Name	Karl Malone
Caption	"The Mailman"
Height ft	6
Height in	9
Weight lbs	265
Number	11, 32
Position	Power forward
Nationality	American
Birth date	July 24, 1963
Birth place	Summerfield, Louisiana
College	Louisiana Tech
Draft round	1
Draft pick	13
Draft team	Utah Jazz
Draft year	1985
Former teams
Career start	1985
Career end	2004
Awards
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	36,928
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	14,968
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	5,238
Hof player	karl-malone

}} Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player.

Born in Summerfield, Louisiana, he was nicknamed The Mailman in college for his consistency ("the mailman always delivers") and his work in the post. Malone twice won the National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player award. He is generally considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, and has scored the second most points (36,928) in NBA history, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

On May 30, 2007, Malone was named director of basketball promotions and assistant strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech University.

Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) as the star player for the Utah Jazz, forming a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. He played one season (2003–04) for the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring.

Malone's jersey was retired on March 23, 2006, when the Jazz hosted the Washington Wizards. He was also honored with the unveiling of a bronze statue outside the EnergySolutions Arena next to teammate John Stockton, and the renaming of a portion of 100 South in Salt Lake City in his honor. The location where the statues stand is now the intersection of Stockton and Malone.

NBA career

Malone was chosen by the Jazz in 1985 out of Louisiana Tech with the 13th overall pick in the draft. Malone's first season was a success, averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds. After his rookie season, the Jazz saw in him the potential to be the cornerstone of their offense. They traded star forward Adrian Dantley to the Detroit Pistons and decided to build around Malone. Malone later upped his production to 21.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.

At the same time, reserve point guard John Stockton was winning the trust of the coaching staff and the love of the fans. By the 1987–88 season, Malone was the foundation of the offense and Stockton was the floor general. Malone made his first All-Star Game in 1988 on the strength of 27.1 points per game, and made his first All-NBA team at the end of the season. This was the first of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances for Malone. The Jazz went 47–35, third in the Midwest Division, and defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Jazz took on the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the next round, who were led by perennial All-Stars Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, losing in seven games. Malone scored 29 points per game in that postseason.

The next year, Malone averaged 29.1 points, good for second in the NBA behind Michael Jordan, and 10.7 rebounds, which was fifth in the league. At the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, Malone finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists en route to his first All-Star MVP. The Jazz finished 51–31, but were swept in three games in the first round by the Golden State Warriors. The next year Malone increased his scoring to 31 points and his rebounding to 11.1 a game, but the Jazz were once again eliminated in the first round, this time by the Phoenix Suns.

For the time Malone and Stockton played together on the Jazz, the two formed one of the most productive guard–forward combinations in NBA history. Playing coach Jerry Sloan's scrappy and tough style and perfecting the pick and roll to a maximum degree of efficiency, the Jazz regularly made the playoffs with a winning record. Malone led the Jazz to multiple 50-win seasons with the exception of 1992–93 (47–35).

Through this time, Malone continued to put up stellar numbers, averaging 28/11.2, 27/11.2, 25.2/11.5, 26.7/10.6 and 25.7/9.8 from 1992 to 1996. The Jazz only made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in this period, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers (1992), the Houston Rockets (1994) and the Seattle SuperSonics (1996).

During the 1996-97 season, Malone put up a resurgent 27.4 points per game while leading the Jazz to a 64–18 record, the highest win total in Malone's 12 seasons with the Jazz. The Jazz had the best record in the Western Conference and the second-best in the league, with Malone winning his first NBA Most Valuable Player award. After sweeping the Los Angeles Clippers and defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz took on the Houston Rockets, led by the aging trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Clyde Drexler. The Jazz beat them in six games (the last victory coming on a last-second shot by Stockton). Malone finally got to the Finals in 1997, where they played the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. In a matchup of the two previous MVPs, the Bulls took the first two games at the United Center. Malone struggled from the field, going 6 of 20 for 20 points in Game Two. However the Jazz won the next two games at the Delta Center behind Malone's 37 points in Game 3 and 23 in Game 4, including a game-winning fastbreak lay-up off a spectacular assist by Stockton in the last minute. The Bulls took the next two games and the series, with Malone struggling from the foul line in the pivotal Game 6.

The next season saw the Jazz once again dominate. Malone put up 27 points per game and just missed out on his second MVP award, losing to Jordan. Nevertheless, the Jazz posted a 62–20 record, which was the best in the NBA. The Jazz once again were seated at the top of the Western Conference, and in the 1998 playoffs they defeated the Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers (via a sweep) en route to their second consecutive Finals appearance. The rematch with the Chicago Bulls would start differently, as Malone put up 21 points and the Jazz won Game 1, 88–85. Malone found himself unable to put up consistently high numbers, due in large part to the swarming defense of defenders Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. Despite Malone's 31 points in Game 6, the Bulls won the game and the series.

In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Malone won his second MVP award and the Jazz went 37–13. They lost in the second round to the Trail Blazers, and for the next several years the Jazz fell out of title contention. Despite the decline of his team and his advancing age, Malone averaged 25.5, 23.2, 22.4, and 20.6 points per game in his last four seasons with Utah. In the 2002–2003 season, Malone passed Wilt Chamberlain for second on the all-time scoring list with 36,374 points. He became a free agent in 2003, after which Stockton had retired.

Malone played in the NBA for one more season, joining the Los Angeles Lakers in an attempt to win a championship, the only major achievement absent in his career. His bid failed as the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Malone sprained his right knee and played injured for four games in the Finals before missing Game Five, with the Lakers down 3–1 and the series almost over. Although several NBA teams (including the Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves and Spurs) sought his services for the 2004–05 season, Malone decided to retire on February 13, 2005. The Jazz retired his number 32 jersey in his honor.

Achievements and awards

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Most free throws attempted and made in NBA history.

First all-time in defensive rebounds, and second all-time on the NBA career scoring list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Both Malone and Stockton were selected to be a part of the Dream Team, the legendary 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team that was the first to feature professional NBA players. He won Olympic gold medals in 1992 and 1996.

Won NBA Most Valuable Player Award twice (1997 and 1999).

Voted in 1996 to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list.

Voted to 11 All-NBA first teams, two second teams and one third team.

Voted an All-Star 14 times. MVP of the All-Star game in 1989 and co-MVP in 1993 with Stockton.

Voted to three NBA All-Defensive first teams and one second team.

Malone was ranked #18 on Slam Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of all time in 2009.

Played in 1476 games (fourth all-time), averaging 37.2 minutes, 51% shooting from the floor, 74% from the free throw line, 25.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.41 steals per game.

His 1434 games played in a Jazz uniform are second most all-time (to Stockton's 1504) for games played for a single franchise in NBA history.

His 1412 games played with Stockton are an all-time record for teammates in NBA history.

Recorded a record-eleven consecutive seasons in which he scored at least 2,000 points.

His jersey number (#32) was retired by the Utah Jazz on March 23, 2006.

Player profile

Malone is regarded as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA. He collected two regular-season MVP Awards, eleven NBA First Team nominations and was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team three times.

Malone led the NBA in free throws made a league-record seven times. He was a physical defender and rebounder, and one of the most durable players ever in the NBA, missing a total of only five regular season games in his first 13 years in the league. He maintained a high level of play even at age 40, becoming the oldest player to both log a triple-double and to be a starter on an NBA Finals-bound team. Malone's work ethic showed prominently in his formative years in the NBA where he raised his free throw shooting percentage from below 50% to 75%. He also added a long range jump shot which made him difficult to defend.

Malone wore number 32 for the Utah Jazz. He wore number 11 for the Los Angeles Lakers (number 32 was retired honoring Magic Johnson, though Johnson himself offered to have it unretired for Malone to wear, an offer Malone refused) and also for the Dream Team (the players wore 4 to 15 to adhere to FIBA rules).

