2017–18 Oklahoma City Thunder Season
The 2017–18 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 10th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 52nd in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This season was headlined by the acquisitions of All-Star players Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in trades with the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks respectively, in addition to the reigning MVP Russell Westbrook signing a five-year extension worth $205 million. The trio was dubbed the "Big Three" as well as "OK3". The Thunder clinched their playoff berth for the eight time in the last nine seasons with a win over the Miami Heat in a rematch of the 2012 Finals on April 9, 2018. They finished the regular season with 48–34, which clinched the 4th seed. In the playoffs, the Thunder faced the 5th seeded Utah Jazz in the First Round, a team led by rookie Donovan Mitchell, and lost in six games. After averaging a then-career low 16.2 points per game during the season, Anthony was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the offse ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Billy Donovan
William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He has served as head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since September 2020 after previously coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2020. Before moving to the NBA, he served as the head basketball coach at the University of Florida from 1996 to 2015, and led his Florida Gator teams to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, as well as an NCAA championship appearance in 2000. Donovan was born and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York, where he played basketball at St. Agnes Cathedral High School. He was the starting point guard for Rick Pitino's Providence College squad and led the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. As such, he is one of only four men (Dean Smith, Joe B. Hall and Bobby Knight being the others) to appear in the NCAA Final Four as a player and win the NCAA national championship as a coac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2017–18 Miami Heat Season
The 2017–18 Miami Heat season was the 30th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On the February 8, 2018 NBA trade deadline, the Heat re-acquired star shooting guard Dwyane Wade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a future second round draft pick, after losing him to free agency in July 2016. Despite a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 9, 2018, the Heat clinched a playoff berth for the eighth time in ten seasons. Furthermore, they won their division on April 11 as a result of an overtime win over the Toronto Raptors, as well as a loss by the Washington Wizards to the Orlando Magic. The Heat finished the regular season with a 44–38 record, which clinched the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This made the Heat the lowest seeded playoff team to win a division championship since the NBA modified playoff seeding in 2016. In the playoffs, they faced the 3rd seed Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and were defeated ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2016–17 Oklahoma City Thunder Season
The 2016–17 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 9th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 51st in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On the April 9, Russell Westbrook broke the record of Oscar Robertson of most triple-doubles in a season with 42. Westbrook would go on to be named the League's MVP in June. The Thunder would finish the regular season with a 47–35 record, securing the 6th seed. In the playoffs, they faced off against the Houston Rockets in the First Round, in which they lost in five games. This was the Thunder's first season since 2006–07 without Kevin Durant, as he left the Thunder and signed with the Golden State Warriors. Previous season The Thunder finished the 2015–16 season 55–27 to finish in first place in the Northwest Division, third in the Western Conference and qualified for the playoffs. Last season featured the Thunder making their fourth conference finals appearance since relocating to Oklahoma City before falling to th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics Season
The 2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 41st and final season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the franchise's final season of play in Seattle before Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City, relocating to Oklahoma City to play as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thunder. With the hiring of the under newly head coach P. J. Carlesimo as replacement of Bob Hill, who was fired at the end of the 2006–07 Seattle SuperSonics season, previous season,Associated Press (April 25, 2007)SuperSonics fire Hill as coach ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel''. Retrieved June 25, 2012. the SuperSonics finished in 15th and last place in the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference with a franchise worst 20–62 record. Seattle's first round draft pick and number two overall Kevin Durant was chosen as the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. As of 2022, the only remaining Sonics in the NBA are Jeff Green (baske ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mark Bryant (basketball)
Mark Craig Bryant (born April 25, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is currently an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. As a player, he played collegiately at Seton Hall University from 1984 to 1988, and was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round (21st pick overall) of the 1988 NBA draft. Bryant played for 10 NBA teams during his career, averaging 5.4 ppg and appeared in the 1990 and 1992 NBA Finals as a member of the Blazers. In the 1995–96 NBA season with the Houston Rockets, he averaged 8.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg while playing 71 games. The next season, Bryant averaged career-high averages of 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game with the Phoenix Suns while playing 41 regular season games that season. Bryant first became an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2004–05 season. He then was an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic from 2005 to 2007. Bryant also became an assistant coach for the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference Pacific and Northwest divisions from 1967 until 2008. After the 2007–08 season ended, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, where they now play as Oklahoma City Thunder. Sam Schulman owned the team from its 1967 inception until 1983. It was then owned by Barry Ackerley until 2001, when it came under ownership of Basketball Club of Seattle, headed by Starbucks chairman emeritus, former president and CEO Howard Schultz. On July 18, 2006, Basketball Club of Seattle sold SuperSonics and its Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) sister franchise Seattle Storm to Professional Basketball Club LLC, headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. The NBA Board of Governors approved the sale on October 24, 2006, and finaliz ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city's name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. The club plays its home games at the Chase Center. The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947, and won again in 1956, led by Hall of Fame trio Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. After the trade of star Wilt Chamberlain in January 1965, the team finished the 1964–65 season with the NBA's worst record (17–63). Their rebuilding period was brief due in large part to the Warriors' drafting of Rick Barry four months after the trade. In 1975, star players Barry and Jamaal Wilkes powered the Warriors to their third cham ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas Longhorns, and was selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He played nine seasons with the franchise, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, winning consecutive NBA championships in 2017 and 2018. After sustaining an Achilles injury in the 2019 finals, he joined the Nets as a free agent that summer. Durant is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and scorers of all time. Durant was a heavily recruited high school prospect who was widely regarded as the second-best player in his class. In college, he won numerous year-end awards and became the first freshman to be named Naismith College Player of the Year. As ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Central Division (NBA), Central Division. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970–71 NBA season, 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Dan Gilbert (businessman), Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005. The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season by losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years, placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five sea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jeff Green (basketball)
Jeffrey Lynn Green (born August 28, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played three seasons of college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas,pent 3½ seasons with the franchise before being traded back to the Celtics in February 2011, where he played until 2015 before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2016, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He spent half a season with the Clippers before joining the Orlando Magic following the 2015–16 season. Green has also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets. College career Green was born in Cheverly, Maryland, to Jeffrey Green Sr. and Felicia Akingube. He was raised in College Park, Maryland and then attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he led the NHS Wildcats to the state basketball championship in 2004. Green was recruited to Georgetown Univer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2003, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The NBA announced that 41 college and high school players and a record 31 international players had filed as early-entry candidates for the 2003 NBA draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had a 22.50 percent probability of obtaining the first selection, won the NBA draft lottery on May 22, and Cleveland chairman Gordon Gund said afterward his team would select LeBron James. The Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets were second and third, respectively. This draft was the first draft to be aired on ESPN after they picked up the license from TNT. The 2003 draft is known for having one of the deepest talent pools in NBA history. The draft contained 15 players who combined for 26 championships. Four of the top five picks are NBA All-Stars and " Redeem Team" Olympic Gold Medalists: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. Many players have been in the s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nick Collison
Nicholas John Collison (born October 26, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is a special assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He spent his entire career with the Seattle SuperSonics, later renamed the Thunder in 2008. Collison was drafted by the SuperSonics in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft and retired as a member of the Thunder in 2018. As a college player, he went to two Final Fours with the Kansas Jayhawks. Early life and high school career Collison was born in Orange City, Iowa and grew up in Fort Dodge and Iowa Falls. He attended Iowa Falls High School and was a McDonald's All-American in 1999. College career Teaming with fellow Iowan Kirk Hinrich to form one of the best duos in college basketball, Collison helped the University of Kansas reach two consecutive Final Fours (2002 and 2003). Collison finished his college career as the leading scorer in the history of the Big 12 Conference (a ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |