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We Asked NBA Stars to Draw Themselves—And Here's What Happened
Culture
Plus: DeMarcus Cousins, Kawhi Leonard, D'Angelo Russell, and more answer (most of!) our silly questions.
By The Editors of GQ
With the NBA season kicking off this week, we highlighted the next generation of stars poised to carry the torch after LeBron hangs it up. (Hard to imagine, we know.) At the photoshoot, we also asked them to fill out a questionnaire and draw themselves. Those answers and portraits are below.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
The active player who most influenced my game was... LA, Al Jefferson
The most merciless competitor I've ever faced on the court is... Pau Gasol
The best basketball movie ever made is... Through the Fire/Above the Rim
I would give KAZAAM [BLANK] out of 4 stars: 2
Five Guys, In-N-Out, or Shake Shack? All 3
I spend too much money on [BLANK] and not enough on [BLANK]
flights changes; food
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
This season, I guarantee that. .. My team will be better than the past year
Before I retire, the one thing I want to accomplish (besides titles) is... To create a positive, iconic image of someone who helped educate & build communities
The active player who most influenced my game was... The whole NBA influenced my game; I wanted to be one of the guys
The most merciless competitor I've ever faced on the court is... I never look at who I'm going against. When I'm on the floor I want to beat the team. There are no individual goals when I'm on the floor.
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up I think you will be surprised by some of my teammates, I won't mention any names...
The best basketball movie ever made is... Through The Fire or Above the Rim
I would give KAZAAM [BLANK] out of 4 stars: 5
Five Guys, In-N-Out, or Shake Shack? In-N-Out, I'm from California
I spend too much money on [BLANK] and not enough on [BLANK] I spend my money wisely. I spend my money on opportunities that will set me up for a better future.
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:[Ed. Note: GQ's stylist drew this for Kawhi.]
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Before I retire the one thing I want to accomplish (besides titles) is... DPOY [Defensive Player of the Year]
Most Popular
The active player who most influenced my game was... Vince Carter
The best NBA player right this minute is... LEBRON
The hardest guy in the league for me to guard is... Kyrie
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
The best basketball movie ever made is...Space Jam
I look great in a [BLANK] but could never pull off a [BLANK] suit; Speedo
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
Before I retire the one thing I want to accomplish (besides titles) is. .. Win a title Get my own shoe
Most Popular
The active player who most influenced by game was... Carmelo Anthony
The hardest guy in the league for me to guard is... Anthony Davis
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up Eric Bledsoe
The best basketball movie ever made is... Above the Rim, Juwanna Mann, Space Jam
I would give KAZAAM [BLANK] out of 4 stars: 0. I did like the part where he wished for hella candy
I look great in [BLANK] but could never pull off a [BLANK] anything I wear; Louisville jersey
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers
The active player who most influenced by game was... Kevin Garnett
Most Popular
The best NBA player right this minute is. .. ME
The most merciless competitor I've ever faced on the court is... Kobe Bryant
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up D'Angelo Russell
The best basketball movie ever made is... He Got Game
I would give KAZAAM [BLANK] out of 4 stars: 4
I look great in [BLANK] but could never pull off a [BLANK] boxers; kilt
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
The active player who most influenced my game is... Manu Ginobili
The best NBA player right this minute is... D'Angelo Russell
Most Popular
The most merciless competitor I've ever faced on the court is... Kobe
The hardest guy in the league for me to guard is. .. Larry Nance/Kobe
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up Jordan Clarkson
The best basketball movie ever made is... Love & Basketball
I spend too much money on [BLANK] and not enough on [BLANK] dogs; groceries
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Most Popular
Before I retire the one thing I want to accomplish (besides titles) is... Win a MVP
The active player who most influenced my game was... Kevin Durant
The most merciless competitor I've ever faced on the court is... Jerry Stackhouse
The hardest guy in the league for me to guard is... I haven't been in the league yet
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up B. I.
The best basketball movie ever made is... Space Jam
I would give KAZAAM [BLANK] out of 4 stars: Never seen it
I look great in [BLANK] but could never pull off a [BLANK] tux; crop top
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
This season, I guarantee that I will... [be the] Best dress in the league
Before I retire the one thing I want to accomplish (besides titles) is... Win 7 rings
The active player who most influenced by game was... LeBron James
The hardest guy in the league for me to guard is... Kevin Durant
Watch out for [BLANK] this year, that guy (who is NOT a teammate) is gonna blow up Emmanuel Mudiay
The best basketball movie ever made is... Love & Basketball
Most Popular
I spend too much money on [BLANK] and not enough on [BLANK] clothes; nutrition
Draw (and sign!) a self portrait:
Related Stories for GQDeMarcus CousinsD'Angelo RussellNBANBA
Read More90,000 top 10 basketball players in the world right now. And a lot of cool videos
Minnesota is the most unexpected team in the 2018 playoffs. And in general, in the NBA playoffs, where the Wolves have not appeared for 14 years, since Kevin Garnett. A big factor in the Timberwolves' rise was the signing of Chicago star Jimmy Butler last summer, but without Towns it wouldn't have been possible. At 22, he is already an established star and proves to Timofey Mozgov that the role of center in the NBA has not died. At the end of last season, Towns entered the league's top 5 in rebounding, and on March 28, he scored 56 points in a match against Atlanta. Nobody scored more in one match for Minnesota - not even Garnett.
The most controversial position in this ranking. Some of you will wonder why the MVP of the 2016/17 season is so low, others will be outraged that in his place could be the conditional DeMarcus Cousins, who recently strengthened Golden State, or Joel Embiid from Philadelphia.
Westbrook is Mr. Controversy. Twice in a row he made a seasonal triple-double (at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists per game in the regular season), but both times in the playoffs, the Thunder were eliminated in the first round. You can blame Kevin Durant's departure to Golden State in the summer of 2016 for this as much as you want, only after that Russ became even more selfish. No one throws him more often in the league (21.1 tries per game on average), but no one misses that much (11.6). Westbrook is both a super sniper and an egoist. Both the main hope and the main problem of Oklahoma at the same time.
Well, at least he dresses brightly. At the end of last season, he even won the "Best Style in the League" award. Although this is also debatable.
The most crystalline of NBA superstars. In none of his seven seasons did Irving play all 82 matches. The Clevelands with and without him were two different teams. In the 2015 final, the team of David Blatt and Timofey Mozgov lost Kyrie already in the first match, nevertheless continued to cling to the Golden State, but still did not leave on LeBron alone. In the 2016 final, it’s a completely different matter: Irving first helped the King to snatch the fifth match (with a critical score of 1-3 in the series), and then scored a decisive three-pointer in the seventh.
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There are many theories as to why Kyrie asked the Cavaliers to trade him a year ago. Most likely, he is tired of being number two in a team where the main star is also trying to be the head coach. At the same time, LeBron himself, they say, was against the departure of Irving. Kyrie ended up in Boston, and the league waited all season for them to meet in the semi-finals. But Irving didn’t play until the main games of the season again, his Celtics lost to Cleveland, and after that LeBron and his team got 0-4 from Golden State.
The Greek Freak is what the NBA calls him. He is incredibly gifted athletically, but at the same time, even at 2.11, he knows how to handle the ball and is not inferior to shorter defenders in speed. And how it flies! It is impossible to believe it, so watch with repetitions.
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Already this season, many were waiting for Antetokounmpo to be included in the season MVP nomination. But the competition there is too high, and Giannis has his whole career ahead of him. Will definitely wait. Perhaps next season is his. If at 23 he's being compared to LeBron, what will happen when Giannis peaks?
Another basketball player who knows everything on the court. And he is also still in line for the title of the most valuable player of the season - so far, Davis became the MVP only in the All-Star Game. For a big guy with a height of 208 and a weight of 115, he has excellent shots (sometimes he even scores three-pointers), a free throw, and the ability to handle the ball. Look at those dunks, passes and dribbles.
But what is the main feature of Davis? Someone will take this question literally and answer: "His unibrow." In fact, it's about his defense: Davis has already led the league in blocks three times (last season he covered opponents' shots 2.6 times on average per game!). Or maybe it's somehow connected and the opponents themselves just throw not into the basket, but into Anthony's hands at the sight of his unibrow.
But if you have a phobia about facial hair, then you definitely shouldn't date the Houston defender. James Harden finally won the MVP title this season, which he had been close to for several years in a row. But all the time someone interfered: then Westbrook would make the first triple-double in 45 years on average per season, then Stephen Curry would score a cosmic 402 three-pointers for the regular season, then LeBron James ... Yes, just LeBron James. This time, Harden jumped above his own beard and for the first time in his career scored over 30 points per game (30.4) in a season! Yes, and statistics are in hell. Look! How he does it?
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In addition, another superstar has joined the Rockets in Chris Paul, and this pair of defensemen deserves to be considered the best in the NBA. Even cooler than Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from Golden State.
As a result, Houston even won the regular season, which never happened to him at all. But still, as usual, the Warriors reached the NBA Finals from the Western Conference. Therefore, Harden - although, of course, a very tough player - remains outside the top three.
It's pretty simple. Steph is a three-time NBA champion and simply the best shooter in history. Not the one who scored the most points (although this is possible over time), but simply the best sniper. Who doesn’t care where to score from – even from the center line, even from the tunnel under the stands.
Seven years ago, he and Harden played together in the NBA Finals against LeBron. Then Miami destroyed Oklahoma, and the King became the champion for the first time. But it was then that Kevin and James had championship ambitions.
By the way, all three have something in common in their biography: an unpleasant departure from their native team in search of a champion title. All three were criticized. Someone's T-shirts were even burned. Durant was the last to go through all this - two years ago. And now he is a two-time NBA champion and two Finals MVP. Such people are not judged.
Curry is said to have won the finals MVP title this year. Just to be fair, based on the sum of three playoff victories, Steph certainly won at least one MVP. But it was Durant who covered his partner's back when his main weapon stopped working. Curry without three-pointers is as if Igor Akinfeev stopped hitting penalty shoot-outs.
In the third match of the final, Curry was denied a “gun”. At all. Of the first 9 shots, 0 came from behind the arc. And Golden State without Steph's three-pointers is like Stanislav Cherchesov without a mustache. LeBron and Cleveland could break the series here and get 1-2 instead of a dead 0-3. It was then that Durant scored the most important three-pointer of the third game and the entire final. From 10 meters.
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Imagine Aleksey Shved with his technique, dribbling and jumping ability, with the ability to create an attack from nothing and with a killer shot. Now imagine the same player, only 15 cm taller and about the same wider at the shoulders. It's impossible to stop him at all!
You can either admire him or hate him. Cheer for his next team or wish her defeat. The only thing you can't do is argue that LeBron is the best basketball player in the world.
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Donald Trump heard somewhere that many people hate LeBron for moving to the Lakers, and decided to hype on this. But he missed the moment - and tweeted just when James opened a super-cool school for poor children with his own money and his public rating flew into space. If LeBron ran for president of the United States right now, then Trump would have to move from the White House back to the hotel.
LeBron opened a $8 million school. Does anyone else hate him?
"Defending against LeBron is the hardest job in basketball," says Golden State head coach Steve Kerr. The last eight NBA Finals say the same. The MVP of the golden series is either LeBron himself, or the one who defends himself against him. In 2014 - Kawhi Leonard, in 2015 - Andre Iguodala, in 2018 - Durant (and that's why not Stef).
James was said to have no average shot, but last season proved otherwise. The king became even stronger. At 33, he continues to add. So love it or curse it - but enjoy the moment. We live at the same time as LeBron and we can watch his games.
Photo: Elsa / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Jason Miller / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, globallookpress.com, Ezra Shaw / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages. ru, Ronald Cortes / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Gregory Shamus / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Maddie Meyer / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
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90,000 Top 20 Legionnaires in NBA History - Basketball
20. Andrey Kirilenko (Russia)
Teams: Utah, Minnesota, Brooklyn
8 assists
Achievements : All-Star Game (2004), Defensive First Five (2006), Defensive Team Two Seconds (2004, 2005), NBA No. 1 Block Shots (2005)
AK- 47 - in Kirilenko's predisposition to European basketball: Andrei is a sprinter, not a marathon runner, and in the NBA championship, which by definition is a marathon, he could not realize himself one hundred percent. On the one hand, this is due to his not high, but still traumatic - Kirilenko missed quite a few matches or often played with injuries, not showing all his capabilities. On the other hand, it is connected with the manner - Kirilenko does not seek to dominate due to high performance, he is a leader of a different plan, but, not being "big", because of this, he can often go into the shadows.
Finally, the main feature of Kirilenko is his sprint mentality. In the rhythm of European basketball with fewer games and even fewer important games or in the rhythm of short international tournaments, he maintains that highest level of intensity that makes him one of the best European players - which means that he overwhelms opponents not only with athleticism, long arms or some technical delights, and above all, attitude and merciless self-confidence. This level of psychological tension, which distinguished AK in the national team and CSKA, manifested itself only sporadically in the NBA: for example, when he was able to score 14 points, 8 rebounds, 9assists, 6 interceptions and 7 blocks and became the only one in recent years who managed to make "5x6" in a game without overtime. The absence of a vital need to tear everyone and burn himself in every match predetermined his career abroad: Kirilenko could not become the first star of Utah and took on the more comfortable functions of a role performer (albeit not agreeing to a completely minor game). That trend continued this summer, with Kirilenko forgoing more playing time, starting space and money (?) for a title challenge.
, 2013), the second five defenders (2012), the gentleman of the year (2007)
Deng is the British Kirilenko with a wider attacking arsenal: a phenomenal defender, hard worker, fighter and leader who always remains in the shadows. Even participation in the All-Star Games did not change the main status of the Briton - "the most underestimated player in the NBA": before, Luol remained in the background, as the team did not look the best, in recent years - as completely different people are in focus.