Over 1,476 NBA games (fourth all-time), and 1,471 starts (most all-time, never coming off the bench after his rookie season), Malone scored 36,928 points (25.0 per game), second-best all-time, on .516 shooting. His high field goal percentage benefited from three factors, namely, the pick-and-roll offense; his physical power, enabling him to overpower most forwards, and his ability to run the court, allowing him to convert fastbreak dunks and lay-ups off assists by Stockton. Malone notched 10.1 rebounds and 1.41 steals per game for his career. In addition, Malone played 1,412 games with Stockton, most all time for two players on the same team, and missed just eight games out of a possible 1,442 games during his time with the Jazz (3 because of suspension)..

Notable games

Malone was named Most Valuable Player of the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, finishing the contest with 28 points and 9 rebounds.

On January 27, 1990, Malone scored a career-high 61 points in a 144-96 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. He made 21 of 26 field goals and 19 of 23 free throws. It was the most points scored by a Jazz player since the team moved to Utah from New Orleans. By playing only 33 minutes, Malone became the third player in NBA history to score at least 60 points while playing less than 40 minutes in a game. The others are Jerry West (63 points in 39 minutes on January 17, 1962) and George Gervin (63 points in 33 minutes on April 9, 1978). Kobe Bryant is the fourth and latest player to have achieved this feat, and is the only player to do so twice (62 points in 33 minutes on December 20, 2005, and 61 points in 36 minutes on February 2, 2009, while also breaking Madison Square Garden scoring record).

Malone scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, sharing the game's MVP honors with teammate John Stockton.

Against the Golden State Warriors on March 29, 1994, Malone set a career high with 23 rebounds (11 offensive, 12 defensive).

Malone posted his first career triple-double with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 2, 1996.

On May 11, 1997, in a playoff game against the Lakers, Malone made 18 of 18 free throws, breaking the NBA record for most free throw attempts without a miss in a single playoff game. He finished with 42 points.

Malone scored 50 points and added 12 rebounds in a playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics on April 22, 2000. The 50 points set a Jazz franchise playoff record, and at 36 years of age, he became the oldest player to score 50 points or more in a playoff game.

On November 30, 2003, while playing with the Lakers, Malone became the oldest NBA player ever to post a triple-double (at age 40). He totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in just 26 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs.

With his 30-point, 13-rebound performance April 25, 2004, at Houston, Malone became the oldest player in playoff history to score 30 points in a game and only the second player over age 40 to reach the 30-point mark in a postseason contest. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first.

Personal

Malone has been married to the former Kay Kinsey, winner of the 1988 Miss Idaho USA pageant, since December 24, 1990. They have four children: daughter Kadee (born 1991), daughter Kylee (born 1993), son Karl, Jr. (born 1995), and daughter Karlee (born 1998).

In 1998, the tabloid newspaper The Globe reported that Malone had been a defendant in paternity lawsuits, filed shortly after Malone began his professional basketball career in the late 1980s, which alleged that he was the father of three children by two women from his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana: Demetrius Bell and twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford. Malone was 17 when the Ford twins were born to Bonita Ford, who was approximately the same age. However, when 20-year-old Malone conceived Demetrius, Gloria Bell was only 13. The Salt Lake Tribune conducted a follow-up investigation and reported that in the aftermath of the Globe story, Malone had met with the Ford twins for the first time since visiting them in the hospital after they were born. Malone did not meet with Bell at that time, and Malone's attorney insisted that Malone had settled the lawsuits prior to any conclusive establishment of paternity, and thus still did not know whether he was truly the father of any of the children.

The Tribune confirmed that the judge in the Bell lawsuit ruled Malone to be the father, not based on presented evidence, but rather because Malone did not respond to the suit. However, the paper also examined court documents detailing the evidence that was to have been presented had Malone responded and a trial ensued. One of the items listed was a laboratory blood test which concluded with over 99 percent certainty that Bell's father was either Malone or a brother of Malone. The paper also reported that applying that same blood sample to the Ford twins resulted in a similarly high probability of paternity by Malone. According to the Tribune, Malone challenged the court's ruling with regard to Bell, claiming that the judgment holding him responsible for $125 per week in child support, plus past and future medical expenses, was excessive. Before Malone's appeal was adjudicated, the lawsuit was settled on confidential terms. In the case regarding the Ford twins, Malone was ruled to be their father when he violated a court order by refusing to reveal his assets or submit to a DNA test. Thereafter, another out-of-court settlement was reached. Since that time, Karl Malone has maintained a relationship with the twins, each of whom later played college basketball at his alma mater of Louisiana Tech University. Cheryl Ford went on to a professional basketball career with the Detroit Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association.

To date, Malone has made no public comment with regard to Bell, who is now an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. In 2008, The Buffalo News reported that Bell's first and only meeting with Malone came shortly after Bell graduated from high school. According to Bell, Malone told him at that time that it was "too late" for them to have a father-son relationship.

Malone is a registered Republican who has made contributions to the campaign of George W. Bush and other conservative causes. He is a staunch supporter of the US military presence in Iraq and has expressed anger that politicians have accused American troops abroad of abuse, saying that "Congress and the senators need to be slapped around for saying it."

Malone is an avid hunter and fisherman. He owns a summer home in Kenai, Alaska.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with 50 or more points in a playoff game

Sources

Encyclopedia Britannica

References

External links

NBA.com History player file: Karl Malone

Basketball-Reference.com: Karl Malone

UtahStories.com Karl Malone's Impact on Utah Jazz

NBA.com Profile

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Louisiana Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball players Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Utah Jazz draft picks Category:Utah Jazz players Category:Power forwards (basketball) Category:Louisiana Tech University alumni Category:People from Union Parish, Louisiana Category:People from Ruston, Louisiana Category:Louisiana Republicans Category:People from Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

Name	John Stockton
Width	200
Position	Point guard
Height ft	6 | height_in = 1
Weight lbs	170
Number	12
Birthdate	March 26, 1962
Birthplace	Spokane, Washington, USA
Career start	1984
Career end	2003
Draftyear	1984
Draftteam	Utah Jazz
Draftround	1
Draftpick	16
College	Gonzaga University
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	19,711
Stat2label	Assists
Stat2value	15,806
Stat3label	Steals
Stat3value	3,265
Bbr	stockjo01
Letter	s
Highlights
Hof player	john-stockton

}} John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player (NBA) who spent his entire career (1984–2003) as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by considerable margins. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Early years

Stockton was born in Spokane, Washington to Clementine Frei and Jack Stockton. He attended grade school at St. Aloysius and moved on to high school at Gonzaga Prep, graduating in 1980. He then played college basketball for Gonzaga University in his hometown where he averaged 20.9 points per game while shooting 57% from the field in his senior year. His grandfather, Houston Stockton had also been a well known athlete at Gonzaga. John Stockton was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

NBA career

John Stockton averaged a career double-double, with 13.1 points and 10.5 assists per game. He holds the NBA's record for most career assists (15,806) by a margin of more than 4,000, as well as the record for most career steals (3,265). He had five of the top six assists seasons in NBA history (the other belonging to Isiah Thomas). He holds the NBA record for the most seasons, games, and consecutive games played with one team, and is third in total games played, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish. He missed only 22 games during his career, 18 of them in one season. He played in 34 games where he tallied 20 or more assists.

Stockton appeared in 10 All-Star games, and was named co-MVP of the game in 1993 with Jazz teammate Karl Malone, which was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. He played with the 1992 and 1996 US Olympic basketball teams, known as Dream Team I and III, the first Olympic squads to feature NBA players, keeping the game ball from both Gold Medal games. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team twice, the All-NBA Second Team six times, the All-NBA Third Team three times, and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team five times. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996. Stockton's career highlight came in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals. Stockton scored the last 9 points for the Jazz, including a buzzer-beating 3-point shot over the Houston Rockets' Charles Barkley, to send the Jazz to the first of its two consecutive NBA Finals appearances. In both of these appearances, Stockton's Jazz teams were defeated by the Chicago Bulls.

For many years, he and Malone were the Jazz's 1-2 punch. The two played a record 1,412 regular-season games together as teammates. Many of Stockton's assists resulted from passes to Malone. Stockton earned the "old school" tag for his physical play (surveys of athletes and fans alike often judged him among the toughest players in the NBA, usually just behind teammate Karl Malone); his uniform "short shorts" (he was the most recent notable NBA player to wear them, preferring the style after the rest of the league had adopted today's baggier look); his simple dress off the court, which contrasted with many of his NBA contemporaries; and his reserved demeanor.

On May 2, 2003, Stockton announced his retirement with a released statement instead of the customary news conference. The Jazz later held a retirement ceremony for him, in which Salt Lake City renamed the street in front of the Energy Solutions Arena (formerly known as the Delta Center), where the Jazz play, John Stockton Drive. His number-12 jersey was retired by the Jazz during a game on November 22, 2004. A statue of Stockton can be seen in front of the Energy Solutions Arena; an accompanying statue of Karl Malone was placed nearby on March 23, 2006. The Malone and Stockton statues stand on a bronze plaque commemorating their achievements together. Stockton was announced as a member of the 2009 class of inductees to the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009; he was formally inducted on September 11.

Along with Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Elgin Baylor, Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich, and his teammate Karl Malone, John Stockton is considered to be one of the best players never to have won an NBA championship.

Player profile

Stockton, a 10-time NBA All-Star, commandingly holds the NBA record for career assists with 15,806 (10.5 per game). Stockton also holds the record for assists-per-game average over one season (14.5 in 1990), and is one of three players who have logged more than 1,000 assists in one season, joining Kevin Porter (1,099 in 1979) and Isiah Thomas (1,123 in 1985) in the exclusive list. Stockton did this seven times, with season totals of 1,164, 1,134, 1,128, 1,126, 1,118, 1,031 and 1,011 assists.

He and Karl Malone are regarded by many as the quintessential pick and roll duo. Apart from his passing skill, Stockton was also a capable scorer (13.1 points per game career average and a .515 career shooting percentage) with a reliable three-point shot (.384 lifetime average). He is 30th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 19,711 career points. Despite the fact that he never pulled down more than 9 rebounds (or recorded more than 9 steals) during a regular season game, he recorded one career triple double, in a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 28, 2001. He scored 12 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had 10 assists.

On defense, Stockton holds the NBA record for career steals with 3,265, nearly 30 percent more than second placed Michael Jordan, who had 2,514.

Stockton was known for his unassuming, no-nonsense approach to the game, hard-nosed defense, and fanatical work-ethic in preparation, which resulted in his extreme durability. He played 1,504 of 1,526 possible games in his 19-season career. In his first 13 seasons, he missed only four games (all in the 1989-1990 season) until he missed the first 18 games of the 1997-1998 season due to an injured MCL in his left knee sustained in the preseason. That was the only major injury in his career and he never missed another game after returning from that injury. In his last season at age 41, he started in all 82 games, and finished with more-than-respectable averages of 10.8 ppg and 7.7 apg.

Stockton avoided most endorsements, and stayed loyal to Utah despite being offered significantly more money by other teams. In 1996 he agreed to a deal that made salary-cap space available so the team could improve, but insisted on guaranteed Delta Center ice time for his son's hockey team.

On May 11, 2006, ESPN.com named Stockton the 4th best point guard of all time.

In 1,504 NBA games (an all-time record for a player who played for only one team and games with a single team), of which Stockton started 1,300 (third all-time since starts became an official statistic beginning with the 1981-82 season), Stockton averaged a double-double in points and assists along with 2.2 steals and 31:45 of floor time per game, and holds other scoring accuracy records as noted above.

Personal life

Stockton and his wife, the former Nada Stepovich (daughter of Matilda and Michael Anthony Stepovich, the last territorial governor of Alaska), have two daughters, Lindsay and Laura, and four sons, Houston, Michael, David and Samuel. His son David plays for Gonzaga. Stockton and his family are devout Catholics.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

Footnotes

External links

NBA History

NBA.com Profile

Basketball-Reference.com: John Stockton

John Stockton

Category:1962 births Category:American basketball players Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Washington (U.S. state) Category:Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Living people Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:People from Spokane, Washington Category:Point guards Category:Utah Jazz players Category:Utah Jazz draft picks

Name	Steve Nash
Caption	Nash with the Suns, December 2007
Height ft	6
Height in	3
Weight lb	178
Position	Point guard
Birth date	February 07, 1974
Birth place	Johannesburg, South Africa
Team	Phoenix Suns
Number	13
College	Santa Clara University
Nationality	Canadian
Draft round	1
Draft pick	15
Draft team	Phoenix Suns
Draft year	1996
Career start	1996
Teams
Highlights

Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara University. In his four seasons with the Broncos, the team made three NCAA Tournament appearances, and Nash was twice named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year.

After graduating from Santa Clara as the team's all-time leader in assists, Nash entered the 1996 NBA Draft and was selected as the 15th pick by the Phoenix Suns. He made a minimal impact, and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. By his third season with the Mavericks, he was voted into his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection. Together with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley, Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals the following season. However, he became a free agent after the and returned to the Phoenix Suns.

In the , Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was named MVP again in the , and missed out on a third consecutive MVP title to Nowitzki the next season. Named by ESPN in 2006 as the ninth greatest point guard of all time, Nash has led the league in assists and free-throw percentage at various points in his career. He is also ranked as one of the top players in NBA league history for three-point shooting, free-throw shooting, total assists and assists per game.

Nash has been honoured for his contributions to various philanthropic causes. In 2006, he was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He also received the Order of Canada in 2007, and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Victoria in 2008.

Early life

Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to a Welsh mother and an English father on 7 February 1974. His family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, when he was 18 months old, then to Vancouver, before finally settling in Victoria, British Columbia. Although Nash played soccer and ice hockey, often with his younger brother Martin, he did not start playing basketball until he was 12 or 13. In the 1991–92 season, he led his team in his final year to the British Columbia AAA provincial championship title, and was named the province's Player of the Year.

College career

Although Nash's high school coach, Ian Hyde-Lay, sent letters of inquiry and highlight reels on Nash's behalf to over 30 American universities, Nash was not recruited by any university,

NCAA career statistics

|- | align="left" | 1992–93 | align="left" | Santa Clara | 31 || ... || 24.0 || .424 || .408 || .825 || 2.5 || 2.2 || .8 || .1 || 8.1 |- | align="left" | 1993–94 | align="left" | Santa Clara | 26 || ... || 29.9 || .414 || .399 || .831 || 2.5 || 3.7 || 1.3 || .0 || 14.6 |- | align="left" | 1994–95 | align="left" | Santa Clara | 27 || ... || 33.4 || .444 || .454 || .879 || 3.8 || 6.4 || 1.8 || .1 || 20.9 |- | align="left" | 1995–96 | align="left" | Santa Clara | 29 || ... || 33.8 || .430 || .344 || .894 || 3.6 || 6.0 || 1.3 || .0 || 17.0 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Career | 113 || ... || 30.1 || .430 || .401 || .867 || 3.1 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .1 || 14.9

NBA career

Phoenix Suns (1996–98)

After graduating with a degree in sociology, The 19–31 Mavericks failed to make the playoffs but in the 1999–2000 season, the team's prospects improved considerably. Nash missed 25 mid-season games due to an ankle injury, but came back to record six double-doubles in the last month of play. In the , Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three." Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs but lost again in the Semifinals to the Sacramento Kings four games to one.

Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the , averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, Nowitzki and Nash led the Mavericks from a 14-game winning streak to open the season all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs four games to two. It was only the second Conference Finals appearance in the franchise's history. The saw an offensively boosted Mavericks roster (with the acquisitions of Antoine Walker and Antawn Jamison) but a dip in Nash's scoring contributions. As a result he was not selected for the All-Star and All-NBA team rosters even though he achieved new career highs in assists per game (8.8) and free-throw accuracy (91.6%).

After the 2003–04 season, Nash became a free agent. He attempted to negotiate a long-term contract with Cuban, who was paying Walker, Finley, Nowitzki and Jamison nearly $50 million in combined salaries that season. Cuban wanted to build his franchise around the younger Nowitzki and did not want to risk signing the 30-year-old Nash to a long-term deal, and offered Nash a four-year deal worth about $9 million annually, with a fifth year partially guaranteed. The Phoenix Suns on the other hand offered the point guard a six-year, $63 million contract. Nash was reluctant to leave Dallas and returned to Cuban to see if he would match the deal; Cuban did not, and Nash signed for the Suns for the . The Canadian would go on to win two League MVP awards with Phoenix, and on a 14 June 2006 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, Cuban wondered out loud, "... you know Steve's a great guy and I love him to death, but why couldn't he play like an MVP for us?"

Return to Phoenix Suns (2004–present)

Nash joined a Suns team which had emerging young players in Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Amar'e Stoudemire. In the season before Nash arrived, the Suns had recorded a 29–53 win–loss record, The catalyst of this turnaround, Nash averaged 11.5 assists per game while making 50.2% of his field goals and 43.1% of his three-pointers in the regular season. He edged Shaquille O'Neal to win the NBA MVP award, becoming the first Canadian to earn the honour, as well as the third point guard ever to be named MVP, along with Magic Johnson and Bob Cousy. Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win, The Suns were not expected to repeat their successful 2005 season, but with Nash directing the same high-tempo offence, the team compiled a respectable 54–28 record and won the division title. Having recorded career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), field goal percentage (.512) and free-throw percentage (a league-leading .921), and leading the league with 10.5 assists per game, In the first round of the playoffs, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers and won the series 4–3. Nash received the most votes for first-team All-NBA and was joined by teammate Stoudemire; the two were the first teammates to make the first team since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in . In the playoffs, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in five games, but were unable to overcome the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals, losing the series 4–2.

Nash played in 81 regular-season games during the ; in this campaign, the Western Conference was especially competitive and he led the Suns to 55 wins and the sixth seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Although there was a dip in his regular-season output, Nash's shooting remained sharp; the accuracy of his shooting was on par with his 2005–06 MVP campaign (shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point arc, and 90% from the free throw line). However, Nash continued to experience agony in the playoffs. Despite a mid-season trade that sent Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat and brought four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal to the team, the Suns were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in four years. In the deciding Game 5, Nash was perceived to have suffered from "elimination-game jitters", and turned over the ball twice in the final two minutes of what was a tight contest.

Before the began, coach D'Antoni was replaced by Terry Porter, who preferred a more defensive-oriented style of basketball. The Suns had difficulties adapting to this new system, and even a December trade involving sending stalwarts Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to the Charlotte Bobcats for athletic swingman Jason Richardson saw the team continue to struggle. Porter was then replaced by Alvin Gentry in February after a 28–23 record, but the Suns were unable to secure the final seed for the playoffs, resulting in Nash missing the playoffs for the first time since he returned to Phoenix for his second stint.

Nash and the Suns opened the with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since ), with Nash producing two 20-assists games. On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. With him operating at the point, the Suns were the highest-scoring team in the league for the fifth season in a row, and were seeded third in the conference for the playoffs with 54 wins. Behind solid performances by Richardson and veteran Grant Hill, the Suns defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 4–2 in the first round of the playoffs, and swept the Spurs 4–0 in the second round. The Suns met the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, in the Conference Finals. After losing the first two games, Phoenix won the next two to tie the series. A Ron Artest buzzer-beater in Game 5 pushed the Lakers one game closer to the Finals, and Kobe Bryant's 37 points in Game 6 completed the defeat of the Suns.

International career

In 1993, while in college, Nash played for the national team and competed in the Canada Games and World University Games. He won a bronze medal at the Canada Games and won a silver medal at the World University Games, losing to Team USA, which included players such as Michael Finley and Damon Stoudamire. He led Canada to win their round robin group with a victory over Spain and a stunning 83–75 win over favoured Yugoslavia when he scored 26 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a loss to France and Nash left the court in tears. Nash expressed disappointment with the result, saying "It hurts a lot. I feel like I let everybody down. We could have been in the championship game. We were good enough." Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play—that's what I really hope."

Nash again led Team Canada during qualifying for the 2004 Summer Olympics at the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was named tournament MVP, but Canada finished fourth, missing out on the three Olympic spots available. That was the last time Nash played for Canada. In December 2007, he said, "In my mind right now, I'm not going to play for Canada any more."

Player profile

Nash is most noted for his playmaking, ball-handling skills and shooting. He led the league in assists for four years, averaging 11.5 assists per game in 2004–05, 10.5 in 2005–06, 11.6 in 2006–07 and 11.0 in 2009–10, a 43.2% career three-point shooting average (fifth-best in league history), and his total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made rank him as one of the top 15 players in league history. In addition, he is ranked fourth (starting from 1986–87) in regular season point-assist double doubles. In the 2005–06 season, Nash became the fourth player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better from the field, 40% from three-point range (43.9), and 90% from the line, joining Larry Bird, Reggie Miller and Mark Price in the 50-40-90 Club. This was a feat he would repeat in the 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns. A two-time NBA MVP, Nash is only the second point guard (along with Magic Johnson) to win the MVP award multiple times and the third guard in NBA history to earn back-to-back MVPs (joining Johnson and Michael Jordan). and in a survey by nba.com in 2007, Nash received 85% of the votes by the league's general managers as best point guard in the league. In a similar survey in 2009, Nash was rated as the best passer of the ball and the player possessing the best basketball IQ. Commenting on Nash losing out to former teammate Dirk Nowitzki for the 2007 NBA MVP, Boston Celtics centre and Hall of Famer Russell stated: "I think, on the world stage, he's one of our great athletes in all sports... I'm a big fan. The two MVPs he got, he deserved. Part of the reason that he's so good and so effective is that the guys like playing with him. He creates an atmosphere where they win games."

In terms of specific skills, Nash is particularly effective playing the pick and roll, notably with Nowitzki when he was at Dallas and later with the Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion. When Nash returned to Phoenix in 2004, he helped the Suns improve from a 29–53 record in 2003–04 to 62–20 in 2004–05, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years, earning him his first MVP award. The next season, he led the Suns into the Conference Finals, despite the injuries of all three big men (Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas and Brian Grant); further, Nash was responsible for seven of his teammates attaining career-highs in season scoring. 2005 (16.1), 2006 (14.2), 2007 (15.8), 2008 (15.5), 2010 (16.1)

5x member of 50-40-90 Club: (2006–10)

* Has more 50-40-90 seasons than any other player in NBA history

* One of only five players to have ever shot 50-40-90

* One of only two players to have shot 50-40-90 more than once

* Only player to have shot 50-40-90 five seasons in a row

Lou Marsh Trophy (Canadian athlete of the year): 2005

3× Lionel Conacher Award (Canadian male athlete of the year): 2002, 2005, 2006

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (NBA award for outstanding citizenship and community service): 2007

Off the court

Personal life

In 2001, Nash met Alejandra Amarilla in Manhattan. They married in June 2005 and have twin daughters, Lola and Bella, born on October 14, 2004, On the day of his son's birth, Nash made a statement to Life & Style in which he announced the birth but called it a "bittersweet moment", revealing that he and his wife had "lived separately for the past several months" and are "in the process of dissolving" their marriage.

