ORLANDO—Kenny Smith knows a little bit about dunk contests.
During his playing career, Smith appeared in three All-Star weekend dunk contests, with only three players having appeared in more—Dominique Wilkins (six), Clyde Drexler (five) and Nate Robinson (four). He has had a first-hand view, then, of how these things can go. In his first contest, Smith was runner-up to Wilkins, a legendary dunker. In his second, he lost to relatively unknown rookie Dee Brown and, in his third, the winner was an equally unknown rookie, Harold Miner.
Wilkins is a Hall of Famer. But when NBA fans hear the names “Dee Brown” or “Harold Miner,” it is the dunk contest that immediately comes to mind. Miner did little in his four-year NBA career besides win those contests, and Brown landed a major Reebok ad campaign by pumping up his shoes before his dunk. So when Smith hears fans complain that players such as LeBron James, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard are not in this year’s contest, he rolls his eyes.
“I can’t wait for the Sprite Slam Dunk contest, that is always one of my favorite things to see,” Smith told Sporting News. “When you think (about) some of the great dunk contests, they aren’t always the guys you think. It would be great to have Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin in there, sure. But think about it—-we didn’t really hear of Nate Robinson, we didn’t hear much about Spud Webb or Brent Barry or Harold Miner or Dee Brown before they won the dunk contest. These guys make their names there. This is their opportunity to shine, when they have this stage.”
This year’s field is especially unknown, especially with the withdrawal of Knicks guard Iman Shumpert. Pacers guard Paul George is the only starter among the group, and the only player averaging double-figure scoring (12.1 points per game). Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams made his name in last year’s NCAA Tournament, and was the No. 2 pick in the draft. Rockets forward Chase Budinger—-who was also a volleyball star—will be in the mix, as will Shumpert’s replacement, Jazz forward Jeremy Evans.
All are dunk-contest newbies, and Smith said it is almost impossible to imagine what making your dunk-contest debut is like. “That was the first time in my life when I walked on the court in my team uniform and I looked around, and I didn’t have my team with me,” Smith said. “All these things you practice when you were alone out there, well now, you’re not alone. I was excited. It was a surreal kind of moment. They’re looking at you out there.”
So who will we be looking at when the trophy is handed out? Smith was not going to venture a guess. “We don’t know whether these guys are game dunkers or prop dunkers,” he said. “We don’t know-—there is a different flair, a different confidence you need to be a contest dunker. You will try things in a dunk contest you would not normally try.”
We, though, will take a stab at it …
Dunk contest: Budinger. Evans is a darkhorse in this contest, but Budinger has great athleticism and might, somehow, get Yao Ming involved in this thing. Back in 2006, Budinger was the runner-up of the McDonald’s All-America game dunk contest.
3-point contest: Anthony Morrow. Morrow does one thing and he does it very well-—he can shoot. He has shot better than 40 percent on 3-pointers in each of the four years he has been in the league, and his 43.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line would rank fourth in league history. Plus, Morrow is honoring the late Nets star Drazen Petrovic by wearing his jersey, which is pretty cool.
Skills contest: Kyrie Irving. We’re looking for Irving to follow in the footsteps of another No. 1 overall rookie point guard, Derrick Rose, who won the contest in 2009. Irving does not quite have the speed of Rose, but he does have enough skill to take this title.
2.24.2012
Jeremy Lin growing tired of all the attention
It has been quite a rise for point guard Jeremy Lin, who went from hoping he would not get cut (what would have been the third time this year) from the Knicks a few weeks ago to gaining international acclaim with an eyebrow-raising 12-game stretch. On Friday, the league anticipated a media crush for Lin and his participation in the BBVA Rising Stars game that they gave him his own 20-minute press conference.
At this point, Lin wouldn’t mind having the attention rolled back a bit. “I am definitely surprised that people are still talking about Linsanity or whatever,” he said. “I think, hopefully, as the season progresses it will go from that to New York Knicks. And hopefully the Knicks can win basketball games and we can make a good push after the All-Star break and people will start talking about the Knicks and not necessarily me.”
The Knicks are still very much a work in progress. The had a seven-game winning streak that got the Lin ball rolling, but they have dropped two of their last three games as the team has been working star small forward Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup. That has been a hot topic of discussion, but when asked on Friday about which players have helped him along the most during his rise, Lin pointed first to his best friend on the team, Landry Fields. But Anthony was next.
“Carmelo, I think a lot of people have asked how is he fitting in, what is his attitude,” Lin said, “but he has definitely taken me under his wing, he talks to me pretty much every timeout, given me a lot of advice, he told me to keep being aggressive, keep doing what I’ve been doing and we’ll learn to play off of each other.”
Lin has not been shy about going to veterans for guidance, and they have been supportive. Apart from Fields and Anthony, Lin said a couple other veterans have offered big-time help. “The other two that really stand out, Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries,” Lin said. “Tyson is an unbelievable leader, a professional, he plays the way he carries himself. He called me last night (after the Knicks’ loss to the Heat), just to kind of pick me up and give me words of encouragement. And Jared, the most underrated guy on our team, he is an absolute team-first guy. His defense has been unbelievable. He is always talking to me and he has been in the league for a while.”
At this point, Lin wouldn’t mind having the attention rolled back a bit. “I am definitely surprised that people are still talking about Linsanity or whatever,” he said. “I think, hopefully, as the season progresses it will go from that to New York Knicks. And hopefully the Knicks can win basketball games and we can make a good push after the All-Star break and people will start talking about the Knicks and not necessarily me.”
The Knicks are still very much a work in progress. The had a seven-game winning streak that got the Lin ball rolling, but they have dropped two of their last three games as the team has been working star small forward Carmelo Anthony back into the lineup. That has been a hot topic of discussion, but when asked on Friday about which players have helped him along the most during his rise, Lin pointed first to his best friend on the team, Landry Fields. But Anthony was next.
“Carmelo, I think a lot of people have asked how is he fitting in, what is his attitude,” Lin said, “but he has definitely taken me under his wing, he talks to me pretty much every timeout, given me a lot of advice, he told me to keep being aggressive, keep doing what I’ve been doing and we’ll learn to play off of each other.”
Lin has not been shy about going to veterans for guidance, and they have been supportive. Apart from Fields and Anthony, Lin said a couple other veterans have offered big-time help. “The other two that really stand out, Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries,” Lin said. “Tyson is an unbelievable leader, a professional, he plays the way he carries himself. He called me last night (after the Knicks’ loss to the Heat), just to kind of pick me up and give me words of encouragement. And Jared, the most underrated guy on our team, he is an absolute team-first guy. His defense has been unbelievable. He is always talking to me and he has been in the league for a while.”
Reggie Miller, Maurice Cheeks lead 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame finalists
NBA ORLANDO—In some ways, it is still baffling that Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller is not yet in the Hall of Fame. He took a step toward achieving that on Friday, though, when he was named one of 12 finalists for enshrinement in Springfield, Mass.
Introduced among a handful of Hall of Fame inductees—including Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Chris Mullin and David Robinson—Miller said, “It’s great. I’ve played against a lot of these guys up here and I’ve watched a lot of them. … So, it’s wonderful to just even be mentioned with these guys.”
Also being considered are point guard Maurice Cheeks, forward Bernard King, center Ralph Sampson, forward Jamaal Wilkes, referee Hank Nichols, and coaches Rick Pitino, Don Nelson, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch. Katrina McClain, a two-time gold medalist for Team USA women’s basketball is also a candidate, as well as the All-American Red Heads, the first professional female basketball team. The announcement of the inductees will come during Final Four weekend in New Orleans, and enshrinement will take place on Sep. 7.
Miller scored 25,279 career points and was the league’s top 3-point shooter until last year, when Boston’s Ray Allen broke his record. He played all 18 years of his career with the Pacers, three of those with Mullin.
“Reggie Miller, man, what an incredible player,” Mullin told Sporting News. “I had the great fortune to play with him for three years, and those were three of the most professional teams I ever played on. You’re talking about a clutch, big-time performer on the big stage, a great teammate, one of the hardest workers I have even seen. He was everything to that city. What Peyton Manning is now, that’s what Reggie Miller is to Indianapolis.”
Also honored on Friday were “direct electees” Lidya Alexeeva (International committee); Mel Daniels, (ABA committee); Don Barksdale (Early African-American committee); Chet Walker (Veterans committee); and Nike founder Phil Knight (Contributors committee). Veteran writer Sam Smith and Portland broadcaster Bill Schonely were given the Curt Gowdy media awards.
Magic senior vice president Pat Williams was also given the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the general manager of the Sixers when Cheeks was drafted, and called Cheeks, “the best all-around true point guard in the history of basketball.”
