his was summer, a private corner of the Beijing Normal University gymnasium and Dwyane Wade had to laugh. Yes, he understood the nature of the public’s fleeting focus, but his had been a furious free fall. His greatness had been out of sight, out of mind.
“I was written off in one year quicker than anybody had ever been,” Wade said.
Kobe and LeBron.
LeBron and Kobe.
The NBA’s genius trio had dwindled to a duet.
In the minds of most, D-Wade had been deleted.
“Being injured, it was like I had forgotten how to play basketball,” Wade said. “But it made me hungry and it put me back in the position where I’ve always been and that’s the underdog.”
Once the United States had won its gold medal in the Summer Games, there was one thing that everyone within USA Basketball could agree upon: The MVP was Dwyane Wade. Across the summer, he had been the best player. He had returned bigger, stronger and as explosive as ever. Kobe and LeBron were the starters, but Wade became the closer for Team USA. Everyone should’ve seen him coming this season, a freight train gathering speed in the distance.
Wade isn’t the MVP yet, but he’s in the conversation. He probably isn’t going to win the award on a team just five games over .500, particularly when Kobe and LeBron are fighting for the best record in the NBA. That’s just how it goes.
Nevertheless, Wade has restored his standing as one of the planet’s genius talents. When Wade beat the Chicago Bulls on that steal and running three-pointer at the second-overtime buzzer on Monday night – a performance resulting in 48 points, 12 assists, four steals and three blocks – his candidacy reached its crescendo.
Wade is leading the NBA in scoring, pushing 30 points a game, and ranks second in steals. Most of all, he’s shown again that he’s capable of everything that LeBron and Kobe can do. This is the perfect position for him again, on the comeback, because Wade was never the teen basketball prodigy. He was never the next big thing. He’s snuck up once, and now he’s done it again.
“You need things to push you, and I found them,” Wade said during the summer. “Listen, I won a championship. I’ve been a Finals MVP. I’ve had All-Star games. I’m on every commercial you see. My life is good.
“But you have to keep going and keep going. There are always guys that are going to push me. LeBron and Kobe are two of the best talents this game has ever seen. If you want your name to be right there with them, you’ve got to continue working hard. There are always things that are going to push you.”
Wade has been surrounded with pedestrian talent, but he’s made them the team that nobody wants to play in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the summer of 2010 looming, Wade has delivered a reminder to NBA owners and general managers about the definition of a franchise player: All alone, he can make a team relevant. All alone, he can get a team out of the first round.
Those stars are rare, and Wade is still one of them.
When he missed so many games over the past two seasons with injuries, yes, it was easy to count him out of the Kobe-LeBron conversation. He had an NBA title, a Finals MVP award, but Wade had threatened to turn into a superstar more synonymous with his commercials and billboards than a worldly greatness. No more.
Now, the NBA’s genius duet is a trio again.
Kobe.
LeBron.
D-Wade.
Again.
Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts
Antagonizing Shaq comes with the job
When Stan Van Gundy called out Shaquille O’Neal for flopping, he understood the consequences. Perhaps, he welcomed them. Shaq would rip him and rip him hard. He’d get personal. The Orlando Magic coach knew Shaq would eviscerate him and leave him looking like the fool.
So yes, O’Neal responded on Wednesday, calling Van Gundy a “nobody,” a “frontrunner” and a “master of panic” in the playoffs. Yes, Stan Van Gundy knew how Shaquille O’Neal felt about him and he still leaned into a high inside fastball.
“He definitely knew that Shaq doesn’t care for him,” said a coach who has worked with Van Gundy. “He also knows that Shaq does this to every coach he’s ever played for. At least Shaq did it out in the open this time and not behind Stan’s back. That’s what he did when he played in Miami for him.
“I mean, Shaq ripped Pat Riley and Phil Jackson after he was done playing for them. That’s what he does.”
As Van Gundy volunteered his critique of Shaq’s flopping after the Magic’s victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the source of his motivation wasn’t his old Miami Heat center. It was Dwight Howard, his guy.
Van Gundy had listened to Shaq’s relentless ripping of his young center, and decided to make himself the easy target for O’Neal. He’d take the hit. Shaq has been obsessed with Howard. He hates that Howard’s a young center in the city where O’Neal started out in the league, and hates that Howard wears a Superman cape, and hates that, well, Howard’s the next big thing.
