Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 29th, and on this day:

'82- The Boston Celtics honored paralyzed Indiana University star Landon Turner by drafting him in the 10th round of the NBA Draft. Turner, a starter on the 1981 Indiana University team that captured the NCAA Championship, was paralyzed in a car accident prior to his senior year in college.

'94- Milwaukee selected Purdue forward Glenn Robinson with the first pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, before a crowd of 19,833 at the Hoosier-Dome in Indianapolis. Dallas took California point guard Jason Kidd with the second pick, and Detroit tabbed Duke swingman Grant Hill with the third pick.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 27th, and on this day:

'89- For the first time ever, the NBA Draft was broadcast live in prime time by TBS from the Felt Forum in New York. Louisville center Pervis Ellison was the first player selected overall, by the Sacramento Kings.

'01- Kwame Brown of Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia became the first high school player selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft when the Washington Wizards selected him at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Pau Gasol of Spanish League powerhouse F.C. Barcelona, chosen third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, became the highest selection ever who had not played high school or college basketball in the United States until last night's 2008 draft.

Enjoy your day!

Sonny Weems is a Nugget!

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets never cease to amaze me. After trading their 20th overall pick to Charlotte (a pick that they squandered...), the Nuggets maneuvered a deal to land senior Sonny Weems from the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Denver worked with the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade along with the New York Knicks. The Portland Trail Blazers received the Nuggets’ 2009 second round pick, New York’s 2009 second round pick (via Chicago) and Chicago’s 2010 second round pick. Additionally, the Bulls picked up the draft rights to the 36th overall pick, Omer Asik of Turkey, from Portland.

Weems, a 6'6"-203lbs shooting guard, averaged 13.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 2.3 apg in two seasons at the University of Arkansas and was named First Team All-SEC by the league coaches as a senior in 2007-08. He was also the 2008 NCAA Slam Dunk Champion.



Here's some more of Weems' best moments.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 26th, and on this day:

'91- The Charlotte Hornets selected forward Larry Johnson of UNLV with the first pick in the 1991 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden. Johnson went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 19.2 ppg and 11.0 rpg.

'96- The Philadelphia 76ers selected Georgetown guard Allen Iverson with the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey.

'00- Twelve-year NBA veteran Hersey Hawkins and second-year WNBA pro Dawn Staley received the Citizenship Through Sports Award at the Gannett Building in Arlington, Va. The Citizenship Through Sports Award is given by the professional, college, school and Olympic communities to collectively recognize athletes for outstanding citizenship, sportsmanship, ethical conduct and community service. The award is an effort by the largest sports partnership, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, to salute athletes who have demonstrated the values of citizenship through sportsmanship and ethical play. The Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) is an organization of 10 members representing the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, NFL, NHL, NCAA, NAIA, National Federation of State High School Associations, (NFHS), National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

'02- Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets with the draft's first pick, the first time a player who had played neither high school or college basketball in the United States was the top selection.

Enjoy your day!

Denver Dishes 20th Pick to Charlotte

(Boulder-CO) Cancel your draft party, Denverites because the Nuggets no longer have a pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft after they announced today that they have traded their 20th overall selection to the Charlotte Bobcats for a future protected first-round pick. ESPN reports that this may have been a move on Charlotte's behalf to obtain the rights to 7'2" Georgetown Center Roy Hibbert. In 2009 it is lottery protected. In 2010 it's protected 1-12, 2011 it's protected 1-10, 2012 it's 1-8, and 2013 it's protected for picks 1-3.

Couldn't the Nuggets have used a young, BIG, collegiate seasoned back-up for Marcus Camby, or perhaps, his replacement should he be wisely traded before the season begins?

I'll leave you with these two answers:

1. The Charlotte Bobcats are going to be a dismal team not only next year, but for years to come. It is in this capacity that the Nuggets may have made a good decision to deal a late round pick now for a potentially great pick later. My fingers are crossed for this to be the case.

or...

2. The secretive Denver Nuggets Management team, one that has historically been terrible on draft night, has just made another horrendous blunder. Some are saying Roy Hibbert, a player who's stock is down after a bit of a senior season let down, could very well be the sleeper in this year's draft. And of course, you can't teach size and Hibbert is a solid 7'2"-275lbs.

Does anyone remember the name Leon Powe?

Go Nuggets!

Kiszla Draws Convenient Conclusions, Again

(Boulder-CO) You've have got to love Denver Post writer Mark Kiszla for his ability to jump on a man, or in this case men, when they're down, draw conclusions, and connect the imaginary dots. Furthermore, this is not the first time he has done just that. Remember his article about J.R. Smith and the dot he connected the Prodigy's hardships of last summer to?

Welcome to the next installment of Kiszla 101.

In his most recent article, the best that Mark can do when comparing the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony, his past and most recent run-in with the law, and the Denver Broncos' young problematic receiver Brandon Marshall is they both sport the number 15.

On the one hand, Carmelo's off and on the court problems include the infamous "Stop Snitchin'" video, marijuana in a travel bag, a limp-wristed dry gulching of Mardy Collins, and the most recent driving while under the influence charges. And don't get me wrong, all of these incidents leave Carmelo in the wrong, but none of which are worthy of disowning Anthony or continuing to drag his name through the mud. The cameo was a bad decision made by a young man who had returned home to the streets he was raised on. Believe it or not, the marijuana was claimed by a friend. In my opinion, Mardy Collins deserved the slap that wobbled his legs for the goonery he pulled on J.R. Smith, and the most recent poor decision of getting behind the wheel when impaired is just flat out irresponsible; not just to 'Melo himself, his young son, and his fiance LaLa, but also the citizens of Denver, his teammates, and the rest of Nuggets organization.

Now, on the other hand, the Denver Broncos' wide receiver Brandon Marshall is his own man and it is of my opinion that anything he does is his business and in no way, shape, or form parallel to Carmelo Anthony or the Denver Nuggets and vice versa.

So, why is Kizsla trying to once again connect two dots that seemingly have nothing in common?

The answer is probably just as puzzling as the question itself. Sure, they wear the same number. And yes, they are both the young stars of two out of the three major Denver sports franchises, but that is right about where the similarities stop.

I don't know a whole lot about Marshall and his off the field antics, nor do I care to find out, but I do know that for every time Carmelo's name has been associated with wrong doing there is at least twice as many mentionings of it in a positive light. For instance, 'Melo sponsors the "Hood Movement" (a 3-on-3 basketball tournament), donates millions to his Alma mater, is taking an active role in the "Alive at 25" program, is a spokesman for the Family Resource Center and helps organize a Christmas party, entitled "A Very Melo Christmas," for less well-off children, organized the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center in Baltimore, and contributed $1.5 million to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a non-profit organization that, "provides innovative hands-on-education, job-training and community service programs for over 35,000 children, youth and young adults in the east Baltimore community."

But did Kiszla mention any of those involvements?

The answer of course is an emphatic, "NO", because all the good stuff Carmelo is involved with doesn't get the same kind of press the few times he has been associated with negativity does. So, while we all pass time watching America's past time waiting for the Olympic games in Beijing to start. Just keep the big picture in mind when articles like the most recent offering from Mark Kiszla get published and remember that to fall from grace one must first obtain it. Unfortunately, Carmelo has done both, but all too often he doesn't get to bask in the good as much as he is ridiculed for the bad.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 25th, and on this day;

'97- San Antonio selects Tim Duncan from Wake Forest with the first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum.

'99- The San Antonio Spurs defeat the New York Knicks in five games to capture the 1999 NBA Finals, thus becoming the first former ABA franchise to win a title in the NBA. Tim Duncan was named the 1999 NBA Finals MVP after contributing 27.4 points and 14.0 rebounds per game in the series.

Enjoy your day!

Anthony Suspended!

(Boulder-CO) The Denver Nuggets announced yesterday that Carmelo Anthony will be suspended for the first two games of the 2008-09 season for charges of DUI back on April 14th. In a Denver court house today, Anthony pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while ability-impaired and was sentenced to probation and community service. He also pleaded guilty to failure to stay in a single lane. He was ordered to serve one year of probation, perform 24 hours of community service, and pay $1,000 in fines, fees and court costs.

Quotes and more information can be found here via ESPN.com.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 24th, and on this day:

1901- Chuck Taylor was born in Brown County, Indiana. Although Taylor played professional basketball for 11 seasons, he is best known as the creator of the first basketball clinic in 1922, and the designer of the famous Converse basketball sneaker in 1931 that was named after him. Taylor was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 as a contributor to the game.

'92- Portland became the first city outside of New York to host the NBA Draft. The 1992 NBA Draft was held at Potland’s Memorial Coliseum, and the Orlando Magic tabbed 7-1 center Shaquille O’Neal of LSU with the first overall pick.

'95- The Toronto Raptors selected Chicago guard B. J. Armstrong with the first pick and the Vancouver Grizzlies chose guard Greg Anthony with the second selection in the Expansion Draft, as the NBA’s two newest clubs began preparation for the 1995-96 season. The Raptors drafted a total of 14 players off the 27 NBA rosters and the Grizzlies chose 13.

Enjoy your day!

Point: 'Melo Staying in Denver

(Boulder-CO) Reported yesterday was the final blow to all the hypothetical trade rumors swirling around Carmelo Anthony being shipped out of Denver. The Nuggets met with Anthony on Monday and the end result of that meeting was 'Melo will be in the Mile High for at least the 2008-09 campaign.

And rightfully so...

C'mon, let's think back to the extremely lean years before Carmelo was drafted third overall behind LeBron James and Darko Milistake. The Nuggets were a perennial basement dweller with no franchise face and since then have been a playoff team for each of the last five seasons he has played for Denver. Sure, could he play better defense and bang shoulders for a few more rebounds? Of course, but when you look back at the last five seasons, with all the miscues aside, Carmelo Anthony has put the Nuggets on the NBA map and did so in the first three years with very little consistent help. Now he has AI to run with, and things are on the up and up, but it is also time to take the diaper off of Carmelo and start holding him responsible for the areas of his game that are now past due in maturation. He's a six year vet now and the window of patience is shutting.

The time is now for Carmelo to take his game to the next level.

I'm happy the Nuggets have decided to keep 'Melo for at least the upcoming season. First and foremost because I didn't hear anything that was going to be a trade for equal value given Carmelo's youth and place within this franchise. Secondly, and more subjectively, is what I still believe Carmelo's game could evolve into. His three-point shooting is continually getting better and his rebounding is also slowly but surely improving.

However, the area of Carmelo's game that needs the most drastic and hasty advancement is still his defense. I don't know if it's because defense doesn't put numbers in the boxscore, but part of Anthony's maturation process needs to be the ability to look beyond the numbers game and make the decision to work just as hard on the defensive as he has on the offensive end of the floor. And thankfully for the Nuggets Nation, in the 2008-09 campaign Carmelo Anthony will hopefully be doing so in a Denver uniform.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 20th, and on this day:

'93- John Paxson’s three-point field goal with 3.9 seconds left and Horace Grant’s block of a Kevin Johnson shot in the lane in the final second lifted Chicago to a 99-98 win over host Phoenix in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, clinching the Bulls’ third consecutive NBA Championship. Chicago became only the third NBA franchise (along with Boston, 1959-66, and Minneapolis, 1952-54) to win three straight titles. Michael Jordan of Chicago was named the NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year after averaging a Finals record 41.0 points per game, along with 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Magic Johnson is the only other player in NBA history to win at least three NBA Finals MVP awards.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 19th, and on this day:

'88- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank two free throws with 14 seconds left as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Detroit Pistons 103-102 to even the NBA Finals at 3-3. Isiah Thomas scored 43 points for the Pistons, including a Finals record 25 in the third quarter, despite suffering a sprained ankle early in the game. Thomas’ 11 field goals in the quarter is an NBA Finals record.