Scott Brooks, who coaches Oklahoma City, where Cheeks is an assistant, echoed Williams’ praise. “It’s actually surprising that he hasn’t been included in the Hall of Fame already,” Brooks told Sporting News. “I have known him since I was his rookie back in my rookie year in the late ‘80s in Philadelphia. I have known him for more than 20 years. He represents himself and the NBA and the game of basketball in the highest form that you can represent it.
"When he left the game, he was first in history in steals, fifth in assists, he has been a head coach twice, the team he played on in ’83 might be one of the best teams ever. Maurice is a great guy and I hope the voters look at him in the way I look at him.”
Introduced among a handful of Hall of Fame inductees—including Dominique Wilkins, George Gervin, Chris Mullin and David Robinson—Miller said, “It’s great. I’ve played against a lot of these guys up here and I’ve watched a lot of them. … So, it’s wonderful to just even be mentioned with these guys.”
Also being considered are point guard Maurice Cheeks, forward Bernard King, center Ralph Sampson, forward Jamaal Wilkes, referee Hank Nichols, and coaches Rick Pitino, Don Nelson, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch. Katrina McClain, a two-time gold medalist for Team USA women’s basketball is also a candidate, as well as the All-American Red Heads, the first professional female basketball team. The announcement of the inductees will come during Final Four weekend in New Orleans, and enshrinement will take place on Sep. 7.
Miller scored 25,279 career points and was the league’s top 3-point shooter until last year, when Boston’s Ray Allen broke his record. He played all 18 years of his career with the Pacers, three of those with Mullin.
“Reggie Miller, man, what an incredible player,” Mullin told Sporting News. “I had the great fortune to play with him for three years, and those were three of the most professional teams I ever played on. You’re talking about a clutch, big-time performer on the big stage, a great teammate, one of the hardest workers I have even seen. He was everything to that city. What Peyton Manning is now, that’s what Reggie Miller is to Indianapolis.”
Also honored on Friday were “direct electees” Lidya Alexeeva (International committee); Mel Daniels, (ABA committee); Don Barksdale (Early African-American committee); Chet Walker (Veterans committee); and Nike founder Phil Knight (Contributors committee). Veteran writer Sam Smith and Portland broadcaster Bill Schonely were given the Curt Gowdy media awards.
Magic senior vice president Pat Williams was also given the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the general manager of the Sixers when Cheeks was drafted, and called Cheeks, “the best all-around true point guard in the history of basketball.”
Scott Brooks, who coaches Oklahoma City, where Cheeks is an assistant, echoed Williams’ praise. “It’s actually surprising that he hasn’t been included in the Hall of Fame already,” Brooks told Sporting News. “I have known him since I was his rookie back in my rookie year in the late ‘80s in Philadelphia. I have known him for more than 20 years. He represents himself and the NBA and the game of basketball in the highest form that you can represent it.
"When he left the game, he was first in history in steals, fifth in assists, he has been a head coach twice, the team he played on in ’83 might be one of the best teams ever. Maurice is a great guy and I hope the voters look at him in the way I look at him.”
NBA: Rasheed Wallace to sign with Lakers
Rasheed Wallace, who hasn't played since Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, will come out of retirement to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to CSN New England.
Reports surfaced last month that Wallace was serious about returning to the game.
The big question with Wallace, 37, given his status as one of the most skilled big men of his era and ability to shoot and defend, is whether he's in shape to play. It's the same question that dogged him during his final season with the Boston Celtics, who, according to CSN, had no interest in bringing him back. That apparently is not an issue—Wallace has reportedly worked out hard and is in better shape than he was before his retirement.
If Wallace indeed signs with the Lakers, the next question becomes whether the team is bringing him in as a potential replacement for Pau Gasol, who has been the subject of trade rumors and drama for the entire season. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said Monday that the team would continue exploring trade proposals after Kobe Bryant stated that it was time for the team to either move Gasol or take him off the block.
Gasol, in his 11th season is averaging a career-low 16.6 points and has said the rumors have bothered him. One Western Conference executive told Hoopsworld that the Lakers are overvaluing him.
“I doubt Pau goes anywhere,” the executive said. “I love Pau, but the Lakers are asking for way too much.”
Additionally, one front-office executive source told CSN that Wallace's days as a starter are over—a fact that likely means that Gasol will be unaffected.
