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1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers Season
The 1996–97 NBA season was the 27th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, their 13th season in Los Angeles, California, and their third season in which they played occasional home games in Anaheim, California. The Clippers received the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected center Lorenzen Wright from the University of Memphis. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Darrick Martin, and former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth. With the loss of Brian Williams to free agency, the Clippers were expected to sink in the bottom of the NBA again. After a 6–4 start to the regular season, the team lost ten of their next eleven games, as Duckworth only played just 26 games due to a sore heel injury, while Stanley Roberts only played just 18 games due to a back injury, and second-year guard Brent Barry only played 59 games due to thumb and ankle injuries. However, despite the injuries, the Clippers held a 19–25 reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Fitch
William Charles Fitch (May 19, 1932 – February 2, 2022) was an American professional basketball coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He developed multiple teams into playoff contenders and won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 1981. Before entering the professional ranks, he coached college basketball at the University of Minnesota, Bowling Green State University, the University of North Dakota, and his alma mater, Coe College. Fitch's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament. He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. Christopher Gerhman portrayed him in Winning Time. Early life William Charles Fitch was born on May 19, 1932, in Davenport, Iowa. He attended Wilson in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he excelled in basketball. College career Fitch attended Coe College from 1950 to 1954. Coaching career Creighton (1956–1958) Fitch was an assistant coach a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorenzen Wright
Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 – July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for thirteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted seventh overall in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers and also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wright went missing on July 18, 2010, and was found shot to death ten days later. In December 2017, his ex-wife Sherra Wright-Robinson was charged with facilitating his murder; a year and a half later, she pleaded guilty. Her friend, Billy Ray Turner, was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder in March 2022, receiving a sentence of life imprisonment. Wright's status as an NBA player and local celebrity in Memphis led to the prosecution of his murder being highly publicized. Early life and college Raised in Oxford, Mississippi, Wright played for Lafay ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bo Outlaw
Charles "Bo" Outlaw (born April 13, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player. He was born in San Antonio, Texas, and is a 1989 alumnus of John Jay High School. Outlaw led the Mustangs to a 38–0 record his senior year before losing to Clear Lake High School in the state championship game. Outlaw played for South Plains College and the University of Houston. During his time in Houston, he averaged 14.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, and led NCAA Division I with a field goal percentage of .684. In 1993, he declared eligibility for the NBA draft but was not selected. Professional career Outlaw began his professional career with the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he averaged a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game. He was selected to the All-CBA Second Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie First Team in 1994. On February 15, 1994, Outlaw began his NBA career with the Los Angeles Clippers, recording 13 points and 7 rebounds in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodney Rogers
Rodney Ray Rogers (born June 20, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Early life Rogers was the fourth and youngest child born to Willie Wardsworth and Estella Rogers. He spent most of his childhood growing up in the McDougald Terrace housing project in Durham. His father, who left the family and moved to Texas when Rogers was a toddler, died when Rogers was eight.Atkinson, Charlie. - "Battling the Odds: Life Hasn't Dealt Kindly with Hillside's Rogers". - ''Greensboro News & Record''. - February 23, 1990. , - McCann, Gary. - "Rogers Making Most of Chance". - ''Greensboro News & Record''. - May 26, 1991. , - Chandler, Charles. - "Deacons' Rogers Keeps Family Close During Tough Times". - '' Charlotte Observer''. - March 12, 1992. , - McCann, Gary. - "Kid From the 'Hood Has Dreams". - ''Greensboro News & Record''. - Nove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malik Sealy
Malik Sealy (February 1, 1970 – May 20, 2000) was an American professional basketball player, active from 1992 until his death in an automobile accident at the age of 30. Posthumously inducted into the NYC Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, Sealy played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves. Early life A native of the Bronx, New York (state), New York, Sealy was named after noted African-American social activist Malcolm X, Malik Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X, for whom Sealy's father had been a bodyguard. In his senior year at Tolentine High School, Sealy, along with future collegians Brian Reese and Adrian Autry, went 30–1 and won the state title. College career Sealy played college basketball at St. John's University, New York, St. John's University, finishing his college career with 2,401 points, good for second all-time in St. John's history. Professional ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loy Vaught
