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1996–97 Miami Heat Season
The 1996–97 NBA season was the ninth season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Heat signed free agents, All-Star guard and three-point specialist Dan Majerle, P.J. Brown, and Isaac Austin. The team also signed All-Star forward Juwan Howard to a 7-year $100 million contract, but was voided by the league claiming that Miami exceeded their salary cap; Howard then quickly re-signed with the Washington Bullets. At midseason, the team traded second-year guard Sasha Danilovic, and second-year forward Kurt Thomas to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Jamal Mashburn. After a 5–4 start to the season, the Heat went on a nine-game winning streak, then won eleven straight games between January and February, held a 36–12 record at the All-Star break, and won eight straight in March, as they won their first Division title with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, which stood as the franchise mark until the 2012–13 season. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Riley
Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also served as the team's head coach from 1995 to 2003 and again from 2005 to 2008. Regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has won five NBA championships as a head coach, four with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s and one with the Heat in 2006. Riley is a nine-time NBA champion across his tenures as a player ( 1972), assistant coach (1980), head coach (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006), and executive (2012, 2013). Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year three times ( 1989–90, 1992–93 and 1996–97, as head coach of the Lakers, New York Knicks and Heat, respectively). He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times: eight times with the Western Conference team (1982, 1983, 1985†... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurt Thomas (basketball)
Kurt Vincent Thomas (born October 4, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'9", 230 lb. power forward-center, Thomas was known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense during his eight year tenure with the New York Knicks. Having played college basketball at Texas Christian University, he was drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995 and went on to play parts of 18 seasons in the NBA. High school and college Kurt began his basketball career on the playgrounds at Dallas Birdie Alexander Elementary, D.A. Hulcy Middle School, and thereafter on to Dallas Carter High before transferring to Hillcrest High. Thomas grew up in Dallas, and after graduating from Dallas's Hillcrest High School, he attended Texas Christian University, where he led the NCAA Division I in scoring and rebounding in the 1994–95 season with 28.9 PPG and 14.6 RPG, becoming only the third player in history to accomplish this feat (the other two being Hank Gathers and Xavier McDaniel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The NBA's Most Improved Player Award (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points, and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. The criteria for selecting the most improved player was initially open-ended, but the NBA clarified in later years that it was intended for an up-and-coming player who improved dramatically and not a player who made a comeback, distinguishing it from the defunct NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award. Starting with the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the George Mikan Trophy, n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keith Askins
Keith Bernard Askins (born December 15, 1967) is a retired American professional basketball player. Basketball career After playing at the University of Alabama, the 6'7" Askins signed with the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat in 1990, after not being drafted. A versatile athlete who could guard multiple positions, he spent his entire career with the Heat as a reserve and defensive specialist, retiring after being waived in 1999 with career totals of 1,852 points and 1,428 rebounds. Immediately after retiring, Askins joined the Heat's coaching staff, going on to serve as assistant for Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra and winning three championships. In September 2013, he was promoted to the team's director of college and pro scouting. A career all spent with the Heat either as a player, assistant coach, or front office executive, Askins is into his 32nd season with the same franchise as of 2022. On May 7, 2022, Askins was induced to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voshon Lenard
Voshon Kelan Lenard (born May 14, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was listed as 6' 4" (1.93 m) and 215 lbs, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. College career Lenard played college basketball at the University of Minnesota. After his junior season, he decided to test the waters of the NBA, and declared himself eligible for the draft. The Milwaukee Bucks selected Lenard in the second round of the 1994 NBA Draft. Lenard subsequently opted instead to return to Minnesota to play out his senior season. He finished his career with the Golden Gophers as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,103 points. Professional career After graduating, Lenard went on to play in the minor-league Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He averaged 30.1 points per game in 18 games for the Oklahoma City Cavalry during the 1995–96 season.1996-97 Official CBA Guide and Register, page 286 He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grant Hill
Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who is a co-owner and executive of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Duke University and is widely considered one of its greatest players. After playing college basketball for four years, Hill played in the NBA for four teams in his professional career: the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers. For most of his career, he played the small forward position. Hill also works as a basketball analyst for CBS and Turner Sports. Hill played basketball for the Duke Blue Devils for four years. He was the 1994 ACC Player of the Year, a two-time NCAA All-American, and a two-time NCAA champion. Hill was touted as one of the best players in Duke history and as one of the greatest college basketball players of his era. After graduating from Duke in 1994, Hill was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the third ov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." He played fifteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA and of 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. He was integral in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s,Markovits and Rensman, p. 89. becoming a global cultural icon in the process. Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick, and quickly emerged as a league star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. He was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. His 36,928 career points scored rank third all-time in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James, and he holds the records for most free throws attempted and made, in addition to being tied for the second-most first-team All-NBA selections with Kobe Bryant and behind LeBron James. Malone played college basketball at Louisiana Tech University. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the Bulldogs basketball team to its first-ever NCAA tournament in 1984 and to first pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Starting with the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named for the five-time MVP often considered the best player in NBA history. Prior to 2021, the winner received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. With the switch to the Michael Jordan Trophy, his name was moved to a new Maurice Podoloff Trophy given to the team with the best regular season record. Until the , the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the , the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 NBA All-Star Game
The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was the 47th edition of the All-Star Game and commemorated the 50th anniversary of NBA. The game was played on February 9, 1997, at Gund Arena (now known as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) in Cleveland. The winner of the MVP award was Glen Rice of the Charlotte Hornets who played 25 minutes and scored 26 points while breaking two records in the process, 20 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the second half. Rice's 20 points in the period broke Hal Greer's record (19), set in 1968. Rice's 24 points in a half surpassed the previous mark of 23, owned by Wilt Chamberlain and Tom Chambers. Michael Jordan's 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists were the first and until the 2011 NBA All-Star Game the only triple-double in NBA All-Star Game history; LeBron James (2011), Dwyane Wade (2012), and Kevin Durant (2017) have also achieved this. Five players (Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Shaquille O'Neal) who were voted or sel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning Jr. (born February 8, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who has served as vice president of player programs and development for the Miami Heat since June 2009. Mourning played most of his 15-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career for the Heat. Nicknamed "Zo", Mourning played the center position. Following his college basketball career at Georgetown University, his tenacity on defense twice earned him the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and twice placed him on the NBA All-Defensive Team. Mourning made a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant and later won the 2006 NBA championship with the Heat. Mourning also played for the Charlotte Hornets and New Jersey Nets. On March 30, 2009, Mourning became the first Miami Heat player to have his number retired. In 2010, Mourning was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In August 2014, Mourning was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane Hardaway Sr. (born September 1, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA Team selection. Hardaway won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was known for his crossover dribble which was dubbed the "UTEP two-step" by television analysts. He is the father of current NBA player Tim Hardaway Jr. Early life Hardaway was born in Chicago, Illinois, and he graduated from Carver Military Academy. College career Hardaway played college basketball for the UTEP Miners under head coach Don Haskins, a future member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Hardaway was twice named MVP of El Paso's Sun Bowl Invitational Tournament, in 1987 and 1988. He played on teams that went to the NCAA Tournam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