"His days as a starter in this league are gone," said the source. "I think he knows that, and so do the Lakers. But think about it. Of the big men that are available, is there one that's really better? And if he's gotten himself in shape, adding him becomes a huge get for them."
In 15 seasons with Washington, Portland, Atlanta, Detroit and Boston, Wallace averaged 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Reports surfaced last month that Wallace was serious about returning to the game.
The big question with Wallace, 37, given his status as one of the most skilled big men of his era and ability to shoot and defend, is whether he's in shape to play. It's the same question that dogged him during his final season with the Boston Celtics, who, according to CSN, had no interest in bringing him back. That apparently is not an issue—Wallace has reportedly worked out hard and is in better shape than he was before his retirement.
If Wallace indeed signs with the Lakers, the next question becomes whether the team is bringing him in as a potential replacement for Pau Gasol, who has been the subject of trade rumors and drama for the entire season. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said Monday that the team would continue exploring trade proposals after Kobe Bryant stated that it was time for the team to either move Gasol or take him off the block.
Gasol, in his 11th season is averaging a career-low 16.6 points and has said the rumors have bothered him. One Western Conference executive told Hoopsworld that the Lakers are overvaluing him.
“I doubt Pau goes anywhere,” the executive said. “I love Pau, but the Lakers are asking for way too much.”
Additionally, one front-office executive source told CSN that Wallace's days as a starter are over—a fact that likely means that Gasol will be unaffected.
"His days as a starter in this league are gone," said the source. "I think he knows that, and so do the Lakers. But think about it. Of the big men that are available, is there one that's really better? And if he's gotten himself in shape, adding him becomes a huge get for them."
In 15 seasons with Washington, Portland, Atlanta, Detroit and Boston, Wallace averaged 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Steve Nash sees himself playing longer, still not on market
NBA ORLANDO—Suns point guard Steve Nash just turned 38, which, for most players, would mean the second or third year of a comfortable retirement. Instead, Nash spent part of Friday afternoon perched on a stage here, talking about his NBA future—a future that, considering he is averaging 13.9 points and a league-high 10.9 assists, he can imagine going on for at least two more years.
“We’ll see,” Nash said when asked how many years he had left. “I really don’t know. You can’t predict Father Time. But I still feel capable. I would like to think next year I can play the same way and I can be capable the year after. But at this stage, it is hard to look three, four, five years down the road. But I could still play a long time.”
Of course, in the early part of the year, there was some question about whether Nash would play out his contract in Phoenix, where he has been since leaving Dallas in 2004. The Suns, with a 14-20 record, are on the wane, and it would make sense for Nash, who is in the last year of his deal, to push the organization to deal him to a contender. It might also make sense for the team to get something in return for Nash ahead of his free agency.
But general managers around the league have said that the Suns are not taking offers for Nash. And Nash—as he has said all year—insists he perfectly happy with that.
“I am happy where I am,” Nash said. “I am not happy with our record but I feel like I owe it to our fans and my teammates. But at the same time, I would understand if the team wanted to make a move. I am completely open and to be honest, I am just trying to occupy myself helping every player on the team play as well as he can.”
In fact, Nash said on Friday that he was not even aware that trade talk about him had been muted recently. It’s just not in his consciousness. “I really don’t know about it,” Nash said. “You could have told me trade talk was on the rise and I would have said, ‘Oh, really?’ I don’t know whether it has died down or what. I have tried to stay oblivious to all the chatter, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I am just trying to concentrate on preparing myself and being the best that I can for my team. Outside of that, especially this season, I don’t have time.”
“We’ll see,” Nash said when asked how many years he had left. “I really don’t know. You can’t predict Father Time. But I still feel capable. I would like to think next year I can play the same way and I can be capable the year after. But at this stage, it is hard to look three, four, five years down the road. But I could still play a long time.”
Of course, in the early part of the year, there was some question about whether Nash would play out his contract in Phoenix, where he has been since leaving Dallas in 2004. The Suns, with a 14-20 record, are on the wane, and it would make sense for Nash, who is in the last year of his deal, to push the organization to deal him to a contender. It might also make sense for the team to get something in return for Nash ahead of his free agency.
But general managers around the league have said that the Suns are not taking offers for Nash. And Nash—as he has said all year—insists he perfectly happy with that.
