NBA
Celtics Dominate vs. Sixers in G3
PHILADELPHIA – Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo combined for 74 points Wednesday night and led the Boston Celtics to an impressive victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-91, in Game 3 of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series. Garnett scored 27 points, Pierce added 24 and Rondo scored 23 points and added 14 assists as the Celtics took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set and reclaimed the homecourt advantage. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night in Philadelphia. Garnett, who shot 12-for-17 from the floor, also grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Celtics fell behind by seven early in the second quarter but turned the game around with a dominant 32-16 effort before the half closed at 60-49. The Celtics shot a series-high 54.5 percent from the floor over the last three quarters (30-for-55), while outscoring the Sixers 79-58. Boston, which shot 51.9 percent in all, led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
Pierce, plagued by a bad knee and matched-up against the toughest Philadelphia defender, Andre Iguodala, shot 2-for-10 in the first half but had two impressive dunks and five offensive rebounds. Pierce rallied to make six of his last 11 field goals, but, more importantly hit 11 of 14 free throws.
For the 76ers, Thaddeus Young had 22 points for the Sixers, and Jrue Holiday added 15. Holiday scored 10 of his points in the first quarter, when the Sixers shot 61.9 percent and assumed a 33-28 lead. But the Sixers, who also scored the first basket of the second period to go up by seven, were outscored 32-14 the rest of the quarter to fall behind 60-49 at halftime. Garnett crammed 13 points into that stretch.
The Silence was Golden
Amazing feat goes unoticed in great weekend of NBA Playoff Games
By Terry Lyons
(Special to DigitalSportsDesk)
BOSTON - MAY 6, 2012 - A funny thing happened at an NBA Playoff game this weekend and it wasn't even noticed. No, it wasn't Oklahoma City's impressive sweep over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks or the San Antonio Spurs handling of the formidable Utah Jazz in four straight games. It wasn't accounting firm Ernst & Young screwing up the ballot count for the NBA's Most Improved Player award nor the impressive play of David West for the Indiana Pacers. What happened this weekend went unreported, un-posted, un-blogged, un-tweeted. One of the greatest feats in NBA Playoff history and the story never even made the ESPN highlight reel.
So what the hell happened?
On Friday night at the TD Boston Ga
rden in front of a sellout crowd of 18,624 which included a heavy dose of NBA brass, the officiating crew of #10 Ron Garretson, #13 Monty McCutchen and #33 Zach Zarba called a (near) perfect game.
Every referee worth his whistle swears the perfect game is an unattainable goal. At the highest level of basketball, an official doesn't stand a chance of getting them all right because the players are just too big, too quick, too strong. They are so talented and athletic, they're just too everything. They play so far above the rim and they can contort their bodies in midair to avoid contact or collision that the naked eyes can't compute the optical illusion occurring before them. The NBA game cannot be compared to hoops at any other level. It's even more impossible to compare officiating on the NBA level to that of any other. To the novice fans, comparing NBA ball to college basketball or professional Euroleague Basketball is worse than trying to compare apples and oranges or The Rolling Stones to The Who to The Beatles. It just can't be done.
When the red carpet was rolled out on Friday night, it was plush with NBA Commissioner David Stern standing near his trusty deputy, Adam Silver. They both witnessed the feat, alongside a bonafide CNN anchorman, John King, who could've broken into programming to report the news. However, not a single news bulletin nor a word of congratulations was spoken to the men ultimately responsible for how their game is called. In the post-game press conferences, nobody
brought up the subject of officiating. There were no kind words. No headlines written. World Series perfectionist Don Larson's name never came up when the Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 90-84, in overtime, and the NBA registered the best officiated game of the year. It might've been the best officiated game of the the century.
An unofficial review of the game brought about four or five "possible" missed calls or miscues, none of them even close to being significant. The only blip on the screen was a moment when Boston Coach Doc Rivers sauntered way out onto the court but he wasn't arguing a call and the referring crew let it go, as they should. Rivers was trying to get the attention of his point guard Rajon Rondo who was not on the same page as his coach when he returned to play in Game 3 after being suspended for a single playoff date for bumping NBA ref Marc Davis in Game 1 of the series. After that contest, there was quite a bit of focus on the officiating which led to a full day of sports talk show banter on the proper steps the NBA would take to discipline Rondo for his obvious disregard of the sacred personal space around an official.
Rightfully, the NBA suspended Rondo for a single game for his indiscretion but teammates Avery Bradley, Sasha Pavlovic, Keyon Dooling and Marquis Daniels all stepped up quite nicely for the Celtics as they tied the series 1-1 with an 87-80 win over the Hawks at Atlanta. The Celtics' win brought the series to Boston for the "so-called" pivotal Game 3 where the stakes were raised so high, the people of Kentucky would start singing "My Old Kentucky Home." The game was important and the players delivered a hard-fought, entertaining, defensive chess match that saw Boston hold Atlanta to 38-percent shooting from the field and 20-percent from three-point land. Much of that defensive intensity is credited to the amazing play of Kevin Garnett who has played with the youthful exuberance of the high schooler who entered the league in 1995. While Garnett, switched to center after teammate Jermaine O'Neal went down to injury and had season-ending surgery on his left wrist in March.
Out on the perimeter where defense happens in game of basketball, Bradley has become the stopper. Complemented by the speedy Rondo, the consistent Paul Pierce, the hard-working and the deep bench of Daniels, Dooling, Mickael Pietrus and important minutes being played by Ray Allen, now as a reserve the past two games, Bradley has become the difference maker for the Boston Celtics as they plot their way through the 2012 NBA Playoffs with the window of opportunity showing a shade pulled three-quarters of the way down. This might be it for this era of Celtics basketball and the NBA's cut-down season provides an opportunity to hang banner No. 18 in the rafters of TD Boston Garden.
In a year when NCAA officiating was a downright disgrace to the game and when NBA bad boy Metta World Peace earned a seven-game suspension for nearly decapitating Oklahoma's James Harden, the whistle blowers are always the visiting team. It was once said that officiating is the only profession in the world where the ultimate compliment is silence. That is certainly true. No news is good news when the refs are escorted off the court by a security detail that rivals the US Secret Service presence in a Colombian strip joint. The attention brought upon NBA referees in the past five or six years largely revolved around the criminal activities of one Tim Donoghy and the sniping by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and his "couldn't run a Dairy Queen" viewpoint of the dedicated group of professional refs who call the game at the very highest level. They run, they pivot, they get screened by giants on the court, they peek around bodies, scramble for better position, work their rotations all in an attempt to "just get it right." Then, they have their judgement reviewed by partisan television commentators who make their references from observing 12 high-definition television cameras situated so far away from the court, they create bad angles and optical illusions which often prompt erroneous reporting or legions of fans scowling when the replays are shown on jumbo in-arena screens.
On Friday night, the crew of Garretson, McCutcheon and Zarba, a young rising superstar official, got it right. No one noticed, but that's okay. They reviewed the game themselves and probably second-guessed a judgement call or two. They showered, dressed, then left the building without so much as a pat on the back or a single cheer from the fans.
Only the funeral directors, morticians and undertakers could relate.
PEACE of WORK
Give Peace a Chance or Give Fellow Players a Break?
By TERRY LYONS
(Updated at 9:18pm edt, April 24 and 9:08 am April 25)
CHICAGO - The NBA today suspended Los Angles Lakers swingman Ron Artest for seven games, a mere 53 games shy of the suspension levied on Kermit Washington for his punch defacing Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977.
The NBA made the announcement in an official press release this evening:
LAKERS’ METTA WORLD PEACE SUSPENDED SEVEN GAMES
NEW YORK, April 24, 2012 – The Lakers' Metta World Peace has been
suspended for seven games without pay for striking the Thunder's James
Harden in the head with his elbow, the NBA announced today.
The incident, which resulted in a Flagrant Foul Two and ejection, occurred
with 1:39 remaining in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 114-106 victory
over the Thunder on April 22 at Staples Center.
“The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by
violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head
area," NBA Commissioner David Stern said. "We remain committed to taking
necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the
imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court
altercations."
The suspension will begin with the Lakers’ next game at Sacramento on April
26. The remaining games of the suspension will be served over the next six
games in which the player is eligible and physically able to play,
including this season’s playoffs.
PEACE of WORK II
Give Peace a Chance or Give Fellow Players a Break?
BY TERRY LYONS -- (Editors note: This opinion column was written before the NBA announced its suspension but updated Wed. morning)
Is it possible for World Peace to have its pants on fire?"
Yes it is.
Once again, this significant NBA-related flame-out spoils the basketball talk at the most important time of the year for the NBA and will need to be extinguished to address the unnecessary, pointless and near criminal act of violence on the basketball court perpetrated by the player formerly known as Ron Artest. The act resulted in a multi-game (1 regular season; up to six playoff games or future 2012-13 regular season games) suspension when the NBA emailed its decision on Tuesday evening, before the LA Lakers will take to court for their final regular season game on Thursday night, April 26, at Sacramento.
It became obvious, NBA Commissioner David Stern gave Peace a chance. But, in the name of John Lennon, Stern needed to make a statement and protect some 449 union members, his prized players, from one of their own. Surely, Stern's decision came in just under the radar of the players' union that would be required to file an appeal to defend the offender.
From my vantage point, Stern and the NBA deans of discipline should've hit Mr. World Peace with a one game and full 2013 NBA playoffs suspension. By potentially allowing aka Artest to return to an NBA court near you, Stern will be putting the rank and file at a risk that even the law firm of Jacoby & Myers could litigate a billion-dollar decision of neglect of a proper working environment. The proof would be right in the postgame quote sheet of denial or all-out lies told by aka Artest.
"It was unfortunate that James (Harden) had to get hit with an unintentional elbow," World Peace said. "I hope he's OK."
The ill-advised postgame comments and subsequent tweet-up, the modern day attempt at a social media style cover-up, continued when the player aka Artest stated, "During that play, I just dunked on (Kevin) Durant and (Serge) Ibaka, and I got really emotional and excited," he said immediately after the game in the Lakers' locker room. "The Thunder, they're playing for a championship this year, so I hope that he's OK, and I apologize to the Thunder and to James Harden. You know, it was such a great game, and it was unfortunate so much emotion was going on at that time."
Then, it actually worstened, when on the twitter social media account registered to Metta World Peace, the 144 character unintentional punchline came to all in living color: "I just watched the replay again," World Peace tweeted. "Oooo.. My celebration of the dunk really was too much... Didn't even see James ..... Omg... Looks bad."
Then, as in all sports, the teammates, namely Kobe Bryant, came to his defense, looking to sway public and media opinion with a lengthy NBA suspension looming in the aftermath.
"One play in the heat of a battle, all of the sudden it changes his perception as a man and as a person? No," said Bryant, seeking media support and consent. "Everybody, all you guys, know what a sweet guy he is."
Can you believe it? Unintentional elbow in a celebration? I'm glad aka Artest didn't hit a game-winning three in a big playoff series, a la Robert Horry.
This recent act of violence can only be compared to the very worst on-court NBA incidents of all-time and it was met with a short seven-game suspension and defended by a fellow player with a "what a sweet guy" character reference? Please.
In this case, Stern should've placed a call to obtain opinion on his verdict from union Executive Director Billy Hunter or maybe union president Derek Fisher, a former teammate of aka Artest and now a teammate of Harden. Or, Stern might've placed a call to Rudy Tomjanovich or Kermit Washington, two former NBA players forever linked by Washington's "heat of the battle" reaction and cold-cock to Tomjanovich's face which nearly killed the Rockets legend.
Washington was fined $10,000 and suspended for 60 days back in 1977 when the incident occurred and when the league office levy was about one one-millionth as strict as it is in today's NBA. A non-scientific conversion or equivilent might be estimated at $1,000,000, a full playoffs and a 10-game 2012-13 suspension, pending league investigation and expert observation from anger management experts. Or, Stern might literally throw the book at his Metta World Peace and J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award recipient and send him packing for good.
Without a doubt, the members of the NBA union would be safer and would be better represented and protected if Stern had come down harder on aka Artest with a much tougher decision.
What a disgrace to the game of basketball.
SPURS WIN TALE of TWO HALVES
By TERRY LYONS
(Special to the DigitalSportsDesk)
BOSTON, APRIL 4, 2012 - After a first half when the San Antonio Spurs scored 59 points and shot 54-percent from the field and the Boston Celtics scored 48 points and shot 50-percent from the field, something came over the joint they call the TD Garden in Boston. Was it a funk? Was it fatigue setting in as two teams wrestled and tangled all night long? Maybe it was just plain old tough defense or, more likely, plain old poor shooting, but the second half seemed as offensively challenged a game since the NBA installed the shot clocks.
San Antonio scored only 28 second half points but held on to defeat Boston 87-86 after a Paul Pierce fall-away jumper clanked off the rim as time expired. Matt Bonner had put the Spurs ahead with a clutch 16-foot jump shot as time ran out on the shot clock. The jumper put the Spurs ahead 87-83 with :48.7 seconds left and it proved to be enough as only a Ray Allen 3-pt FG with :39.8 remaining would finish out the scoring for the night. Allen returned to the Celtics lineup for the first time since missing the March 23rd game at Philadelphia. Allen missed six games but the Celtics won five of six in that span.
Pierce's missed jumper came after Spurs bigman, Tim Duncan, switched on defense with forward Stephen Jackson and Pierce was forced to fall away to create some space over the lengthy Spurs veteran, one of the NBA's all-time best defenders.
"I was trying to make the shot," explained Pierce. "I got the switch on the big man (Duncan), got to a good place, just missed the shot. You get in those pressure situations and sometimes they work and sometimes, they don't, but the thing is, I'm not going to second-guess my decision. I thought I got a great shot, created some space right there at the free throw line. It's just some days they fall, some days they don't."
The Spurs shot a dismal 28-percnt in the second half and that included a "blazing" 7-of-20 (35-percent) in the final quarter. However, Boston managed only 38 points themselves in the second half but San Antonio out-rebounded Boston 53-39 on the game to make up the difference which included a 12-4 edge on the offensive glass.
"Manu (Ginobili) got a great offensive rebound," noted Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "We got a couple extra possessions at the very end and lots of times that's a team's demise. It's happened to us. It will happen to us again and it will happen to them again. It's part of the game.
"We got it, then everyone was scrambling around and Matt Bonner was wide open for a little shot. It's not like we did any great thing to do it, but we did hang in just like they did and we were fortunate down the stretch."
Boston had won seven of their last eight games and eight straight at TD Garden before San Antonio rolled to victory tonight. The Spurs are 38-14 and trail only the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference standings. San Antonio has won their last nine in a row.
Bonner's 10 points and 10 rebounds keyed San Antonio's bench and Gary Neal contributed 13 in his reserve role as starters Tim Duncan (4-of12) scored only 10 points but added 16 rebounds. Danny Green led the Spurs with 14 points.
"It was being in the right place at the right time," said Bonner. "The laws of probability. I missed my previous "93 shots" or that's what it felt like, so I knew that one was going in. It was a tale of two halves. We weren't as sharp and didn't make as many shots in the second half but we still played good defense, we rebounded the ball, kept us in it and made a few plays down the stretch to pull out with the win."
For Boston, Avery Bradley adjusted back to his reserve role and led the Celtics in scoring with 19 points while Rajon Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists. Allen shot a rusty 2-of-6 in his return to the starting rotation.
"We dug ourselves a hole,"said Boston's Kevin Garnett after the game. "I thought, for the most past, we did a good job of coming back. I think they had 53 (actually 59) points in the first half. The focus of our second half was to be more disciplined on defensive strategy. Second chance points hurt us. They're a tough team and there's a reason they are second in the West. Hats go off to them, they've always been a well-coached team, a well-run team and they played like it tonight."
The Spurs jet home to face New Orleans on Friday while Boston continues a tough slice of the NBA schedule with a game at Chicago tomorrow (April 5) and back-to-backs on the Easter weekend, at Indiana on April 7 and back home in Boston for a Sunday evening match-up with Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia. Despite Boston's Wednesday night loss, the team remained a game and a half ahead of Philadelphia in the Atlantic. The 76ers dropped an important home game against Toronto, 99-78.
CROWDED HALLWAY
SPRINGFIELD, MA - April 2, 2012 - Everybody in the pool.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its induction class of 2012 and there's an even dozen going into the Hall, nearly all of the 2012 nominees named in February.
