Out With the Old Guard, In With the New

The Dallas Mavericks victory over the Miami Heat was many things. It was the end to a great career for Jason Kidd, a defining moment for Dirk Nowitzki, catapulting him into the upper echelons of the greatest forwards to play the game, a long awaited pay off for owner Mark Cuban, and another sorrow filled event for LeBron James.

The Mavericks not only toppled the highly despised Heat, but they stood as a last vestige of the old guard in the NBA, a group of highly successful players entering the twilights of their careers and phased out by a newer, younger group of established and emerging stars. Players like Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan are being replaced by names like Stephen Curry, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and numerous others.

With the departure of the old guard, the league also loses a state of mind that those players carry with them. An all business, hypercompetitive drive that drove many of the era to greatness. The shrewdness and bravado of Kevin Garnett, the killer like attitude of Kobe Bryant, the silent but deadly demeanor of Tim Duncan. With every great player on the last leg of their career, also hangs the attitude that was the driving force behind the many memorable moments left behind during their run. The NBA is now at a crossroads, one in which we’ll see the newer group of stars adopt these attitudes and carry on the legacy, or a complete transformation of the league in which players focus on being liked by one another and attempting to ensure they don’t come off as a bad teammate or being too cocky.

What many of these players have yet to realize, is that calling out teammates and being overly confident is what has driven the greatest in the game over the leagues history. Greats like Russell, Bird, Magic, MJ, Kobe, etc., all didn’t hesitate for a second to straighten out a teammate or chirp about any issue in the post game press conference. The greats are driven by success, and every single obstacle standing in their way, whether teammate, coach, friend, or family, was taken care of and disposed. Victory was their ultimate goal, and nothing was going to stop them.

This new generation of NBA superstar is still young, but shows no true signs of steering towards the ways of legends past. The leagues most talented player teamed up with a buddy, who should have been a rival, and another superstar for the chance to play together in a young city and chase titles. The league’s MVP is far too humble, letting poor performances by teammates slide under the radar as he absorbs all the blame. One of the leagues top performers has issues taking command late in the game, allowing a much more confidant but less talented guard shoulder the load in the closing minutes. In case you couldn’t guess it, the players just touched on were James, Rose, and Durant, arguably the top three young players in the league at the moment. Yet here they are, all three unwilling to take charge and become the big man on campus. Why is this?

First off, many of the young players in the league are the not only the best on their team, but are also on teams that are made up of mostly young players. The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder are perfect examples of this. Derrick Rose is easily the best player on that roster, but whom does he have to teach him the ropes. What seasoned guard is there to guide him through his career, and more importantly, call him out and teach him how to be a commanding leader both on the floor and in the locker room. The answer? Nobody. The Bulls, despite being successful, lack a veteran presence on the team that can assume a leadership role and mentor the young players.

Swoop down to OKC and you’ll find the same situation. The Thunder are lucky enough to have four extremely talented young players that look to be the core make up of their future. Westbrook, Durant, Harden, and Ibaka. All four are superbly talented, but again, who is there to teach them how it all works. Sam Presti needs to go out and secure the Thunder a no nonsense veteran that will put Westbrook into his place and inspire Durant to become the leader of that team. When that dynamic is settled out, the rest will fall into place, but the beauty of MJ and Pippen was that Pippen knew his place, and that’s a lesson Westbrook will need to learn in order for the Thunder to reach their full potential.

This theory holds true for nearly all of the top young stars in the league. In Orlando, a lack of veteran presence has possibly been the hold up on Dwight Howard reaching his full potential. Despite their fading talent, the old guard still has a role to play in the development of the new guard; the only issue is whether or not they are willing to listen.

The second theory on why the new group of NBA stars seems to lack the “killer” gene stems back before any of them stepped onto a college basketball court, much less a professional one. Many of the leagues young stars played in one of the biggest booms of AAU basketball to date. Any young star worth his salt in an NBA uniform surely played in the ranks of AAU ball, being placed on select teams with other great talents and traveling the country to play the same teams again and again in different tournaments. The AAU dynamic is one that has not received much credit to the cause of the, “lets all be friends attitude.”

The fact of the matter is; many NBA players have actually shared the same basketball court for years by the time they reach the pros. Players like Kevin Love and Michael Beasley played AAU ball together, and their only one of hundreds of examples of this. Even if players weren’t on the same team, it’s almost a guarantee that at more than one point during their career they played another great player. Add this on top of the fact that many players play for multiple teams, chasing the teams that provide the most exposure and talent. All of this wrapped up creates an environment in which players are constantly in contact with other great players, developing friendships that are reignited at next tournament and carried upwards through their careers.

Team hopping and consistently facing the same competition also creates the need to acclimate to any team or set of teammates. This dynamic was especially well chronicled in George Dohrmann’s book, “Play Their Hearts Out.” Recent findings with the questionable recruiting done by perennial powerhouse Indiana AAU also demonstrate the darker side of competitive amateur basketball.

The combination of these two ideas, a past dominated by AAU basketball and the current lack of veteran leadership on many young NBA teams has led to the situation the league finds itself in now; an aging group of old veterans with an old school attitude, and a crop of young stars emerging in the league, carrying with them a new kind of competitiveness, one in which everyone can seemingly turn off the switch with the final buzzer and all be friends the same night.

(Originally Posted At Two Point Diversion)

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Does New York Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni Deserve To Be in the Hot Seat?

After Monday evening’s disappointing 96-86 loss to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks dropped to 7-9 and 35-35 overall since the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony.

During this span, the Knicks have fallen to vastly inferior teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), the worst team in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers (twice), the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks.

New York’s latest defeat came at the hands of a team tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference, who overcame a nine-point deficit with seven minutes left in the game to deal the Knicks their third consecutive loss.

In the aftermath, as is always the case in the Big Apple pressure cooker, fans, reporters and talk show radio hosts alike have congregated to commence a witch hunt, with head coach Mike D’Antoni winning by a landslide as the object of their contempt.

This is the same Mike D’Antoni who was asked to take over the reins of a team expected to be cellar dwellers, until the salary cap mess created by the previous regime was cleaned up. Now that he’s just been given some of the tools he needs to succeed, there are already calls for his job.

Can it be called justice when D’Antoni is being labeled the scapegoat for the slow adjustment to a blockbuster trade that shook up the majority of his starting rotation? Likewise, can a guilty verdict has been rendered when he’s had less than a quarter of a season to have everything running like a well-oiled machine?

The answers to these questions should be a resounding “No,” but the New York sports arena can oftentimes be an unforgiving place.

So instead of excitement building for the Knicks’ first playoff appearance in six years, the focus has become whether D’Antoni is the right man for the job.

With 12 games left in the season, New York has more victories than the team has averaged in the last nine (31) and are on the cusp of their first non-losing season since 2001.

Nevertheless, all that can be heard is grumbling and murmuring throughout the city about D’Antoni, whose first two seasons should really be considered a wash for all intents and purposes.

Championships aren’t won, and dynasties aren’t built, in 16 games.

Patrick Ewing’s great run with the Knicks didn’t begin until his third season, Kobe Bryant didn’t win his first ring until his fourth and it took Michael Jordan seven seasons before he could finally wrap his arms around the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

By all accounts, the Knicks are still an unfinished project because, although Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony form a superlative foundation, even more pieces need to be added before the team truly becomes a viable championship contender.

Until they do, anyone clamoring for D’Antoni’s firing at the end of the season should be ashamed.

The Knicks are in a state of flux, and D’Antoni deserves a stable nucleus to work with, for a significant period of time, before any aspersions are cast.