“I am happy where I am,” Nash said. “I am not happy with our record but I feel like I owe it to our fans and my teammates. But at the same time, I would understand if the team wanted to make a move. I am completely open and to be honest, I am just trying to occupy myself helping every player on the team play as well as he can.”
In fact, Nash said on Friday that he was not even aware that trade talk about him had been muted recently. It’s just not in his consciousness. “I really don’t know about it,” Nash said. “You could have told me trade talk was on the rise and I would have said, ‘Oh, really?’ I don’t know whether it has died down or what. I have tried to stay oblivious to all the chatter, so I guess it doesn’t matter. I am just trying to concentrate on preparing myself and being the best that I can for my team. Outside of that, especially this season, I don’t have time.”
Linsanity spares U.S. Olympics team
ORLANDO—The world has been on a Jeremy Lin bender. Thankfully, Jerry Colangelo has managed to remain sober.
He likes the kid and all that. But as boss of USA basketball, Colangelo’s first priority is to win a gold medal, not a popularity contest.
Sorry, Linsanity sufferers. London is not calling for Jeremy Lin.
“You don’t go from A to Z in life in anything,” Colangelo said. “You have to pay your dues.”
MORE ON JEREMY LIN
Lin may not have gone to Z, but he’s pretty near T or U or V. If People magazine conducted a poll, Lin would probably be the starting point guard for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
Repeat after Colangelo:
Not. Gonna. Happen.
He didn’t actually say those words Friday. Colangelo was at All-Star Weekend to unveil Team USA’s pre-Olympic schedule. The NBA’s hottest topic inevitably came up.
Reading between his diplomatic lines, Colangelo is a voice crying in the Lin wilderness. He’s not even worried that Lin might take his basketball skills to Beijing, though the possibility that Lin plays for China in the London Games at least exists.
If that makes Colangelo the Grinch Who Stole Linsanity, he’ll take the rap.
“It’s a great story for the NBA and a great story for him,” Colangelo said. “But one week or two doesn’t make a career.”
The bottom line is that Lin is a good player. But the hype has far exceeded his basketball resume. Colangelo would have said that before Thursday night’s game, when the Heat basically made Lin look like an undrafted free agent from Harvard.
“Players always have to go around the league a couple of times. You get to know them and make adjustments,” Colangelo said. “Let’s talk again after another 20 games, and we’ll see how he’d doing.”
Even if Lin continued to play like Steve Nash circa 2005, which point guard would he replace on Team USA?
Derrick Rose? Chris Paul? Russell Westbrook? Deron Williams?
The second-tier of guard candidates like Rajon Rondo, Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings is daunting enough.
“We really have more depth than we’ve ever had,” Colangelo said.
The former Phoenix Suns owner was hired in 2005 to revitalize the disorganized mess USA Basketball had become. He’s big into “equity,” meaning he favors players who’ve been in the program.
Most of the players on the roster—18 of the 20 potential players identified in January—have played in previous Olympics or world championship competitions. The younger ones have been on the “select” team.
“They get a chance to scrimmage the big guys, if you will,” Colangelo said. “We get a chance to know them better, and they get a chance to see how we do things.”
Lin may well get invited to scrimmage the big guys when they open camp this summer. But he’d have to be as stupendous as the most crazed fans believe.
Maybe 34 points, 12 assists and a couple of dunks over LeBron per game would do it. Anyone who saw Heat-Knicks Thursday night knows that notion is beyond Linsanity.
There is a chance Lin could make it London with the Chinese team. The state news agency, Xinhua, has called for him to renounce his U.S. citizenship and play for the good old People’s Republic.
The idea certainly has marketing appeal, but there are complications. A big one: Lin’s parents are from Taiwan, and most Taiwanese don’t consider their island part of China; Lin's maternal grandmother, according to the New York Times, fled mainland China for Taiwan in the 1940s.
Plus, Taiwan, which competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei, did not qualify for the London Games.
This would be much simpler if we could revert to 1992, when pros first started playing. The Dream Team was so good it could afford to set aside a slot for a college player. Christian Laettner essentially carried everyone’s luggage around Barcelona.
The world caught up with America, which is why Colangelo was brought in. As good as LeBron, Kobe, etc. are, he knows America can’t turn over a roster spot to the NBA public relations department.
“There are a lot of players who want to play,” Colangelo said. “And they’re paying their dues. No exceptions.”
Sounds like a guy who won’t let anything get between the U.S. and a gold medal.
Not even Linsanity.
He likes the kid and all that. But as boss of USA basketball, Colangelo’s first priority is to win a gold medal, not a popularity contest.
Sorry, Linsanity sufferers. London is not calling for Jeremy Lin.
“You don’t go from A to Z in life in anything,” Colangelo said. “You have to pay your dues.”
MORE ON JEREMY LIN
Lin may not have gone to Z, but he’s pretty near T or U or V. If People magazine conducted a poll, Lin would probably be the starting point guard for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
Repeat after Colangelo:
Not. Gonna. Happen.
He didn’t actually say those words Friday. Colangelo was at All-Star Weekend to unveil Team USA’s pre-Olympic schedule. The NBA’s hottest topic inevitably came up.
Reading between his diplomatic lines, Colangelo is a voice crying in the Lin wilderness. He’s not even worried that Lin might take his basketball skills to Beijing, though the possibility that Lin plays for China in the London Games at least exists.
If that makes Colangelo the Grinch Who Stole Linsanity, he’ll take the rap.
“It’s a great story for the NBA and a great story for him,” Colangelo said. “But one week or two doesn’t make a career.”
The bottom line is that Lin is a good player. But the hype has far exceeded his basketball resume. Colangelo would have said that before Thursday night’s game, when the Heat basically made Lin look like an undrafted free agent from Harvard.
“Players always have to go around the league a couple of times. You get to know them and make adjustments,” Colangelo said. “Let’s talk again after another 20 games, and we’ll see how he’d doing.”
Even if Lin continued to play like Steve Nash circa 2005, which point guard would he replace on Team USA?
Derrick Rose? Chris Paul? Russell Westbrook? Deron Williams?
The second-tier of guard candidates like Rajon Rondo, Eric Gordon, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings is daunting enough.
“We really have more depth than we’ve ever had,” Colangelo said.
The former Phoenix Suns owner was hired in 2005 to revitalize the disorganized mess USA Basketball had become. He’s big into “equity,” meaning he favors players who’ve been in the program.
Most of the players on the roster—18 of the 20 potential players identified in January—have played in previous Olympics or world championship competitions. The younger ones have been on the “select” team.
“They get a chance to scrimmage the big guys, if you will,” Colangelo said. “We get a chance to know them better, and they get a chance to see how we do things.”
Lin may well get invited to scrimmage the big guys when they open camp this summer. But he’d have to be as stupendous as the most crazed fans believe.
Maybe 34 points, 12 assists and a couple of dunks over LeBron per game would do it. Anyone who saw Heat-Knicks Thursday night knows that notion is beyond Linsanity.
There is a chance Lin could make it London with the Chinese team. The state news agency, Xinhua, has called for him to renounce his U.S. citizenship and play for the good old People’s Republic.
The idea certainly has marketing appeal, but there are complications. A big one: Lin’s parents are from Taiwan, and most Taiwanese don’t consider their island part of China; Lin's maternal grandmother, according to the New York Times, fled mainland China for Taiwan in the 1940s.
Plus, Taiwan, which competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei, did not qualify for the London Games.
This would be much simpler if we could revert to 1992, when pros first started playing. The Dream Team was so good it could afford to set aside a slot for a college player. Christian Laettner essentially carried everyone’s luggage around Barcelona.
The world caught up with America, which is why Colangelo was brought in. As good as LeBron, Kobe, etc. are, he knows America can’t turn over a roster spot to the NBA public relations department.
“There are a lot of players who want to play,” Colangelo said. “And they’re paying their dues. No exceptions.”
Sounds like a guy who won’t let anything get between the U.S. and a gold medal.
Not even Linsanity.
2.23.2012
Is there an ideal age for the NBA All-Star Game?
The NBA All-Star Game is a gathering of the best basketball players in the world. Age, size and nationality are irrelevant on the game's biggest stage—if you're one of the best 24 players in the world, you'll likely find a place amid the celebrities, hype and festivities of All-Star Weekend.
We dug into the record books to find out a little more about the extremes of past NBA All Stars. For instance, you might know that former Rockets center Yao Ming is the tallest NBA All Star ever (7-foot-6), while former Houston guard Calvin Murphy is the shortest to ever play the game (5-foot-9). Of course, there are always going to be extremes in height in a game that has a place for towering centers and pesky point guards and all sizes in between.
