John Stockton was a 10-time NBA All-Star. He was on the All-NBA first, second, or third team 11 times. John averaged a career double double. He holds the NBA record for the most career assists and steals. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons, games, and consecutive games played with one team.
Gonzaga point guard David Stockton, the son of the Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, obviously has a lot to live up to. He will get a chance to make a big name for himself next season as a sophomore at Gonzaga especially with the departure of starting point guard Demetri Goodson. Goodson, who started 35 games for the Zags last season, has decided to transfer to pursue football.
Goodson's starting job will most likely be filled by David Stockton. Stockton played more and more as the season progressed last year including when he played 28 minutes in the Zags WCC title game against St. Mary's. He even cut into some of Goodson's minutes last year with his stellar play at point. Stockton handles the ball with great court vision as he averaged 2.1 assists in just 15 minutes last season. Stockton only committed 1.1 turnovers per game last season as well. David plays tough, scrappy defense, can shoot the three ball, and shoots well from the floor, as his field goal percentage was at 46 last season.
Rabu, 04 Mei 2011
Thunder Adjust to Guarding Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol
In the Thunder's game 1 loss to the Grizzlies, the Thunder had no answers for the Grizzlies frontcourt. Zach Randolph had 34 points and 10 rebounds, while Marc Gasol added 20 points and 13 rebounds. After the game, Kevin Durant said, "You've got to make them shoot tough shots." Thunder coach Scott Brooks added, "We have got to do a better job of controlling him and making him miss some shots. It's not going to be easy, and we know that going in... we have to do a better job."
Game 2 was a much different story. Zach Randolph was just 2 of 13 from the field and Marc Gasol was just as bad only shooting 3 of 9 from the field. The 5 combined field goals made from Randolph and Gasol was their lowest all season. In game 1, Randolph and Gasol had 23 points on jump shots. In game 2, the Thunder adjusted by not helping off the big men on driving guards. Although Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley scored 24 points, their offense never got going because of the inefficiency of Randolph and Gasol. In game 1, the Grizzlies had 17 offensive rebounds including 7 from Randolph and Gasol. The Grizzlies didn't grab their first offensive rebound in game 2 until there was only 23 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Grizzlies were held to a playoff low 34 points in the paint as well.
Serge Ibaka said, "It's a physical game. We just tried to be more focused and more physical and more aggressive, to get contact first. That's what we did."Scott Brooks added, "I thought we did a good job of coming out in the first quarter with the right defensive mindset. We came out focused on how not to give them [Randolph and Gasol] easy buckets. I thought that set the tone for the game. They [the Grizzlies] scored 17 points in the first quarter, and if I’m not mistaken, they only had four points in the paint and that was an area that we wanted to focus on and make sure we did a better job on. We did that tonight.”
The key to the series will continue to be the interior defense of the Thunder. In games in which Randolph and Gasol have been held to under 10 field goals made the Grizzlies are just 6-11.
NBA's Most Valuable is back in Chicago
Call it the curse of success: when a team does so incredibly well as the Chicago Bulls did in the 90s, a fall from prominence hurts more than, say, a team like the Clippers, who have been more or less un-prominent throughout. And what a decade the 90s were for Chicago! The Bulls won six championships in eight years, were the world's most popular team and the NBA's most feared. And most importantly, they happened to have the man now regarded as the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball, Michael Jordan, who bagged 5 MVP trophies over the course of his career.
The last one of Jordan's MVP awards came in 1998, the year he left the Bulls for good, and the year the team fell back into obscurity. It took a lot more false starts since then, but the Bulls got their shot at resurrection when they drafted local boy Derrick Rose with the first pick of the NBA draft three years ago. The choice couldn't have worked out better for them, as Rose quickly developed into a fascinatingly talented pro, and, as of yesterday, was named the youngest ever MVP of in NBA history. Yes, at 22 years and seven months, Rose is five months younger than Wes Unseld of the Baltimore Bullets who was named MVP in 1969. It is an amazing achievement for a player, who in just three seasons, has achieved what most players fail to achieve in their lifetimes. He has backed up the hype with results: a first pick in the draft is always going to put pressure on a player - especially if he's the leading point guard on his hometown team - but Rose took it with stride, becoming Rookie of the Year in his first season, an all star in his second, and an all star starter and MVP in his third.