Click here to read the original article at SportsHaze.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 28, 2003

Although he excelled at cricket and soccer growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Patrick Aloysius Ewing rose from poor beginnings to become one of the 50 greatest players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

After his parents immigrated to the United States, settling in Cambridge, Mass., Ewing, his brother and five sisters would follow four years later when family funds permitted.

In spite of a marked Jamaican accent, Ewing was determined to succeed academically since entering grade school, taking summer school classes and obtaining help from tutors to ensure his education would not stop at the high school level.

Ewing first shot a basketball in a neighborhood pick-up game at the age of 12, quickly learning the game as he grew to six feet six inches by eighth grade, drawing the attention of several prep basketball head coaches.

As a high school student at Cambridge’s Rindge and Latin School, Ewing led his team to three state championships and earned an invitation to try out for the 1980 Olympic Men’s Basketball Team when no other high school athlete had ever been invited.

Impressed to find a team coached by an African-American man, Ewing chose to attend the University of Georgetown, where John Thompson stressed that his best bet was a college education because a small percentage of college athletes make careers in professional sports.

Ewing’s junior year would be marked by the sudden death of his mother and the unplanned pregnancy of his high school sweetheart.

Nevertheless, Ewing turned down the endorsements and millions of dollars waiting for him in the NBA to keep the promise he made to his mother that he would graduate from college.

With Ewing patrolling the paint, the Hoyas reached the NCAA Championship Game three consecutive years, winning the title in 1984 as their imposing center captured the Outstanding Player of the Tournament Award.

During that same year, Ewing would also win Olympic gold as a member of the men’s basketball squad.

In 1985, the league instituted the first ever Draft Lottery to prevent teams from deliberately losing games to secure a better chance of obtaining Ewing, who was unanimously considered the draft’s grand prize.

The New York Knicks would end up winning the Lottery, and selected Ewing with the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.

Although injuries marred his first year in the league, Ewing was named the Rookie of the Year, averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game. In the seasons that followed, Ewing would come to be regarded as one of the premier centers in the league.

From 1988 to 1999, Ewing led the Knicks to 13 consecutive playoff appearances, four Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals appearance, while averaging better than 21 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per contest.

Over the course of 15 seasons, Ewing played in a franchise-record 1,039 games for the Knicks, the only player to play 1,000 games with the team.

As part of a seven-player deal, the Knicks shipped Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics in 2000, where he would play one season. He added another with the Orlando Magic before he announced his retirement on September 18, 2002.

On February 28, 2003, the 11-time All-Star’s jersey number (33) was retired by the Knicks in a grand ceremony at Madison Square Garden, officially going down as one of the greatest players in the franchise’s storied history.

Five years later, Ewing was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual player, and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 gold medal-winning United States Olympic Men’s Basketball “Dream Team”.

Ewing has been an assistant coach with the Magic for the past five seasons.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 23, 1986

Throughout his 20-year career in the National Basketball Association, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s trademark sky hook was virtually untouchable, much like the records he held upon his retirement in 1989.

But since his early years growing up in New York City, Abdul-Jabbar was destined to secure his place among basketball royalty.

In high school, Abdul-Jabbar, known as Lew Alcindor, Jr. before converting to Sunni Islam, led Power Memorial Academy, to a 71-game winning streak, a 79-2 overall record and three consecutive New York City Catholic championships.

At UCLA, under the tutelage of head coach John Wooden, Alcindor would be equally dominant, twice winning the College Player of the Year Award (1967, 1969), earning three First Team All-American honors (1967-1969) and becoming the first Naismith College Player of the Year (1969).

With Alcindor anchoring the middle, the Bruins’ three-year record was an astounding 88-2, and the team would win three straight NCAA Championships with Alcindor as the Most Outstanding Player in each Tournament.

During his sophomore season at UCLA, Alcindor boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics, deciding not to join the Men’s Basketball Team to protest the unequal treatment of African-Americans in the United States.

When Alcindor’s college basketball days were over, he owned a number of records at UCLA that have stood the test of time, including highest season scoring average (29.0), highest career scoring average (26.4) and most points in a single game (61).

Not surprisingly, Alcindor was the first overall pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA Draft and the first overall pick of the New York Nets in the American Basketball Association (ABA) Draft. In addition, Alcindor was offered $1 million to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Ultimately though, Alcindor chose to play for the Bucks, who outbid the Nets for his services after coming off a season in which they finished an abysmal 27-55.

The addition of Alcindor would pay immediate dividends for Milwaukee as the team won 29 more games to lay claim to second place in the league’s Eastern Division. Alcindor was the overwhelming choice for Rookie of the Year, averaging 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.

The following season, Milwaukee added Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson to the roster, which propelled the talent-laden Bucks to 66 victories during the 1970-71 season and their first, and only, NBA Championship. The season would also turn out to be one of individual dominance for Alcindor, winning the scoring title (31.7 ppg), his first of six Most Valuable Player Awards and the NBA Finals MVP Award.

On May 1, 1971, the day after the Bucks won the NBA championship, Alcindor adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, its Arabic translation roughly meaning "generous/noble (Kareem), servant of (Abdul) the mighty/stern one (Jabbar) [i.e., of God]."

Over the next three seasons, Abdul-Jabbar continued to be the main reason why Milwaukee remained a perennial NBA powerhouse, all while capturing two more MVP Awards.

However, at his request, the Bucks traded Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers because, culturally and socially, Milwaukee was no longer a good fit for the generation’s next legendary center.

"Live in Milwaukee? No, I guess you could say I exist in Milwaukee," Abdul-Jabbar said in a early magazine interview.

"I am a soldier hired for service and I will perform that service well. Basketball has given me a good life, but this town has nothing to do with my roots. There's no common ground."

In two out of his first three seasons with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar would win his fourth and record-tying fifth MVP Awards, but when the team selected Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson with the first overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, a dynasty began taking shape with Abdul-Jabbar as its centerpiece.

With the tandem of Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, the Lakers would go on to become the most dominant team of the 80’s, appearing in eight NBA Finals and winning five NBA championships.

Individually, although past his prime, Abdul-Jabbar continued his assault on the league record books, winning his sixth MVP Award in 1980, replacing Elvin Hayes as the all-time leader in games played on Feb. 23, 1986 and surpassing Wilt Chamberlain as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader in 1984.

When he officially retired in 1989 after 20 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar had 19 All-Star Game appearances, 10 All-NBA First Team selections, six NBA championships, six MVP Awards and two Finals MVP Awards under his belt, to go along with career averages of 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.

During his final season, Abdul-Jabbar was given standing ovations in every single game he played, and was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 22, 2007

This day in black sports history marks the fourth anniversary of the sudden and tragic passing of a man Larry Bird called “best I ever played with” and whom Earvin 'Magic’ Johnson lauded as “the best backcourt defender of all-time.”

These poignant words represent a mere microcosm of how respected Dennis Wayne Johnson was, and still is, throughout the National Basketball Association.

Born the eighth of sixteen children on Sept. 18, 1954 in Compton, Johnson, who lacked the size and talent to compete with his peers in high school, excelled on the street basketball circuit while working several odd jobs upon his graduation.

Johnson’s defensive skills and “rocket launcher legs”, which enabled him to snare rebounds against taller competition, garnered notice from the head coach at Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), who encouraged Johnson to enroll at the public community college.

Johnson promptly quit his jobs and matriculated at LAHC, where he developed into a promising young guard, averaging 18.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game as he led the team to a junior college state title.

At the end of his career at LAHC, Johnson accepted a scholarship offer to play at Pepperdine University, developing a reputation for tough defense and averaging 15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in his only year in college.

Despite disciplinary issues at LAHC, where he got kicked off the team three times in two years, and with only one year of college basketball under his belt, Johnson was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 29th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft.

