-your-foot ft. The breathable ArmorVent mesh upper delivers plenty of fex and air fow and the full-length Micro G midsole handles foot strikes.

$79.99 05

Jordan Eclipse

It might share some DNA with the Roshe Runs, but the Eclipse ups the ante on comfort, featuring an encapsulated Air Sole for added cushioning, while the textile upper fts like a pair of socks.

$110 04

05

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06

07

Jordan AJ V

The AJ V has you covered during a cool summer morning or night. The jacket shields you from cool temps and light wind while the waterrepellent nylon fabric can ward off the rain. A mesh lining and Dri-FIT promote good airfow for maximum comfort.

$120

06

07

adidas J Wall 1 “Florist City”

Springtime in the nation’s capital means the annual cherry blossoms give the mostly white monuments and buildings a feeting injection of pink. And now with John Wall’s arrival as a star, spring will also mean the Wizards will be vying for a title. Put the two together and you have these J Wall 1s.

$115

WHERE TO BUY: adidas D Lillard 1, J Wall 1 “Florist City”: adidas.com; Jordan Eclipse, Air Jordan Future Low, AJ V Tank, AJ V, Ele 2.0: jordan.com; Reebok Day Glo Ventilator: reebok.com; Stance X Dwyane Wade Socks: stance.com 09

08

08

Jordan Ele 2.0

The Ele 2.0 can go from the court with its Dri-FIT fabric to the cookout with its understated look featuring the classic elephant print panels and lifestyle ft.

$50

10

Jordan AJ V Tank

Mars Blackmon-era Mike never goes out of style. Plus, he’s wearing the timeless Vs. Double win.

$40

09

Jordan Air Jordan Future Low

A clean low-cut silhouette in a muted grey colorway, this Air Jordan Future was made for smooth summer fow.

10

$145

11

Stance X Dwyane Wade Socks

11

The old adage of matching your socks with your pants, shoes, suit, accessories—just throw it all out. The new rule for socks is there isn’t one.

If you’re down with this new world order, then may we suggest you start with Dwyane Wade’s collaboration of hosiery with Stance (the NBA’s offcial sock provider beginning in 2015-16), which clearly adheres to no conformity.

$14 (per pair)

093

STEP BACK

June 9, 2009, Finals Game 3, Amway Arena, Orlando Game 3 was the lone victory (108-104) in the Finals for Orlando. It’s also the only Finals victory ever by Orlando as they were swept by the Houston Rockets in the 1995 Finals.

The 2009 Finals was the 30th appearance in the Finals for the Lakers franchise (including Minneapolis years) versus just the second for Orlando.

Pau Gasol was a crucial part of the Lakers’ championship in 2009, averaging 18.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 1.8 bpg while shooting 60 percent in the five-game series.

The 2009 Finals is the only matchup where the two cities each have Disney parks: Disneyland (Los Angeles) and Disney World (Orlando).

Hedo Turkoglu led Orlando in scoring in the Finals with 18 ppg.

Gasol was selected for his first All-NBA Team (third team) in 2009. It would mark three consecutive berths on the All-NBA Team for the Spaniard.

Rashard Lewis had his best three-point shooting season in the NBA in 2008-09. He made 220 threes at a 40 percent clip.

Lewis and Rafer Alston were both second-round picks in the 1998 NBA Draft. Lewis was the 32nd overall pick by Seattle while Milwaukee selected Alston seven picks later.

Turkoglu is the second player from Turkey to play in the Finals. His countryman Mehmet Okur was the first and the only Turkish player to have won an NBA Championship.

The Magic were led by the quartet of Howard (21 points), Lewis (21), Alston (20) and Turkoglu (18) in Game 3 as they totaled 80 points in Game 3.

Howard and Trevor Ariza (along with Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic, not pictured) were both taken in the 2004 NBA Draft.

094

ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Many were anticipating a Finals matchup between 2008 NBA MVP Kobe Bryant and 2009 MVP LeBron James, but James’ Cavaliers were beaten in the Eastern Conference Finals by Orlando. It would be the closest the two superstars would come to playing against each other for a championship.

Derek Fisher had an excellent series shooting the ball. He shot 50 percent from the field, .438 from three and was perfect from the free-throw line.

Unless Tim Duncan plays at least 25 playoff games this postseason, Derek Fisher will remain the NBA’s leader in playoff games played with 259.

The two starting point guards in the Finals were also the two elder statesmen in the series. Fisher was 34 during the Finals while Alston was 32.

Bryant and Howard were both All-NBA First Team members in 2009. Three years later, Howard and Bryant would go on to become teammates in Los Angeles.

Howard averaged 15.5 points and 15.2 rebounds with 4 blocks in the Finals.

Howard had his best Finals performance in Game 3, finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Dwight Howard won the first of his three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2009.

Bryant was the runaway choice for his first Finals MVP in the with series averages of 32.4 ppg, 7.4 apg, 5.6 rpg, 1,4 spg and 1.4 bpg.

Bryant and Fisher performed rookie chores together.

Bryant was the 13th pick (by the Charlotte Hornets who subsequently traded him to Los Angeles) in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Fisher was taken with the Lakers’ first round (24th) selection.

The two have teamed up for five championships.

Bryant wore the Nike Zoom Kobe IV during the season. It was the first shoe in his signature line with Nike to feature a lower cut. Subsequent models would see the top slowly getting reduced as Kobe sought more torque and foot freedom that soccer shoes allow.

Mickael Pietrus was the first NBA player to hail from Guadeloupe. He was followed by Mickael Gelabale and Rodrigue Beaubois.

Alston was a midseason trade pickup

by Orlando after its starting point guard Jameer Nelson went down with a shoulder injury after 46 games and an All-Star appearance.

Alston played well in place of Nelson in the regular season with 12 ppg and 5.1 apg, but struggled in the Finals with his shooting (.368 from the field and .158 from three).

095

CALL OUT While racking up assists this season (he averaged a careerbest 8.6 assists per game) on the court, Russell Westbrook kept diming off of it as well. In March he took part in helping military personnel distribute food at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and in April, he gave his Kia Sorrento (the car he was prized with for taking home the All-Star Game MVP) to single mother Kerstin Gonzales.

LAYNE MURDOCH (2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

With Grit ’N Grind the team’s mantra, it really wasn’t too dirty nor too much work for Grizzlies Jon Leuer and Kosta Koufos to roll up their sleeves to help plant seedling trees at Shelby Farms Tree Planting presented by Wolf River Conservancy.

JOE MURPHY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

The Nets might wear black, but Deron Williams was all about blue as he fipped the switch of the Empire State Building’s lights, turning it blue to raise awareness for Autism Speaks’ Light It Up campaign.

DAVID DOW(2)/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

Greg Monroe reads The Lorax, Dr. Seuss’ personal favorite of his many works, during a Pistons reading event at Herrington Elementary School.

ALLEN EINSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

On the basketball court, Mike Conley’s cuts involve quick changes of direction. Here Conley shows a different kind of cutting—the ribbon variety—as he and teammate Marc Gasol dedicate the Grizzlies Courts at St. Jude Children’s Research Hopital.

JOE MURPHY/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

096

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