Nash's younger brother, Martin Nash, plays soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and has made 30 appearances for the Canadian national soccer team. She is married to Manny Malhotra of the NHL Vancouver Canucks.

Nash has a medical condition called spondylolisthesis, which causes muscle tightness and back pain. Due to the condition, when he is not in the game he lies on his back rather than sitting on the bench to keep his muscles from stiffening.

Charity

In 2001, Nash formed the Steve Nash Foundation. Through grants to public service and nonprofit entities, the foundation aims to foster health in kids by funding projects that provide services to children affected by poverty, illness, abuse, or neglect, and create opportunity for education, play, and empowerment. It focuses its resources on communities in Phoenix, Arizona, and British Columbia, Canada. It was given charitable status in 2004. Nash also founded the Jim Jennings Memorial Endowment Fund, established in honour of a volunteer staff member at Santa Clara University who served the basketball team for more than 20 years.

In May 2006, Nash was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the accompanying write-up by Charles Barkley, Nash was lauded for his unselfishness on the basketball court, and being "just a nice guy" who had paid for a new pediatric cardiology ward in a Paraguayan hospital. On 28 December 2007, it was announced that Nash would receive Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada, and on 3 June 2008, it was announced that Nash would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. On 18 September 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Victoria, in recognition of his athletic achievements and his philanthropic work on behalf of young people through the Steve Nash Foundation.

Endorsements

Nash is known to be selective about endorsing products, preferring to work with companies he deems socially responsible. After winning his first MVP award, he was approached to be the spokesperson for numerous products, including MDG Computers, Raymond Weil watches, Vitamin Water, and Clearly Canadian bottled water. He also has a longstanding relationship with Nike. Like fellow NBA stars Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony, and Greg Oden, Nash is represented by agent Bill Duffy.

Soccer

Nash grew up playing soccer—he stated in a 2005 interview that he could have played professionally if he had focused on it—and continues to hold an interest in the sport. When Dirk Nowitzki arrived in the NBA from Germany, he and Nash became close friends, in part because they enjoyed watching soccer together. Nash is friends with several professional soccer players, including Alessandro Del Piero, Thierry Henry, Owen Hargreaves, Massimo Ambrosini and Steve McManaman. During his off-season, when he lives in New York City, he has trained with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer, and once tried to arrange a pick-up game in the city's Central Park with the Red Bulls and one of his local teams.

Nash—whose father was born in the Tottenham district of London—is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter, and has expressed interest in owning a minority stake in the club. "I'd like to be an owner. It's something I could do for the rest of my life after my little window of popularity dies," he said in an interview with The New York Times. Nash added, "I've been a passionate supporter all my life. My parents are from north London and so it's not like I'm some Yank who wants to make a profit out of football. I don't care about making money. I just want to see Spurs succeed and, if I can help, that's great." However, he said any participation in Spurs would come after his basketball career is over, and he has had only "casual contact" with chairman Daniel Levy and former director of football Damien Comolli. Nash is also a fan of Brazilian team Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, which his former Suns teammate Leandro Barbosa supports. When Barbosa visited Corinthians in 2007, the club gave him a shirt with Nash's name and jersey number.

Nash had also previously made statements about his intention to bring Major League Soccer to Vancouver as early as 2011, which he has succeeded in doing. He joined the USL-1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC team's ownership group in July 2008 and in March 2009, Vancouver was officially named as a future MLS expansion city, set to join the league in 2011.

Nash, along with former Yahoo! president and fellow Victoria-native Jeff Mallett, are investors in Women's Professional Soccer, a soccer league that was launched in March 2009. Nash cited his twin daughters and wanting to have role models for them to look up to as a reason for supporting the league. Nash also co-hosted Showdown in Chinatown in 2008, an 8-on-8 charity soccer game held at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. He scored two goals in his team's 8–5 victory. Participants included Thierry Henry, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, and Suns teammates Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa.

Other interests

, Nancy Greene and Catriona LeMay Doan participate in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the 2010 Winter Olympics.]] Nash and a Montreal-based partner, Leonard Schlemm, opened the first Steve Nash Sports Club in the spring of 2007 in downtown Vancouver, a high-end, $5-million, facility that will mirror Nash's own fitness philosophy.

In 2007, Nash wrote and produced an 81-second commercial for Nike titled "Training Day", directed by Julian Schnabel's daughter Lola, which gained popularity as a viral video on YouTube. Nash also started a film production company together with his cousin, filmmaker Ezra Holland, and intends to produce independent films.

For the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Nash became the first NBA player in Olympic history to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron.

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

References

Further reading

Long Shot: Steve Nash's Journey to the NBA by Jeff Rud; 1996; ISBN 1-896095-16-X

Steve Nash: The Making of an MVP by Jeff Rud; 2007; ISBN 0-14-241014-4

Steve Nash by Jeff Savage; 2006; ISBN 0-8225-5956-0

Steve Nash by Assaff, Peter, Paul Arseneault; 2006; ISBN 1-894974-25-5

Steve Nash: Leader on and Off the Court by Ryan Basen; 2007; ISBN 0-7660-2868-2

External links

NBA.com profile

Basketball-Reference.com: Steve Nash

Canada Basketball profile

}}

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:American soccer chairmen and investors Category:Basketball people from British Columbia Category:Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Canadian basketball players Category:Canadian expatriate basketball people in the United States Category:Canadian humanitarians Category:Canadian people of English descent Category:Canadian people of South African descent Category:Canadian people of Welsh descent Category:Canadian soccer chairmen and investors Category:Canadian sportspeople of English descent Category:Canadian sportspeople of Welsh descent Category:Dallas Mavericks players Category:Lou Marsh Trophy winners Category:Male basketball guards Category:Members of the Order of British Columbia Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:Olympic basketball players of Canada Category:People from Johannesburg Category:People from Victoria, British Columbia Category:Phoenix Suns draft picks Category:Phoenix Suns players Category:Point guards Category:Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball players Category:South African immigrants to Canada

:For people with the same or similar name, see Isiah Thomas (disambiguation)

Sport	Basketball
Caption	Isiah Thomas during his head coaching tenure with the Knicks.
College	FIU
Conference	Sun Belt
| coach	Yes
Coachyears	2009-current2006-20082000-2003
Coachteams	FIUNew York KnicksIndiana Pacers
Player	Yes
Years	1981-1994
Team	Detroit Pistons
Position	Point guard
Title	Head coach
Dateofbirth	April 30, 1961
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, USA

Position	Point guard
Number	11
Height ft	6 |height_in=1
Weight lbs	180
Birthdate	April 30, 1961
Debutyear	1981
Finalyear	1994
Draftyear	1981
Draftround	1
Draftpick	2
College	Indiana University
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	18,822 (19.2 ppg)
Stat2label	Assists
Stat2value	9,061 (9.3 apg)
Stat3label	Steals
Stat3value	1,861 (1.9 spg)
Letter	t
Bbr	thomais01
Highlights
Hof player	isiah-l-thomas

}} Isiah Lord Thomas III (nicknamed "Zeke") (; born April 30, 1961) is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 until 1994. He led the to the NBA Championship in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. During the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

Early life and college career

Isiah Thomas was born on April 30, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois. The youngest of nine brothers and sisters, he commuted from the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago to play high school basketball at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois for Gene Pingatore. He would wake up at 5 am and commute 90 minutes to attend the private school.

