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1997–98 Los Angeles Clippers Season
The 1997–98 NBA season was the 28th season for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association, their 14th season in Los Angeles, California, and their fourth season in which they played occasional home games in Anaheim, California. During the off-season, the Clippers signed free agent James Robinson, and acquired Stojko Vrankovic from the Minnesota Timberwolves. With Loy Vaught going down early into the regular season with a back injury after only just ten games, averaging 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, the Clippers struggled losing 14 of their first 16 games. After holding a 5–24 start, the team managed to win four of their next five games, but then lost 12 of their next 13 games afterwards, and held an 11–37 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Brent Barry to the Miami Heat in exchange for last year's Most Improved Player Isaac Austin, and rookie guard Charles Smith. The Clippers lost 15 of their final 17 games, includin ... [...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] |
Darrick Martin
Darrick David Martin (born March 6, 1971) is an American basketball coach, most recently head coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA G League. He played basketball for more than a decade, shuttling between the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), where he won the 2003 CBA Playoffs MVP, and the NBA. In 2003, he even played for the Harlem Globetrotters. He then went on to play for the Los Angeles Lightning of the Independent Basketball Association (IBL). He was named the head coach of Reno in June 2016. High school honors and collegiate history As a senior at St. Anthony High School, Martin was a Parade First-Team All-American and named to the McDonald's High School All-American team. Martin received a full scholarship from UCLA and played on a Bruins squad with future NBA players Don MacLean, Tracy Murray and Mitchell Butler. As a quick point guard, he completed his college career at UCLA in 1992 ranked second in school history in both assists (636) and steals (179) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Piatkowski
Eric Todd Piatkowski (; born September 30, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He is the son of former ABA player Walt Piatkowski. High school career Piatkowski attended Rapid City Stevens High School and was a student and a standout in basketball. In basketball, as a senior, he led his team to the 1989 South Dakota Class AA State Championship, was an All-State selection, and was named the Mr. Basketball for the State of South Dakota. College career Piatkowski played at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for coach Danny Nee from 1990 to 1994. He was a member of the All Big Eight Freshman team in 1991 and was honorable mention All Big Eight his freshman and sophomore seasons. Piatkowski was a first team All-Big Eight pick by the Associated Press his junior year and averaged a team high 16.7 points per game. He averaged 21.5 points per game his se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally composed of two five-man lineups: a first team and a second team. The players each receive two points for each first team vote and one point for each second team vote. The top five players with the highest point total make the first team, with the next five making the second team. In the case of a tie at the fifth position of either team, the roster is expanded. If the first team consists of six players due to a tie, the second team will still consist of five players with the potential for more expansion in the event of additional ties. Ties have occurred several times, most recently in 2012, when Kawhi Leonard, Iman Shumpert, and Brandon Knight tied in votes received. No respect is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maurice Taylor
Maurice De Shawn Taylor (born October 30, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward and center positions. Originally from Detroit, Taylor played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 14th overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft. Taylor played from 1997 to 2007 in the NBA for the Clippers, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Sacramento Kings. From 2009 to 2011, Taylor played internationally in Italy and China. College career Taylor attended the University of Michigan. The athletic forward, from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, burst onto the national scene during the 1994 Maui Invitational with fellow freshman Maceo Baston. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year for the 1994–1995 season, averaging 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds and playing in the NCAA Tournament. As a sophomore, he averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds and was picked 2nd Team All-Big Ten. Off the court that yea ... [...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] |
NBA Most Improved Player
The NBA's Most Improved Player (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. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the George Mikan Trophy, named after th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lamond Murray
Lamond Maurice Murray Sr. (born April 20, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Murray was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1994 NBA draft after a college career at the University of California at Berkeley, during which he teamed with Jason Kidd. He has played for the Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors, and the New Jersey Nets throughout his 12-year, 736-game NBA career, averaging 11.3 points per game. After one season with the Nets, he re-signed with the Clippers in October 2006 and was released several days later. In 2002, after being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Toronto Raptors, he tore a lisfranc ligament in his right foot during a pre-season game and subsequently missed the entire 2002–03 NBA season. In 2009, Lamond Murray joined the Bahrain Basketball Association in Bahrain. He played for Al-Muharraq Sports Club. He was inducted into the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor during the 2012 ... [...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] |
Charles Cornelius Smith
Charles Cornelius Smith (born August 22, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He was the Alphonso Ford Trophy winner and an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005. High school Smith played high school basketball at Dunbar High School, in Fort Worth. College career Collegiately, Smith was a star at the University of New Mexico, with the Lobos. Professional career Smith played with the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. A prolific scorer, he starred in European national leagues with Makedonikos Kozani, Virtus Bologna, and Efes Istanbul. With the Italian League team Scavolini Pesaro in 2005, he won the first-ever Alphonso Ford Trophy, as he was the best scorer in the 2004–05 EuroLeague season. He was also named the Finals MVP of the ULEB Cup (now called EuroCup) in the 2006–07 season, while playing with the Spanish ACB League club Real Madrid. He m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isaac Austin
Isaac Edward "Ike" Austin (born August 18, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several different teams in the National Basketball Association between 1991 and 2002. He is the uncle of former Baylor University basketball player Isaiah Austin. Austin was born in Gridley, California. A center from Kings River Community College and Arizona State University, he was selected by the Utah Jazz in the second round (48th overall) of the 1991 NBA draft. He averaged two points and 1.1 rebounds during his rookie season with the Jazz, and after two more sub-par seasons, he signed to play with Tuborg İzmir, a Turkish basketball team. Austin averaged 22.3 points and 13.9 rebounds during the 1995–1996 season in Turkey, and he returned to the NBA the following season as a member of the Miami Heat. With renewed confidence, Austin averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Heat and received the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1997. Austin had his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