MORE ALL-STAR COVERAGE
But what about age? Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the oldest All Star at age 41, while fellow Laker legend Kobe Bryant was the game's youngest player at age 19.
Is there an ideal age for an NBA All Star? How about a typical age? We mined some data, looking at the rosters of the past 20 years worth of NBA All-Star games, and the results—while not necessarily surprising—certainly illustrate the makeup of the NBA All Star rosters.
The average age of an NBA All Star from 1993 to 2012 is 27.5 years old. This year's game is essentially a perfect example of that statistic – the average age of the East roster is 27.5, while the West checks in at 27.3. The oldest player this year is Steve Nash (38 when the season started), while the youngest is Blake Griffin (22). There are five 27-year-olds (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Marc Gasol) and one 28-year-old (Andre Iguodala) who straddle the average-age line.
The average age has remained relatively consistent. Going into this exercise, we thought perhaps the mid-90s teams—featuring the aging but still formidable members of the original Dream Team—might skew older, while the surge of players skipping college and going straight to the NBA in the late 90s would push the average age lower.
And on the surface, that appears to be the case. The oldest roster (29.5, 1996 West) featured Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton, each of whom was at least 32 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest All-Star team (25.4, 2002 West) included Bryant and Kevin Garnett, who were already veterans but not yet 26 years old.
However, the NBA has done such a remarkable job of replenishing its talent pool that even through the retirement of that wave of elder statesmen, the average age of an All-Star roster never deviated more than two years from the 20-year norm.
Even the MVPs follow the age trend. The oldest MVP in that span was 34-year-old Michael Jordan in 1998, and the youngest was 21-year-old LeBron James in 2006, but all told, the average age of the All-Star MVP in the past 20 years is 28.1 years old.
In the end, age isn't a reliable predictor of success in the All-Star game. In the 18 games since 1993, the older team has won nine and the younger team has won nine. The East is 4-4 when it has the older roster, while the West is 5-5 when it has the older collection of players.
Thus, when it comes to the NBA All-Star game, the old saying is true: age is just a number.
We dug into the record books to find out a little more about the extremes of past NBA All Stars. For instance, you might know that former Rockets center Yao Ming is the tallest NBA All Star ever (7-foot-6), while former Houston guard Calvin Murphy is the shortest to ever play the game (5-foot-9). Of course, there are always going to be extremes in height in a game that has a place for towering centers and pesky point guards and all sizes in between.
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But what about age? Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the oldest All Star at age 41, while fellow Laker legend Kobe Bryant was the game's youngest player at age 19.
Is there an ideal age for an NBA All Star? How about a typical age? We mined some data, looking at the rosters of the past 20 years worth of NBA All-Star games, and the results—while not necessarily surprising—certainly illustrate the makeup of the NBA All Star rosters.
The average age of an NBA All Star from 1993 to 2012 is 27.5 years old. This year's game is essentially a perfect example of that statistic – the average age of the East roster is 27.5, while the West checks in at 27.3. The oldest player this year is Steve Nash (38 when the season started), while the youngest is Blake Griffin (22). There are five 27-year-olds (Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Marc Gasol) and one 28-year-old (Andre Iguodala) who straddle the average-age line.
The average age has remained relatively consistent. Going into this exercise, we thought perhaps the mid-90s teams—featuring the aging but still formidable members of the original Dream Team—might skew older, while the surge of players skipping college and going straight to the NBA in the late 90s would push the average age lower.
And on the surface, that appears to be the case. The oldest roster (29.5, 1996 West) featured Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton, each of whom was at least 32 years old. Meanwhile, the youngest All-Star team (25.4, 2002 West) included Bryant and Kevin Garnett, who were already veterans but not yet 26 years old.
However, the NBA has done such a remarkable job of replenishing its talent pool that even through the retirement of that wave of elder statesmen, the average age of an All-Star roster never deviated more than two years from the 20-year norm.
Even the MVPs follow the age trend. The oldest MVP in that span was 34-year-old Michael Jordan in 1998, and the youngest was 21-year-old LeBron James in 2006, but all told, the average age of the All-Star MVP in the past 20 years is 28.1 years old.
In the end, age isn't a reliable predictor of success in the All-Star game. In the 18 games since 1993, the older team has won nine and the younger team has won nine. The East is 4-4 when it has the older roster, while the West is 5-5 when it has the older collection of players.
Thus, when it comes to the NBA All-Star game, the old saying is true: age is just a number.
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