Despite his talent, Thomas was left off the original Olympic Dream Team, possibly as a result of his alleged feud with Michael Jordan. After Tim Hardaway left the team due to injury he was named to Dream Team II for the 1994 World Championship of Basketball, but did not play due to his Achilles tendon injury that caused his retirement.

Post-NBA career

Toronto Raptors

After retiring, Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and his future responsibilities. During his four-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and high schooler Tracy McGrady.

Broadcasting

After leaving the Raptors, Thomas became a television commentator (first as the lead game analyst with play-by-play man Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for the NBA on NBC. Thomas also worked a three-man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.

CBA

Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. Thomas purchased the CBA for $10 million, and in 2001 the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded, shortly after NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to create his own development league, the NBDL, to replace the CBA. Many CBA managers blamed Thomas for the league's failure, citing mismanagement and out-of-control spending on his part. At the time of the league's collapse the managing of the CBA was in a blind-trust, due to Thomas' position as head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana Pacers

From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the Eastern Conference title. Thomas attempted to bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. However, under Thomas the Pacers were not able to stay at the elite level as they went through the transition from a veteran-dominated, playoff-experienced team to a younger, more inexperienced team. In Thomas's first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets, both of whom eventually made the NBA Finals.

In his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided the Pacers to a 48-34 record in the regular season and coached the Eastern Conference team at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. As the third seed, the Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics. With blossoming talents such as Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, the perception existed that the Pacers' unfulfilled potential stemmed from Thomas' inexperience as a coach. In the offseason, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle.

Hall of Fame

In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, in his initial year of eligibility.

New York Knicks

On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005-06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts.

at Florida International University in Miami.]]

On June 22, 2006, the Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and owner James Dolan replaced him with Thomas under the condition that he show "evident progress" or be fired.

During the following season the Knicks became embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets, which Thomas allegedly instigated by ordering his players to commit a hard foul in the paint. However, he was not fined or suspended. NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he only relied on "definitive information" when handing out punishments. Later in the season, nine months after James Dolan demanded "evident progress", the Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" contract. After Thomas was granted the extension, the Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season.

During the 2007 Draft, Thomas made another trade by acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.

Thomas also compounded the Knicks' salary cap problems by signing fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to full mid-level exception contracts. Neither player saw any significant playing time and both were often injured and highly ineffective when able to play.

Despite the constant criticism that he received from Knicks fans, Thomas maintained that he had no intention of leaving until he turned the team around and he predicted that he would lead the Knicks to a championship, stating that his goal was to leave behind a "championship legacy" with the Knicks, just as he had done for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread skepticism.

On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Walsh would not comment definitively on whether or not Thomas would be retained in any capacity at the time of his hiring.

One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Isiah had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially 'reassigned' on April 18 "after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal." As part of the reassignment agreement Thomas was banned from having contact with any Knicks' players under the rationale that he could willingly or unwillingly undermine Donnie Walsh and the new head coach.

FIU

On April 14, 2009, Thomas accepted an offer to become the head basketball coach of FIU, replacing Sergio Rouco after 5 losing seasons. Thomas announced that he would donate his first year's salary back to the school. Thomas has ridiculed the idea of him being the mastermind behind a supposed "freeze-out" as being "ludicrous" citing that he was a relatively young player on a team including Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Moses Malone.

During Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Induction, a ceremony in which Thomas inducted John Stockton into the Hall of Fame, Jordan dismissed the concerns about a freeze-out having taken place, saying "I was just happy to be there, being the young guy surrounded by all these greats, I just wanted to prove myself and I hope that I did prove myself to you guys."

In the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1991 NBA Playoffs, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for the fourth consecutive season in the playoffs. The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. The series was marked by a number of verbal, physical, and match-up problems. With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Thomas and eight of his teammates walked off the court, refusing to shake hands with the members of the Bulls.

In 1992, Thomas was passed over by the United States men's national basketball team (popularly known as the Dream Team). Rumors circulated that Thomas was left off the team because Jordan did not want him as a teammate on account of their bitter rivalry, which had begun with the alleged "freeze-out" and had continued through their playoff battles. Magic Johnson later stated in his book that he also agreed that he did not want Thomas as a teammate.

Sexual harassment lawsuit

In October 2006, Thomas and Madison Square Garden were sued for sexual harassment by Anucha Browne Sanders. The matter came to trial in September 2007 and Thomas was determined to have made demeaning statements to Sanders, as well as making sexual advances and repeatedly telling her that he was in love with her. Madison Square Garden was ordered to pay Browne Sanders $11.6 million, one of the largest sexual harassment judgments in history.

"I'm innocent, I'm very innocent, and I did not do the things she has accused me in this courtroom of doing," Thomas said after the decision. "I'm extremely disappointed that the jury did not see the facts in this case." Thomas admitted under oath that he did in fact call Sanders a "bitch". During his testimony, Thomas also claimed it was appropriate to exchange hugs and kisses with co-workers.

Drug overdose

On October 24, 2008, Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center near his New York City area home after taking an overdose of Lunesta, a form of sleep medication. According to Harrison, New York police, they were called to Thomas's house, where, finding him unconscious but breathing, they had him transported to the hospital. Police Chief David Hall stated that they "are calling this an accidental overdose of a prescription sleeping pill.” He was released from the hospital later that day.

In the opinion of Harrison Police Chief David Hall, Thomas tried to "cover up" the incident by claiming his 17-year old daughter required medical treatment when in actuality he was the patient. Referring to Thomas' 17-year-old daughter, Hall said, "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."

According to Thomas, in an interview with ESPN, his daughter had been taken to the hospital earlier in the day, and then so was he after he accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills. Thomas also denied that it was a suicide attempt, and explained that he was so quiet about his hospitalization because he was focused on his daughter and family at the time.

Popcorn

Isiah Thomas has started a popping corn company with an associate, Dale and Thomas Popcorn.

Career NBA statistics

Games played: 979

Games started: 971

Minutes per game: 36.3

Points scored: 18,822

Assists: 9,061

Rebounds: 3,478

Steals: 1,861

Points per game: 19.2

Assists per game: 9.3

Rebounds per game: 3.6

Steals per game: 1.9

Field goal percentage: .452

Free throw percentage: .759

Three-point percentage: .290

Coaching record

See also

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

References

External links

nba.com historical playerfile

Isiah Thomas Player Profile (InterBasket)

Hoopedia bio

Isiah Thomas Career Stats

Isiah Thomas Historical Profile on NBA.com

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball coaches Category:African American basketball players Category:African American sports executives Category:American expatriate basketball people in Canada Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1979 Pan American Games Category:Basketball players from Illinois Category:Detroit Pistons draft picks Category:Detroit Pistons players Category:Florida International Golden Panthers men's basketball coaches Category:Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players Category:Indiana Pacers head coaches Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Male basketball guards Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:National Basketball Association head coaches Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:New York Knicks head coaches Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:Point guards Category:Toronto Raptors executives

Position	Point Guard
Height ft	6 |height_in =4
Weight lbs	180
Number	2, 20, 42
Birthdate	July 23, 1968Oakland, California
Debutyear	1990
Finalyear	2007
Draftyear	1990
Draftround	1
Draftpick	2
Draftteam	Seattle SuperSonics
College	Oregon State
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	21,813
Stat2label	Assists
Stat2value	8,966
Stat3label	Steals
Stat3value	2,445
Highlights
Letter	p
Bbr	paytoga01

}}

Gary Dwayne Payton, nicknamed "The Glove" for his tenacious defense, (born July 23, 1968) is a former American professional basketball player. He is best known for his 13-year tenure with the Seattle SuperSonics, and holds Seattle franchise records in points, assists, and steals. He has also played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the last with whom he won his only NBA Championship.

