James is King of NBA - 2008-09 MVP

Lebron James was crowned with the NBA's prestigious MVP award on Monday May 4th, 2009, giving him yet another achievement worthy of his superstar resume. The King received 109 of 121 possible first place votes, getting 1,172 total points from media members in both the United States & Canada. Coming in second was last year's MVP, Kobe Bryant, followed by Dwyane Wade, Orlando's Dwight Howard and New Orleans Hornet, Chris Paul. What makes this award so impressive is that King James the new MVP has achieved it at the very young age of 24.

James was scheduled to receive his MVP award in the same high school gym where he began his famed career. The media were already placing heaps of responsibility and accolades upon the young man before he even laced up his signature Nikes or shot a jumpshot as a Cleveland Cavalier. Now, James and his Cavs are poised for a possible run at the NBA title.

Lebron also joins two other high school ballers turned pro and won the MVP award: Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. Bryant & James continue to be compared by basketball fanatics as to who the current best in the game is. For this moment in time and the regular season, it may be Lebron, but that question may be restated if there's a Lakers-Cavs NBA Finals.

2007-08 NBA All-Rookie Teams

On Wednesday, the NBA unveiled its 2007-08 NBA All-Rookie Squads. Rookie of the Year winner, Kevin Durant of the Seattle Sonics headed up the team and was joined by Al Horford of the Hawks. Horford was the only unanimous selection on the first team. Durant enjoys the selection as well as his ROY award, despite a 20-62 record in Seattle this season. The Sonics look to move their team and future star to Oklahoma City next season. Also on the first team were Luis Scola from the Rockets, Jeff Green, who is Durant's Seattle teammate, and Clippers forward Al Thornton.

2007-08 All-Rookie Squad:

Kevin Durant (Sonics)
Jeff Green (Sonics)
Al Horford (Hawks)
Luis Scola (Rockets)
Al Thornton (Clippers)

The All-Rookie Second Team includes the likes of Toronto's Jamario Moon, Houston's Carl Landry, Detroit's Rodney Stuckey, Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young and Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro of Memphis.

2007-08 All-Rookie 2nd Team:

Carl Landry (Rockets)
Jamario Moon (Raptors)
Juan Carlos Navarro (Memphis)
Rodney Stuckey (Pistons)
Thaddeus Young (Sixers)

Read more here about the All-Rookie teams.

2007-08 NBA All-Defensive Team

On Tuesday the NBA unveiled its 2007-08 All-Defensive Team. League MVP Kobe Bryant was on the first team along with another MVP candidate from the past season, the Celtics Kevin Garnett. Rounding out the team were Denver's Marcus Camby, Spurs' Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan.

KG and Kobe each received 24 first-place votes from NBA coaches. The second team consisted of Shane Battier (Rockets), Chris Paul (Hornets), Dwight Howard (Magic), Tayshaun Prince (Pistons) and Raja Bell (Suns).

Several of the names above are still active in the playoffs with the Celtics, Pistons, Spurs, Lakers and Hornets potentially the final 4 for this year's postseason.

Source: Associated Press

Kobe's the 2007-08 NBA MVP!

It's official, your 2007-08 NBA MVP is the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant. I'm in agreement that it's been a long time coming for Kobe to win this award. He's been in a league of his own for many seasons. However, this season I felt that maybe Chris Paul deserved it just a slight bit more. His performance to lift the Hornets to the level they were at was pretty impressive this past season. I expected them to compete in the West, but maybe at the bottom. Instead they are one of the top 2 in the West and right now lead the Spurs 2-0.

That's not to say what Kobe did shouldn't win him the award. But a consideration is the fact the Lakers brought in Pau Gasol mid-season. Gasol helped take the load off Kobe and gives so much to the team. So to think Kobe had less to work with would be absurd. Chris Paul does have guys like Peja, Mo Pete and David West, but I would rank Gasol and Lamar Odom over those guys in terms of all around play. I'd give the Lakers the edge in talent that Kobe had at his side.

I heard one other analyst say something about how Kobe started off prior to the season wanting a trade and being blah about the current Lakers team. Then he emerged to lead the way and unite the team. I don't think that's cause for an MVP award. Luckily, Kobe puts up the stats to back up his award winning season.

A tie still may have been the way to decide this award with Kobe and Paul hoisting the MVP award up together if and when they meet next round. The two teams finished close enough at the top of the West to warrant it.