Couple Rose's development with the hiring of now Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau for the Bulls, and suddenly, the team that was eighth-seed in the East last year finished with the best record in the entire league, 62-20. Rose finished with averages of 25 points and 7.7 assists per game this season.
What is perhaps most awesome about this award is that Rose ignored the scoffs at the beginning of the season and predicted that he could do it. And what makes it more awesome for me, personally, is that I began to believe him too, and predicted that he could do it mid-season - it seemed like the perfect year, after all - LeBron and Wade were cancelling each other out in South Beach, Durant was sharing a lot of offensive responsibility with Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard was never going to be enough of a leader in my eyes, Kobe was deferring more and more to Gasol and co, Dirk & Chris Paul weren't being consistently brilliant enough in the regular reason, the Spurs and the Celtics had too many good players to single one out, and Amar'e Stoudemire was never going to keep up the great early season play, especially after the Knicks brought in Carmelo Anthony. So on the whole, I think this is a completely deserving award. Unfortunately though, Rose has followed the MVP-caliber regular season with a pretty average post-season, struggling to beat a lowly Pacers squad in 5 games and losing his first game against the Hawks. This is what I call The Curse of MVP - Since Jordan retired from the Bulls in 1998, only two players (Shaq in 2000 and Duncan in 2003) have followed up MVP seasons with Championship seasons. If the curse is true, then the chances for Rose to win a ring this season are slim; on the other hand, LeBron James fans can rejoice, since the former two-time MVP didn't win the award this season but his Miami Heat are looking like favourite for the title so far.
Rose won the award pretty comfortably this year, with 1182 points. Rounding up the top five were Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant.
I read somewhere today that, because of the Jordan-Pippen Bulls, almost everyone who was a child back in their 90s era has a little bit of a Bulls fan in them - if that is the case, that little bit of a Bulls fan can have a little celebration over the Bulls' resurgence and their new leader. Now, Rose, Thibodeau, Noah, Boozer, Deng and co have to get serious about things if they plan on adding another championship and spawning a new generation of worldwide fans.
Selasa, 03 Mei 2011
TJ Sahi: 'Air India' still taking flight
There are few personalities in Indian basketball as simultaneously exciting and enigmatic, unifying and divisive, and polarising in every sense of the word, as Talwinderjit Singh “TJ” Sahi. Fans know of him as the explosive dunker, as the man with one of the quickest crossover dribbles in the country, as a man who stood face to face against Chinese superstar Yi Jianlian. And they know him as the same man who has suffered years of being boxed away from the elite status due a host of personal and professional problems, as the rebel of Indian Basketball.
During the Indian All Star Game and the Ramu Memorial Tournament in Mumbai a few weeks ago, I finally got my chance to spend some time and speak to TJ.TJ Sahi is anything but bashful – but it’s not considered bragging if you can back it up. TJ was the first player in Indian Basketball to borrow the streetball game and bring it to the elites. But like many stories of Indian basketball stars, the journey didn’t exactly begin with basketball.
Born into a family of athletes, and to a father, a national record holder in Decathlon, who encouraged him to take up track and field, TJ rebelled for the first time. “When I was only around 10 years old, my father wanted me to focus on running, and then allowed us to take time off later by playing other sports,” says TJ, “My brother and I discovered a basketball court nearby and started to compete against several American players. It was exciting and brought me into the game.”
It was playing with the Americans that the streetball swagger came into TJ’s game. Always undersized (he stands at 6 foot 1 inch now), TJ had his doubters, who told him that he could never be good enough to dominate a basketball game. This is when he found his perfect idol in the NBA: Allen Iverson.