After one season as a back-up shooting guard, Hall of Fame head coach Lenny Wilkens inserted Johnson into the starting rotation to play alongside Gus Williams, and the duo became a major part of the reason the SuperSonics would play in two consecutive NBA Finals against the Washington Bullets.

The Sonics wound up on the short end of the stick of a seven-game thriller in 1978, in which Johnson set the record for most blocks in Finals history for a guard (7).

However, redemption would come the following season as Seattle defeated the Bullets in five games. Johnson was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, averaging 22.6 points, six rebounds and six assists per game.

During his four-year stint with the Sonics, Johnson established himself as one of the best guards in the league, earning two of his five All-Star selections and two All-Defensive First Team honors.

Before the 1980-81 season, Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he became a more versatile scorer while remaining a backcourt defensive stalwart.

In his three years as a Sun, Johnson averaged 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while leading Phoenix to the Western Conference Semifinals in two consecutive seasons as the team’s main scorer. This span would also see Johnson play in two more All-Star Games while being voted on to three consecutive All-Defensive First Teams.

Johnson’s next seven seasons were spent with the Boston Celtics, which he described as “a dream come true”.

As a playmaking point guard this time, Johnson was the engineer of a Celtics team that featured Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, and won two NBA Championships in three seasons (1984, 1986).

At the time of his retirement in 1990, Johnson played in 1,100 of a possible 1,148 games during his 14-year NBA career, and was only the 11th player in league history to amass more than 15,000 points and 5,000 assists.

On December 13, 1991, the Celtics franchise retired Johnson’s No. 3 jersey at the old Boston Garden.

However, Johnson would not live to receive the ultimate honor of being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, suffering a fatal heart attack on February 22, 2007. Johnson’s death was met with shock throughout the entire league.

Three years later though, Johnson would be posthumously elected into the Hall of Fame.

Among others, current Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge called him one of "the most underrated players of all time [...] and one of the greatest Celtics acquisitions", and one-time rival Bill Laimbeer called him "a great player on a great ballclub".

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 21, 2003

Although in the twilight of his career, with nothing left to prove, Michael Jeffrey Jordan continued his assault on the National Basketball Association’s record books.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Wilmington, N.C., Jordan was motivated to prove his worth since he failed to make his high school’s varsity basketball team as a sophomore.

So upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, it should come as no surprise that Jordan tallied approximately 20 points per game over his final two seasons of play, including averaging a triple-double—29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 10.1 assists—during his senior season.

After accepting a scholarship offer to play at the University of North Carolina, Jordan went on to average 17.7 points and five rebounds per game over the course of three seasons. In the process, Jordan was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year and won the Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Awards for his junior season exploits.

Jordan gave up his final year of eligibility to enter the 1984 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers).

For the 15 seasons he played in the NBA, Jordan would prove that the Rockets and Trail Blazers missed the mark with each All-Star Game he made (14), each Most Valuable Player Award he won (five) and each Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy he brought back to the Windy City (six).

From 1991 to 1998, the Bulls would win the NBA title every season that Jordan was playing. The only two years Chicago didn’t lay claim to the championship (1994, 1995), was when Jordan temporarily retired to pursue a career in baseball.

Jordan would walk away from the game a second time after leading the Bulls to their second three-peat in eight years, further affirming his status as the greatest player in league history.

Two years later, Jordan returned to the NBA as part-owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards, which would only stoke the competitive flames that still burned within.

As a result, Jordan returned to play for the Wizards the following season, in which he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg) and steals (1.42 spg).

The 2002-03 season would be Jordan’s last, as advancing age and nagging injuries finally caught up with “greatest basketball player of all-time,” but he would depart with a flourish.

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game, Jordan scored 20 points to become the all-time leading scorer in All-Star Game history.

For an encore, on Feb. 21, 2003, Jordan became the oldest player to score 40 points or more in a game, when he lit up the New Jersey Nets for 43 points in an 89-86 Wizards victory.

In a testament to his love of the game, Jordan was the only Washington player to play all 82 games that season, averaging 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.

After tributes were paid to him throughout the league, Jordan played his final game on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia.

Jordan went to the bench in the third quarter after scoring only 13 points and with the Wizards trailing the Philadelphia 76ers, 75–56.

The fourth quarter would see Jordan re-enter the game for a 50-second stint to sink the final free throws of his career. Subsequently, when he returned to the bench, Jordan would receive a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, the Sixers team, the officials and the capacity crowd at the First Union Center.

His legacy secured, the ultimate form of acknowledgment would come from one of Jordan’s legendary peers who once said:

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." – Earvin 'Magic’ Johnson

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 20, 2011

When Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich called his number in the first quarter of the 60th NBA All-Star Game, Blake Austin Griffin became a part of black sports history at the tender age of 21.

After his participation in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, in which he scored 14 points, and his rousing victory in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Griffin’s entry into the annual showcase marked the first time in league history a player has taken part in all three events during All-Star Weekend.

The historic achievement was merely another highlight reel in what has been a memorable rookie season for the Los Angeles Clippers superstar power forward, who’s averaging 22.8 points and 12.6 rebounds in the first 56 games of his blossoming career.

But even in high school, where he was integral in Oklahoma Christian School winning four consecutive state championships, Griffin appeared to be destined for greatness.

During his junior season, Griffin averaged 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists, and as a senior, he posted 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per contest, which resulted in scholarship offers from college basketball powerhouses such as Duke, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

When push finally came to shove though, the Oklahoma City, Okla. native chose to stay home, accepting a scholarship to play for the University of Oklahoma as one of the highest-rated and most decorated recruits in state history.

In his freshman season at Oklahoma, Griffin averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game, becoming the first Sooner to earn Big 12 All-Rookie Team honors since Wayman Tisdale in 1983. And although he was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Griffin decided to return to Oklahoma for a second season to mature physically and lead the team to the NCAA Championship.

Griffin failed to accomplish the latter, as Oklahoma fell to North Carolina in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, but flourished individually, posting 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds per game. Griffin’s standout year would garner him a myriad of Player of the Year awards, including the Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year Award and the Naismith College Player of the Year Award.

Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Griffin with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after he announced he was giving up his final two years of eligibility two months earlier.

Unfortunately, Griffin would not play a single game during the 2009-10 campaign due to season-ending surgery on his broken left kneecap, which he injured during a preseason game.

Nevertheless, Griffin worked vigorously to rehabilitate his knee, and get himself into playing shape, to fulfill the tremendous promise he exhibited as an amateur.

Since he missed all of last season, Griffin was still considered a rookie entering the 2010-11 season, where he has been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November, December and January.

In addition, Griffin has set Clippers’ franchise records for most consecutive double-doubles (23) and most points scored in a game by a rookie (47).

Griffin also became the first rookie since the 1996-97 season (Allen Iverson) to have two 40+ games, as well as the first rookie to be voted into the All-Star Game by the coaches since San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan in 1998.

One can only imagine what Griffin will do for an encore.

Black Sports History Honorable Mention

Kobe Bryant (37 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals) tied Bob Pettit for the most All-Star Game MVP Awards (four).

LeBron James (29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) became only the second player (Michael Jordan) in All-Star Game history to record a triple-double.

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 19, 1996

Seemingly lost among his colorful and controversial comments both during and after he retired from the game was the fact that Charles Wade Barkley was one of the greatest players in the National Basketball Association’s 64-year history.

Born and raised in Leeds, Alabama, Barkley stood at 5’10” and weighed 220 pounds when he failed to make the Leeds High School basketball varsity team.

But after growing six inches during the summer, Barkley earned a starting position as a senior, a year in which he averaged 19.1 points and 17.9 rebounds per game in the process of leading the team to a 26-3 record and a berth in the state high school semifinals.