'94- Hakeem Olajuwon scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and partially blocked the final shot of the game (by John Starks), leading the Houston Rockets to an 86-84 win over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The win by Houston forced a deciding seventh game of the NBA Finals for the first time in six years and the only time in the 1990s.

'00- Shaquille O’Neal is named unanimous Most Valuable Player of NBA Finals 2000 following the Lakers’ 116-111 Game 6 victory, receiving all seven votes from a national media panel. O’Neal averaged 38 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.67 blocks in the six-game Finals series. He became just the third person to sweep MVP honors for the season, capturing the All-Star Game MVP, which he shared with San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards. O’Neal joined Willis Reed (1970) and Michael Jordan (1996). The Lakers tied the NBA Finals single game record with only five turnovers.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 18th, and on this day:

'24- George Mikan is born in Joliet, Illinois.

32'- The Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA), the world governing body for basketball, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland.

Enjoy your day!

REPRESENT: 'Melo to Beijing

(Boulder-CO) It has been confirmed that Nuggets' forward Carmelo Anthony will be one of 12 players to represent the United States Olympic Mens Basketball Team in Beijing. 'Melo was also a starter on the Olympic qualifying team that finished undefeated to secure its spot in this summer's games.

Congrats, 'Melo. Now bring home the gold.

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Back at it again, Nuggets Nation. Today's date is June 17th, and on this day:

'76- Four former ABA teams -- Denver, Indiana New York and San Antonio -- were officially admitted into the NBA, raising the league to 22 teams.

'94- In New York’s 91-84 win over Houston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Patrick Ewing tied the NBA Finals record with eight blocked-shots. He shares the record with Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal.

Enjoy your day!

No More Moe

(Boulder-CO) It's unfortunate, but not unforeseen. Doug Moe, scratch that, Denver Nuggets Legend Doug Moe is calling it quits as an assistant coach at the age of 69. Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post reported yesterday that Moe will no longer be a fixture of the Nuggets' sideline, but may still be involved behind the scenes for the franchise.

As always...

"In Doug Moe We Trust"

Farewell, Doug and here's to hoping it's not goodbye.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 11th, and on this day:

'87- Five Boston players scored 20 points or more, led by Dennis Johnson with 25, to tie an NBA Finals record as the Celtics beat Los Angeles 123-108 in Game 5. The Lakers, however, bounced back to win the NBA Championship in six games.

'93- Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls and Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns each scored 42 points in Chicago’s 111-108 victory, marking the first time in NBA Finals history that opposing players each scored 40 or more points in a Finals game.

'99- The New York Knicks defeated the Indiana Pacers 90-82 in the series-clinching Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. They became the first number eight seed to reach the NBA Finals when they faced the San Antonio Spurs for the championship.

'00- Shawnelle Scott scored 18 points and former University of South Carolina standout B.J. McKie notched 16 points to lead the NBA Ambassadors to a 107-77 victory over Hong Kong at Southorn Stadium in Hong Kong. The triumph improved the Ambassadors’ record to 3-0 in the Asian Basketball Association League. The Ambassadors, coached by NBA legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald, represented the National Basketball Development League, slated to begin play in North America in November 2001.

Enjoy your day!

'Melo to Motown? On Second Thought...

(Boulder-CO) As you, and countless other Nuggets maniacs have read, I basically scoffed at what seemed like basically a straight up swap between the Pistons' Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets Carmelo Anthony in rumor. My reasoning was Chauncey is on the backside of an otherwise fantastic career, has already won the big one, and would not be able to sustain (at least at the level they are currently at) the franchise in the figurative long haul.