“I used to spend day and night watching Iverson highlights,” said TJ, “He is my inspiration – I would try to copy his moves into my game as much as possible. Like me, he was also very small, but he didn’t let that stop him – he became one of the most dominating players in the league and even won an MVP award.”Shades of AI are clearly present in TJ: The quick first step, the deadly crossover dribble, the fearless drives to the basket, the pound-for-pound toughness on court that Iverson exhibited in his heydays. “I was the first one to start copying the NBA players in India!” grinned TJ, “And then the rest started copying me here.”
And then, his legend grew – TJ finally got his break as a Junior for Punjab in 2004, and it here that he played the tournament of his life. In a knockout game of this competition, due to an injury to the starting point guard, TJ got his chance to step on the court for his team. With his first move, he broke his defender of off a quick dribble and attacked the basket, laying it in for an easy two. He didn’t look back after that, going for 38 points in the second quarter alone and then riding his confidence all the way to the tournament’s final.
The early returns were great: following on his older brother’s footsteps, TJ also made his entry into the Indian national team. He represented the country in several Asian tournaments since then, including being part of the squad that played at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
TJ’s basketball career in India came to a screeching, temporary halt a few years ago – he had decided to follow his older brother to the US to explore other opportunities. It was during this exile from India that he found hoops again on the other side of the world.
In San Jose, California, TJ began to make a name for himself once again. He played for several local leagues, especially leagues featuring Indians in California, and the dominating spring in his step returned. He played in several recreational tournaments around the state, and his explosive above-the-rim play earned him the ‘Air India’ moniker.But after two years, a tragedy back in his home country brought the ‘Air’ back to ‘India’. “My father passed away in 2008, leaving my mother alone – both me and my older brother were in California. My mother’s health became worse and she suffered some close calls. I realised that I would have to return home to take care of her."
The homecoming also presented an opportunity for TJ to reignite his Punjab basketball career. As a regular for the side, he has become one of the most popular players in the state and across the country. He was recently named to one of the sides at the Indian All Star Game, and a night before participated in the three-point shooting and dunk competitions. It was here, that, TJ achieved the incredible: grabbing an alley-oop to dunk over a kali-peeli taxi.
Today, he remains one of the most potent weapons for the talented Punjab team, leading from the point and scoring buckets at a high volume. With his all-time favourite Iverson now fading his career away in Turkey, TJ has a new favourite now, another small, tough, fiery scorer.
“Derrick Rose,” says TJ, “He is the best player now – He is fast and athletic – he plays with his heart, and is the most like Iverson right now.”
TJ’s fan-base will certainly be hoping that TJ’s career curve doesn’t end the way Iverson’s did, and instead, is re-ignited the way that Rose has started his. TJ has had his past problems with authority, with coaches, and even with teammates, but when it comes to the game of basketball, he remains loyal and disciplined.
“I have gone through a lot of troubles in my life, and it was all for basketball,” TJ said, “I am what I am today because of the game. People recognise me for what I have done on the court. If you take basketball away from me, I am zero.”At the Ramu Memorial Tournament, after the first day of games, TJ saw that his on-court accomplishments had found him an unexpected fan. “Even the man who was sweeping the court after the game approached me and complimented my game,” said TJ, “It feels good that all this has happened because of basketball.”
In Mumbai, a city where Indian basketball is adorned and its stars readily recognised, TJ continues to see a burgeoning fan base. At the Indian All Star Game in Nagpada, more than a dozen young kids crowded around him, seeking advice and inspiration.
He talks to the kids about how to become a better jumper, a better dribbler, but more than anything, he talks to them about heart. “To be all you can be, you need to believe, deep down in your heart, that you’re better than your opponent,” he tells an aspiring young baller.
But apart from the occasional words with the kids, TJ spends his pre-game time alone, practicing and psyching himself up, all by himself. He tells me that he realises how important it is to be an athlete before becoming a basketball player, something that his track-and-field background has taught him well. He also realises that unlike a 100 meter dash, where all that can come between him and victory is his own potential, he has to rely on four other players on the court to win in a basketball game.
“Sometimes I do wish to go back to focus on running,” says TJ, “If I get a chance, I will participate in track-and-field again – but ultimately, there’s nothing better than basketball.”
“Basketball has a good future in India – a lot more can be done now. I dream of participating in an IPL-style league in India, and hope that more people around the country can watch the best Indian players in action.”
Until the day arrives that you can see ‘Air India’ take flight regularly on your TV sets – here’s some advice – head out to the court the next time TJ Sahi is in town. As his performance at the Indian All Star Weekend showed, you never know when he will have you jumping off the edge of your seats!
Senin, 02 Mei 2011
The best-paid teams in all sports
A year ago, I wrote about the results of the Global Sports Salaries Survey, a survey conducted by sportingintelligence.com that revealed the world's best paid teams... in all sports. On its way, the survey also went on the reveal the league's with the highest average salary.
A few weeks ago, the results for the 2011 Global Sports Salaries Survey were revealed - and the results are interesting indeed. Some of the top football, basketball, and even cricket teams in the world are represented from league's like Primera Liga (football), NBA (basketball), and IPL (cricket). Baseball team New York Yankees of the MLB were the world's best paid team last year, but Spanish footballing duo of Barcelona and Real Madrid have since overtaken them for the top spot.
The richest NBA team is the Los Angeles Lakers, who are fourth in the overall list behind Barca, Madrid, and the Yankees - no surprises there, since the Lakers are not only the most popular team worldwide but also two-time champions. What is surprising, though, are the next three basketball teams on the list - Magic (5), Nuggets (9), and Jazz (11) - I would've expected someone else to be ranked higher. The Celtics come in at 15th on the all teams list.
And about our Indian cricket leagues? Well, they seemed to have fallen far behind. Last year, the Royal Challengers Bangalore of the IPL were 12th on the list. This year, they are still the richest IPL team, but have fallen to 26th. So here is the top 12 for 2011 - a detailed list of the top 200 is available on ESPN-The Magazine website:
1. Barcelona (La Liga)
2. Real Madrid (La Liga)
3. New York Yankees (MLB)
4. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
5. Orlando Magic (NBA)
6. Chelsea (EPL)
7. Inter Milan (Serie A)
8. Boston Red Sox (MLB)
9. Denver Nuggets (NBA)
10. Manchester City (EPL)
11. Utah Jazz (NBA)
12. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Any more surprises? Barcelona, the leaders, pay an average annual salary per of $7,910,737 per player. Manchester United, one of the most famous teams in football (real football, soccer football), rank 16th. Liverpool are 20th. The two best NBA teams, in terms of record this season, are 42nd (Bulls) and 43rd (Spurs). The NBA, who crowd the majority of the top half of the top 200, leads as the league with the highest average salary in the world, which is about an average of $4.79 million per year or $92,199 per week, sportingintelligence.com said.
SportingIntelligence also did a survey of global attendances, to mark the best attended outdoor and indoor leagues in the world. Amongst outdoor sports, the top five are the NFL (American Football - USA), Bundesliga (Football - Germany), AFL (Aussie Rules Football - Australia), EPL (Football - England), and MLB (Baseball - USA). India's IPL comes in at 10th. The NBA continues to be the best attended indoor sports league in the world.
The lesson from all this? Sport pays. And basketball is one of the richest. The IPL has shown that it has the lucrative backing to eke a space for itself amongst the top leagues, even though cricket isn't a worldwide sport like football or basketball is. India is just that crazy a market, and it's another sign that maybe, if basketball is marketed the right way, it could have a positive future in India.
Langganan:
Komentar (Atom)