So, yes, O’Neal’s been cruel in his dismissals of Howard. Perhaps Van Gundy started to see that it wore on Howard, that it had gone beyond comical to uncomfortable. Howard’s a nice kid and he won’t fight back.
“I respect my elders,” Howard said Tuesday, refusing again to return fire on O’Neal. He was half-joking, but make no mistake: Howard has never been sure what to do with Shaq’s animus. He isn’t sure what he did to make O’Neal so angry with him.
Howard’s a hard kid to dislike, but Shaq has gone to needless lengths with his criticisms. Van Gundy had to stand up for Howard. That’s his job to protect his young star and he did it. Now, it’s no longer Shaq vs. Howard. It’s Shaq vs. Van Gundy.
“One thing I really despise is a frontrunner,” O’Neal said Wednesday. “I know for a fact he’s a master of panic and when it gets time for his team to go into the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic. I’ve been there before. I’ve played for him.”
Van Gundy did a terrific job in Miami, but his authority was compromised the moment Riley made that move for O’Neal. Riles wanted to coach again, and Van Gundy knew it. The Heat emperor made it clear to O’Neal that he reported to him, never Van Gundy. Shaq has always sold himself as the dutiful son of a military man, but he’s seldom respected authority. Eventually, he undermines everyone.
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So yes, O’Neal responded on Wednesday, calling Van Gundy a “nobody,” a “frontrunner” and a “master of panic” in the playoffs. Yes, Stan Van Gundy knew how Shaquille O’Neal felt about him and he still leaned into a high inside fastball.
“He definitely knew that Shaq doesn’t care for him,” said a coach who has worked with Van Gundy. “He also knows that Shaq does this to every coach he’s ever played for. At least Shaq did it out in the open this time and not behind Stan’s back. That’s what he did when he played in Miami for him.
“I mean, Shaq ripped Pat Riley and Phil Jackson after he was done playing for them. That’s what he does.”
As Van Gundy volunteered his critique of Shaq’s flopping after the Magic’s victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the source of his motivation wasn’t his old Miami Heat center. It was Dwight Howard, his guy.
Van Gundy had listened to Shaq’s relentless ripping of his young center, and decided to make himself the easy target for O’Neal. He’d take the hit. Shaq has been obsessed with Howard. He hates that Howard’s a young center in the city where O’Neal started out in the league, and hates that Howard wears a Superman cape, and hates that, well, Howard’s the next big thing.
So, yes, O’Neal’s been cruel in his dismissals of Howard. Perhaps Van Gundy started to see that it wore on Howard, that it had gone beyond comical to uncomfortable. Howard’s a nice kid and he won’t fight back.
“I respect my elders,” Howard said Tuesday, refusing again to return fire on O’Neal. He was half-joking, but make no mistake: Howard has never been sure what to do with Shaq’s animus. He isn’t sure what he did to make O’Neal so angry with him.
Howard’s a hard kid to dislike, but Shaq has gone to needless lengths with his criticisms. Van Gundy had to stand up for Howard. That’s his job to protect his young star and he did it. Now, it’s no longer Shaq vs. Howard. It’s Shaq vs. Van Gundy.
“One thing I really despise is a frontrunner,” O’Neal said Wednesday. “I know for a fact he’s a master of panic and when it gets time for his team to go into the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic. I’ve been there before. I’ve played for him.”
Van Gundy did a terrific job in Miami, but his authority was compromised the moment Riley made that move for O’Neal. Riles wanted to coach again, and Van Gundy knew it. The Heat emperor made it clear to O’Neal that he reported to him, never Van Gundy. Shaq has always sold himself as the dutiful son of a military man, but he’s seldom respected authority. Eventually, he undermines everyone.
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Gooden commits to sign with Spurs
Forward Drew Gooden has committed to sign with the San Antonio Spurs after he clears waivers Wednesday morning, two league executives said Tuesday evening.
Gooden was released by the Sacramento Kings late Sunday, making him eligible to play for another team during the playoffs. The Spurs expect to sign Gooden for about $1.5 million, the remainder of their midlevel exception. The contract keeps the team below the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold.