But now things are starting to get a little bit spicier with the possible inclusion of Tayshaun Prince, a couple of crumbs off the Detroit bench, and a draft pick from the Pistons while the Nuggets would have to throw in Marcus Camby to make it all work. Or at least, that is what commenter ibrahim says is the rumor floating around Detroit.

Then there is this mind-expanding-just-crazy-enough-to-work scenario that Woody Paige published this afternoon.

Woody says, "...An exchange of Anthony, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin and Chucky Atkins for Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Detroit's first-round pick (29th) makes the most sense (and dollars under the cap for the Nuggets) and is scary-good for both teams..."

Which brings me to just one question: Is a complete yard sale truly what this team necessitates at this point to realistically have a shot at a title?

It's no secret that owner Stan Kroenke is willing to make it rain in attempt to make Denver the temporary home of the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Currently he is paying the league's third highest payroll at $81.6 million, but is still yet to see his investment make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

So, let's just look at who the Nuggets would really be with this trade if in reality it were to go down. Right off the bat, my initial impression is Denver would be getting the core of a proven commodity from the Pistons (A team that has been to the Eastern Conference Finals more often times than not in the last five years), would maintain a first round HOFer who shows no drastic signs of slowing down, and still have two incredibly talented young players in J.R. Smith and Linas Kleiza ready to spring off the bench. Sprinkle a healthy Nene into that starting line up and you're already a solid seven deep.

Give Eduardo his walking papers, shell out Anthony Carter a little bit of dough to hang around another year, eight, whip Steven Hunter into game shape, nine, and have Yakhouba, ten, around to keep an eye on two rookies, eleven and twelve, from this year's draft and there's your 2008-09 Denver Nuggets.

Pretty enticing isn't it? I mean, if you were going to revamp, restructure, and re-culture the team I could sure think of a whole lot of worse scenarios than doing a line change with the perennial Eastern Conference contender Detroit Pistons.

But, in all of this crazy sideways rumor talk concerning Carmelo Anthony (and whoever else at this point too) there is only one thing for sure: Carmelo isn't going anywhere until after June 30th because 'Melo's max contract stipulates he can not be moved before then. So, rest assured that if the Nuggets are indeed looking to make drastic changes. They are not going to do so unless all of their pieces are ready to move.

However, once again, is a complete yard sale truly what this team necessitates at this point to realistically have a shot at a title?

Who said the off-season is boring? Oh yea, I did...

Stay tuned.

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 10th, and on this day:

'77- Lucy Harris of Delta State is drafted by the New Orleans Jazz in the seventh round of the NBA Draft, becoming the first woman ever selected by an NBA team.

'86- Future Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman became the first woman to play in a regular-season men’s professional game as the United States Basketball League’s Springfield Fame downed Staten Island, 122-107.

Do your thing, ladies.

Enjoy your day!

Nene Not Playing for Brazil

(Boulder-CO) Benjamin Hochman of the Denver post reported over the weekend that Nene will not be playing for his native Brazil in the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament per the Nuggets request.

Let's be honest here for a minute...

Brazil is not in contention for a medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Nothing good has ever come out of Nene playing with his native team. And any and all rest, training, and recuperation "Big Brazil" can find this off-season is warmly welcome.

Here's to keeping our collective fingers crossed when it comes to Nene for next season. It's been far too long since the Nuggets Nation has seen Nene anywhere near 100% physically and the remaining salary on his six-year 60 million dollar contract through 2011 has the Nuggets strapped into Big Brazil as their post player for the future.

Go Nuggets!

'Melo to Motown? I Think Not!

(Boulder-CO) The latest trade rumor in the Nuggets Nation yet again concerns Carmelo Anthony and, yet again, has little leg to stand on. Mark Kiszla reports for the Denver Post that the Detroit Pistons may be interested in seeing just how "available" the Nuggets' youngest franchise player is.