Kevin Durant is 2007-08 NBA ROY

Congrats to the young fellow. On Thursday, the Seattle Sonics (possibly the Oklahoma City Sonics) Kevin Durant was named the 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year. The standout 1st year player led all rookies in scoring (20.3) and total assists, despite his team missing the playoffs. Durant was one of the few rookies constantly showing up in ESPN Sportscenter highlights with rim-rattling dunks. Second place went to the Hawks Al Horford who is currently enjoying a nice debut in the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. During his ROY award ceremony, Durant reflected on a fallen mentor, his AAU coach Charles Craig who died 3 years ago.

This for Charles Craig, he said.

"Yesterday when I found out that I won it, that was the same day three years ago that my AAU coach died," Durant said. "I just want to give it to him to show how much I worked hard."

Craig, Durant's former AAU basketball coach, was shot and killed April 30, 2005. He was 35 when he died, and Durant wears the No. 35 to honor his memory.

Read more at Seattle Times.

Durant may soon be adding another jersey to tear off under his Seattle one in his latest NBA store ad. The team is still in litigation to move to Oklahoma City where Mr. Durant will be the team leader next season. In good news the coach PJ Carlesimo has vowed to return to the sidelines next season, wherever the team may be playing.

Now questions are raised if Trailblazer Greg Oden is a lock for the award in 2008-09. Oden missed the entire past season due to knee/leg surgery. Next season will officially be his rookie year in the league, and it's hard to see any other drafted players outplaying the towering force in Portland.

NBA Winners & Riley Resigns

On Monday, Hedo Turkoglu won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for his 2007-08 season with the Orlando Magic. To help celebrate the award, Hedo's Magic team and he defeated the Toronto Raptors 102-92 and made them the 1st team eliminated from the playoffs. Dwight Howard had a monstrous stat line of 21 points along with a matching 21 rebounds. Turkoglu had 12 points, 8 boards and 9 assists. This is the first time Orlando has advanced to Round 2 in 12 years. Chris Bosh had 16 points and 9 rebounds for Toronto who has never won a best of 7 series.

Elsewhere, Atlanta impressed yet again with a 2nd consecutive win over the NBA "heavyweight" Boston Celtics. That series is now tied at 2-2 and raising questions about just how much of a powerhouse this Boston team really is. Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce all found themselves in foul trouble early on. Joe Johnson scored 20 points in the 4th quarter and the Hawks pulled it out 97-92. Ray Allen had 20 and KG 21 points in the losing effort. Read more about the game at Associated Press.

Kobe Bryant recorded 31 points in a Game 4 victory to sweep the Denver Nuggets out of the playoffs. The Nuggets may be the most disappointing of first rounders, as they are the only team to be swept and seemed to not even show up. A 107-101 loss booted them from contention. Anthony and Iverson each had over 20 points in the losing effort.

In coaching news, Pat Riley has resigned as coach of the Miami Heat after this year's extremely disappointing season. The Heat failed to make the NBA playoffs despite continued attempts by Riley to call out his team in the media. Riley will remain as team president for Miami. On the flipside, New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott is rumored to be the winner of this year's NBA Coach of the Year award. It may make more sense than Doc Rivers winning it, since Doc had a lot more All-star talent to work with. If Scott wins Coach of the Year, his young point guard Chris Paul may soon follow it up with the NBA MVP award.

KG is 2008 NBA Defensive POY

Congratulations go out to Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics. KG aka the "Big Ticket" has earned this year's "Defensive Player of the Year" award for the NBA. The forward was traded from the TWolves to Boston prior to the 2007-08 season in a huge multi-player deal. KG and the Celtics never looked back as they steamrolled through the NBA competition this season, en route to the best record in the league, after beating every single NBA team.

From Boston Globe:

Kevin Garnett became the first player in Celtics history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, which was instituted in 1983.

Garnett, an 11-time All-Star, received 493 votes, including 90 first-place, 12 second-place and seven third-place votes, from a panel of 124 writers and broadcasters in the United States and Canada.

"Dealing with so much history already with this organization, obviously it's a big achievement," Garnett said after today's practice as the Celtics prepare to play the Hawks in Game 2 Wednesday of their first-round series. "I know this is getting cliche for ya'll [media] ... Obviously, it's an individual award. But I won't take this credit. It's for the team and I'll continue to let ya'll know that. If it was individual or different, or if I was playing tennis or golf, I'd obviously say that.