Bulls executives make no attempt to belittle Deng. For them, he is the heart of the team. He is not a leader in attack, although he does a lot, he is not a cornerstone of defense, although he holds back the leaders of opponents, he does not win matches alone, although he has done it more than once, and he is not a leader in the usual sense of the word, although he unites the team in many aspects. He is the “heart” simply because without him all this might not have happened. It is rather difficult to explain this strangeness, the significance of Deng can only be brought to consciousness by himself - with every step, every gesture, every movement.
18. Hido Türkoglu (Turkey)
Teams: Sacramento, San Antonio, Orlando, Toronto, Phoenix
Statistics: 11.9 , 2 rebounds, 3.1 assists
Achievements: most advanced player (2008), second player of the finalist team (Orlando)
Turkish Jordan learned the NBA from Adelman, and found himself in Orlando, showing himself a classic case of finding "your team". Point-forward hypostasis, to which the Turk came in the course of his evolution and moving from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic, he was perhaps the best at that time. A viscous but effective dribbling that brings him to the goal in almost three steps, verified penetrating passes, the ability to dominate due to superiority in mass or speed, a strange throw that confuses opponents - Hido's trump cards could have disappeared unnoticed, but it was in the company of the Van Gundy system , hiding his slowness in defense by center Howard and helping him with snipers, they flashed.
The attitude towards Türkoglu has never been overly respectful, and his high position in this case must cause a wry smile. But no matter how dubious the Turk’s merits remain and no matter how the story with the last contract ruined his reputation, his career before him is the perfect proof of how his environment creates a basketball player. Turkoglu was also remembered in the legendary "Sacramento", where he went to the contenders for the best sixth, and acted as the second star of the team in the 2009 final- it turns out, “only the ball changes”, and everything else is only in our heads.
17. Ladurunas Ilgaucas (Lithuania)
teams: "Cleveland", "Miami"
Statistics : 13.0 points, 7.3 selection
: twice on the match of all stars (2003 , 2005), played in the NBA Finals (2007)
Big Z began his career with a billion injuries that did not allow him to open up, and ended with a symbol of stability - Cleveland's record holder in the number of matches and blocked shots.
If you evaluate Ilgauskas' career according to the usual criteria, you can find too many flaws. Leg problems that crossed out the initial stage of his career deprived the Lithuanian of a number of advantages, the Cleveland vegetative life at the bottom spoiled the impressions of his best seasons, the transformation of the Caves into LeBron's team pushed him into the ranks of the "support group", which always had more questions. That's just in the case of Zydrunas, all attempts to remove the fleas that deprive him of the ideality of his creative path in the NBA are not entirely legitimate. No matter how unrealized the potential of a smart center with a soft brush that knows a lot remains, no matter how unsuccessfully the Caves perform, one simple circumstance determines his career: Ilgauskas is the main legend and symbol of the NBA club.
When the Lakers traded the younger Gasol to the Memphis, he looked more like a smiling bear cub and did not cause any concern. Therefore, everything that happened in the following years came as a complete surprise to everyone: the Grizzlies floundered and floundered in the Western Conference, which was cruel to managers like Chris Wallace, periodically reminded of themselves only with some absurdities - and then bam - a robbery attack on the Spurs ' changed everything. It turned out that over the years a fighting team had crystallized in Memphis, that the uncompromising warrior Lionel Hollins gave his wards his character, and the fat smiling bumpkin grew into one of the best defensive centers in the league and learned to be the perfect squire for ZiBo.
Gasol's talents, which became the foundation for the most reliable defense of the past season, are not available to everyone. According to a poll of journalists, he easily received the title of the best defender of the year. Based on the vote of the coaches, he barely got into the second five of the defencists, having received the fewest votes. But whether or not the Spanish center is ready to be put on a pedestal, his importance to the Bears' success and his status as one of the smartest bigs in the league is undeniable. As Randolph ages and the desire to shell out money from the team owners decreases, Mark takes on more and more functions: if at the beginning of the season he focused on safety net and filling in the "paint", then by the end he turned into almost the main playmaker of the "bears" and one of the most important options in attack.
And whatever the change of coach at the Grizzlies means, in the case of Gasol everything is more or less clear: in the coming years he should add more. No perturbations can overcome him, because the motto of Memphis - grit and grind - has a direct bearing on Mark.
15. Drazen Petrovic (Croatia)
Teams : Portland, New Jersey
Statistics: 15.4 points
0003
The arrival of defender Dražen Petrović was awaited in the NBA with particular impatience. The Croatian was the leader of the Yugoslav national team, in which he became the winner of the Olympic Games, as well as world and European forums. The sniper was distinguished by outstanding performance, indefatigable enthusiasm and merciless dedication.
Petrovich grew up in a small port town on the Adriatic Sea. All his free time he was engaged in basketball self-teaching. Already at the age of 17, the defender became the leader of the local Shibenka, while being the youngest player in the team.
After serving in the army, Petrovich moved to the most powerful Croatian club - Cibona, where, together with his brother Alexander, he made up the strongest pair of defenders in Europe. In four years, the Zagreb team has won many trophies, in particular, two Champions Cups. In the match of the national championship-85/86 against Olimpia, Drazen scored 112 points (40/60 from the game). Soon after this, the performer with artistic abilities began to be called "basketball Mozart."
Petrovich was drafted by Portland in '86 but joined the Oregonians just before season 1989/1990. After spending two years with the Blazers, Drazen moved to New Jersey. Here he began to open up. Like many European colleagues, the sniper did not shine with defensive skills, but redeemed this shortcoming with feats on someone else's half of the site. Petrovich earned fame as one of the best truckers in the Association. After the 1992/1993 championship, the Croatian, who became the most productive player in the "networks", got into the third NBA team and was considered a rising star in the league.
In the summer of 1993, Petrović joined the Croatian national team for the qualifying tournament for the European Championship held in Poland. On June 7, after another successful match, the 28-year-old defender, along with his fiancee Clara Shalanzi, as well as her friend, were heading to Germany. It was raining and the road was slippery. At about 5:20 pm, the Volkswagen Golf, driven by the basketball player's girlfriend, collided at high speed with an out-of-control truck. The girls, who received numerous injuries, survived, but the unfastened Petrovich, who was sleeping in the passenger seat, died.
“It may be difficult for you here in America to understand the full magnitude of this loss. You have many great players in your country. But Croatia is a country of four million people. Having lost it, our basketball took three steps back,” said the brother of the star, Alexander Petrovich.
In 2002, Drazen Petrovic was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
14. Rick Smits (Holland)
Teams0003
Achievements : All-Star Game (1998), played in the 2000 Finals
Rick Smits is the Bill Laimbeer of the poor, but the Pacers fans naturally adored him. The eccentric center, remembered mainly for his hair, blonde hair, the coolest nickname "Dunking Dutchman" and thus the game-winning shot in the 4th game with Orlando, quickly became the main favorite - he was the second star of the team and the main argument against the dominant centers of the East (to Fortunately for the Pacers, there weren't very many.) Already in series 9On the 3rd with the Knicks, Smits averaged 22.5 points against Ewing and then it only got better: the Dutchman was ideally suited to the Pacers' system, built around Miller's shots, and at the same time he could not feel miserable on the shield, so how he got help from tough and aggressive forwards. So Indiana found the best sides of Smits: his mobility, which allowed him to use him far from the basket, a shot from a distance that stretched the defense, game intelligence and sometimes phenomenal agility for such dimensions - a pass from behind, which Smits gave at the All-Star Game - 98 to Jason Williams, even now is nothing short of astonishing.