Dare I even consider this rumor? The only potential piece Detroit has that the Nuggets may be interested in is Chauncey Billups and such a move would be foolish (considering his age), and would be merely a nostalgic desire to bring Denver back its native basketball-son. The Nuggets would also have to receive another major contributor in any deal that will probably not go down and with Denver's already crowded front court I doubt the Pistons have anyone else the Nuggets would be willing to allow Carmelo to slip away for.

Man, the off-season can really be boring sometimes! Wake me if anything is actually worth analyzing.

And on a quasi-related note... Did you see the third comment of the above linked article? Thanks for the mention, T H. Like it or not, Carmelo did have a very mediocre year on the court and another shaky-at-best year off of it. But, considering all the ups and downs was any of it bad enough to considering trading him away?

Maybe... but certainly not for anything the Pistons may be able to offer!

Go Nuggets!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 9th, we are just going to forget about all those days I missed posting for, and on this date:

'80- Red Auerbach cemented his reputation as one of the greatest executives in NBA history with his second-most famous trade. Auerbach obtained center Robert Parish and a 1980 first round draft choice that would become forward Kevin McHale from the Golden State Warriors for a pair of 1980 first round draft choices that became Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown. Parish, McHale and Larry Bird are considered by many NBA experts to be the greatest starting frontcourt in NBA history. The trio won three NBA titles in their first six seasons together.

'85- The Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston 111-100 in Game 6 to win the NBA Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was unanimously voted NBA Finals MVP--at 38, the oldest player ever to gain that honor.

'87- Magic Johnson borrowed a weapon from Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals. With the Celtics clinging to a one-point lead, Johnson got the ball on the left side and drove toward the middle, then lofted what he called a “junior junior sky-hook” for a 107-106 victory. The Lakers went on to win the series in six games.

'91- Chicago (5) and the Los Angeles Lakers (10) combined for a then NBA Finals low 15 turnovers, in Game 4 at the Great Western Forum, a 97-82 win for the Bulls that gave them a 3-1 series lead. On June 19, 2000, the Lakers (5) and Indiana Pacers (9) broke the mark by combining for only 14 turnovers in the Lakers’ clinching 116-111 Game 6 victory.

'95- With a 117-106 victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Orlando Arena, the Houston Rockets set a then playoff record for a single season with their seventh straight road win. Hakeem Olajuwon’s 34 points and 11 rebounds, Sam Cassell’s 31 points off the bench and Robert Horry’s NBA Finals single game record seven steals lifted the Rockets to a 2-0 series lead.

'00- Shaquille O’Neal spent a large portion of Game 2 of NBA Finals 2000 at the free throw line, and spent that time shattering an NBA record for most free throws in a playoff game. His 39 free throw attempts dwarfed the playoff record of 32 attempts by Boston’s Bob Cousy in a four-overtime game vs. Syracuse on March 21, 1953. The previous Finals mark was 24, set by St. Louis’ Bob Pettit against Boston on April 9, 1958. O’Neal’s 18 free throws made in Game 2 were one less than Pettit’s 19 against the Celtics.

Enjoy your day!

Today's Date in NBA History

(Boulder-CO) Today's date is June 4th, and on this day:

'76- Boston’s Jo Jo White scored 33 points as the Celtics outlasted Phoenix 128-126 in triple-overtime in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, at the time the longest Finals game ever. Phoenix forward Gar Heard, who set a then Finals record by playing 61 minutes, hit a buzzer-beater to force the third overtime. Phoenix and Chicago went to triple-overtime in Game 3 of the 1993 Finals, a game won by the Suns, 129-121. Kevin Johnson of Phoenix broke Heard’s previous Finals record for minutes played with 62.