The only point guard ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, Payton is widely considered one of the greatest of all time at that position. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times, an NBA record he shares with Michael Jordan. Payton got his "The Glove" nickname when Payton's cousin called him during the 1993 Western Conference Finals series against Phoenix and told him, "you're holding Kevin Johnson like a baseball in a glove," and the nickname was born.

Considered the "NBA's reigning high scorer among point guards" in his prime, by NBA Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich.

High school and college career

Payton was born in Oakland, California. He played high school basketball at Skyline High School in Oakland, California, along with former NBA player Greg Foster, before attending Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. In his sophomore year, his grades plummeted and was declared academically ineligible. His dad encouraged him to focus on school, and he was allowed to play again. Throughout his four-year career at OSU, he became one of the most decorated basketball players in OSU history. During his senior year, Payton was featured on the March 5, 1990 cover of Sports Illustrated magazine as the nation's best college basketball player. He was a consensus All-American in 1990; three-time All-Pac-10 selection, and named the Pac-10 conference's 1987 Freshman of the Year. He was the MVP of the Far West Classic tournament three times and was the Pac-10 Player of the Week nine times. He also was named to the Pac-10's All-Decade Team. At the time of his graduation, he held the school record for points, field goals, three-point field goals, assists, and steals — the only record which he still holds today. During his career at OSU, the Beavers made three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. He was elected into OSU's Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

NBA career

Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, and spent his first 12½ seasons with the Sonics. Entering the league to star-studded expectations, Payton struggled during his first two seasons in the league, averaging 8.2 points per game during that span. However, he soon proved himself to be one of the league's top point guards, while, during the 90s Payton, alongside Shawn Kemp formed the "Sonic Boom" - one of the most thrilling tandems of all time. He earned his first of 9 consecutive All-NBA team selections when he was chosen to the All-NBA Third team in 1994 that consisted of All-NBA First-Team in 1998 and 2000, All-NBA Second Team in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2002, and All-NBA Third Team in 1994 and 2001. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team a record nine consecutive seasons (1994–2002), and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1996, the first guard to have won the award in 8 years. He has been selected to the NBA All-Star Team nine times and was voted as a starter in 1997 and 1998. He was a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Teams. In 1996, Payton and the SuperSonics, under coach George Karl, reached the NBA Finals and lost in six games to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. In the middle of the 2002-03 season at the trade deadline, Payton was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-player deal that sent Ray Allen to Seattle. Payton played the remaining 28 games with the Bucks. As an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2003-04 season, Payton, along with Karl Malone, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at the NBA Championship. According to his agent, he turned down a $35 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers to sign with the Lakers for the mid-level exception. In reality, the Blazers had a huge payroll at the time and could not have offered more than the same mid-level exception. Despite injuries to Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant during the regular season, the Lakers won 56 games and the Pacific Division. The Lakers then beat Houston, San Antonio, and Minnesota on the way to the Finals, where they lost to Detroit four games to one.

Prior to the 2004-05 season, the Lakers traded Payton and Rick Fox to the Boston Celtics for center Chris Mihm, small forward Jumaine Jones and point guard Chucky Atkins. While Payton expressed displeasure with the trade, he ultimately did report to Boston and began the 2004-05 season as the Celtics' starting point guard. On February 24, 2005 Payton was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal that brought former Celtic Antoine Walker back to Boston. The Hawks then waived Payton immediately following the trade, and he returned a week later to Boston as a free agent. Payton started all 77 games he played for the Celtics and they won the Atlantic Division before losing in the first round to the Indiana Pacers.

On September 22, 2005, he signed a one-year $1.1 million contract with Miami, reuniting with Walker (who was acquired seven weeks earlier by the Heat), as well as former Lakers' teammate Shaquille O'Neal. Payton finally won his first NBA Championship in his sixteenth season in the league when, on June 20, 2006, the Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in game six of the 2006 NBA Finals for a four to two series victory. Payton hit two crucial shots in that series: a game-winning shot in game three that ignited the Heat's comeback in the series (after being down 0-2) and, in game five, the Heat's final field goal in a one-point victory.

On September 6, 2006, the 38-year old Payton re-signed with the defending champion Miami Heat on a one-year, $1.2 million contract. During the subsequent 2006-07 NBA season, Payton continued to climb up several NBA all-time lists: he moved from 17th to 8th in all-time NBA games played, passed John Havlicek and Robert Parish to move into 7th in all-time minutes played, and passed Hal Greer and Larry Bird to become the 21st-highest scorer in NBA history.

Personality

Payton is well-known for his trash-talk. His trademark open-mouth, bobbing-head style on the court (combined with his 17 years in the league) led to Payton receiving the third-most technical fouls of all time (behind Jerry Sloan and Rasheed Wallace). This, along with other factors, earned Payton a reputation as a difficult, volatile, and somewhat egotistical presence in the locker room, which was further fueled by various fines and suspensions handed out to him by team management during Payton's last few years in Seattle.

However, Payton became much less volatile in his later years, and many players, including Shaquille O'Neal and Antoine Walker, have greatly enjoyed playing with Payton. In Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami, he was recognized as a psychological leader and mentor for many of the younger players. Of his trash talking, Payton has stated "I never take it too far...I just try to talk and get their mind off the game, and turn their attention on me", adding that "sometimes I get accused of trash talking even though I'm not...[referees and spectators] immediately figure you're trash talking. But I could be talking to a guy about what's going on or asking about his family." One of Payton's major beliefs is that "mental toughness" is as much a part of the game as on-court play. In addition, All-Star point guard Jason Kidd has referred to Payton as a "mentor" for the way he treated Kidd growing up in the same neighborhood of Oakland. Payton has said that his own mental toughness was developed in his days learning to play basketball in Oakland: "You learned that you can be friends before the game and after the game. But once the game starts, it's all about business. No jive."

Payton has appeared in many movies and television shows, and in 2001, gave a humorous, televised "motivational speech" to his team during the NBA All-Star Game. In 2007, following some degrading comments about Payton's hometown of Oakland by Charles Barkley, Payton jokingly went around Oakland with a video camera and received some of the locals' opinions on the character and comments of "Sir Charles", as well as providing some of his own. The segment was later televised on Inside the NBA during their coverage of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

Playing style

Since Payton's career ended in 2007, he has been mentioned among the all-time greatest point guards. Gail Goodrich, who played with hall of fame guard Jerry West, said "Gary Payton is probably as complete a guard as there ever was."

Payton's all-time rankings for points (21st) and assists (7th) highlight the tremendous offensive contributions he made throughout his career, but he is most widely recognized for his defensive contributions. The Sporting News said in 2000 that Payton was "building a case as the best two-way point guard in history", and asked "If you weigh offense and defense equally, is Payton the best ever?" When comparing Payton to the all-time greats, it has been said that "Payton arguably is the best defender of them all, and his offensive game is better than most." and the two players had a high-profile rivalry that culminated in the 1996 NBA Finals. Jordan and Payton are the only two guards to have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award since 1989, and despite their different positions (shooting guard and point guard respectively), they were well matched for other reasons. Both were prodigious "trash talkers" (Larry Johnson once named Payton, Jordan and himself the best three trash talkers in the league), had legendary competitiveness, and as the 1997 NBA Preview magazine stated, "Payton [was] quick, and strong as an ox", making him the kind of player who could frustrate Jordan defensively. Payton, at 6'4" and with a tough physique, was one of a handful of point guards with the size and body type to guard Jordan.