Described by an assistant coach as “a fat guy who can play like the wind," Barkley was recruited by University of Auburn’s head basketball coach Sonny Smith, who would further along Barkley’s development into one of the most complete players to ever step on a basketball court.

Although he struggled to control his weight, Barkley led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in rebounding in each of his three seasons at Auburn, ultimately earning him the nickname “The Round Mound of Rebound,” due to skills that belied his height and overweight frame.

In Barkley’s three year college career, he averaged 14.8 points on 62.6 percent field goal shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, all while playing center at an undersized 6’4”.

As a result, Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the fifth overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, a class that included Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan and John Stockton.

Throughout his entire 16 year career, playing for the Sixers (1984-1992), Phoenix Suns (1992-1996) and Houston Rockets (1996-2000), Barkley would never have a season when he averaged less than 14 points and eight rebounds per game, as he would go on to post career numbers of 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor.

Barkley’s banner year came during the 1992-93 season, his first season in Phoenix, when he was selected to play in his seventh consecutive All-Star Game, led the Suns to the NBA’s best record (62-20) and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

But Phoenix would fall short in their bid to win the NBA Championship at the hands of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls, despite Barkley’s 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, which included a triple-double in Game 4. This would be the closest Barkley would come to winning a championship ring.

However, nothing would stop “Sir Charles” from continuing to climb the ranks of professional basketball’s greats.

On Feb. 19, 1996, Barkley pulled down his 10,000th career rebound in a Suns’ overtime victory against the Vancouver Grizzlies, becoming the 10th NBA player to compile 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in league history.

By the time he retired in 2000, Barkley became a member of another distinguished list, ranking as one of only four players in NBA lore to have 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone).

With two Olympic gold medals, 11 All-Star selections and additional acclaim as one of the league’s all-time top 50 players, Barkley was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

In a 2007 issue of SLAM Magazine ranking NBA greats, Barkley was ranked among the top 20 players of all-time. The issue also featured an interview with Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who commented on Barkley's career.

Walton stated, "Barkley is like Magic [Johnson] and Larry [Bird] in that they don't really play a position. He plays everything; he plays basketball. There is nobody who does what Barkley does. He's a dominant rebounder, a dominant defensive player, a three-point shooter, a dribbler, a playmaker."

Click here to read the original article at Examiner.com.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 18, 1986

In the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), only four players have recorded a quadruple-double, which is the accumulation of double-digit number totals in four of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game.

“The reason why [quadruple-double] is such a hard thing to accomplish is because it requires a player to be completely dominant on both ends of the court without being too selfish—so he can get the assists—without fouling out trying to block every shot or grab every rebound. A lot of guys can get the points, rebounds and assists, but it’s the defensive stuff that messes everybody up. You have to love defense to get a quadruple-double. There’s no way around it.” - Nate Thurmond

On Feb. 18, 1986, Alvin Cyrrale Robertson, a four-time NBA All-Star, followed in the enormous footsteps of Thurmond, by registering the second quadruple-double in league history.

While playing for the San Antonio Spurs, the multi-dimensional Robertson compiled 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a game against the Phoenix Suns.

Former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon and former Spurs center David Robinson recorded quadruple-doubles in 1990 and 1994 respectively to join Thurmond and Robertson in this exclusive club.

However, what distinguished Robertson’s quadruple-double is that his came with steals as the fourth category. Thurmond (22 points, 14 rebounds 13 assists, 12 blocks), Olajuwon (18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks) and Robinson (34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks) registered theirs with blocks as the fourth category.

Robertson’s historic achievement was one of the highlights in a banner year for the University of Arkansas product, who was selected by the Spurs with the seventh overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

By doubling his scoring output from his rookie season, and averaging 3.7 steals per game, Robertson would win the Most Improved Player Award and the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 1985-86 season, as well as earn the first of four All-Star selections in his 11-year career.

After playing for the Spurs (1984-1989), Milwaukee Bucks (1989-1993), Detroit Pistons (1993) and the Toronto Raptors (1995-1996), Robertson retired holding the top career steals-per-game average in NBA history (2.71 spg), a record that has not been surpassed, and the record holder for the most consecutive games with a steal (105), a mark now held by New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul (108).

Robertson would hang up his sneakers with career averages of 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

And of all the legendary guards that have graced the NBA courts, such as Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, ‘Magic’ Johnson, and Michael Jordan, Robertson is the first, and last, guard to register a quadruple-double in a game.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 15, 2011

When it comes to the game of basketball, William Felton Russell is arguably the greatest winner in the sport’s history.

Prior to the start of his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco (USF) men’s basketball team to two consecutive NCAA Championships (1955, 1956) and won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the United States National Team.

After the Boston Celtics acquired him in a draft-day trade with the St. Louis Hawks, Russell became the centerpiece of a team that won 11 NBA Championships in thirteen seasons, including an unprecedented eight consecutive titles between 1959 and 1966.

During this dominating, dynastic run, Russell also served a three-season stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming first African-American head coach in NBA history.

Russell retired from the game in 1969 with career averages of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, as well as five Most Valuable Player Awards and 12 All-Star appearances to his credit.

But despite his myriad of accomplishments, Russell’s life was marked by an uphill battle against racism, beginning in his childhood when he was forced to witness his parents become such victims of bigotry and racial abuse that they had to move into housing projects for an escape.

In his memoir, Go Up for Glory, Russell poignantly recalled his feelings on the racism and segregation that pervaded his existence, even as a standout amateur basketball player at USF and a superstar for the Celtics.

It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. You are a Negro. You are less. It covered every area. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. A morass to fight from.

As a consequence, Russell became a passionate and unyielding crusader for civil rights, which also resulted in a bitter relationship with the city of Boston due to his programmed hypersensitivity to racial prejudice in all its forms.

Russell’s bad rapport with fans and journalists, stemming from his refusal to respond to acclaim or friendship, caused him to be characterized as egotistical, hypocritical and paranoid.

In addition, seeing himself as a victim of the media, Russell was neither present for the retirement of his Number 6 jersey at the Boston Garden in 1972 nor his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

However, with the re-retirement of Russell’s jersey at the TD Garden in 1995 and the receipt of a ‘We Are Boston’ Leadership Award in 2008, ceremonies which Russell did attend, a small measure of reconciliation was achieved, but, to some extent, the wounds from a long history of racial strife remained fresh.

Therefore, it was fitting that Barack Obama, the first African-American president in United States history, endorsed an idea that many view as a way for Boston to put a difficult past, with one of its greatest sports heroes, completely behind them.

Obama’s remarks came during a ceremony in which Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the country, for his legacy as a civil rights activist.

Russell is the seventh African-American sports figure, and first basketball player, to receive the award. The Monroe, La. native was among 14 recipients to be honored, including George H.W. Bush, poet Maya Angelou, investor Warren Buffet and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

Below is the official White House transcript of Obama's remarks about Russell:

When Bill Russell was in junior high, he was cut from his basketball team. (Laughter.) He got better after that. (Laughter.) He led the University of San Francisco to two championships. In 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, he won 11 championships -- a record unmatched in any sport. Won two while also serving as the team’s coach. And so happens, he also was the first African American ever to hold such a position as a coach in a Major League sports team of any sort. More than any athlete of his era, Bill Russell came to define the word "winner."

And yet, whenever someone looks up at all 6 feet 9 inches of Bill Russell -- I just did -- (laughter) -- I always feel small next to him -- and asks, "Are you a basketball player?" -- surprisingly, he gets this more than you think, this question -- (laughter) -- he says, "No." He says, "That’s what I do, that’s not what I am. I'm not a basketball player. I am a man who plays basketball."

Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men. He marched with King; he stood by Ali. When a restaurant refused to serve the black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players, and made possible the success of so many who would follow. And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 10, 1989

In the mid-1990s, as he inched closer to becoming the National Basketball Association’s all-time leader in coaching victories, Leonard Randolph Wilkens exhibited the same type of quiet resolve that began to develop during his childhood, growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

Born on October 28, 1937 to an African-American father and an Irish mother, Wilkens had to quickly adjust to the ostracism he would receive for his mixed heritage, either from the taunts of other children or the contemptuous remarks of racist adults.

While still a preschooler though, his emotional maturation was further accelerated when his father died suddenly, leaving Wilkens, the oldest of four children, as the “man of the family” at the tender age of five.

Living in a Brooklyn tenement, and supported only by the wages his mother earned working in a candy factory, Wilkens managed to keep his emotions under firm control while keeping his nose in the books and resisting the temptations of the street.

"I couldn't have sympathy," Wilkens told Sports Illustrated.

"I couldn't trust. I couldn't get involved with people because then I'd have to feel. What scared me so much was seeing no one going out of their way to help my mother and family after my father died. Seeing people look down their noses at us. You realize that no one really cares.”

“So how do you get through? You start building the wall. You never let anyone know what's inside. It sounds awful now to say I'd never cry."

After acquiring a grocery delivery job at the age of seven, Wilkens spent his leisure time playing basketball with various youth leagues in Brooklyn, becoming a standout over the course of his adolescent years.

At Boys High School, Wilkens made enough of a mark to win an athletic scholarship to Providence College, a private, Catholic university in Rhode Island.

As one of six African-Americans in a school with 1,200 students, Wilkens was re-indoctrinated to the ugly reality of racism. But Wilkens allowed brilliance in the class room and stellar play on the court do the talking.

"There were people looking at me like I was some kind of insect," Wilkens recalled of his college years. "People who assumed that because I was from Bed-Stuy, I was carrying a knife or gun.”

“One drop of black blood in this country ... and you're tainted. If I let that hurt me, who has the anxiety? Me. I was not going to let anyone hurt me or make me feel anxious. I'd learned something by then. If I could control myself, I could make them feel anxious."

Wilkens’ controlled aggression helped him become a two-time All-American at Providence, leading the team to its first National Invitational Tournament (NIT) appearance in 1959 and the NIT Finals in 1960, where he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Wilkens graduated from Providence with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1960.

In the 1960 NBA Draft, Wilkens was drafted sixth overall by the St. Louis Hawks, and in a matter of years became a perennial All-Star.

Between 1963 and 1973, Wilkens was named to nine All-Star teams as a member of the Hawks (1960-1968), Seattle SuperSonics (1969-1972) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1972-1974). In 1968, Wilkens finished second in the NBA’s MVP voting to Wilt Chamberlain.

At the time of his retirement in 1975, Wilkens was second on the NBA’s all-time assists list, behind only Oscar Robertson, and finished his career with 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game.

Wilkens would begin the coaching portion of his basketball journey as a player-coach in Seattle (1969-1972 and for the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974, which was his final year as a player. Wilkens became a full-time coach in 1977 when he took over the 5-17 SuperSonics.

Their dismal record notwithstanding, Wilkens’ knack for teaching the fundamentals of the game became glaringly evident as he guided Seattle to a 42-18 record the rest of the season, and an appearance in the 1978 NBA Finals, where the SuperSonics succumbed to the Washington Bullets in seven games.

The following season, Wilkens took Seattle back to the NBA Finals and, this time, the SuperSonics defeated Washington in five games.

Despite Seattle’s dramatic turnaround under Wilkens’ steady hand, Wilkens was overlooked for the Coach of the Year Award in 1978 and 1979 for reasons that more than one observer considered racist.

After eight seasons in Seattle, Wilkens moved on to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers, transforming a team that won only 29 games in 1985-1986 into an Eastern Conference powerhouse that won 50 games or more in five of his last six seasons.

In 1994, his first year as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Wilkens finally won Coach of the Year honors for taking a mediocre Hawks team to the playoffs with a 57-25 record.

Two years later, Wilkens would surpass Red Auerbach as the NBA’s all-time leader in coaching victories and, after brief stints with the Toronto Raptors (2000-2003) and the New York Knicks (2004-2005), retire with 1,332 victories, which is now only second to former coach Don Nelson.

During his coaching career, Wilkens also served as an assistant coach on the gold-medal winning 1992 United States Olympic Dream Team and as the head coach for the 1996 United States Olympic Team, which also captured gold.

On February 10, 1989, Wilkens’ exploits as a player were rewarded with election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

And with his induction as a coach in 1998, Wilkens became only one of three players to be enshrined in Springfield as a player and a coach (Bill Sharman, John Wooden).

In 1996, the NBA named Wilkens one of its 50 Greatest Players and one of its 10 Greatest Coaches, the only individual named to both lists.

According to Newsweek, Wilkens "has earned the respect of two decades' worth of NBA players by being patient, by being demanding and by asking no more of his players than he asked of himself.... Nothing can detract from Wilkens' historic accomplishment. He has proved himself a man for all seasons, not just any one."

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 9, 1992

Figuratively speaking, November 7, 1991 was the day the magic died in the National Basketball Association.

Named by ESPN as the seventh most memorable moment in the past 25 years, Earvin Johnson, Jr., more affectionately known as "Magic,” held a press conference to announce his retirement after testing positive for HIV.

The announcement devastated not only the Los Angeles Lakers franchise, who Johnson guided to five NBA Championships in the 1980’s, but the national and international basketball community, where he had become a beloved figure.

Prior to his announcement, the AIDS virus was associated with drug addicts and homosexuals, but Johnson acknowledged that he was infected through having multiple sexual partners during his playing career.

The virus was also widely viewed as an impending death knell to those with the misfortune of being infected, instantly turning them into social pariahs.

But it was only fitting that “Magic” began the process of destroying these stereotypes with a virtuoso performance that transcended the game.

Even with one of its brightest stars permanently on the shelf, the 1991-92 NBA season commenced according to schedule. Nevertheless, Johnson’s on-court brilliance and magnetic personality remained firmly implanted in the hearts and minds of basketball fans worldwide.

Despite not playing in a single regular season game, Johnson was voted on to the Western Conference starting lineup for the 1992 All-Star Game on February 9, 1992, his 12th selection, and the former three-time Most Valuable Player humbly elected to participate.

Former teammates and opponents weren’t reluctant to voice concerns and objections about Johnson’s presence, but most relented with assurances that it didn’t present a risk and, by the end of the game, no one was upset that he was on the roster.

And how could they be?

By keeping in shape with a daily physical regimen that frequently included full-court, contact basketball, Johnson proved he was more than capable of keeping up with his All-Star teammates and counterparts.

The game ended in a 153-113 Western Conference blowout, but it was the end of the game that provided some of the most memorable moments in NBA history.

After being held scoreless since the end of the second quarter, Johnson went on a scoring spree in the game’s final minutes by making three consecutive three-pointers, tossing in one of his trademark no-look passes to Dan Majerle to add some flair to his run.

On the defensive end, the rest of the players on the floor allowed Johnson to go one-on-one with Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan, to the delight of the capacity crowd.

Johnson capped the game by taking and making an off-balance three-point shot to put the finishing touches on a stat line highlighted by 25 points, nine assists and five rebounds.

Players from both teams ran on to the court to congratulate Johnson and no one had any objections to him winning the second All-Star Game MVP Award of his career.

"When Magic announced that he was going to play, I was skeptical like everyone else, at first," said Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Clyde Drexler, who finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

"But once it was confirmed that everything was safe and he was going to play, everyone in the United States who knows anything about basketball was extremely happy with today. I would much rather have Magic as MVP than myself. It's the best way to honor him and he deserves it."