'87- The Lakers shot a then NBA Finals record 61.5% from the field and Michael Cooper set what was then a Finals record by sinking six three-point field goals in a 141-122 victory over Boston in Game 2 of their championship series, eventually won by the Lakers in six games. The Lakers field goal percentage remains the second-highest in Finals history, and Cooper’s six treys is tied for second-best in a Finals game. Magic Johnson’s 20 assists were one shy of his own NBA Finals record, and the Lakers’ 44 assists tied the team single-game NBA Finals record set by another Lakers’ team on May 6, 1970.

'95- The Orlando Magic advanced to the NBA Finals in only the sixth year of the franchise with a 105-81 win over visiting Indiana in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Shaquille O’Neal had a game-high 25 points to lead the Magic and Dennis Scott set NBA Playoff records for a seven-game series for the most three-point field goals attempted (65) and the most three-point field goals made (28).

'97- The NBA announced that the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets would play an NBA regular season game in Mexico on December 6, 1997. The event marked the first time the NBA has staged a regular season game in Mexico, which joined Japan as the only two countries outside of the United States and Canada to host an NBA regular season game.

Enjoy your day!

Player Report Card: Allen Iverson

(Boulder-CO) Well, this is it. This is the last Player Report Card of the season and it belongs to Allen Iverson. Bubba Chuck had another tremendous season this year for the Nuggets while coming in tops in the league in minutes played at 41.8 minutes per game, third in the league in scoring at 26.4 points per game, and leading the Nuggets in assists (7.1), steals (2.0), charges drawn (46), and games played (all 82 regular season and four playoff games) during the 2007-08 campaign. And whats even more is how AI led the Nuggets with his toughness (he played with a broken finger for months) and veteran savvy. On numerous occasions throughout the year for the the Nuggets, Allen Iverson put this team on his back and kept things interesting.

But beneath the shiny surface of the game of AI are other aspects which really do need to be appreciated. This past season AI posted his best assist to turnover ratio (+2.4) and lowest turnover average (3.0) of his impressive career. In addition, AI was the model of consistency for a Nuggets team that sure could have used more of it. In wins, Iverson averaged 26.5 points per game. In losses, 26.3, which means two things; First, the Answer still brings his game to the arena every single night without question. The second is when a player puts up that steady of a scoring line it usually means that whether the team wins or loses is not because of what kind of night they had.

And please believe me when I say he had his fair share of nights to remember. Bubba exploded for 30 or more points 26 times this season, including a team season-high 51-point explosion against the Lakers in an unfortunate Denver loss.

Now here is the one stat that matters most. Of the 15 separate occasions that AI recorded a double-double of assists and points in the Nuggets finished a stiff 12-3 overall. It's only unfortunate that Denver only got that well rounded of an effort out of the Answer 15 times this season because as proven, the Nuggets are a damn tough customer when AI gets others involved. The only question remaining is when is the Answer going to start doing what it obviously takes to win games and ultimately take this, scratch that, one of HIS teams to the promise land? Allen is not getting any younger, and his situation reminds me of a player of similar size who needed to tailor his game for the good of the group to win an NBA championship in Nate "Tiny" Archibald. Tiny, the only player to ever lead the league in assists and scoring in the same year, became more of a floor general with a scorer's mentality after proving able to dominate offensively early on in his career to eventually win a ring with the Celtics during the 1980-81 season.

So, the overall grade for Allen Iverson is an A-. The only reason for the minus was the Nuggets' disappointing finish in the playoffs for the second straight year with Iverson on the team. Because the way I see it is simple: When your the leader of the team, the team's success falls squarely in your hands. An Iverson team has not been deep in the playoffs for quite some time now and if he is truly going to make a return to the NBA's greatest stage. I am a firm believer that he has to tap into a more team oriented style of play that not only allows his greatness to still shine apparent, but one that also brings out the greater good of his team.

Thanks for yet another great year, Bubba.

Go Nuggets!

