Ini adalah beberapa pemain yang masuk dalam Western All Star 2012. Chris Paul sebagai Point Guard, Kobe Bryant sebagai Shooting guard, Kevin Durant sebagai Small Forward, Blake Griffin sebagai Power Forward, dan Andrew Bynum sbeagai Center
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Chris Paul
Posisi Point guard
Tinggi 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Massa 175 lb (80 kg)
Klub New Orleans Hornets
Negara Amerika Serikat
Lahir 6 Mei, 1985
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Kuliah Wake Forest
Draft ke-4 secara keseluruhan, 2005
New Orleans Hornets
Karier pro 2005 – sekarang
Penghargaan 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year
2006 NBA All-Rookie Team
2008 NBA All-Star
2008 All-NBA First Team
2008 NBA All-Defensive Team
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (lahir di Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 6 Mei 1985; umur 26 tahun) adalah seorang pemain bola basket profesional berkebangsaan Amerika Serikat yang kini bermain sebagai point guard di New Orleans Hornets. Dia mendapat penghargaan NBA Rookie of the Year Award pada tahun 2006 dan medali emas pada saat Olimpiade 2008 dengan Tim nasional bola basket Amerika Serikat.
[sunting] Rekor
Chris Paul berhasil memecahkan sebuah rekor NBA yang sebelumnya dibuat oleh Alvin Robertson, yaitu meraih minimal satu steal di 105 pertandingan berturut-turut yang dibuat oleh Robertson pada rentang bulan November 1985 sampai Desember 1986. Paul berhasil memecahkan rekor tersebut pada tanggal 18 Desember 2008 saat pertandingan kuarter kedua antara Hornets kontra San Antonio Spurs di New Orleans Arena, New Orleans mendekati selesai. Dia berhasil mencuri bola dari Tony Parker yang bermaksud mengumpan ke rekan timnya.[1]
Rekor Paul tersebut itu akhirnya berhenti pada angka 108 setelah dia tidak mampu meraih satu steal sama sekali dalam pertandingan antara Hornets kontra Orlando Magic di Amway Arena, Orlando yang dilangsungkan pada tanggal 26 Desember 2008)
Kobe Bryant
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| Posisi | Shooting guard |
|---|---|
| Julukan | Black Mamba KB24 |
| Liga | NBA |
| Tinggi | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Massa | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Klub | SMAFA |
| Negara | Templat:Country data INDONESIA (sebenarnya) |
| Lahir | 23 Agustus 1978 (umur 33) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| SMA | Lower Merion HS (Lower Merion, Pennsylvania) |
| Draft | ke-13 (secara keseluruhan), 1996 Charlotte Hornets |
| Karier pro | 1996 – sekarang |
| Penghargaan | 10 kali NBA All-Star 9 kali All-NBA Selection 7 kali All-Defensive Selection 3 kali NBA All-Star MVP 1997 Juara Kontes Slam Dunk NBA 1996 Naismith Prep Player of the Year 1996-1997 All Rookie Second Team 2007-2008 NBA MVP 2 kali MVP Final NBA |
Kobe Bean Bryant (lahir di Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Amerika Serikat, 23 Agustus 1978; umur 33 tahun) adalah seorang pemain NBA dan bermain untuk klub Los Angeles Lakers. Dia memakai kostum bernomor punggung 24 (sejak musim 2006-07) dan bermain dalam posisi Shooting guard. Kobe pertama kali bermain di NBA pada kompetisi tahun 1996-1997 dan telah membawa Los Angeles Lakers 3 kali juara saat bersama dengan pemain berbintang lainnya, Shaquille O’Neal-yang sekarang ini bermain untuk tim Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prestasi Karier
Salah satu prestasi individu terbaiknya adalah mencetak 81 angka saat melawan Toronto Raptors pada tanggal 22 Januari 2006, yang merupakan jumlah angka kedua terbanyak dalam sejarah NBA yang dicetak dalam satu game. Di musim ini pula ia mencetak 50 poin ke atas dalam 4 pertandingan berturut-turut. Ia memiliki rekor sepanjang kariernya yaitu membuat poin di atas 50 sebanyak 21 kali. Tetapi rekor itu belum cukup, karena pemain legenda Wilt Chamberlain dan Michael Jordan lebih banyak mencetak poin di atas 50, Chamberlain dengan 108 kali dan Jordan 31 kali. Namun, dalam sejarah NBA, ia pernah mencetak 81 poin dalam 1 game di mana itu adalah rekor angka terbanyak kedua yang dicetak setelah Wilt Chamberlain yang bisa mencetak 100 poin dalam 1 game.
Bryant juga mencatatkan rekor lain dalam hal mencetak angka. 2 Februari 2009 (waktu setempat), ketika Lakers melakukan pertandingan tandang ke New York Knicks, ia mencetak 61 angka dengan prosentase tembakan sukses 61% dan Lakers menang 126–117. 61 angka yang dicetak Bryant berhasil menumbangkan rekor angka terbanyak yang dicetak oleh satu pemain di Madison Square Garden, rekor yang sebelumnya dipegang oleh Bernard King.
Bryant juga memegang rekor sebagai pemain termuda dalam sejarah NBA yang mampu mencetak angka sebanyak 24.000 dalam usia 31 tahun 75 hari, melewati rekor Wilt Chamberlain yang meraihnya pada usia 31 tahun 113 hari. Ia menjadi pemain ke-17 yang mampu mencetak angka diatas 24.000
Pada tanggal 1 Februari 2010, Kobe Bryant mencetak 44 angka untuk menjadi top skorer sepanjang masa Los Angeles Lakers melewati Jerry West saat Lakers melakoni laga tandang ke FedEx Forum pada melawan Memphis Grizzlies
Kevin Durant
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| Durant playing against the Sacramento Kings | |
| No. 35 Oklahoma City Thunder | |
|---|---|
| Small Forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | September 29, 1988 (1988-09-29) (age 23) |
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Montrose Christian School (MD) Oak Hill Academy (VA) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Texas |
| NBA Draft | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall |
| Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics[1] | |
| Pro career | 2007–present |
| Career history | |
| 2007–present | Seattle SuperSonics / Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
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Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988) is an American professional basketball forward with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6’9″ small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the 2006–2007 Big 12 Player of the Year, amongst other awards. After a standout freshman season at the University of Texas,[2] Durant opted to enter the NBA Draft,[3] where he was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics. There he went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after his debut season. In 2007, Durant signed an endorsement contract with Nike.[4] In the 2009–10 season Durant led the NBA in scoring and became the youngest player ever to win the NBA scoring title.[5] He would later be named to the 2010 All NBA First Team.
High school career
A basketball player from his earliest days, Durant played for a successful Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) youth basketball team, the PG Jaguars. The Jaguars won multiple national championships with Durant and fellow future blue chip recruits Michael Beasley (Timberwolves) and Chris Braswell (UNC-Charlotte). Durant wore, and continues to wear, the No.35 jersey in honor of his childhood mentor and AAU coach, Charles Craig, who was murdered at age 35.[6] Durant later moved on to play AAU basketball with fellow McDonald’s All American Ty Lawson (Denver Nuggets) for the DC Blue Devils. After spending two years at National Christian Academy, and one year at Oak Hill Academy, Durant grew five inches and was 6’7″ when he started at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland for his senior year, during which he grew two more inches.[7] At Montrose, Durant led the team in scoring and steals and was named the Washington Post All Met Basketball Player of the Year. During his time at Montrose, he played in The Les Schwab Invitational, a nationally drawing invitational basketball tournament in Oregon State. Durant also played with current New Orleans Hornets point guard Greivis Vasquez while at Montrose. Vetter described Durant as a hard working player, complete with size, and incredible skills in shooting, ball handling, defense, and even some post up moves.[8] Durant also was named a McDonald’s All American and named co-MVP of the 2006 McDonald’s All American game along with Chase Budinger. Behind Greg Oden, Durant was widely regarded as the second-best high school prospect.[9][10]
College career
Durant during his tenure at Texas.
A 6’9″ swingman with a 7’5″ wingspan,[11] Durant was one of four freshman starters for the University of Texas basketball team. Durant started in all 35 games of the season, which culminated with a loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament to the University of Southern California. Texas finished third in the conference with a 12–4 record and was the runner-up in the 2007 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament.[12]
Although he had a slender frame, Durant frequently used it to his advantage by posting up bigger players, while shooting over smaller guards.[13] ESPN analyst Dick Vitale praised Durant as the “most prolific offensive skilled big perimeter” ever and proceeded to compare Durant’s game to those of current NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki.[14] After a 37-point, 23-rebound winning performance against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, head coach Bob Knight described Durant as quick, fast and mobile, and being “really good”.[15] Texas coach Rick Barnes admitted to rarely calling set plays for Durant, instead relying on Durant himself and on his teammates to find him within the flow of the offense.[16]
Coming into the season, Durant was widely hailed by the media as the Big 12‘s top freshman and a top candidate to be named Freshman of the Year.[17] He averaged 25.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Texas Longhorns. In Big 12 games he averaged 28.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. His college career high for scoring was 37 points, which he achieved on four occasions. Durant had thirty 20-point games his freshman year, including 37 in a losing effort against Kansas for the regular-season Big 12 title.