The native of Eindhoven more likely justified his second peak: remaining in sight throughout the second half of the 90s, the Pacers always loomed somewhere near the top, and Smits's merit here is enormous. He also caught the breakthrough of 2000, but not as one of the stars of the team: leg injuries caused by the fact that Rick wore smaller sneakers as a child finally finished off his career and prevented him from helping Indiana in the final with the Lakers ". Defeat meant Smits' departure and restructuring.
Photo: Fotobank/Getty Images/Glenn James/Glenn James/ Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE
13. Toni Kukoch (Croatia)
Teams : Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta Milwaukee
Stats : 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists
Accomplishments : Three-time NBA champion (1996-98), best sixth man (1996)
On the one hand, Kukoch was incredibly lucky: he had a chance to play with the greatest in basketball and raise the championship title three times over his head. On the other hand, the high expectations and constant pressure associated with this made his stay in Chicago not so joyful. As Parker was brought to tears by Gregg Popovich, so Kukoch had to go through a school of tempering character: the hatred of teammates Jordan and Pippen, who constantly offered him more meat with pepper, the harsh pressure of Jackson, who reproached him for softness, a change in role. Kukoc has become an example of a typical European player with his shortcomings: weakness of character, gentleness, lack of aggression and a crazy thirst for victory. From the main star of Europe, he turned into the best sixth player (a mocking title for Kukoch), and from the most smiling basketball player in Europe into a gloomy guy looking for himself. But in the end, a lot still happened: his role in winning the second Jordan three-pit is beyond doubt.
Another thing is that a lot is far from being everything. Kukocha was selected in the '90 draft, and in subsequent years, Bulls general manager Jerry Krause risked the integrity of the championship team to still get the Croat: then it seemed that a phenomenal forward with a good shot, excellent vision and a brilliant pass was the white Magic Johnson , which will give "Chicago" much more than Jordan. When he nevertheless arrived in 1994, it gradually turned out that the expectations were too high: the star role was given to the Croatian exclusively in conjunction with Jordan and Pippen and only in the model that Phil Jackson offered him. Neither before nor after Kukoch was able to become a full-fledged player in the starting line-up, and given how universally talented he looked within the Big Trio, for most, such dissonance was due to psychological difficulties and problems with adaptation. Not to mention the fact that Jackson's taunts, reproaching Kukoch for playing much better when his mother watches the Chicago matches in Croatia, have turned into legends.
12. Predrag Stojakovic (Serbia)
Teams : Sacramento, Indiana, New Orleans, Toronto, Dallas
7 rebounds, 40 percent three-pointers
Achievements: NBA champion (2011), three-time All-Star Game, second symbolic five (2004), two-time winner of the three-point contest (2002-2003)
it would be brushed aside if it didn't come from Larry Bird. In his best years, Predrag Stojakovic was so convincing that he did not even leave the Legend a choice.
The golden age of Peugey - "Sacramento", created by Rick Adelman. In such a European spirit focused on the movement of the ball, on a team altruistic basketball team, his best qualities were in demand like nowhere else: Stojakovic threw opponents with three-point bombs, helping Divac and Webber to clear the rubble under the shields - those who survived after endless false swings did not have chances. In the 2003-04 season, Stojakovic set personal bests in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, finished fourth in MVP voting, second in the league in scoring, and spawned one of the biggest "what ifs" in Kings history: what, if Chris Webber had not returned to the 2004 playoffs and pushed the Peja.
Stojakovic's shot was already legendary back then: he hit 100 attempts at a time in practice and somehow hit 87, he set a league record by opening a game for the Hornets with 20 points in a row, he left the three-point contest twice. His strengths and weaknesses were so transparent that none of the teams he ran for ever questioned exactly how to use him. Stojakovic's shot did not fade, he simply lost in the fight against a failing organism: back in Sacramento, and then in New Orleans, the striker was covered by a series of injuries, as a result of which he ended his career in advance. But before hanging his sneakers on a nail, he once again shook the old days: in the composition of Dallas, close in spirit to that “Sacramento”, Stojakovic won a championship ring for himself. Even in his last season, the Serb remained at his main weapon and in some matches of the 2011 playoffs he reminded himself of himself with an extravaganza indistinguishable from the heroes of the past.
11. Detlef Schrempf (Germany)
Teams : Dallas, Indiana, Seattle, Portland
stats: 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists
Achievements 3x All-Star (1993, 1995, 1997), 2x Best Sixth Man (1991-92), All-Star Team 3 (1995), Finalist (1996)
Actually, Detlef Schrempf became famous as the owner of the largest member in the NBA. But for those who are embarrassed by exceptionally athletic superiority, the German also had something to offer: the owner of an army beaver played to match him - disciplined and maximally mobilized, he came out in a variety of positions, included those skills that his team needed most of all, although he always claimed more.
Schrempf knew everything: running, throwing, including from behind the arc, centering, passing, rebounding, defending - it was thanks to his versatility that he initially made himself known when he received two titles of the best sixth in Indiana. Moreover, from the moment he first appeared in Dalallas, he became famous as a dunker - Schrempf began playing basketball after 14, when he came to the USA on an exchange, and, as they said then, “didn’t know how to play white." Over time, he got better - he became stronger and at the same time did not lose speed (Detlef often recalled how he had to defend against Jordan one day and against Malone the next), added a more stable three-pointer to his arsenal (playing in one team with Reggie Miller had such unexpected consequences), finally found a main position and a team with which he will remain in history. Schrempf turned out to be the perfect teammate for Kemp, Payton, Perkins and Hersey Hawkins - from their combination of strengths, the only team that could beat Jordan's Chicago was born. And it was Schrempf, the first European star in the history of the NBA, with his versatility, understanding of the interests of partners and focus on winning, who turned a good team into a serious contender for the title.
10. Rolando Blackman (Panama)
Teams: Dallas, New York
Stats: 18.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Achievements four All-Star Games (1985-87, 1990)
Legionnaire Blackman was still conditional: Rolando grew up in New York and went to study in Kansas State as flesh from the flesh of the Big Apple street playgrounds. When he got to Dallas, he began the most glorious era in the history of the team until the appearance of Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki - their duet with Aguire was considered one of the most dangerous in the league, Blackman himself was known as one of the most dangerous and cold-blooded snipers, and " Mavericks began to be listed among the contenders.
As usual, the lack of significant victories spoiled the impression of Blackman's game. Either they lacked one game to get past the Lakers in the conference finals, or they managed to fly into Seattle as one of the main favorites ... Blackman was one of the most important players for that team, thundered with his scoring exploits, was marked by key hits - but vegetating in the shadows affected not only his team, but also him personally. Now that his record for most points for the Mavericks has collapsed after 18 years, and Nowitzki has officially surpassed him as the best player in the club's history, Blackman's uniqueness is only reminded by a T-shirt under the arches of the palace and cutting with winning balls.
9. Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania)
Teams: Portland
Stats : 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds
Arvydas Sabongis is considered one of the best big-game players ever basketball. The Lithuanian center was invited to the NBA twice. For the first time in the 82nd, after the triumphant World Cup for the Soviet team. But in those days on the territory of the USSR one could not even think about such things. In the 86th Arvydas was drafted by Portland, but for various reasons, the giant joined the Pioneers only nine years later, at 1995 year.
Sabonis, who became world champion at 17, moved overseas at the age of 31. By this time in Europe, the center was already recognized as a living legend. The Lithuanian has won almost all available trophies, both at the club and international level. The fifth number, who had a height of 222 cm, could also boast of a significant collection of personal awards.
There is an opinion that Sabas, endowed with the rarest talent, should have become one of the largest centers of the Association, if it were not for his age, which is respectable by sports standards, and the heap of various injuries and sores attached to it. But, despite these natural obstacles, the “rookie” who exchanged his fourth decade left his mark on the NBA.
Sabonis spent seven seasons with strong Portland and made the playoffs with his team every year. The highest achievement in the American career of Arvydas was the 1999/2000 championship, when the Oregonians made it to the Western Conference finals, where they lost to the future champions Lakers only in a seven-game series.
The Kaunas native was one of the first seven-footers to hit confidently from behind the arc, and he also had a unique understanding of the game that placed him among the best big passers in league history.
We can only imagine what a dominant force Sabonis would have become had he started his NBA career at a more appropriate age…
Achievements: All-star game (2001), participant in the finals (1991)
-x was also noticed by the leaders of the NBA clubs. The center of the Balkan team, Vlade Divac, turned out to be one of six representatives of the silver medalists of the 1988 Olympics who moved to the overseas league. At the draft-89The Serbian became the first foreigner drafted by the great Lakers.
Just in those years, the Californians, for a long time being one of the strongest teams in the Association, began to experience a decline. In 1989, Abdul-Jabbar ended his career, and Divats was given a rather difficult task - to replace perhaps the best number five in the history of basketball.
The Serbian big man quickly became the main center of the Lakers and became one of the leaders of the team. But the updated franchise did not reach its former heights, as a result of which the management decided on a large-scale reconstruction. The Lakers invited Shaquille O’Neal to the “five”, and Divats was sent to Charlotte, in exchange for the rights to a seventeen-year-old boy named Bryant ...
After the end of the lockout in the 98/99 season, Vlade joined Sacramento. Together with compatriot Predrag Stojakovic and forward Chris Webber, the center formed a magnificent front court that managed to pull a modest club out of oblivion and raise it to the level of one of the strongest in the entire NBA.
Probably, many basketball fans associate Vlade Divac with the word “flopper”. It is foolish to argue with this - the Serb really loved to “draw” fouls and noticeably succeeded in this kind of “creativity”. Yet these dubious efforts do not detract from his outstanding basketball merit. Vlade became one of the first Europeans to have influence in the Association. It is also worth saying that the colorful Divac has always been in the spotlight, enjoyed love and respect among partners and fans. A charming, open basketball player often appeared on various TV shows, gave interviews and even acted in films.
On March 31, 2009, the Kings memorialized the center's 21 number to honor his outstanding contributions to the California club. In the same year, Divac was elected chairman of the Serbian Olympic Committee.
7. Yao Ming (China)
Teams: Houston
Stats: 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks
participated in the All-Star Games (2003-2009, 2011), twice in the second symbolic team (2007, 2009), three times in the third symbolic team (2004, 2006, 2008)
Yao Ming is perhaps the main revelation in the history of the NBA: the Chinese center has gone from "a miserable hostage of terrorists" to "Bill Walton of our time. " I still remember the untrustworthy footage from the draft: the CBA agreed to give Yao permission to play in America only on the day of the draft, and the whole atmosphere of nervousness only added to the doubt that anything worthwhile would come of this project. He is not a basketball player, but just tall, most thought, and even Charles Barkley - you know yourself ...
When Yao Ming announced his retirement in 2011, it did not come as a shock just because everyone understood that everything was going to this. Over the years in the NBA, mutilated by constant injuries, the Chinese changed the league, made a noise in the voting and broadcast ratings through the roof, remained forever in memes, scared Shaq so much that he fled to the East, and proved that growth is an ambivalent factor, and his basketball skills are completely different. Yao Ming was born for basketball (his basketball parents almost deliberately agreed to “create” a superstar), but perhaps the most significant quality of him is his constant desire to grow and progress: over the years in America, Yao Ming has become much more powerful, added to shot and understanding of the game, he found the best use of his talents as an assistant and reached the level of the best centers in the league. Only at the stage when the duet of them and Timak was supposed to go on a victorious campaign, self-improvement turned into the process of keeping your body from self-destruction. Bill Walton had time to spend the season of his life, Yao Ming never got that opportunity.
In 2012, the Chinese media raised the issue of inducting the center into the Basketball Hall of Fame, but he himself asked for a delay in the review process.
Yao Ming continues to work on himself, but now in other areas. At the same time, he runs his own club at the KBA, cooperates with the NBA as part of the Basketball Without Borders program, conducts other charity events and saves elephants and white rhinos.
6. Dikembe Mutombo (DR Congo)
Teams : Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Houston
Accomplishments: four times Mr. , 2x league top rebounder (2000-2001), 3x league top blocker (1994-96), 2nd all-time team (2001), 2x all-time 3rd team (1998, 2002), 3x top 5 defensemen, 3x top 5 defensemen
It's funny, but Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, who for simplicity began to be referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, never dreamed of a basketball career. Deke, the son of the minister of education in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, studied at Georgetown University, planning to become a doctor and leave for the Black Continent in order to devote himself to serving the Motherland.
But one fine day an African decided to look into the sports hall of a famous educational institution. The lanky student attracted the attention of local basketball coach John Thompson. In a conversation with a coach, Mutombo frankly admitted that throwing a basketball was not on his list of life priorities, but the venerable mentor still managed to persuade him to join the university team. Idle interest forever changed the life of Dikembe.
The 120-pound seven-footer has gone down in NBA history as one of the best inside guards. Amazing physical data and competent preparation allowed Mutombo to excel four times in the honorary nomination of the defender of the year. The formidable African enthusiastically surrendered to the hard fight under the shields. Deke is recognized as the top blocker (only Hakeem Olajuwon is ahead) and rebounder of the Association. The center's famous gesture - an instructive shaking of the index finger after the next "banana" - terribly annoyed the unlucky rivals and became a kind of calling card.
No. 4 in the '91 draft has had an outstanding career behind it. Mutombo played until the age of 42, playing a total of 18 seasons in the NBA. As part of Philadelphia, Deke reached the main series of American basketball, in which the 76ers lost to the Lakers. Bigman was an eight-time All-Star and was named to various All-Star Teams multiple times.