A Whole Bunch of History

(Boulder-CO) WOW, I really disappeared for a few days there! Things have been busy, Nuggets Nation, and with little to talk about concerning the Denver Nuggets things have been lean. I hope that all of the hoops aficionados out there haven't been too upset with Today's Date in NBA History falling a little behind. Here's what is memorable from the last few days:

May 31, 1983 “Fo’ Fo’ Fo’,” declared Moses Malone predicting that the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, who had dominated the regular season with a 65-17 record, would sweep their three rounds in the 1983 NBA Playoffs. They came close but the Milwaukee Bucks spoiled Malone’s prediction by winning Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals 100-94. Otherwise Philadelphia was perfect, sweeping New York, beating the Bucks in five and then sweeping the Lakers in the Finals. Their 12-1 record and .923 winning percentage stood as the best in playoff history until the Lakers went 15-1 (.938) in 2001. The 76ers commemorated Malone’s prediction, with one slight alteration, on their championship rings: “Fo’ Fi’ Fo’.”

May 31, 1984 Gerald Henderson of the Boston Celtics stole a crosscourt pass by Los Angeles’ James Worthy and laid the ball in with 13 seconds left in regulation to send Game 2 of the 1984 NBA Finals into overtime. The Celtics, who had dropped Game 1 and would lose Game 3, managed to pull out a 124-121 overtime win in Game 2 and eventually won the series in seven games.

May 31, 1991 The New York Knicks named Pat Riley head coach.

June 1, 1979 The Seattle SuperSonics, who dropped the championship series opener, beat Washington 97-93 in Game 5 for their fourth consecutive Finals victory, capturing their only NBA Championship, as Gus Williams scored 23 points and Jack Sikma grabbed 17 rebounds.

June 1, 1993 Dan Majerle of Phoenix set a then NBA Playoff record by sinking eight three-pointers during the Suns’ 120-114 win over Seattle in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Majerle finished the game with 34 points.

June 1, 1994 Indiana’s Reggie Miller drilled an NBA Playoff record five three-point field goals in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ 93-86 win over host New York in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miller finished with a game-high 39 points, including 6-of-11 from three-point range. Five players have since tied Miller’s record of five three-pointers in one quarter of a playoff game.

June 2, 1985 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers became the all-time leading scorer in NBA Playoff history, surpassing Jerry West’s total of 4,457 points, as the Lakers beat Boston 136-111 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, a series they would win in six games. Abdul-Jabbar was eventually passed for total playoff points by Chicago’s Michael Jordan.

June 2, 1996 Seattle, led by 26 points from Shawn Kemp and 21 from Gary Payton, defeats visiting Utah 90-86 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, earning the SuperSonics a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979.

June 2, 2000 The New Jersey Nets name Rod Thorn, who had been serving as the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, as the team’s new president. Thorn, who served as an assistant coach with the Nets between 1973-75 and then again between 1976-78, had been in professional basketball for more than four decades as a player, assistant coach, head coach, general manager and league official. He joined the league office in February 1986, and was in charge of all on-court operations, including scheduling, officiating, game conduct and discipline.
June 3, 1977 Portland’s Bobby Gross scored 25 points while center Bill Walton controlled the boards with 24 rebounds, enabling the Blazers to defeat the Sixers 110-104 in a crucial Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Philadelphia.

June 3, 1984 Magic Johnson handed out an NBA Finals record 21 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston 137-104 in Game 3 of a championship series the Celtics would eventually win in seven games.

June 3, 1992 Host Chicago defeated Portland 122-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan, who finished with a game-high 39 points, set NBA Finals records for points scored in a half (35) and three-point field goals made in one half (6). After the sixth trey, Jordan turned to the midcourt TV camera and shrugged as if to say, “I guess everything’s going in.”

June 3, 1999 Utah’s Karl Malone becomes the ninth player in NBA history to win the Maurice Podoloff trophy twice when he is named the leagues MVP for the 1998-99 season. He previously won the award for his play during the 1996-97 season.

Enjoy your day!