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2003–04 Minnesota Timberwolves Season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the 15th season for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the National Basketball Association. The season is one of the most memorable in Timberwolves history. During the offseason, the Timberwolves acquired 4-time All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell. The arrival was seen as controversial as Sprewell was known for his choking incident with then-Warriors head coach P. J. Carlesimo, though also known for helping the 8th-seeded New York Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1999. Sam Cassell, who was known for winning two championships with the Houston Rockets, and his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he helped guide the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, also was acquired to join Garnett, forming a "Big 3". The Timberwolves also signed free agents Michael Olowakandi and Trenton Hassell. With a Western Conference-best 58-24 finish, the Wolves set the franchise record for wins, and won its first and only division championship. Power forward Kevin Garnett a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flip Saunders
Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High school and college player Saunders was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was an All-state basketball player at Cuyahoga Heights High School in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio, suburban Cleveland. In his senior season, 1973, he was named Ohio's Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year, leading the state in scoring average with 32.0 points per game. At the University of Minnesota, he started 101 of his 103 career contests and as a senior, teamed with Ray Williams (basketball), Ray Williams, Mychal Thompson, Kevin McHale (basketball), Kevin McHale, and Osborne Lockhart. Coaching career College Saunders began his coaching career at Golden Valley Lutheran College where he compiled a 92–13 record, including a perfect 56–0 mark at home, in four seasons. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000-01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year. Since 2001, the 76ers have not returned to the NBA Finals. This was the 76ers' first Finals appearance since Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 team to the NBA title (coincidentally, last defeating the Lakers) in the famous "fo', fo', fo'" year (it ended up being "fo', fi', fo'", as Philadelphia lost one second-round game to the Milwaukee Bucks that year). However, it was the Lakers' turn to put together the most dominant postseason in NBA history, going 15–1 with their only loss coming in OT to the Sixers in Game 1 of the Finals. They set many records, including going undefeated in regulation and on the road (finishing 8–0 in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. This season's NBA Finals was contested between the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference playoff champion Detroit Pistons. The Lakers held home court advantage, and the series was played under a best-of-seven format. Although the Lakers, headed by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, were considered the heavy favorites, the Pistons handily won the series in five games. This win marked the Pistons' fifth win overall as a franchise (including two NBL championships: in 1944 and 1945 as the Fort Wayne Pistons) as well as its first NBA title since two 1989–90 NBA championship seasons which was nearly fifteen years prior. The series ultimately featured the perceived underdog Pistons dominating a Lakers team composed of four future Hall of Famers. Pistons' owner William Davidson became t ... [...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] |
Gary Payton
Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, where he holds franchise records in points, assists, and steals. He also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat. Payton won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006. Nicknamed "the Glove" for his defensive abilities, Payton was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. In October 2021, Payton was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Payton is the first point guard to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and the only point guard winner in the award's first 39 years, until Marcus Smart was selected in 2022. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and scorers of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. Recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Philadelphia suburb Lower Merion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. He is a and center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion. After playing college basketball for the LSU Tigers, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. He quickly became one of the best centers in the league, winning Rookie of the Year in 1992–93 and leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. They won three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Amid tension between O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, and his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2003–04 Sacramento Kings Season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the Kings' 55th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 19th season in Sacramento. The season was best remembered for the team making a move in the offseason, acquiring Brad Miller from the Indiana Pacers and signing free agent Anthony Peeler. Superstar forward Chris Webber, who spent most of the season recovering from microfracture knee surgery, then serving a suspension due to the Ed Martin scandal, returned for the final 23 games of the season in which they played mediocre basketball the rest of the way. Still, the Kings finished the season second in the Pacific Division with a 55–27 record. Miller and Peja Stojaković were both selected for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. In the first round of the playoffs, the Kings got the last laugh as they defeated their archrivals the Dallas Mavericks in five games, before falling to Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round as Webber missed a potential game-tying 3-poi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2003–04 Denver Nuggets Season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the 28th season for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association, and their 37th season as a franchise. The season saw the team draft future All-Star Carmelo Anthony with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. During the offseason, the team signed free agent Andre Miller, and re-signed former Nuggets guard Voshon Lenard. Coming off with the worst record of 17–65 the previous season, Anthony led the Nuggets to a fast start winning 13 of their first 19 games. However, the team struggled down the stretch posting losing records in February and March. The Nuggets finished sixth in the Midwest Division with a 43–39 record, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1995. Anthony had a stellar rookie season averaging 21.0 points per game, and being selected to the All-Rookie First Team. He also finished second behind LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Rookie of The Year voting. However, in the first round of the playoffs, t ... [...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] |