Johnson provided more in-depth perspective on the message he wanted to convey at the Orlando Arena.

"People with this virus can live on -- that's the message," Johnson said.

"They can run, they can jump. Second of all, you don't have to worry about me playing. You can't get it from hugging, kissing, elbows, and high fives. Life doesn't stop because something happens to you."

And fortunately, 19 years later, life still hasn’t stopped for Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 7, 1991

In an era dominated by big men such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 6’1” point guard from New York, proved there would always be room in the National Basketball Association for creative, intelligent and quick small men.

Born and raised in the South Bronx’s Patterson housing projects, one of America’s most ravaged neighborhoods, Nathaniel Archibald became a playground legend, while resisting the temptations of the street that destroyed the aspirations, dreams and lives of many of his peers.

Instead, Archibald, nicknamed "Big Tiny" after his father, turned to basketball when his father left the family’s two-bedroom apartment, leaving “Tiny,” the oldest of seven children, as the head of the household at the age of 14.

As a sophomore at Dewitt Clinton High School, Archibald was cut from the varsity squad and briefly entertained thoughts of dropping out of school altogether.

But Floyd Lane, a community sports director and mentor to Archibald, convinced the Dewitt Clinton head coach to take another look at the small, painfully shy teenager who lacked confidence on the court.

After his reinstatement, Archibald blossomed into a star, becoming team captain and earning an All-City selection in 1966.

However, a major college scholarship would not be in the offing due to his poor grades. So, for the first time in his life, Archibald left New York to attend Arizona Western Community College, in the hopes of improving his chances of playing major college basketball.

Only one year later, Archibald accepted a scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he averaged 20.0 points per game over three seasons.

Archibald was selected in the second round of the 1970 Draft by the Cincinnati Royals and, after taking a couple of seasons to establish himself as a competent floor leader, “Tiny” proved himself to be one of the best second-round picks in NBA history.

Although Archibald earned All-NBA Second Team honors in his second season, which saw him average 28.2 points per game, a snub for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team fueled Archibald’s fire leading into the 1972-73 season.

During that year, Archibald led the league in scoring and assists, becoming the only player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. His scoring average of 34.0 points per game broke the NBA record for a guard, and his 910 assist total (11.4 assists per game), also a record at the time, broke a mark held by Guy Rodgers since 1967.

Not surprisingly, Archibald was named to his first of six Eastern Conference All-Star Teams, his first of three All-NBA First Teams and won the Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award.

Following brilliant campaigns in two out of his next three seasons, averaging 26.5 ppg and 6.8 apg in 1974-75 and 24.8 ppg and 7.9 apg in 1975-76 (an Achilles' tendon injury cut short his season in 1973-74), Archibald was traded to the New York Nets, which marked the beginning of three of the most tumultuous years of his career.

A severe foot injury would limit “Tiny” to only 34 games in the 1976-77 season, and a ruptured Achilles' tendon would completely wipe out Archibald’s 1977-78 season after he was traded from the Nets to the Buffalo Braves.

Prior to the 1978-79 campaign, Archibald was traded to the Boston Celtics, where showed up 20 pounds overweight, his play left much to be desired and he became a locker room malcontent.

Yet, while rumors of his demise continued to be greatly exaggerated, Archibald remained committed to returning to the South Bronx each summer to help and counsel troubled youngsters, which also became an unlikely source of inspiration toward resurrecting his career.

"Here I was," Archibald recalled, "coming off the most frustrating year of my career, and it was the kids who were counseling me. They kept saying, 'Don't worry, Tiny. Don't get down. You can do it. The Celtics need you.' I'll never forget them for that."

With the arrival of Larry Bird for the 1979-80 season, Archibald made the seamless transition from a scoring point guard into a playmaking floor general.

From 1980-1982, Archibald ranked among the league leaders in assists and helped guide the Celtics to the NBA’s best record for three consecutive years.

Along the way, Archibald garnered three additional All-Star selections, captured the All-Star Game MVP Award in 1981 and won the first and only NBA Championship of his career to culminate the 1980-81 season.

Archibald’s numbers declined in the 1982-83 season, averaging only 27.4 minutes and 6.2 assists per game. Subsequently, Archibald signed with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent and retired the next year after playing only 46 games for the team.

“Tiny” left the game as a giant, finishing with career averages of 18.8 ppg, 7.4 apg and 2.3 rpg.

On February 7, 1991, Archibald’s contributions were rewarded when he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

And although his NBA assist totals became frozen in time, Archibald would continue dishing out assists off the court upon his retirement.

After his brief stint with the Bucks, Archibald returned to New York City to run basketball schools for underprivileged kids and to work as athletic director at the Harlem Armory homeless shelter until it closed in 1991.

Archibald was honored for his work with the city's youth by former New York City Mayor David Dinkins in 1993.

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This Day in Black Sports History: February 2, 1968

In National Basketball Association nomenclature, a double-double is the accumulation of double-digit number totals in two of five statistical categories–points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots–in a game. The most common double-double combination is points-rebounds, followed by points-assists.

A triple-double is the accumulation of double-digit number totals in three of the five categories in a game. The most common way for a player to notch a triple-double is through points, rebounds, and assists.

Special double-doubles are extremely rare. One such double-double is called double-double-double, also referred to as a 20-20 or Double-20. It occurs when a player accumulates 20 or more in two different statistical categories in a game.

Another rare double-double is called a triple-double-double, also referred to as a 30-30 or Triple-30.

Throughout NBA history, there have been over 9,000 double-doubles, over 800 triple-doubles, only four quadruple-doubles and no quintuple-doubles, as well as several double-double-doubles and triple-double-doubles.

But in the league’s 64 years of existence, only one player has accomplished the feat of registering a double-triple-double, which is defined as totaling at least 20 in three of the five categories in a game.

On February 2, 1968, Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain compiled 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists in a 131-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons, a statistical anomaly that no other player has been able to duplicate.

Harvey Pollack, the director of statistical information for the 76ers, claimed that Chamberlain’s 20-20-20 performance was the greatest thing he ever saw at the old Philadelphia Spectrum.

"Nobody's ever even come close to it," Pollack told PhillyBurbs.com. "Anybody gets a triple-double today and it's a big deal. When it was over, (the players) all knew what he had done.” Pollack is also the only individual still working for the NBA since its inaugural 1946-47 season.

Chamberlain, who averaged an astounding 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game for his career, ranks fourth in triple-doubles on the NBA’s all-time list, behind only Oscar Robertson, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Jason Kidd.

In fact, Chamberlain, a seven-time NBA scoring champion, is the only center ranked in the top 15 of the league’s all-time triple-double leaders. More impressively though, Chamberlain, who also won 11 NBA rebounding titles, holds the record for the most consecutive triple-doubles.

In 1968, the same season in which he recorded the aforementioned double-triple-double, Chamberlain posted a triple-double in nine straight games, from March 8 to March 20. The second longest streak is held by Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, both of whom recorded a triple-double in seven consecutive games.

It can only be imagined how much more Chamberlain’s numbers would have dwarfed his predecessors, contemporaries and successors if steals and blocked shots had been recorded during his playing days.

Nevertheless, at 7’1”, the late Chamberlain, affectionately known as "The Big Dipper" and "Wilt the Stilt", remains one of the most dominant and extraordinary players in basketball history.

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New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire Among Starters for NBA All-Star Game

When the 60th NBA All-Star Game is played at the Staples Center on Feb. 20, Big Apple hoop fans will be treated to the sight of Amar’e Stoudemire being on the floor for the opening tip.

Barring injury, Stoudemire, the fifth leading vote-getter in the Eastern Conference, is slated to become the first New York Knicks player to start an All-Star Game in nearly two decades.

Since signing as a free agent last summer, Stoudemire has infused new life into a franchise that was once regarded as the laughingstock of the league.

This season, Stoudemire is averaging a career-high 26.1 points per game, second only to Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant. Most importantly, though, Stoudemire has the Knicks poised to make the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Surprisingly, given the franchise’s rich history, Stoudemire is just the fifth Knick selected to be an All-Star starter since fans began voting in 1974. The last Knickerbocker to start was Patrick Ewing in 1992. The Hall of Famer was elected again five years later, but couldn’t play due to injury.

Stoudemire will join Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Dwight Howard to complete the Eastern Conference starting lineup.

The players voted onto the Western Conference starting roster included Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Yao Ming.

Sidelined for the rest of the season after playing only five games, Ming will be replaced by a player of NBA Commissioner David Stern's choosing.

The All-Star reserves will be selected by the 30 NBA head coaches, who must vote for seven players within their conference, including two guards, two forwards, a center and two players regardless of position. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their team.

If a player is unable to participate in the All-Star Game, Commissioner Stern will select a replacement. The reserves will be announced February 3 on TNT.

Notes

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was the overall leading vote getter.

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic was the leading vote getter in the Eastern Conference.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, who received over two million votes apiece, will be playing their first All-Star Game as teammates.


Eastern Conference All-Star starters

Derrick Rose (G) – Chicago Bulls

Dwyane Wade (G) – Miami Heat

LeBron James (F) – Miami Heat

Amar’e Stoudemire (F) – New York Knicks

Dwight Howard (C) – Orlando Magic


Western Conference All-Star starters

Chris Paul (G) – New Orleans Hornets

Kobe Bryant (G) – Los Angeles Lakers

Carmelo Anthony (F) – Denver Nuggets

Kevin Durant (F) – Oklahoma City Thunder

Yao Ming (C) – Houston Rockets


2011 NBA ALL-STAR BALLOTING

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FORWARDS: LeBron James (Mia) 2,053,011; Amar'e Stoudemire (NYK) 1,674,995; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,407,601; Paul Pierce (Bos) 804,838; Chris Bosh (Mia) 571,734; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 504,610; Danilo Gallinari (NYK) 390,658; Josh Smith (Atl) 387,843; Luol Deng (Chi) 291,118; Danny Granger (Ind) 279,522.

GUARDS: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 2,048,175; Derrick Rose (Chi) 1,914,996; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 1,587,297; Ray Allen (Bos) 890,951; Raymond Felton (NYK) 397,301; John Wall (Was) 337,368; Gilbert Arenas (Orl) 312,903; Brandon Jennings (Mil) 301,225; Jamal Crawford (Atl) 246,130, Joe Johnson (Atl) 224,571.

CENTERS: Dwight Howard (Orl) 2,099,204; Shaquille O'Neal (Bos) 906,284; Joakim Noah (Chi) 432,127; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 301,896; Al Horford (Atl) 287,083; Roy Hibbert (Ind) 250,614; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 215,123; Brook Lopez (NJ) 166,844; JaVale McGee (Was) 146,474; Ben Wallace (Det) 113,443.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FORWARDS: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,736,728; Carmelo Anthony (Den) 1,299,849; Pau Gasol (LAL) 1,100,772; Blake Griffin (LAC) 1,033,646; Tim Duncan (SA) 839,599; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 785,120; Lamar Odom (LAL) 529,854; Kevin Love (Min) 492,173; Luis Scola (Hou) 411,576; Rudy Gay (Mem) 284,021.

GUARDS: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 2,380,016; Chris Paul (NOH) 1,281,591; Manu Ginobili (SA) 748,840; Steve Nash (Pho) 718,934; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 660,244; Deron Williams (Utah) 657,806; Tony Parker (SA) 436,958; Jason Kidd (Dal) 394,793; Monta Ellis (GSW) 390,237; Vince Carter (Pho) 353,143.

CENTERS: Yao Ming (Hou) 1,146,426; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 974,546; Nene (Den) 599,048; Marc Gasol (Mem) 524,932; Emeka Okafor (NOH) 435,218; Brendan Haywood (Dal) 352,811; Marcus Camby (Por) 279,026; Chris Kaman (LAC) 196,268; Andris Biedrins (GSW) 175,547; DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 152,976.

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New York Knicks Top Forbes List Of NBA's Most Valuable Teams

In the past three years, either Kobe Bryant or LeBron James have taken home the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the National Basketball Association’s MVP, but neither superstar can claim to play for the most valuable team in the league.

According to Forbes.com, the New York Knicks now hold the distinction of being the NBA’s most valuable franchise, supplanting the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The value of the resurgent Knicks rose from $586 million to $655 million in the past year, an increase of 12 percent. The rise was directly linked to the free-agent signing of Amar’e Stoudemire, who has helped the team earn victories both on court and in the boardroom with sponsors.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Knicks sold out their full season-ticket inventory, while their parent company, Madison Square Garden, Inc., signed a sponsorship deal with JPMorgan Chase that’s worth at least $30 million annually over 10 years.

With superstar forward Carmelo Anthony on his way to the Big Apple and ongoing renovations at the Garden, the Knicks could very well own the top spot for several years to come.

Although the name LeBron James doesn’t appear anywhere on the Knicks’ roster, he drastically impacted the fortunes of two teams when he took his talents to South Beach.

After signing James to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Miami Heat’s worth increased 17 percent—the best percentage rise in the league—to $425 million.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ valuation plummeted 26 percent—the largest decrease—to $355 million.

The average value of a franchise increased one percent to $369 million, down from a peak of $379 million two years ago.

Forbes’ Most Valuable NBA Teams

1. New York Knicks - $655 million

2. Los Angeles Lakers - $643 million

3. Chicago Bulls - $511 million

4. Boston Celtics - $452 million

5. Houston Rockets - $443 million

6. Dallas Mavericks - $438 million

7. Miami Heat - $425 million

8. Phoenix Suns - $411 million

9. San Antonio Spurs - $404 million

10. Toronto Raptors - $399 million

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NBA Future Under A Great Insurance Policy

The NBA sure sounds like an all-state insurance company commercial: meaning that they are in good hands.

For many of the big superstars the league has leaned upon since the mid to late 1990s, it appears there ability is waning. Shaquille O’Neal has played sparingly over the past few years, former high school draft picks Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are starting to break down, and former franchise stars like Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis are now relegated as role players.

Those players listed above (as well as others who fit that criteria) have been supplanted by the youngsters during their prime, who are now the superstars and marquee names they used to be. The faces of Lebron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade are plastered everywhere when it comes to headlining games and promotions for the league.

Yet, with all the promise of their current talent, the NBA faces the issue (as all sports do) about the next generation and if they can maintain the popularity when your stand out players near the end of their career?

The NBA faced that problem after Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson left, but were lucky that the next line of players picked up where they left off (that group is the one first discussed with headliners like O’Neal, Bryant, and McGrady). Now that torch is passed on to James and his fellow comrades.

So who will be next in line when that group nears the end of their route and need to pass the baton?

Here’s a look at the next line of stars (all 25 years old or younger) in the NBA that have potential to represent the next generation:

Blake Griffin – Forward – Age: 21

It’s the evolution of the big men: Darryl Dawkins to Shawn Kemp to Amar’e Stoudemire to the next one – Blake Griffin.

The top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Griffin was unable to showcase his talents in his inaugural season after he had to sit out with a knee injury. A devastating blow to a Los Angeles Clippers organization known for its bad luck, it actually became a blessing in disguise when the 2010-11 year got under way.