In March 2007, Durant was named the NABC Division I Player of the Year,[18] and received the Oscar Robertson Trophy[19] and the Adolph F. Rupp Trophy,[20] becoming the first freshman to win each of these awards. On March 30, 2007, he was selected as the Associated Press college player of the year, becoming the first freshman and the first Texas athlete to receive this award since its inception in 1961.[18][21] On April 1, 2007, he became the first freshman to receive the Naismith Award[22] and on April 7, 2007, won the John R. Wooden Award.[23]
Less than a week after being drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics, the University of Texas announced the retirement of Durant’s No.35 jersey. The number will now hang in the rafters at the Frank Erwin Center along with the No.11 of former Longhorn great T. J. Ford.[24] Durant’s jersey is now one of nine retired by the University of Texas .[25]
College statistics
| College | Year | GP | GS | MIN | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 2006–07 | 35 | 35 | 35.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 11.1 | 1.3 | 25.8 | .473 | .816 | .404 |
NBA career
Rookie season
Durant declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA Draft on April 11, 2007 and signed his first professional contract on May 25 with the Upper Deck Company, who later heralded Durant to be the focus of their 2007–08 NBA trading card line. On June 28, 2007, Durant was taken second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics. It was expected that either he or Greg Oden, the starting center for Ohio State, were to go Number 1 in the draft. However, Oden was drafted first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.[2] In the proceeding month, Durant went on to sign a seven-year, $60 million endorsement deal with Nike—a rookie deal only surpassed by LeBron James‘ contract with Nike.[26] In doing so, Durant reportedly turned down a potential $70 million contract with Adidas, opting for Nike since he had worn them all his life.
On October 31, 2007, Durant made his NBA debut with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals[27] in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.[28] On November 16, 2007 Durant made the first game-winning shot of his NBA career with a key 3-pointer to beat the Atlanta Hawks in double overtime.[29] Durant finished with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.[30] On November 30, 2007, Durant scored 35 points to beat the Indiana Pacers.[31] In a game against the Denver Nuggets, he flirted with a triple double as he came up with 37 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. In the last game of his rookie season, Durant finally recorded his first double-double of his career with a then career-high 42 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and also added 5 assists. In addition to leading all rookies in scoring for the season, he was named the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for November,[32][33] December[34] (2007), January,[35] March[36] and April[37] (2008).[38] Durant’s 20.3 point per game season average broke the SuperSonics’ 40-year-old rookie record set by Bob Rule during the 1967–68 season. On April 30, 2008, Associated Press reported that Durant was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2007–08 season.[39]
2008–09 season
Kevin Durant at the House of Hoops.
Following the 2007–08 season, the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Durant was not selected to play in the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, he did take part in two events. On February 13, 2009, Durant led the Sophomore team to a 122–116 victory over the Rookie side at the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. He was crowned the MVP for the game after he set the scoring record with 46 points, breaking the old mark set in 2004 when Suns F-C Amar’e Stoudemire had 36 for the sophomores. The next day, Durant came from behind to win the first ever H-O-R-S-E Competition in NBA All-Star weekend history, beating out Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks and O. J. Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies after getting four quick letters early in the game.
2009–10 season
Entering the season, the team was not expected to compete for a playoff berth; however, led by Durant, they finished the regular season with 50 wins and earned the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The 27-game improvement from the previous year was the sixth biggest turnaround in NBA history.
Durant won the 2010 H-O-R-S-E contest to win his second in a row. He also made his first All-Star Game appearance, and coached the rookies at the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam. He became the youngest in league history to win the scoring title at 21, averaging 30.1 points per game, beating out LeBron James. Durant also set the modern record for most games in a row with at least 25 points, breaking Allen Iverson‘s old record.
On April 18, 2010, Durant made his playoff debut with 24 points in a 79–87 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 32 in a 95–92 loss in game 2, but responded with 29 points and 19 rebounds in a 101–96 win at Oklahoma City. He then went on to put up 22 points in the game four win against the defending champs. In game 5, Durant chipped in 17 points as his team lost, 111–87. Game 6 ended the season for the Thunder as Pau Gasol tipped the ball in for a buzzer-beating basket. The Los Angeles Lakers went on to round 2 of the playoffs as they won 95–94. Durant scored 26 points in his last game of the season.
On May 2, 2010, the NBA announced that Durant finished second in the MVP voting for the 2009–2010 season, behind LeBron James.
Durant joined LeBron James as the forwards on the 2010 All-NBA First Team, alongside Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, as announced by the NBA on May 6, 2010. It was his first selection to an All-NBA team.
2010–11 season
On July 7, 2010, Durant announced on his Twitter page that he signed a 5-year contract extension with the Thunder.The extension is worth about $86 million. For a second straight year, Durant led the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.7 points a game and finished 5th in MVP voting. Durant made his second All-Star appearance, and scored 34 points, helping the West defeat the East 148-143. Durant led the Thunder to 55 wins, and the number four seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder lost in the Western Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.
International career
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for USA | ||
| FIBA World Championship | ||
| Gold | 2010 Turkey | Team competition |
Durant after receiving the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey
In late February 2007, Durant received an invitation to the Team USA Basketball training camp, becoming the second freshman after Greg Oden to achieve this.[46] After playing only a handful of games in the 2007 NBA Summer League, Durant was chosen to play for Team USA and participate in the State Farm USA basketball challenge, alongside NBA all-stars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard.[47] Although Durant held his own in scoring 22 points for the Blue team in one game, he was ultimately dropped when the roster was trimmed to the twelve-player limit.[48] Coach Mike Krzyzewski cited the experience of the remaining players as the deciding factor in making the cut.[48] He was also one of the last cuts to the USA Men’s Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Durant was finally able to represent the USA at 2010 FIBA World Championship and turned out to be the go-to-guy since other stars were unavailable for various reasons. Before the tournament, he downplayed this notion saying “he was another guy on the team.”[49] Eventually, he led Team USA to its first FIBA World Championship since 1994 and was named MVP of the Tournament.[50] Along the way, Durant broke several Team USA scoring records including most points in a tournament (205) and most points in a single game (38). He averaged 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in nine games.
He has expressed interest in playing for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.
Blake Griffin
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| Griffin with the Clippers | |
| No. 32 Los Angeles Clippers | |
|---|---|
| Power Forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | March 16, 1989 (1989-03-16) (age 22) |
| Place of birth | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Oklahoma Christian School (Edmond, Oklahoma) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 251 lb (114 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Oklahoma |
| NBA Draft | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Pro career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| 2009–present | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the head coach. He played college basketball for the University of Oklahoma Sooners and was awarded numerous accolades in his second year including the Naismith College Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy and the John Wooden Award.[1]
Griffin left college after two seasons to enter the 2009 NBA Draft where he was selected first overall by the Clippers. In his first season, he broke his left kneecap, which he injured during the final pre-season game, and underwent surgery missing the entire 2009–10 season. He made his NBA debut as a rookie the following season and was selected as an All-Star, won the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Sports Illustrated ranked him as one of the NBA’s 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time.[2]
Early years
Childhood
Blake Griffin was born on March 16, 1989, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Tommy and Gail Griffin.[3] His father was a basketball center and track standout at NAIA Northwestern Oklahoma State University.[4] Griffin and his older brother, Taylor Griffin, were home-schooled by their mother from first grade until Taylor was in the tenth grade and Blake was in eighth.[5][6][7][8] The Griffin brothers are bi-racial, their father being African-American and their mother Caucasian.[9] Growing up, he was good friends with Sam Bradford, who currently plays for the St. Louis Rams and played on the same Athletes First AAU basketball team with Xavier Henry, now with the New Orleans Hornets.[8][10] Griffin’s parents owned a trophy company that Bradford’s father would use and Bradford’s father owned a gym where Griffin and his brother Taylor played basketball.[11] Apart from basketball, he also played baseball as a first baseman and football as a wide receiver, safety and a tight end.[11][12]
High school
After years of competing against his brother, Taylor, Griffin enrolled at Oklahoma Christian School in 2003, after Taylor. They played under their father, who was the head coach. They played together during the 2003–04 and 2004–05 high school seasons, winning two state high school basketball championships together.[5] In his freshmen year, the Oklahoma Christian Saints posted a perfect 29–0 season and won the Class 3A boys state championship game held at the State Fair Arena against Riverside Indian School, 55–50.[13] In his sophomore year, the Saints repeated as Class 3A state champions, defeating Sequoyah-Tahlequah 51–34, where he scored 12 points to go along with 9 rebounds.[14] The team finished the season with a 24–2 record,[15] while averaging 13.6 points per game and was named to the Little All-City All-State team in what was his final high school season with his brother.[16] After his sophomore year, his brother accepted a scholarship to play college basketball for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. During the summer of 2005, he was a member of the Athletes First AAU team, where he played against Kevin Durant and Ty Lawson‘s AAU team, the DC Blue Devils.[17][18]
During his junior season, the Oklahoma Christian basketball team was moved down to Class 2A from the Class 3A.[19] As he began his third season with the Saints, he was quickly developing into a strong and athletic player,[20] as he led the Saints to a third straight state championship, scoring 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocks, defeating Washington High School 57-40.[21] He was named the state tournament MVP,[22] and finished the season 27–1, whle averaging 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. For his efforts, he was named The Oklahoman Player of the Year and to the Tulsa World Boys All-State First Team.[23] His play attracted the attention of the new basketball head coach for Oklahoma, Jeff Capel, who first heard of him through his brother Taylor.[4] That spring, Capel saw him play for the first time and was impressed with his combination of size, strength and athleticism.[4] Capel liked the fact that Griffin had not yet become a household name among recruiters and recruited him because he felt he was the player he needed to rebuild his tenure with the Oklahoma men’s basketball program.[4] He had been considering Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas,[4] but his brother eventually sold him on joining Oklahoma when he raved about the direction of the Sooners and the chance to play together again for his home state.[24]
Griffin committed to Oklahoma before the start of his senior season[24] and averaged 26.8 points, 15.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.9 blocks per game as a senior while leading the team to a 26–3 record.[3] In a game against Oklahoma City Southeast, he finished with an eye-popping triple-double, 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 10 assists.[25] The Saints advanced through the playoffs, defeating Crescent in the quarterfinals and Foyil in the semifinals to earned a berth in the Class 2A state championship.[26] On March 10, 2007, he played his final high school game in the state title game against Pawnee High School.[16] He registered 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks, as the Saints defeated Pawnee 81–50, winning their fourth straight state title.[5] He was named the Class 2A state tournament MVP for the second consecutive year after averaging 26.6 points per game in the tournament, winning its three games by an average of 30.3 points.[3] During his four-year run, the Oklahoma Christian Saints posted a 106–6 overall record.[27]
Griffin was named the Player of the Year by both the Tulsa World and The Oklahoman and named a Oklahoma Boys All-State First Team, EA Sports All-American Second Team and a Parade Third Team All-American.[25][28] He was ranked as the nation’s #13 high school senior by HoopScoop, #20 by scout.com and #23 by rivals.com,[29] and as the country’s third-best power forward by HoopScoop, sixth by rivals.com and the seventh by scout.com.[3] Additionally, he was the Gatorade Oklahoma Player of the Year and was selected to the McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand All-America teams.[30][31] At the McDonald’s All-American game in Louisville, Kentucky he won the Powerade Jam Fest slam dunk contest.[32]
College career
Griffin while playing at Oklahoma
Griffin was one of the highest rated and most decorated recruits ever at Oklahoma.[3] As a freshman at Oklahoma, he averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds in 28.4 minutes per game and led the Sooners to a 23–12 record.[33] He ranked ninth in scoring, fourth in rebounding and third in field goal percentage in Big 12.[3] In a game against the Kansas Jayhawks, he suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee five minutes into the Sooners game.[34] Less than two months after injuring his left knee, he injured his right knee in a home victory against Texas A&M.[35] The injury this time was torn cartilage, and he had arthroscopic surgery on March 2, 2008.[35] He missed the following game, a victory over in-state rival Oklahoma State Cowboys,[36] but was back on the court a week after the injury with 14 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes versus the Missouri Tigers, a win for the Sooners on their home floor.[33] He was a first-team all-district pick by the USBWA and NABC, and was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team and to the first-team All-Big 12 selection by league coaches and Associated Press.[3] He became the first Sooner to make the conference All-Rookie team since Wayman Tisdale in 1983 for the Big Eight Conference.[37] He was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft but decided to return to college for a second season to give himself time to mature physically and make Oklahoma a contender for the NCAA championship.[6]
In his sophomore season, the Sooners started out the season winning their first 12 games before falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks.[38] In the third game of the season against the Davidson Wildcats, he scored 25 points and grabbed 21 rebounds,[39] after which he scored 35 points and 21 rebounds against Gardner–Webb,[40] becoming the first player in Big 12 history to record back-to-back games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds.[3] This earned him three consecutive Big 12 player of the week honor and finished the season with a record-tying six player of the week honors.[3] In a home victory against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he set career bests for both points and rebounds with 40 points and 23 rebounds,[33] becoming the only player in Big 12 history and the third player in the history of the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball program to score 40 points and get 20 rebounds in the same game, joining Wayman Tisdale (61 points and 22 rebounds in 1983) and Alvan Adams (43 points and 25 rebounds in 1975).[41][42]
On February 21, he received a concussion in a loss to the Texas Longhorns, when he caught an inadvertent shot to the face from the open hand of Texas center Dexter Pittman.[43] He sat out the second half during the Sooners loss with a bloody nose.[43] It was the Sooners’ first loss of their conference schedule for the season.[44] After sitting out the next game, a loss to Kansas Jayhawks, he was cleared by the medical staff and returned a week later to get 20 points and 19 rebounds in a victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.[45] Oklahoma finished second in the conference with a 13–3 record but fell short in the first game of the Big 12 Tournament to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[46] In the “Big Dance“, Oklahoma was seeded No. 2 in the South Region with a 27-5 record.[47] In the second-round win over the Michigan Wolverines, he scored 33 points and grabbed 17 rebounds,[48] just the second player in the 2000s decade with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in the NCAA tournament.[49] However, the Sooners lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the South Regional final.[50]
Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and earned All-American First Team honors.[51] He led the Big 12 in scoring and rebounds, and recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds 15 times, which is a Big 12 record.[3] He also set school and Big 12 single-season records for most rebounds (504), rebounding average (14.4), and double-doubles (30), and his free throw attempts (324) were the most by a Sooner in a single-season.[52][53] With 30 double-doubles during the season, he was one short of the NCAA record of 31 set by David Robinson in 1986–1987.[54] His total of 504 rebounds were the most in a season by an NCAA Division I player since Indiana State‘s Larry Bird had 505 in 1978–79 and his rebounding average of 14.4 was the highest since Wake Forest‘s Tim Duncan averaged 14.7 in 1996–97.[3][55]
For his sophomore year performance, Griffin swept all six of the national player of the year awards. He was a unanimous choice by voters in all nine geographical districts for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and was named Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, receiving 66 of the 71 national media panel members’ votes.[56][57] Griffin was announced as the winner of the prestigious Naismith College Player of the Year on April 5 in Detroit.[58] Three days after announcing that he would turn pro, he won the John Wooden Award as college basketball’s top player.[1] He became the first Oklahoma player in school history to win the Naismith Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, John Wooden Award and the Associated Press player of the year.[1][57] He was also named Player of the Year by the Big 12, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and FoxSports.com.[11]
College statistics
| College | Year | GP | GS | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 2007–08 | 33 | 33 | 28.4 | 14.7 | 9.1 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .85 | .568 | .589 | .0 |
| Oklahoma | 2008–09 | 35 | 35 | 33.3 | 22.7 | 14.4 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | .646 | .590 | .375 |
| Career | 68 | 68 | 31.4 | 18.8 | 11.8 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.05 | .618 | .589 | .300 |
NBA career
Los Angeles Clippers (2009–present)
2009–10: Injured season
On April 7, 2009, Griffin announced that he would give up his final two years of eligibility and declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore year.[59][60] A press conference announcing his decision was aired nationally on ESPNews. He was selected as the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA Draft.[61] Griffin played for the Clippers’ Summer League Team and was named Summer League MVP. In their final preseason game, he injured his kneecap as he landed after a dunk.[62] The day before the 2009–10 season started it was confirmed that Griffin had a stress fracture in his left knee, delaying his NBA debut for seven weeks.[62] After resting the stress fracture for several weeks, tests revealed that his knee was not recovering properly.[63] In January 2010, Griffin had surgery on his broken left kneecap, missing the entire 2009–10 season.[63] In the off season Griffin spent a great deal of time working out with a San Francisco-based trainer.[64]
2010–11: Rookie of the Year
Griffin in a game against the Washington Wizards on March 12, 2011
Since he missed the entire 2009–10 season, Griffin was still considered a rookie during the 2010–11 season.[65] In his debut for the Clippers against the Portland Trail Blazers, Griffin scored 20 points and registered 14 rebounds.[66] He set a franchise record for most consecutive double-doubles with 23 in a home game against the Golden State Warriors.[67] His streak of consecutive double-doubles was the longest rookie double-double streak since 1968,[2] which ended at 27 games on January 19 in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves where he scored 29 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.[68] On January 17, 2011 against the Indiana Pacers, Griffin scored a career-high and set a Clippers record for most points scored by a rookie with 47 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.[69] He became the first rookie to have two 40+ games in his rookie season since Allen Iverson during the 1996–97 season.
Griffin was voted to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game by coaches as a reserve on the Western Conference squad, becoming the first rookie to play in the All-Star game since Yao Ming in 2003 and the first rookie voted to the game by coaches since Tim Duncan in 1998.[70][71] He also participated in the 2011 Rookie Challenge and won the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star break.[72][73] On March 23, 2011, in a double overtime win over the Washington Wizards, Griffin recorded his first career triple-double, 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists,[74] and recorded his second triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, in the final game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies.[75]
During the season, he captured all six of the Western Conference T-Mobile Rookie of the Month, the first time a rookie has swept an entire season of Rookie of the Month awards since Chris Paul during the 2005–06 season.[76] He played in all 82 regular season games and became the first rookie to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand did it in the 1999–00 season.[77] He led all rookies in points, rebounds and double-doubles, earning him the Rookie of the Year award, and was the first unanimous winner for the award since David Robinson in 1990.[78][79] He was also the only unanimous selection to the All-Rookie First Team.[80] In October 2011 Griffin was rated the 10th best player in the NBA by ESPN and the collective TrueHoop Network.[81]
2011-2012
Griffin was voted to the 2012 All Star Game.
Player profile
Griffin hanging on the rim
Standing at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m), Griffin is a power forward. In his rookie year, he averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, becoming just the 20th rookie in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game in the shot clock era.[82] He has established himself as a difficult player to defend, proving to be highly effective coming off the pick and roll, attacking the basket off the dribble, or in the post.[83] His exceptional leaping and ability to establish position down low allowed him to finish in the top 5 in rebounding during his rookie season. Griffin’s rookie season was highlighted by countless spectacular dunks; this prowess for dunking culminated in his winning the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest.
In addition to his athleticism, Griffin has proven himself to be a well rounded big man with above average skills in ball handling and passing.[84] Rob Mahoney, in a January 2011 post in the New York Times basketball blog, singled out Griffin’s playmaking abilities stating, “The overtly dominant aspects of Griffin’s play have made him one of the season’s greatest delights, but his game clearly stretches beyond the scoring and rebounding columns… his passing aptitude should serve as a reminder of the substance in his game. The dunks are great, but it’s his multiple-layered impact that has paved his early road to stardom.”[84] Griffin’s weaknesses remain his jump shooting and free throw shooting, which stands at 64.2% following the conclusion of his rookie season.
Andrew Bynum
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|
| No. 17 Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Center | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | October 27, 1987 (1987-10-27) (age 24) |
| Place of birth | Plainsboro, New Jersey |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Solebury School St. Joseph (New Jersey) West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Pro career | 2005–present |
| Career history | |
| 2005–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American professional basketball center with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.[1][2] Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year. Amidst the 2007–08 season, he suffered an injury on his left kneecap and eventually missed the rest of the season and all of the playoffs. He made a successful return at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. In January 2009, however, he suffered another injury, this time to his right knee. He was able to come back before the playoffs started and was part of the Lakers squad that won the 2009 NBA championship. In the 2010 post-season, Bynum played in every single playoff game with a torn meniscus and strained Achilles tendon and the Lakers repeated as NBA champions against the Boston Celtics.
Early years
Bynum was born in Plainsboro, New Jersey.[3] His parents, Ernest Bynum and Janet McCoy, divorced when he was one year old.[4] He spent summers visiting his father in North Carolina. Bynum has one older brother, Corey.[5][6]
High school
Bynum attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey during his junior and senior year. For most of his freshman year, he attended West Windsor Plainsboro High School North located in Plainsboro, NJ. For the remainder of his freshman year and his sophomore year he attended Solebury School in Solebury, PA.[7] He was in the 2005 McDonald’s All-American game where he tallied 9 points and 5 rebounds.[8] In his junior year of high school Bynum averaged 16.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.0 blocks. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game.[9] During his junior and senior year at St. Joseph High School, Bynum finished his high school career averaging 19.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks in 32 appearances.[10] He originally planned to attend the University of Connecticut; however, the 17-year-old made the decision to go directly into the NBA and made himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft, where he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rookie season
Bynum playing in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
In the 2005 NBA Draft, Bynum was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. At age 17 years, & 244 days, Bynum was 12 days younger than former Indiana Pacers player and current Boston Celtics center, Jermaine O’Neal, the previous youngest player drafted by an NBA team.[11] After selecting him in the draft, the Lakers hired Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to work with Bynum.[12] On November 2, 2005, during the Lakers’ season opener against the Denver Nuggets, Bynum played six minutes and became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at age &1000000000000001800000018 years, &100000000000000060000006 days.[2][13] During the game, he missed his two field goal attempts but had two rebounds and two blocks.[14] In his second season, Bynum was still the youngest player in the league,[15] due to his draft year being the last that a player could be drafted straight out of high school.
In a game against the Miami Heat on January 15, 2006, Bynum matched up against former Laker center Shaquille O’Neal for the first time. At one point, O’Neal dunked over Bynum on a putback attempt. On the next play, Bynum spun past O’Neal and dunked the ball. He then ran down the court and shoved O’Neal with his elbow, who retaliated by elbowing Bynum’s upper chest. Teammate Kobe Bryant quickly stepped in between the two. Both Bynum and O’Neal received technical fouls for the incident.[16]
Bynum showed flashes of dominance but was far from consistent. He had career highs of 16 rebounds and seven blocks on January 26, 2006 against the Charlotte Bobcats. His first career double-double on November 7 included a career-high 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he had 19 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks on January 5 against Denver Nuggets.
2006–07 season
With Lakers centers Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown injured at the start of the 2006–07,[12] Bynum served as their starting center. Bynum scored 18 points and had 9 rebounds in 24 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on October 31, 2006, making seven of his eleven attempts from the field. He appeared in 82 games and started 53 and finished the season with averages of 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, in just over 21 minutes per game. He also averaged 1.6 blocks per game.[17] During the season, the New Jersey Nets were interested in acquiring Bynum for Jason Kidd.[18]
After the season, Coach Pete Newell was impressed with Bynum’s development, and stated that teammate Kobe Bryant should back off on his negative treatment of Bynum on the court.[19] Bryant was also shown on an infamous amateur video saying that center Bynum should have been traded for Kidd.[20][21] The Indiana Pacers also made a trade offer for Bynum.[22] The Lakers would exercise a fourth-year contract option on Bynum.[23]
2007–08 season
Bynum defending Tim Duncan
Bynum’s helped the Lakers start to a 26–11 record, which was at the time the best record in the Pacific Division. Bynum played 35 games and started in 25 games during the season. On Christmas Day against the Phoenix Suns, when he made 11-of-13 shots for 28 points to complement 12 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks.
On January 13, 2008, he suffered an injury during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum partially dislocated his left kneecap when he landed awkwardly on teammate Lamar Odom‘s left foot while attempting to grab a rebound.[24] In March, there were reports that he could return before the end of the 2007–08 season or the first round of the playoffs;[25][26] however, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that he did not foresee Bynum making serious contributions any time soon in April.[27] In May, rumors about his return were put to rest when Bynum underwent arthroscopic surgery on his kneecap.[28] Bynum finished the season with averages of 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks and a .636 field goal percentage.
In September 2008, Bynum said that he was 100% healthy and was ready to participate in training camp, which was scheduled to begin at the end of the month, after working with his trainer.[29] On October 30, 2008, he agreed to sign a 4 year, $58 million contract with the Lakers.[30]
2008–09 season
Bynum set a new career high in scoring with 42 points to go along with 15 rebounds, 8 offensive and 3 blocked shots on January 21, 2009 against the Los Angeles Clippers.[31] On the next night, January 22, versus the Washington Wizards he scored 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds (4 offensive).[32] During a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 27, 2009, in a double overtime loss against the Charlotte Bobcats, Bynum committed a flagrant foul, fracturing the rib and subsequently collapsing the lung of Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats.[33] While playing against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 31, 2009, Kobe Bryant had an off balanced shot, fell and collided with Bynum’s right knee, resulting in a right knee sprain. On February 2, 2009 it was revealed that Bynum had suffered a torn MCL in his right knee and would be out 8–12 weeks. This was the second straight year that Bynum had suffered a knee injury against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum had averaged 26 points and 14 rebounds in his previous five games, posting five straight double-doubles.[34]
On April 9, 2009, Bynum returned in a home game against the Denver Nuggets. He went 0–2 in the first half, but finished with 7–11 by the end of the game. With the 21 minutes that he played, Bynum scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.[35] Bynum and the Lakers would go on to win the 2009 NBA Finals.
2009–10 season
In the 2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.[36] However, he kept on playing, and the Lakers won their second championship in a row.[37] Postponing surgery until after the playoffs, Bynum appeared in all 23 of the Lakers’ playoff games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. Teammate Pau Gasol called Bynum’s “tenacity remarkable. He gave his best. He sacrificed himself in order to help the team and have a better chance to win the championship.”[38]
Before having surgery on his knee, Bynum attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and vacationed in Europe.[39] “It’s not the most serious (injury),” Bynum said of his torn meniscus. “I’m going to get it taken care of, and then everything is supposed to be cool.”[38] Bynum underwent surgery on July 28.[39]
2010–11 season
Bynum and teammate Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) watch a shot along with Manny Harris.
A longer than expected recovery period was needed for Bynum’s surgery that caused him to miss the beginning of the 2010–11 NBA season. Bynum gave the Lakers advance notice hours, not weeks, before the opening of training camp. He acknowledged that his doctor told him in advance that he might need more repair to the knee based on findings once the surgery began. Bynum said he would make the same decision again to delay the surgery until after his vacation, even with the knowledge that it would cost him a portion of the upcoming regular season.[40] Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register and Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated criticized Bynum for his summer activities and not expecting complications based on his history with injuries and recovery time.[40][41]
Bynum came off the bench in his first game of the season on December 14 in a 103–89 win over the Wizards. He finished with 17 minutes, 1-of-5 from the field, seven points, four rebounds and two blocks. “I feel light-years better than back [in Game 7 of 2010 NBA Finals],” he said.[42] In his first 24 games played during the season, Bynum averaged 24.6 minutes per game and 27.4 minutes in 17 games as a starter. Jackson was limiting Bynum’s minutes in an attempt to minimize his risk of injury.[43] At the All-Star break, Jackson discussed with Bynum his primary role to defend and rebound—not score. It was a role Bynum had previously resisted.[44] On March 8, Bynum had his third straight game with at least 16 rebounds and had 50 rebounds and 12 blocks in that span.[45][46] As the Lakers went 8–0 after the All-Star break, Bynum had 10 or more rebounds five times and blocked three or more shots four times while the Lakers held opponents to just 87 points per game. The Lakers revised their defense to have big men no longer were responsible for the perimeter against guards coming off screens, and Lakers’ defenders would instead funnel the plays inside to Bynum.[47] On March 14, Bynum tied his career high in rebounds with 18 against Dwight Howard and the Magic.[48] On March 20, Bynum was suspended for two games by the NBA for a flagrant foul on Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves. On April 5, in a loss to the Utah Jazz, he grabbed a career high 23 rebounds. On April 12 against the San Antonio Spurs, Bynum hyper-extended his right knee [49] A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam revealed he had a bruised knee, and he missed the last game of the regular season.[50] Bynum ended the season averaging 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2.4 blocks after the All-Star break.[44] He returned to the lineup for the start of the playoffs.[51] After the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, 4–2, Hornets head coach Monty Williams said, “Kobe’s Kobe, but I thought Bynum decided the series. He was that good.”[52]
In the Lakers’ second-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Bynum was ejected in the final game of the Mavericks’ four-game sweep for a flagrant foul on J.J. Barea moments after teammate Lamar Odom was ejected for fouling Dirk Nowitzki. Bynum’s actions were condemned by the sports news media, and on May 10, he was suspended four games for the next season and fined $25,000.
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