Leading the list of legends to be formally enshrined this September 7 is Coach Don Nelson, the winningest NBA coach in the league's history. He will be joined by Reggie Miller, the NBA's second best three-point shooter in NBA history, Katrina McClain, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ralph Sampson and Jamaal (Keith) Wilkes, each among the best collegiate players to ever play the game and Hank Nichols, a career referee in the ranks of NCAA.
A barnstorming team called the All-American Red Heads, also known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters, were elected by the women's committee of the Hall while five others who were previously announced as inductees round out the class.
The announcement was made today at a press conference in New Orleans, site of the 2012 NCAA Final Four.
BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012:
Women’s Committee:
ALL AMERICAN RED HEADS [Team] – The All American Red Heads are known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters and the first women’s professional basketball team. The team regularly played more than 200 games per season, winning 70% of them while touring thousands of miles reaching 49 states, Canada and the Philippines. Over six decades (from 1936 to 1986), the team broke social barriers and stereotypes playing in small towns and rural hamlets, as well as Madison Square Garden and Chicago Stadium.
KATRINA McCLAIN [Player] – McClain is one of the most decorated athletes in USA Basketball national team history, winning two Olympic gold medals (1988 and 1996), Olympic Bronze (1992), three FIBA World Championship medals (gold in 1986 and 1990; bronze in 1994) and five more medals at the Goodwill Games, Pan Am Games and World University Games. She was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 1988 and 1992. Before stepping onto the International stage, she was a two-time Kodak All-America (1986, 1987) and the 1987 WBCA National Player of the Year at the University of Georgia.
North American Committee:
REGGIE MILLER [Player] – Miller was one of the greatest clutch scorers in NBA history, playing his entire 17-season NBA career with the Indiana Pacers finishing as the franchise’s all-time leader in points (25,279) and steals (1,505). He was a five-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Third Team selection and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1996. From Los Angeles, he guided UCLA to the 1985 NIT Championship and finished third on the school’s all-time scoring list. He ranks second on the NBA all-time list for three-point field goals made (2,560) and attempted (6,486). He is ninth on the NBA career free-throw percentage list (.888) and seventh in career minutes played (47,619). In addition to some memorable NBA playoff performances, he has the most three-pointers made (320) in playoff history.
DON NELSON [Coach] – Nelson, the all-time winningest coach in NBA History with over 1,300 victories is one of only two coaches to be named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1983, 1985 and 1992). He spent over 40 years of his life as a player, coach and general manager. He has led teams to 18 playoff appearances where he amassed 75 playoff wins and is one of only two NBA coaches to win 250 games with three different teams. In 2007, he led the Golden State Warriors to the first #8 seed upset over a #1 seed in a seven-game series when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. He also coached Dream Team II to a gold medal in the 1994 World Championships. Nelson is the only coach with 1,000+ wins and multiple NBA championships as a player, where he won five titles with the Boston Celtics (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976).
HANK NICHOLS [Referee] – Nichols focused his career in basketball around the rules of the game. A long-time NCAA basketball official who has refereed six national championship games, 10 final fours, three NIT Finals and 13 ACC Championships – officiated at the top of collegiate basketball for decades. He officiated on the world stage officiating two Olympic games and one European championship. After his officiating career, he would become the national coordinator of officials for the NCAA for over 20 years and was instrumental in the progression of rule changes at the collegiate level and he remains one of the most influential rules architects in history.
RALPH SAMPSON [Player] – Sampson is one of the top collegiate players of all-time, where at Virginia he became only the third three-time National College Player of the Year. He was a three-time Naismith Award winner, two-time Wooden Award recipient and led the Cavaliers to the NIT Championship and one Final Four appearance. He was only the sixth player in NCAA history to collect 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds. In 1983, he was the No. 1 draft pick by the Houston Rockets. In the NBA, he was named to three NBA All-Star games, collected Rookie of the Year honors in 1984 and was named MVP of the 1985 NBA All-Star game.
JAMAAL WILKES [Player] – Wilkes, a California native, spent his entire high school, college and professional career in his home state, playing under Hall of Famer John Wooden at UCLA prior to a successful NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. At UCLA, he would win two National Championships and receive All-America honors in 1974. He was also a three-time GTE Academic All-America selection. In the NBA, he won four championships while reaching the NBA finals six times. He was a three-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA All-Defensive second team and received Rookie of the Year honors in 1975.