As the season progressed, it has become “the Blake Griffin Show” with the way the former Oklahoma Sooner has been playing. He is the talk of the NBA and fans come out to see his extraordinary combination of strength and quickness. He dunks the ball with such ferocity, that rims appear to quake when he rises up towards them. He also has a strong knack for swallowing up rebounds like a vacuum sucking dirt off the carpet.

He continues to develop his overall game and gives opposing coaches nightmares when they imagine how great of an inside presence he could become.

Monta Ellis – Guard – Age: 25

Sometimes, evolving into the greatness a player could be takes trials, tribulations, and time to reach. When they finally begin to meet that criteria, it is definitely bitter sweet.

Monta Ellis is the epitome of how tough life can be for an NBA player who wants to become elite. After being drafted out of high school as a second round pick in 2005, his career has been like an ocean: sporadic waves that hit highs and lows.

First, he was named the most improved player in his second season, then signed a big multi-year deal to be the face of the Warriors after his third season. He would then get into a moped accident that kept him out for most of his fourth season, and was thrown around in numerous trade talks during his fifth season.

Now in his sixth season, Ellis is finally becoming an all-around player and a leader for the Golden State Warriors. He is the fourth leading scorer in the NBA and is becoming a dangerous shooter from all spots on the court. Match that with his deceptive quickness and his boldness for attacking the rim for a man of his stature, and you’re looking at the rise of one of the best guards in the league.

Kevin Love – Forward/Center – Age: 23

For many of the new, youthful faces that join the NBA, they enter as a high draft pick that usually means playing for a small market and/or an inferior.

Add former UCLA big man Kevin Love to that list. The 23-year-old phenom is one of the best kept secrets in the league primarily because he plays for a franchise that has been in the doldrums of the NBA for years.

That hasn’t stopped the combo forward/center from playing at a lights out level this season. While he’s not the freakish athlete that Griffin is, Love’s toughness and high basketball IQ allows him make the right play and be in the right position all the time. This uncanny ability is the reason he is currently the NBA’s leading rebounder over others with flabbergasting leaping ability like Stoudemire or Dwight Howard.

He’ll probably never win a high jump or a 100-yard dash match, but Love makes the game look easy and will continue to do so in the future.

John Wall – Guard – Age: 20

A dance isn’t the only way the public will know about this young sensation after a few more NBA seasons.

Just on the very of growing up at the young age of 20, John Wall is quietly making the jump from collegiate leader of the Kentucky Wildcats to the savior of the Washington Wizards.

The reason for the silence is mostly attributed to Griffin, who is the hottest rookie that people are talking about this season. Despite that, the speedy point guard is deserving of equal accolade with how his play this season. He’s currently fifth in the league in assists and is completing that task with little support on a rebuilding team.

Along with his vision running the offense, the speed and quickness he possess is remarkably frightening. Sometimes he looks so fast that it seems as if he’ll never be able to stop himself right when he approaches the rim. The problem for those defending him is that he’s so strong and composed, even with that breakneck velocity, he’s always able to score or make a great pass.

After some refining and polishing, Wall won’t be just dancing for the fans, but by every defender in the NBA as well.

There will always be new and promising players that enter American professional sports outlets; it is the NBA, though, that appears to have the edge in the hopeful outlook for the future. There are even current superstars that are extremely young, such as Howard (25), Kevin Durant (22), Derrick Rose (22) and Rajon Rondo (24) that will only get better in time.

The public’s got to feel a great assurance with the future of pro basketball; because like a good neighbor, the NBA will be there.

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New York Knicks Can Build Champion Without Trading For Carmelo Anthony

As reported here, the New York Knicks recently offered a package for Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony that included Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler and a future first-round draft pick.

However, the Nuggets front office declined the proposal, leaving Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh no other option but to sweeten the deal if Anthony is to don a Knicks jersey this season.

The most obvious question is why the Knicks, or any other NBA team for that matter, would aggressively pursue a trade for the three-time All-Star, who has made it abundantly clear he wants to play in New York when he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

"That's like the ultimate dream at the end of the day," Anthony, a Brooklyn native, said in an interview with ESPN. "Who wouldn't want to go back home to play?”

So the Knicks’ willingness to part with a promising rookie in Fields, the top rebounding guard in the league, and a budding star in Chandler (16.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) to acquire ‘Melo just doesn’t add up.

Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Knicks to sign Anthony as a free agent, to play with Fields and Chandler, as well as Raymond Felton (17.5 ppg, 8.7 apg), Danilo Gallinari (15.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Amar’e Stoudemire (26.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg)?

The NBA’s precarious labor situation could result in Anthony leaving a significant amount of money on the table in the aforementioned scenario. Nevertheless, playing in the league’s largest media market, Anthony, who’s averaging 23.5 points and eight rebounds per game this season, would more than make up for the difference in endorsements.

If Anthony is willing to sacrifice up-front money for the greater good of his future team, the Knicks could bring another player into the fold to instantly transform New York into championship contenders next season.

With the addition of Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (9.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.25 blkpg), an unrestricted free agent this summer, New York would have the rebounding and shot-blocking presence that would allow Stoudemire to play a natural power forward.

That said, head coach Mike D’Antoni could potentially roll out a starting rotation comprised of Felton (PG), Fields (SG), Anthony (SF), Stoudemire (PF) and Tyson Chandler (C), with capable reserves in Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Bill Walker, Shawne Williams and Ronny Turiaf.

Like the Jackson 5 classic tune declared, it’s as easy as 1-2-3, but the Knicks appear insistent on turning this situation into a complicated algebraic equation.

To reiterate, New York is Anthony’s preferred playing destination, and he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Therefore, since the Knicks have the high ground, why are they in a rush to mortgage their future to bring a superstar into town this season that they can sign in July while keeping the current roster intact?

Mikhail Prokhorov got hip to the game when he broke off negotiations for a blockbuster deal that would have sent ‘Melo to the New Jersey Nets.

When will Donnie Walsh finally wise up and follow suit?

The Nuggets may act like they’re holding all the cards in the Car-Melodrama, but if the Knicks call Denver’s bluff the whole pot will come to the Big Apple, and so will the franchise’s first championship in nearly 40 years.

Do the math.

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Denver Nuggets Reject Knicks' Offer for Carmelo Anthony

When billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov slammed the door on a blockbuster deal that would have sent Carmelo Anthony to the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks emerged as the favorites to land the Denver Nuggets superstar small forward.

And Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh didn’t waste any time in pressing their advantage, as Anthony has publicly expressed that New York is his preferred playing destination.

According to ESPN 1050 Radio, the Knicks offered Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler and a first-round draft pick to the Nuggets for Anthony, who’s averaging 23.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game this season.

The first-round draft pick the Knicks included in the proposed trade has yet to be acquired, but a rumored deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Anthony Randolph is likely to yield the pick New York placed on the bargaining table.

Nevertheless, the Knicks will have to go back to the drawing board, because Denver’s front office rejected the latest offer for their highly sought-after three-time All-Star.

This begs the question of exactly what combination of players and draft picks it will take for New York to consummate a trade with Denver.

Fields, a second-round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, is averaging 10.1 points per game, shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range and leads all guards in rebounding (7.4), opening many eyes around the NBA to his high basketball IQ and willingness to put the team ahead of individual accomplishments.

In his fourth year in the NBA, Chandler is on the cusp of stardom, averaging career highs in points (17.4), rebounds (6.3), blocks (1.40) and three-point shooting percentage (35.3 percent).

As a result, Chandler’s tremendous promise will be a valuable selling point for Donnie Walsh in future negotiations with the Nuggets.

So although the Knicks failed to entice the Nuggets in this round of negotiations, it appears only a matter of time before the Car-Melodrama finally ends and Anthony is playing in front of a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden, right alongside five-time All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire.

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