A native of Africa for many years actively engaged in works of mercy and helping others. Now Mutombo is involved in numerous charitable programs, builds hospitals, oversees foundations, and is also a youth emissary for the UN Development Program. The native Congolese who speaks nine languages has six children, four of whom were adopted.
5. Manu Ginobili (Argentina)
teams : San Antonio
Statistics : 14. 9 Gentions, 3.9 Selection
Achievements : Three times the Champion Champion NBA (2003, 2005, 2007), Finalist (2013), 2x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Three (2008, 2011), Best Sixth Man (2008)
Manu grew up in a basketball family. His brothers played at a professional level. My father was a coach in the local Bahia Blanca team, where the future star quickly mastered the basics of basketball. In Ginobili's hometown, the best ball game developed at a rapid pace. Young Emanuele idolized Michael Jordan. The choice of profession did not raise questions.
The 57th pick in the 1999 draft had an amazing record. He became the second player after Bill Bradley to win an NBA championship, the Olympics and the Euroleague. In all teams, Manu was in the lead roles. Listing the numerous regalia and awards of Ginobili is a long and laborious task.
Ginobili is a special player. One of those who is gifted from above with a piece of basketball genius. And this is the only thing to understand when trying to assess his place in the history of the league and the club. It is believed that when an Argentine is healthy, motivated, in good shape and, accordingly, gives out his best basketball, he is in no way inferior to either Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade. There is no point in arguing this thesis - the way it really is.
Even after the 2013 final, in which Manu suddenly looked older and seriously thought about retirement, the Spurs offered him a contract that at the moment looks too generous. Perhaps Gregg Popovich knows something about the biological clock of the Argentine that is not available to the rest. Or maybe the club just wants to keep Ginobili until the very moment when the jersey with his number ascends under the arches of the AT&T Center.
4. Tony Parker (France)
Teams : San Antonio
Statistics : 17.1 points, 6.0 assists
Achievements : Three-time NBA champion (2003, 2005, 2007), Finals MVP (2007) Finals (2013), five times All-Star Game, twice All-Star Team Two (2012-2013), once All-Star Team Three (2009)
Like most international NBA stars, Tony Parker's journey has been an extraordinary journey, during which the point guard has changed almost beyond recognition. In his first practice with the Spurs, before the draft, he lasted 10 minutes when he was eliminated by Spurs scout Lance Blanks. In the early seasons, Popovich attacked him in a way that few others have, once bringing him to tears. His position in the team remained unstable for a long time, and even in championship seasons, Popovich changed his strategy in the playoffs, preferring proven veterans over Parker in decisive stretches. Finally, in 2003, the Spurs offered a huge contract to Jason Kidd and seemed to have to kill all the remnants of confidence in the little French kid.
It turned out differently: that work with Parker - work primarily on the shot - which bore relative fruit in 2007, when the quick-footed playmaker blew up Cleveland in the finals, was carried out with a long-term perspective. Since 2008, Popovich began to change the system of the team's game, gradually building it around Parker: endless pick-and-rolls with a pass under the shield or a discount for sniper throws became the new face of the rebuilt team, and the nimble kid not only ceased to associate exclusively with Eva Longoria, but also began to appear next to the best point guards in the league. At first it was said in a whisper, then louder and louder.
Last season was the strongest in Parker's career. He came close to the second MVP title of the finals, and not fallen from heaven, but quite deserved (which may be due to an injury), he proved that in the modern league a point guard can make a team as the first star, if not a champion, then at least a finalist, and along the way proved its superiority over any competitors.
Achievements year (2002), twice in the third symbolic team (2009-2010)
Gasol was born in Barcelona, Spain. Pau's basketball career began in teams with the sonorous names Albirne and Cornella. In the 2001 draft, the European was selected with a high third number by the hawks from Atlanta. Soon the big man was traded to Memphis for Sharif Abdur Rahim.
The debut of the Spaniard in the strongest league in the world drove the leadership of Atlanta into a deep depression. Gasol immediately began to demonstrate a productive, useful game that allowed him to receive the title of rookie of the year.
In the 2003/2004 season, a series of 240 matches played in a row was interrupted due to injury. But Gasol recovered, and in the same year, Memphis made the playoffs for the first time in history. The Grizzlies managed to repeat this success two more times in a row, but in the relegation matches they acted as contemplators, losing all the series of the 1/8 finals dry.
In Memphis, Gasol conscientiously endured six and a half seasons. During this time, he managed to completely rewrite the local book of records, excelling in 12 main indicators. It has long been clear to everyone that in Tennessee the Spaniard has reached his ceiling. The Lakers also understood this very well, who desperately needed a strong “big” to replace the injured Bynam. The strange exchange caused a lot of gossip. But the happy Gasol had already packed his bags and flew to California.
In his first game for Los Angeles, Pau recorded a solid double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Gasol quickly settled into the new team. The Lakers made it to the final, but, having got from the ship to the ball, the Spaniard failed in the decisive matches, outright losing the duel to Garnett.
Having magnificent, classic dimensions, Gasol is unusually mobile and hardy. He loves to lure his opponents out of the box and then easily dispatches them, being adept at passing both ways. The Spaniard instantly punishes a slow opponent with his high-precision weapon - a stable throw from an average distance. Pau's ability to "draw" fouls in the NBA is legendary. Gasol constantly uses his high basketball IQ. At any moment he is able to stun the opponent's defensive formations with a sharp discount.
By the age of 30, Gasol reached the optimal level and matured. In the 2009 final, he took revenge on his offender Kei G. The duel on the “four”, won by the bearded European, largely decided the outcome of the confrontation in favor of the Lakers. The Spaniard is no longer accused of being too soft, as it used to be. His current style is rather elegant, subtle. At the same time, Pau gained self-confidence, it is impossible to push him or break him just like that. The striker's impact on the game of NBA champions was enormous. In fairness, it was Gasol who deserved the title of MVP of the 2010 finals.
The Spaniard managed to change the negative opinion about himself, but not for long. Subsequent experiments - first with Bynam, then with Howard - pushed the Spaniard into the background and forced him to leave the fifth place, which seems to him more suitable. Fortunately for Gasol and everyone else, the endless and third-year-long rumors of a trade will end very soon: and given how enthusiastically Kobe is trying to keep the Spaniard in the Lakers, it is not certain that they will end with a trade.
2. Steve Nash (Canada)
Teams : Phoenix, Dallas, Lakers
Stats : 14. 4 points, 8.5 assists
Achievements : 2 season MVP (2005, 8 times) All-Star Game, 3 All-Star Team, 2 All-Star Team Two, 2 All-Star Team Three, 5-time NBA All-Star Assist
Stevie's path was predetermined: father, sister, and brother played football with varying degrees of success, mother was in to the England national netball team. Nash himself at first enchanted on the green fields, but still decided to focus on basketball.
In his state at the school level, Nash stood out among his peers, but this did not attract the attention of American student coaches. Letters of recommendation from the first coach, Steve, were sent out to 30 colleges at once, but only one of them bothered to answer. Santa Clara University mentor Dick Davey, having carefully studied the records of Nash's game, went to personally look at the promising young man. “I was terribly nervous, hoping that no one else saw this. You didn't have to be a Nobel Prize winner to realize that the Canadian guy is damn good. I wanted to believe that none of the larger teams had yet seen him in the game, ”Davey’s words make it clear that Nash made a lasting impression on him.