International Committee:
LIDIA ALEXEEVA [Coach] – Alexeeva is one of the most successful coaches in International basketball history, highlighted by leading the Soviet Union National Team as head coach to gold medals in the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games, four FIBA World Championship titles (1967, 1971, 1975, 1983), four World University Games gold medals, 10 European Championships and 17 USSR National Championships. She was undefeated in International play for over 17 years. She also coached Hall of Famer Uljana Semjonova. As a player, Alexeeva played on Soviet National Teams that won four European Championships (1950, 1952, 1954, 1956). She has also been enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (1999) and FIBA Hall of Fame (2007).
Direct Elect from the Early African-American Pioneers of the Game Committee:
DON BARKSDALE [Contributor] – One of the true pioneers in the game of basketball, Barksdale broke the color barrier multiple times as the first African-American NCAA All-America, the first to make the U.S. Olympic team, and the first to play in a NBA All-Star game. Following his military service in World War II, Barksdale led UCLA to the Pacific Coast Conference championship and became the first African-American signed by an American Basketball League (ABL) team with the Oakland Bittners where he set the ABL scoring record in his debut season. Part of the 1948 Olympic team in London, he became the first-ever African-American to also win a gold medal in basketball. In 1951, he became one of the top 10 highest paid athletes with the Baltimore Bullets and was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics in 1953, where he became the first African-American player to be selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game. In 1983, he launched the Save High School Sports Foundation, which raised over 1 million dollars by the time he passed away in 1993 to save several Oakland school athletic programs from demise.
Direct Elect from the ABA Committee:
MEL DANIELS [Player] – Daniels is one of the most dominating big men in the history of the American Basketball Association (ABA) as the league’s all-time leading rebounder (9,494) and fourth all-time leading scorer (11,739). A two-time league MVP in 1969 and 1971, he was a seven-time ABA All-Star and a member of three ABA championship teams with the Indiana Pacers, now of the NBA. He was selected as a member of the ABA 30-Man All-Time team. In college, Daniels starred for the University of New Mexico, leading the Lobos in scoring for three straight seasons and was the Western Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in 1967. He was drafted ninth in the 1967 NBA Draft, but chose to go play in the ABA instead. Following his ABA Rookie of the Year award in 1968, he went on to earn All-ABA First Team four times and Second Team once. After his professional career, which concluded as a member of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, Daniels joined the coaching staff at Indiana State, where he coached future Hall of Famer Larry Bird. He was also a member of the Indiana Pacers front office for over 20 years.
Direct Elect from the Veterans Committee:
CHET WALKER [Player] – Walker is widely known as one of the most athletic, skilled and resilient players in his era having missed only 21 games in his decorated 13-year NBA career. The seven-time NBA All-Star was also a member of the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers that is recognized as one of the greatest teams in history and ended the Boston Celtics run of eight straight titles. He went on to score 18,831 points and grab 7,314 rebounds in his career and was only the eighth player in NBA history to play more than 1,000 career games at the time of his retirement in 1975. As a member of the Chicago Bulls, he led the NBA in free throw percentage at .859 during the 1970-71 season. In college, Walker was a unanimous First Team All-America selection in 1962, leading Bradley to the NIT finals in back-to-back seasons, and winning the championship in 1960. He graduated as Bradley’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. He was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals and selected to the 1963 NBA All-Rookie Team.
Direct Elect from the Contributor Direct Election Committee:
PHIL KNIGHT [Contributor] – One of the most significant contributors to the game of basketball, Knight, Nike’s co-founder, is currently the company’s Chairman of the Board. Under his guidance, Nike became the first sports brand to work with elite athletes to garner their insights to create the most innovative products. In basketball, Knight worked to create one of the company’s most iconic partnerships with Michael Jordan. He has had a long history of working with other basketball greats like Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Dirk Nowitzki to Coach K and C. Vivian Stringer. Knight also signed Sheryl Swoopes as the first woman to have her own signature basketball shoe. His company now supports NBA stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Knight’s support of basketball internationally has also helped to elevate the game globally, including its current sponsorship of USA Basketball. He’s also focused his efforts on supporting college athletics – including basketball – by providing resources to grow and maximize the collegiate game and the student-athlete experience through programs such as Duke, Georgetown, Syracuse and his alma mater Oregon. In 1993, he was named the Most Powerful Man in Sports by The Sporting News.
ONE STEP AWAY FROM ENFAMY
ORLANDO - FEBRUARY 24, 2012 -- (Staff report from official news release) - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, an elite list of players, coaches, an official and one team as the 12 finalists from the North American and Women’s committees to be considered for election in 2012. The recognition of being honored as a Hall of Fame finalist is a career highlight in the sport of basketball. This year’s list includes four first-time finalists: five-time NBA All-Star Reggie Miller, five-time NCAA Final Four coach Rick Pitino, two-time NBA Coach of the Year Bill Fitch and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain. Previous finalists included again this year for consideration are Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Don Nelson, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and the All American Red Heads. The Class of 2012 will be unveiled at the NCAA Final Four in April.
“The finalists for the Class of 2012 are a decorated group consisting of some of the greatest leaders that we have ever seen in the game of basketball,” said Jerry Colangelo, chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Governors. “They represent all facets of the game from professional, collegiate, amateur and International levels for the sport.”
Also announced today are five Direct Elects who are the initial members of the Class of 2012. They include Mel Daniels voted in from the American Basketball Association (ABA) Committee, Don Barksdale from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Lidia Alexeeva from the International Committee, Chet Walker from the Veterans Committee and Phil Knight from the Contributors Direct Election Committee. This year marks the second year of the direct elect process. Last year, the ABA and Early African-American Pioneers committees were added to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting process and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball. These five individuals have been directly elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be a part of the Enshrinement Ceremonies in September along with the eventual members from the North American and Women’s committees.
The complete list of finalists include from the North American Screening Committee: players Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Reggie Miller, Ralph Sampson and Jamaal Wilkes; coaches Bill Fitch, Dick Motta, Don Nelson and Rick Pitino; and referee Hank Nichols. From the Women’s Screening Committee: player Katrina McClain and team The All American Red Heads.
The Class of 2012 will be announced on Monday, April 2 at a news conference in New Orleans prior to the NCAA’s Men’s Championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2012 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass. on Friday, September 7.
Women’s Committee Finalists:
ALL AMERICAN RED HEADS [Team] – The All American Red Heads are known as the female version of the Harlem Globetrotters and the first women’s professional basketball team. The team regularly played more than 200 games per season, winning 70% of them while touring thousands of miles reaching 49 states, Canada and the Philippines. Over six decades (from 1936 to 1986), the team broke social barriers and stereotypes playing in small towns and rural hamlets, as well as Madison Square Garden and Chicago Stadium.
KATRINA McCLAIN [Player] – McClain is one of the most decorated athletes in USA Basketball national team history, winning two Olympic gold medals (1988 and 1996), Olympic Bronze (1992), three FIBA World Championship medals (gold in 1986 and 1990; bronze in 1994) and five more medals at the Goodwill Games, Pan Am Games and World University Games. She was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year in 1988 and 1992. Before stepping onto the International stage, she was a two-time Kodak All-America (1986, 1987) and the 1987 WBCA National Player of the Year at the University of Georgia.
North American Committee Finalists:
MAURICE CHEEKS [Player] – Cheeks has been involved in the NBA either at the playing level or coaching level since 1978. As a player, he was named to four NBA All-Star games, a four-time NBA All-Defensive team selection, member of one NBA championship team and set the steals and assist records for Philadelphia. This Chicago native would then go onto coaching careers with the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers. He retired fifth on the NBA career list for both assists (7,392) and steals (2,310). Cheeks is currently an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
BILL FITCH [Coach] – Fitch is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (1976 and 1980) who led the Boston Celtics to the 1981 NBA Championship. The Iowa native began his coaching success by leading North Dakota University to consecutive NCAA Division II Final Fours (1965, 1966) and was a staple on the sidelines for 25 NBA seasons with five different teams from 1970 to 1998. He recorded over 900 wins and ranks eighth in NBA history in victories while reaching five conference finals and becoming the second coach in history to lead a team to three straight 60-win seasons.
BERNARD KING [Player] – King is a four-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA First-Team selection, NBA All-Rookie Team and was the NBA Comeback Player of the Year in 1981. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he was a First Team All-America at the University of Tennessee before an NBA career that included stints with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Washington Bullets. He averaged over 22 points per game during his 15-year career including a 34.8 points per game average in the 1984 NBA Playoffs.
REGGIE MILLER [Player] – Miller was one of the greatest clutch scorers in NBA history, playing his entire 17-season NBA career with the Indiana Pacers finishing as the franchise’s all-time leader in points (25,279) and steals (1,505). He was a five-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA Third Team selection and won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1996. From Los Angeles, he guided UCLA to the 1985 NIT Championship and finished third on the school’s all-time scoring list. He ranks second on the NBA all-time list for three-point field goals made (2,560) and attempted (6,486). He is ninth on the NBA career free-throw percentage list (.888) and seventh in career minutes played (47,619). In addition to some memorable NBA playoff performances, he has the most three-pointers made (320) in playoff history.
DICK MOTTA [Coach] – Motta had coaching success at all levels of the game – starting at the junior college level in 1954. He’s collected more than 1,000 victories while at the junior college, high school, collegiate and NBA levels. He guided the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship, won NBA Coach of the Year in 1971, led Weber State to two Big Sky regular season championships, and won a state high school championship in Grace, Idaho. Over his NBA career, he led five different NBA teams – the Bullets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.
DON NELSON [Coach] – Nelson, the all-time winningest coach in NBA History with over 1,300 victories is one of only two coaches to be named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1983, 1985 and 1992). He spent over 40 years of his life as a player, coach and general manager. He has led teams to 18 playoff appearances where he amassed 75 playoff wins and is one of only two NBA coaches to win 250 games with three different teams. In 2007, he led the Golden State Warriors to the first #8 seed upset over a #1 seed in a seven-game series when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. He also coached Dream Team II to a gold medal in the 1994 World Championships. Nelson is the only coach with 1,000+ wins and multiple NBA championships as a player, where he won five titles with the Boston Celtics (1966, 1968, 1969, 1974 and 1976).
HANK NICHOLS [Referee] – Nichols focused his career in basketball around the rules of the game. A long-time NCAA basketball official who has refereed six national championship games, 10 final fours, three NIT Finals and 13 ACC Championships – officiated at the top of collegiate basketball for decades. He officiated on the world stage officiating two Olympic games and one European championship. After his officiating career, he would become the national coordinator of officials for the NCAA for over 20 years and was instrumental in the progression of rule changes at the collegiate level and he remains one of the most influential rules architects in history.
RICK PITINO [Coach] – Pitino is the only coach in men’s history to lead three different schools to NCAA Final Four appearances as he did with Providence College, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville. He led Kentucky to the 1996 National Championship and then reached the title game again with the Wildcats the following year. He has won over 600 games in his collegiate career, reached the Final Four five different times (1987, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2005), led his teams to 20 postseason appearances and won nine conference tournament championships. He earned Coach of the Year honors from different sources three different years. Pitino also held two stints as an NBA head coach with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, leading the Knicks to two playoff appearances.
RALPH SAMPSON [Player] – Sampson is one of the top collegiate players of all-time, where at Virginia he became only the third three-time National College Player of the Year. He was a three-time Naismith Award winner, two-time Wooden Award recipient and led the Cavaliers to the NIT Championship and one Final Four appearance. He was only the sixth player in NCAA history to collect 2,000 points and 1,500 rebounds. In 1983, he was the No. 1 draft pick by the Houston Rockets. In the NBA, he was named to three NBA All-Star games, collected Rookie of the Year honors in 1984 and was named MVP of the 1985 NBA All-Star game.
JAMAAL WILKES [Player] – Wilkes, a California native, spent his entire high school, college and professional career in his home state, playing under Hall of Famer John Wooden at UCLA prior to a successful NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. At UCLA, he would win two National Championships and receive All-America honors in 1974. He was also a three-time GTE Academic All-America selection. In the NBA, he won four championships while reaching the NBA finals six times. He was a three-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA All-Defensive second team and received Rookie of the Year honors in 1975.