Gooden’s imminent signing also comes as the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached agreement with forward Joe Smith, an Eastern Conference executive said.
Gooden averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 31 games with the Chicago Bulls before he was traded to the Kings on Feb. 18. The Kings reached a buyout agreement with Gooden that saved the franchise about $1.8 million.
Gooden recently has battled a groin injury, but the Spurs are comfortable with giving him as much time as needed to heal in hopes he’ll be ready for the playoffs.
Spurs officials, who have looked for frontcourt help and tried to trade for Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby, envision Gooden as a backup to Matt Bonner.
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Gooden was released by the Sacramento Kings late Sunday, making him eligible to play for another team during the playoffs. The Spurs expect to sign Gooden for about $1.5 million, the remainder of their midlevel exception. The contract keeps the team below the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold.
Gooden’s imminent signing also comes as the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached agreement with forward Joe Smith, an Eastern Conference executive said.
Gooden averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 31 games with the Chicago Bulls before he was traded to the Kings on Feb. 18. The Kings reached a buyout agreement with Gooden that saved the franchise about $1.8 million.
Gooden recently has battled a groin injury, but the Spurs are comfortable with giving him as much time as needed to heal in hopes he’ll be ready for the playoffs.
Spurs officials, who have looked for frontcourt help and tried to trade for Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby, envision Gooden as a backup to Matt Bonner.
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Kidd, Nowitzki lead Mavericks over Raptors
DALLAS – Jason Kidd handed out 15 assists to become the fourth player in NBA history with 10,000 for his career, Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Toronto Raptors 109-98 on Sunday night.Kidd reached the milestone with 1:04 left in the third quarter when he handed out his 13th of the night, passing to Brandon Bass for a 10-foot turnaround. Kidd received a standing ovation when the feat was announced to the sellout crowd.
He trails John Stockton (15,806), Mark Jackson (10,334) and Magic Johnson (10,141) on the NBA career list.
In the final minute of the third quarter, Kidd registered his 14th assist of the night when he passed to Jason Terry for a 3-pointer that gave Dallas a 90-75 advantage. Dallas went on to lead by as many as 18 in the final quarter and won its third straight.
Josh Howard had 16 points and Antoine Wright added 15 for Dallas. James Singleton had a career-high 16 rebounds and scored 12 points.
Former Dallas high school star Chris Bosh paced the Raptors with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Andrea Bargnani added 18 points.
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Gooden has chance to sign with contender
Drew Gooden agreed to a buyout with the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs are the favorite to sign him for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, two league executives said on Sunday night.
Gooden came to Sacramento on Feb. 19 in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, and it had been expected that the last-place Kings would buy him out, save some money and allow the power forward to move to a contender. The Cleveland Cavaliers are also a contender for Gooden.
The Kings beat Sunday’s midnight Eastern deadline for Gooden to be eligible to play in the playoffs for another team. Gooden, who makes $7.1 million this season, has an expiring contract. The Kings saved themselves approximately $1.8 million with the buyout agreement.
The Spurs have wanted badly to add frontcourt help, and nearly pulled off a trade deadline deal for Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby. Gooden could give the Spurs much-needed size if they face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs.
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Gooden came to Sacramento on Feb. 19 in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, and it had been expected that the last-place Kings would buy him out, save some money and allow the power forward to move to a contender. The Cleveland Cavaliers are also a contender for Gooden.
The Kings beat Sunday’s midnight Eastern deadline for Gooden to be eligible to play in the playoffs for another team. Gooden, who makes $7.1 million this season, has an expiring contract. The Kings saved themselves approximately $1.8 million with the buyout agreement.
The Spurs have wanted badly to add frontcourt help, and nearly pulled off a trade deadline deal for Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby. Gooden could give the Spurs much-needed size if they face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs.
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O'Neal turns back clock to power NBA Suns past Raptors
PHOENIX, Arizona (AFP) – Shaquille O'Neal scored a season-high 45 points on 20-of-25 shooting and added 11 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 133-113 win over the Toronto Raptors.Louis Amundson added a career-high 20 points off the bench and Matt Barnes had 18 for Phoenix, which was playing its second straight game without Steve Nash due to an ankle injury.
Coming off a lopsided 132-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, the Suns turned to their big man and he carried them on his back.