Other teams did not see the Canadian. Steve spent several years in Santa Clara, but did not achieve any special achievements at the university level. In 1996, Nash entered the draft and was selected 16th overall by the Suns.
Nash is 40 years old, still playing and still commanding great respect. Surely Steve himself has already regretted many times that he agreed to move to the Lakers, even if it was due to family circumstances. But it is unlikely that fans of his talent have any doubts about whether he should have continued: even at this age, the Canadian sometimes makes a holiday out of basketball. (Also, the defeat of the Lakers is a doubly holiday.)
An outstanding player can easily be put on a par with the best point guards in the history of the NBA. Over the years, the Canadian has consistently maintained the highest level, despite chronic back problems: Steve became the best assistant of the championship four times and was twice recognized as MVP of the regular season. In addition, Nash constantly gets from rivals. It is unlikely that Steve will be able to tell you how many times he was given black eyes or his face was smashed - he himself has long lost count.
In his career, you can begin to place certain points. For example, it is clear that Nash will no longer become a champion. Actually, he himself never really aspired to this: the Canadian especially did not want to move to a stronger team in order to be able to fight for championship rings, always repeating that there are more important things for him, for example, work with youth and development promising partners. Yes, and it has always been clear that you need to appreciate what Nash does on the court, not by regalia and rings, but by a specific moment: those seconds of euphoria that his game gives are perhaps much more valuable than anything else.
1. Dirk Novitsky (Germany)
teams : “Dallas”
Statistics : 22.6 selection, 2. 6 programs
Achievements: Champion of NBA (2011 ), Finals MVP (2011), MVP of the season (2007), team's first star in the finals (2006), 11 times in the All-Star Games, 4 times in the first symbolic team, 5 times in the second symbolic team, 3 times in the third symbolic team
Born in Wurzburg, Germany, Dirk grew up in the most athletic family ever: mother Helga played professional basketball, father Jörg-Werner played for the German national handball team. The older sister Silke was also fond of basketball and now serves in the television structures of the NBA.
There was no doubt that Dirk would play sports. The question was only in the form that he would like. Nowitzki initially signed up for handball and tennis. But he stood out very much among his peers with his height. It got to the point that Dirk was teased and insulted. Away from sin, the blond young man transferred to the basketball section.
An important role in Nowitzki's life was played by the former player of the German basketball team Holger Geschwinder. The coach immediately saw the huge potential hidden in the guy. Having received the consent of the parents, Holger took up individual three-time sessions with the giant. The training scheme proposed by Geschwinder differed from traditional programs: the coach emphasized the throw and the development of assisting skills, ignoring physical and tactical training. Holger Geschwinder acted as a kind of guru for Nowitzki. He insisted that the student develop in all directions, devote his free time to reading literature and playing musical instruments.
A year later, Geschwinder was so impressed with Nowitzki's progress that he suggested that he switch to a daily schedule. “Dirk, you have to decide if you want to be one of the best players in the world or a local god. If you choose the latter, we will immediately stop training, because even now in Germany, hardly anyone will interfere with you. But if you want to play against the strongest basketball players, then you need to train daily. ” Dirk thought for two days. You probably already guessed what decision he made.
Holger Geschwinder was right. Dirk plays among the strongest basketball players in the world, while he himself is one of them. Nowitzki is a unique striker. With a height of 213 cm and a weight of 111 kg, he is able to perform in three positions at once. Bigman is not just nicknamed "German machine gun" - he is one of the best shooters in the league. Nowitzki throws incomparably free throws. In 2006, the striker won the long-range shot competition. The deadly accuracy of his homing "jumpers" from any position inside the three-point arc makes this seven-footer an exceptionally difficult player to mark.
Dirk's manner is distinguished by his great capacity for work and dedication. The rational game of the German is aimed primarily at achieving the goal. By his own admission, he suffers losses "more than anyone in the entire NBA." And in the discrepancy between these initial provisions and a painful career path, for a long time nothing was seen but a terrifying contradiction: Dallas gave up the final series won, disgraced himself in front of the Golden State and seemed to have missed the “championship window”, but fate nevertheless turned out to be favorable to Nowitzki.
- 10/10/22
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I spend my money on opportunities that will set me up for a better future.
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And a lot of cool videos 
At 22, he is already an established star and proves to Timofey Mozgov that the role of center in the NBA has not died. At the end of last season, Towns entered the league's top 5 in rebounding, and on March 28, he scored 56 points in a match against Atlanta. Nobody scored more in one match for Minnesota - not even Garnett. 
You can blame Kevin Durant's departure to Golden State in the summer of 2016 for this as much as you want, only after that Russ became even more selfish. No one throws him more often in the league (21.1 tries per game on average), but no one misses that much (11.6). Westbrook is both a super sniper and an egoist. Both the main hope and the main problem of Oklahoma at the same time. 
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But Irving didn’t play until the main games of the season again, his Celtics lost to Cleveland, and after that LeBron and his team got 0-4 from Golden State. 
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But still, as usual, the Warriors reached the NBA Finals from the Western Conference. Therefore, Harden - although, of course, a very tough player - remains outside the top three. 
But it was then that Kevin and James had championship ambitions. 
It was then that Durant scored the most important three-pointer of the third game and the entire final. From 10 meters. 
If LeBron ran for president of the United States right now, then Trump would have to move from the White House back to the hotel. 
ru, Ronald Cortes / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Gregory Shamus / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Maddie Meyer / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru 
On the other hand, it is connected with the manner - Kirilenko does not seek to dominate due to high performance, he is a leader of a different plan, but, not being "big", because of this, he can often go into the shadows. 
The absence of a vital need to tear everyone and burn himself in every match predetermined his career abroad: Kirilenko could not become the first star of Utah and took on the more comfortable functions of a role performer (albeit not agreeing to a completely minor game). That trend continued this summer, with Kirilenko forgoing more playing time, starting space and money (?) for a title challenge. 
Point-forward hypostasis, to which the Turk came in the course of his evolution and moving from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic, he was perhaps the best at that time. A viscous but effective dribbling that brings him to the goal in almost three steps, verified penetrating passes, the ability to dominate due to superiority in mass or speed, a strange throw that confuses opponents - Hido's trump cards could have disappeared unnoticed, but it was in the company of the Van Gundy system , hiding his slowness in defense by center Howard and helping him with snipers, they flashed. 
No matter how unrealized the potential of a smart center with a soft brush that knows a lot remains, no matter how unsuccessfully the Caves perform, one simple circumstance determines his career: Ilgauskas is the main legend and symbol of the NBA club. 
No perturbations can overcome him, because the motto of Memphis - grit and grind - has a direct bearing on Mark. 
In four years, the Zagreb team has won many trophies, in particular, two Champions Cups. In the match of the national championship-85/86 against Olimpia, Drazen scored 112 points (40/60 from the game). Soon after this, the performer with artistic abilities began to be called "basketball Mozart." 
On June 7, after another successful match, the 28-year-old defender, along with his fiancee Clara Shalanzi, as well as her friend, were heading to Germany. It was raining and the road was slippery. At about 5:20 pm, the Volkswagen Golf, driven by the basketball player's girlfriend, collided at high speed with an out-of-control truck. The girls, who received numerous injuries, survived, but the unfastened Petrovich, who was sleeping in the passenger seat, died. 
The eccentric center, remembered mainly for his hair, blonde hair, the coolest nickname "Dunking Dutchman" and thus the game-winning shot in the 4th game with Orlando, quickly became the main favorite - he was the second star of the team and the main argument against the dominant centers of the East (to Fortunately for the Pacers, there weren't very many.) Already in series 9On the 3rd with the Knicks, Smits averaged 22.5 points against Ewing and then it only got better: the Dutchman was ideally suited to the Pacers' system, built around Miller's shots, and at the same time he could not feel miserable on the shield, so how he got help from tough and aggressive forwards. So Indiana found the best sides of Smits: his mobility, which allowed him to use him far from the basket, a shot from a distance that stretched the defense, game intelligence and sometimes phenomenal agility for such dimensions - a pass from behind, which Smits gave at the All-Star Game - 98 to Jason Williams, even now is nothing short of astonishing.
On the other hand, the high expectations and constant pressure associated with this made his stay in Chicago not so joyful. As Parker was brought to tears by Gregg Popovich, so Kukoch had to go through a school of tempering character: the hatred of teammates Jordan and Pippen, who constantly offered him more meat with pepper, the harsh pressure of Jackson, who reproached him for softness, a change in role. Kukoc has become an example of a typical European player with his shortcomings: weakness of character, gentleness, lack of aggression and a crazy thirst for victory. From the main star of Europe, he turned into the best sixth player (a mocking title for Kukoch), and from the most smiling basketball player in Europe into a gloomy guy looking for himself. But in the end, a lot still happened: his role in winning the second Jordan three-pit is beyond doubt. 
When he nevertheless arrived in 1994, it gradually turned out that the expectations were too high: the star role was given to the Croatian exclusively in conjunction with Jordan and Pippen and only in the model that Phil Jackson offered him. Neither before nor after Kukoch was able to become a full-fledged player in the starting line-up, and given how universally talented he looked within the Big Trio, for most, such dissonance was due to psychological difficulties and problems with adaptation. Not to mention the fact that Jackson's taunts, reproaching Kukoch for playing much better when his mother watches the Chicago matches in Croatia, have turned into legends. 
In his best years, Predrag Stojakovic was so convincing that he did not even leave the Legend a choice. 
His strengths and weaknesses were so transparent that none of the teams he ran for ever questioned exactly how to use him. Stojakovic's shot did not fade, he simply lost in the fight against a failing organism: back in Sacramento, and then in New Orleans, the striker was covered by a series of injuries, as a result of which he ended his career in advance. But before hanging his sneakers on a nail, he once again shook the old days: in the composition of Dallas, close in spirit to that “Sacramento”, Stojakovic won a championship ring for himself. Even in his last season, the Serb remained at his main weapon and in some matches of the 2011 playoffs he reminded himself of himself with an extravaganza indistinguishable from the heroes of the past. 
But for those who are embarrassed by exceptionally athletic superiority, the German also had something to offer: the owner of an army beaver played to match him - disciplined and maximally mobilized, he came out in a variety of positions, included those skills that his team needed most of all, although he always claimed more. 
Schrempf turned out to be the perfect teammate for Kemp, Payton, Perkins and Hersey Hawkins - from their combination of strengths, the only team that could beat Jordan's Chicago was born. And it was Schrempf, the first European star in the history of the NBA, with his versatility, understanding of the interests of partners and focus on winning, who turned a good team into a serious contender for the title. 
For the first time in the 82nd, after the triumphant World Cup for the Soviet team. But in those days on the territory of the USSR one could not even think about such things. In the 86th Arvydas was drafted by Portland, but for various reasons, the giant joined the Pioneers only nine years later, at 1995 year. 
At the draft-89The Serbian became the first foreigner drafted by the great Lakers. 
" I still remember the untrustworthy footage from the draft: the CBA agreed to give Yao permission to play in America only on the day of the draft, and the whole atmosphere of nervousness only added to the doubt that anything worthwhile would come of this project. He is not a basketball player, but just tall, most thought, and even Charles Barkley - you know yourself ... 
Only at the stage when the duet of them and Timak was supposed to go on a victorious campaign, self-improvement turned into the process of keeping your body from self-destruction. Bill Walton had time to spend the season of his life, Yao Ming never got that opportunity. 
Deke, the son of the minister of education in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, studied at Georgetown University, planning to become a doctor and leave for the Black Continent in order to devote himself to serving the Motherland. 
Deke is recognized as the top blocker (only Hakeem Olajuwon is ahead) and rebounder of the Association. The center's famous gesture - an instructive shaking of the index finger after the next "banana" - terribly annoyed the unlucky rivals and became a kind of calling card. 
9 Gentions, 3.9 Selection 
It is believed that when an Argentine is healthy, motivated, in good shape and, accordingly, gives out his best basketball, he is in no way inferior to either Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade. There is no point in arguing this thesis - the way it really is. 
In his first practice with the Spurs, before the draft, he lasted 10 minutes when he was eliminated by Spurs scout Lance Blanks. In the early seasons, Popovich attacked him in a way that few others have, once bringing him to tears. His position in the team remained unstable for a long time, and even in championship seasons, Popovich changed his strategy in the playoffs, preferring proven veterans over Parker in decisive stretches. Finally, in 2003, the Spurs offered a huge contract to Jason Kidd and seemed to have to kill all the remnants of confidence in the little French kid. 
At first it was said in a whisper, then louder and louder. 
Gasol immediately began to demonstrate a productive, useful game that allowed him to receive the title of rookie of the year. 
The Spaniard is no longer accused of being too soft, as it used to be. His current style is rather elegant, subtle. At the same time, Pau gained self-confidence, it is impossible to push him or break him just like that. The striker's impact on the game of NBA champions was enormous. In fairness, it was Gasol who deserved the title of MVP of the 2010 finals. 
4 points, 8.5 assists 
I wanted to believe that none of the larger teams had yet seen him in the game, ”Davey’s words make it clear that Nash made a lasting impression on him. 
In addition, Nash constantly gets from rivals. It is unlikely that Steve will be able to tell you how many times he was given black eyes or his face was smashed - he himself has long lost count. 
6 programs 
The coach immediately saw the huge potential hidden in the guy. Having received the consent of the parents, Holger took up individual three-time sessions with the giant. The training scheme proposed by Geschwinder differed from traditional programs: the coach emphasized the throw and the development of assisting skills, ignoring physical and tactical training. Holger Geschwinder acted as a kind of guru for Nowitzki. He insisted that the student develop in all directions, devote his free time to reading literature and playing musical instruments. 
” Dirk thought for two days. You probably already guessed what decision he made. 