"But this is a team effort, man. It's an individual award, but it wouldn't mean anything without the team and the teammates that I have and the coaching staff. I have to give credit where credit is due."

Now KG can add the Defensive POY award to his achievements which may also include NBA MVP, Finals MVP and the ultimate prize: an NBA Championship ring. In the words of the latest Gatorade KG commercial, will he Be History or Make History

Also see: Manu Ginobili Wins 6th Man Award.

Manu Ginobili is 2007-08 NBA 6th Man

Congratulations go out to the San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili. According to NBA.com, the valuable reserve has won this year's Sixth Man of the Year Award.

From NBA.com:

As part of its support of the Sixth Man Award, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV on behalf of Ginobili to Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives of San Antonio which is committed to caring for children in crisis. Each winner of the four year-end awards presented by Kia Motors will receive a Borrego on behalf of the player’s charity of choice.

A sixth man in 51-of-74 games played this season, Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with a career-high average of 19.5 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.47 steals. He increased his scoring nearly 6.0 points over his career average entering this season (13.7 ppg). He is also the only player in the NBA to average at least 17 points in under 32.0 minutes per game.

Ginobili is the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 31 for points per game (31st), steals (16th), assists (28th), three-point field goals made (156, 16th), three-point field goal percentage (.401, 28th), free throws made (380, 16th) and free throw percentage (.860, 16th).

Top 10 Players in 2007-08 6th Man Voting:

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio
Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
Jason Terry, Dallas
Kyle Korver, Utah
Ben Gordon, Chicago
Josh Childress, Atlanta
J.R. Smith, Denver
James Posey, Boston
Jason Maxiell, Detroit
Travis Outlaw, Portland

Not only did Ginobili win, but he did it unanimously, receiving 123 1st place votes. No other player received any first place votes, except Leandro Barbosa of Phoenix who received just 1.

Read more about Ginobli and the Sixth Man Award at NBA.com.

Nash & Wade's Caring Contributions

Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash are two of the NBA's top point guards on the court, but off the court their contributions are just as mighty. The two basketball superstars were recently profiled in USA Weekend, as they were chosen to be amongst the 2007 Most Caring Athletes. Both men give back a lot in terms of time, money and effort to their communities as well as other parts of the country and in other countries. USA Weekend discusses the photo shoot the two stars had as well as their charitable work,

From USA Weekend:

"Wade launched his, Wade's World Foundation, in his rookie year. "I just liked the sound of the name," he says, in a playful mood. " 'Wade's World! Wade's World!' Just like the two guys in the movie Wayne's World."

Wade's World hosts an annual, week-long free summer camp for 600 kids in Robbins. It also stages an annual Christmas party for 250 children in South Florida at a local amusement park. And after the Heat won the championship in 2006, Wade chartered two buses from Miami to take 100 local children to Disney World for free. He partnered with Staples on a park improvement program in South Florida. And, this past winter holiday, he donated shoes and clothes to Katrina victims.

Nash's activities include supporting AIDS awareness efforts in Vancouver; meeting with cancer patients in New York before a Suns/Knicks game; refurbishing basketball courts for young people in Phoenix; and a fundraising campaign for Hospital de Clinicas in Asuncion, Paraguay, one of that country's oldest hospitals."

Read the full USA Weekend article here.

D-Wade Gets the Assist Award

Dwyane Wade continues to set great examples as an NBA All-Star, Champion and all-around great guy. Wade who is still recovering from shoulder surgery was presented the "Community Assist Award" for his outstanding community service initiatives and giving back.

From NBA.com:

"In recognition of Dwyane Wade’s outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic work, the NBA has honored the Miami HEAT guard with the Community Assist Award for August.

Despite his busy summer working his way back from knee and shoulder surgery, Wade hosted seven community outreach initiatives, five of which were part of “A Week of Wade's World in South Florida,” during the month of August.

“I just think I’m a person who has an opportunity to let his voice be heard and help people,” said Wade. “Right now, people want to listen to what I have to say. Why not use it to make a difference, especially with kids.”"

Read the full NBA.com article here.

Hopefully young players in high schools and prep programs across the nation will continue to look up to D-Wade not just as an athlete but for his selflessness off the court.