The 15-time all-star put on his most impressive display since joining Phoenix last season.
O'Neal scored 23 points in the first half to help the Suns keep pace and then put on a dunking exhibition en route to 13 points over a six-minute stretch in the fourth quarter to help them pull away.
O'Neal's display spoiled the homecoming of Shawn Marion, who spent the first 8 1/2 seasons of his career with Phoenix before being sent away in exchange for O'Neal at last season's deadline.
Marion finished with a season-high 27 points and added 11 rebounds.
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Celtics beat Pacers 104-99 in Marbury debut
BOSTON – Newly acquired backup Stephon Marbury scored six points during a 9-0 fourth-quarter run, Ray Allen added 30 points and Rajon Rondo matched his career high with 17 assists on Friday night as the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 104-99.Marbury finished with eight points and two assists just hours after clearing waivers and signing with the Celtics for their push toward the playoffs and a try at back-to-back NBA titles.
After receiving a standing ovation, Marbury quickly sank his first shot — his first points since Jan. 11, 2008.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, starting in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scored 18, and Kendrick Perkins had 11 rebounds for Boston, which returned home after going 4-2 on a six-game road trip.
T.J. Ford scored 23 and Troy Murphy had 20 points and 13 assists for the Pacers.
Marbury entered the game with 19.4 seconds left in the first quarter and Boston leading 26-18. By the time he sat back down with 7:11 left in the second, the Pacers had taken a 30-29 lead.
But the former New York Knicks headache, who had about an hour of practice with the Celtics before putting on his new uniform, was more effective in the second half.
His biggest contribution came when the Celtics scored nine straight points near the beginning of the fourth quarter to turn a four-point game into a 92-79 lead. Indiana scored six in a row to trim a 98-89 lead to three points, but Davis converted a three-point play.
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Remembering Norm Van Lier
Former teammates and others in the basketball world remember Stormin' Norman, a hard-nosed guard who loved the Bulls and the game until the day he died.
Former Bulls forward and teammate Bob Love
"Man oh man, me and Norm were just together Tuesday night. As usual, he was expressing his love for the team and the franchise. He said, 'Butter, a lot of times I may sound critical on TV but it's just because I love these guys so much and I want them to win.' People might have taken that the wrong way. But he had passion like nobody else and just wanted to be loved.
"I tell you: Norm Van Lier never took a night off. He came to play every game. Norm and Jerry [Sloan] were the two best defensive guys ever to play in the NBA together. As a one-on-one defender, he was the best. One-on-one? He would eat you up.
"He absolutely would rub off on his teammates. We fed off of Norm. I would call him The Little Rat because that basketball was like a piece of cheese for Norm. He would run all over that court chasing that piece of cheese. He had more floor burns than any player in NBA history.
"He was a fighter who wasn't afraid of anybody. We were playing Portland one game and he got into a fight with Sidney Wicks. Sidney was 6-9, 240. Norm was 6-1, 165. Norm picked up a chair and ran Wicks all around the court. We laughed about that then and we laughed about it again today. He said, 'Butter, if I had hit him, I would've cut him down to my size.'"
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Former Bulls forward and teammate Bob Love
"Man oh man, me and Norm were just together Tuesday night. As usual, he was expressing his love for the team and the franchise. He said, 'Butter, a lot of times I may sound critical on TV but it's just because I love these guys so much and I want them to win.' People might have taken that the wrong way. But he had passion like nobody else and just wanted to be loved.
"I tell you: Norm Van Lier never took a night off. He came to play every game. Norm and Jerry [Sloan] were the two best defensive guys ever to play in the NBA together. As a one-on-one defender, he was the best. One-on-one? He would eat you up.
"He absolutely would rub off on his teammates. We fed off of Norm. I would call him The Little Rat because that basketball was like a piece of cheese for Norm. He would run all over that court chasing that piece of cheese. He had more floor burns than any player in NBA history.
"He was a fighter who wasn't afraid of anybody. We were playing Portland one game and he got into a fight with Sidney Wicks. Sidney was 6-9, 240. Norm was 6-1, 165. Norm picked up a chair and ran Wicks all around the court. We laughed about that then and we laughed about it again today. He said, 'Butter, if I had hit him, I would've cut him down to my size.'"
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