Midway through the 1996 NBA Finals, Seattle coach George Karl made the decision to assign Payton to play defense as a shooting guard instead of his normal point guard assignment in order to defend Jordan. Though the Bulls won the series, Seattle's (and especially Payton's) defense held Jordan and the Bulls to their lowest offensive output in an NBA finals and "frustrated the best player in the game." In his first three NBA Finals, Jordan averaged 36.3 points per game and had scored at least 30 points in 14 of his 17 games. However, in the 1996 Finals, Jordan averaged 27.3 points per game and scored more than 30 points in only 1 of the 6 games. In a game 5 preview after Payton had held Jordan to a career NBA Finals low of 23, an NBA pregame show described the rivalry of two strong defensive players renowned for their competitiveness.

"[In Game 4, Jordan had his] lowest output in a Finals game, much of it with Payton guarding him. Though afterwards, Jordan refused to give Payton credit, saying 'No one can stop me, I can only stop myself. I missed some easy shots.' The truth is, Jordan finds the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year [Payton] annoying. He views the [young Payton] as impudent, and he would love to have a big game at [Payton's] expense." (NBA on NBC Preview, Game 5)

The Sonics won that game by 21 points and Payton held Jordan to 26 points - Jordan's second-lowest-scoring Finals game in his career up to that point. In game 6, which the Bulls would win to capture the Championship, Payton played 47 minutes and Jordan missed 14 of his 19 shots, getting a career Finals low 22 points. By the end of the series, Michael Jordan had been held under 30 points in 5 of the 6 games, including his three lowest-scoring Finals games up to that point (26 in Game 5, 23 in Game 4, 22 in Game 6). Bill Walton, commentating for NBC at the time, said Payton "outplayed" Jordan during the second half of the series, and that Seattle coach George Karl would "rue" the decision to "hide [Payton] from 'the king'" in the early games of the series. During this series, Payton and his Sonics also held Jordan's Bulls to the lowest-scoring quarter in their NBA Finals history. Michael Jordan would never score fewer points in an NBA Finals game than his 22 points in game 6, and would never be held under 30 points more than twice in a Finals series, which the Sonics did five times.

Intangibles

Many attribute his greatness to the tremendous work ethic and courage he displayed throughout his career. In his 17-year career, Payton missed only 25 games, and at one point held the longest active streak for consecutive games played, with over 300. Of those games he did miss, many were due to suspensions or coaches' decisions (particularly in his final season), as Payton was highly capable (and highly willing) of playing through injury. The Sporting News noted in a 2000 article, "Durability always has been one of Payton's strong suits. He has missed only two games in 10 seasons and is generally counted on for nearly a full game's worth of nonstop motion, despite chronic back pain that requires extensive stretching and regular applications of heating packs."

Charity and community involvement

Payton has made numerous well-regarded contributions of both time and money to the community. He set up The Gary Payton Foundation in 1996 to provide safe places for recreational activity, and to help underprivileged youth in his hometown of Oakland stay in school. He hosts an annual charity basketball game as part of his foundation. Payton and his wife, Monique, have been active in fundraising endeavors for HIV awareness, and Payton has lent many hours and provided tremendous financial support to the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Payton has also donated Miami Heat tickets to underprivileged children. For the Christmas of 2003 he took 10 families from the Ronald McDonald house in Los Angeles and let each of the over 40 children have a $100 shopping spree at FAO Schwarz. For Christmas, 2005, he gave 60 children $100 Toys-R-Us shopping sprees as part of the Voices For Children program. In 1999 he wrote an autobiographical children's book entitled Confidence Counts as part of the "Positively for Kids" series, illustrating the importance of confidence through events in his own life. In July 1999, Payton was named to The Sporting News' "Good Guys In Sports" list.

Support of Seattle basketball

Due to the Seattle SuperSonics moving to Oklahoma City, Payton has openly expressed his desire not to have his retired jersey number in Oklahoma City as part of that team's history. He wishes instead for it to remain in Seattle, where he enjoyed the majority of his career's success and popularity. This seems likely as the SuperSonics' team name, colors, uniforms and trophies are remaining in Seattle for a possible future team to adopt upon arrival.

Payton is featured in the documentary Sonicsgate, which covers the team's relocation from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

Payton is currently working on bringing the NBA back to Seattle. He also stated when the NBA comes back to Seattle he wants to be part of the team so the team won't be relocated again.

Personal

Payton is the son of Al and Annie Payton. He married Monique James on July 26, 1997. They live in Oakland and Las Vegas, NV and have three kids: Gary Jr., Julian, and Raquel, a sophomore at St John's University. His brother, Brandon played in New Zealand for a period of time, playing for the Manawatu Jets.

Post NBA career

During the 2008–09 season, Payton served as a studio analyst for NBA TV and as an occasional substitute analyst on The NBA on TNT. He was replaced with Kevin McHale for the 2009–10 season.

Movies

Gary Payton has appeared in White Men Can't Jump (1992), Eddie (1996), Like Mike, and also performed a speaking role in the 1999 comedy film The Breaks. Payton is currently a cast member in the upcoming 2010 horror film Fear Not.

Awards/accomplishments

NBA highlights

NBA Champion: 2006

NBA Defensive Player of The Year: 1996 (only point guard ever to win the award, and only guard to win the award in the 1990s)

9-time NBA All-Star: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003

9-time All-NBA:

:* First Team: 1998, 2000 :* Second Team: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 :* Third Team: 1994, 2001 9-time All-Defensive First Team member: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999*, 2000*, 2001, 2002 (shares record for selections with Michael Jordan)

* Highest vote getter in 1999 and 2000, second highest in 1998 and 2002

*In a 2006 poll of 86,000 ESPN.com readers who were asked to rank the ESPN top 10 on various aspects of the game, Payton was considered "best defender" by 48.1% of respondents. Walt "Clyde" Frazier was second, with 11.8% of the vote. Payton and Frazier are the only two point guards to be selected to more than 5 NBA All-Defensive First Teams (9 and 7, respectively), and two of only four players who were selected to 5 or more All-Defensive teams without ever being on an All-Defensive 2nd team (Michael Jordan and Dave Debusschere are the others).

In 2005, Payton was #1 on the list of best college point guards of the past 15 years by a reporter for College Hoops Net In a 2008 Espn.com article, Payton was named the best #2 draft pick in NBA history during the "lottery era" (1985-present), ahead of Jason Kidd Payton, who is tied for 31st with 9 NBA All-Star game appearances, has been a solid performer in All-Star games, leading his team in assists three times (1995, 1997 and 1998), and in points once (1996). Payton had the two highest single-game assist totals for NBA All-Star games in the 1990s (15 in 1995, and 13 in 1998). He is currently #6 all-time in All-Star game assists and is #10 in All-Star game steals. He is also tied for #1 in All-Star game free throw percentage, having never missed a free throw in any of his 8 attempts. Payton was runner-up to Mitch Richmond for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game MVP award.

In 2006, in commemoration of the NBA's 60th anniversary, TNT selected Payton among the "Next 10" players to be added to the list of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, essentially recognizing Payton as one of the 60 Greatest Players in NBA History.

In the NBA's 100 Greatest Plays, Payton was responsible for the 4th greatest play in the "Hustle" category, passed to Kemp in the NBA's 5th greatest Alley Oop, and was also featured in the NBA's greatest steals segment. Payton has been on the cover of Sports Illustrated six times: three times as the featured cover story (in 1990, 1994, and 1996), and three times in a secondary role.

Payton has appeared on the cover of SLAM Magazine two times - June 1998 and March 2003.

The Seattle Mayor's Office declared June 6, 2000 as "Gary Payton Day".

See also

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders

List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career steals leaders

References

External links

NBA.com Profile – Gary Payton

Gary Payton Statistics and All-Time Rankings

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from California Category:Boston Celtics players Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:Miami Heat players Category:Milwaukee Bucks players Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Oregon State Beavers men's basketball players Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Point guards Category:Seattle SuperSonics draft picks Category:Seattle SuperSonics players Category:United States men's national basketball team members