Loy Stephen Vaught (born February 27, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), primarily with the Los Angeles Clippers. Vaught played at East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and helped lead the University of Michigan Wolverines to the 1989 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. Vaught was drafted in 1990 by the Los Angeles Clippers. For a short period in the mid-1990s, Vaught was one of the most consistent forwards in the league, averaging 16.2 points and approximately 10 rebounds per game while missing only four games between 1994 and 1997. On April 22, 1994, in a 127–122 loss to the Suns, Vaught scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. On February 9, 1995, he scored a career-best 33 points along grabbing 13 rebounds in a 122–107 win over the defending champion Houston Rockets. On December 16, 1996, he scored 17 points and grabbed 21 reboun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA Playoffs
The NBA playoffs is the annual Playoffs, postseason Tournament#Knockout tournaments, tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the league's regular season and its preliminary postseason tournament, the NBA play-in tournament. Six teams from each of the two conferences automatically advance to the playoffs based on regular season winning percentage. As of 2021, those teams finishing seven through 10 from each conference compete in the play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff Seed (sports), seeds. The playoffs culminate with the NBA Finals, where both conference champions from the NBA conference finals play each other. Format The top six teams in both the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, ranked by winning percentage, directly advance to the playoffs. Teams ranked seventh through tenth comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Conference (NBA)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences that make up the National Basketball Association (NBA), the other being the Eastern Conference. Both conferences consist of 15 teams organized into three divisions. The Western Conference comprises the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest Divisions. The current divisional alignment was adopted at the start of the 2004–05 season, when the now Charlotte Hornets began play as the NBA's 30th franchise. This necessitated the move of the New Orleans Pelicans (named New Orleans Hornets at the time) from the Eastern Conference's Central Division to the newly created Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The NBA first started awarding a Western Conference championship trophy during the 2000–01 season, renaming it after Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in the 2021–22 season. Also in 2021–22, the league began awarding the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy to the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player, named afte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. All teams, except the Suns, are based in California. Along with the American League West of Major League Baseball, they are one of two North American major league divisions with no animal themed nicknames. The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigned itself into two conferences: the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with two divisions each in each conference. The Pacific Division began with five inaugural members: the Lakers, the Blazers, the San Diego Rockets, the San Francisco Warriors and the Seatt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brent Barry
Brent Robert Barry (born December 31, 1971), also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American basketball coach, executive, broadcaster and former player. He is the assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The shooting guard played professionally in the NBA, winning two league championships with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007, and also won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1996. He is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry. After retiring, Barry worked as a sports commentator for the ''NBA on TNT'' and was a studio host for the NBA TV show ''NBA Gametime''. In 2018, he returned to the Spurs as an executive. He is also a commentator of the ''NBA 2K'' series and has been a commentator since the release of '' NBA 2K21''. Early life Barry was born on December 31, 1971, in Hempstead, New York. He is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry. He attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California. College career Barry played four years on the Be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stanley Roberts
Stanley Corvet Roberts (born February 7, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played center. He was said to have the potential to be the best center of all time. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU) before being drafted 23rd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 1991 NBA draft. Early life Roberts attended Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, where he led his team to two straight state championships, was a Parade first-team All-American his senior year, and was considered a top-five player nationally, holding his own against Alonzo Mourning in the Dapper Dan and McDonald's All-Star Games. College career Subsequently, he played collegiately at Louisiana State University, teaming up in his (Roberts') only season with Shaquille O'Neal, during O'Neal's first season at LSU. Roberts was forced to sit out his freshman season at LSU due to academic ineligibility and would only play one season before leaving LSU to join the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bison Dele
Bison Dele ( ; born Brian Carson Williams; April 6, 1969 – disappeared July 7, 2002) was an American professional basketball player who played center for the NBA's Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons. Dele played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins from 1987–1988 and for the Arizona Wildcats from 1988–1991 before being selected by the Magic with the 10th overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft. He won a championship with the Bulls in 1997. Dele is believed to have been murdered at sea by his older brother Miles Dabord in 2002. His girlfriend, Serena Karlan, and skipper Bertrand Saldo are also presumed to have been killed by Dabord. Early life and NCAA career Williams was born on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1969, in Fresno, California, the second son of Patricia Phillips and of singer Eugene "Geno" Williams Jr. of the musical group The Platters, who later divorced. Patricia Phillips remarried and raised her two so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |