(left)]] Point guard (PG), also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, they are expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right players at the right time. Above all, the point guard must totally understand and accept his or her coach's game plan; in this way, the position can be compared to a quarterback in American football.

Point guard characteristics

A point guard, like all player positions in basketball, has specific characteristics that are essential for them to help guide their team to a victory. The Basketball Handbook by Lee Rose describes a point guard as a coach on the floor, who can handle and distribute the ball to teammates. It also states that the more speed a point guard has, the more likely he will be able to create separation and space off the dribble, which allows the point guard room to work. Point guards should also be vocal floor leaders, and should discuss rule interpretations with officials. A point guard must always know the time on both the shot clock and the game clock, the score, the number of timeouts for both teams, and whom to foul late in the game.

Most current NBA point guards are 6'4" (1.93 m) or shorter in height. A true point guard's job is to create scoring opportunities for his team. The role includes passing and running the offense: setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate that he feels is in the best position to score, and dictating the tempo of the game. This also means knowing when and how to instigate a fast break and when and how to initiate the more deliberate sets.

After an opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down court to begin an offensive play. For this reason, passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are pivotal. Point guards are often evaluated more on their assist totals than on their scoring. Another major evaluation factor is Assist-to-Turnover ratio, which indicates the decision-making skills of the player. John Stockton, who is considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, is the NBA's all time leader in assists and steals. Still, a first-rate point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot.

If a point guard has more size (height, muscle) compared to the prototypical point guard, it is considered a plus, but size is only secondary to awareness and ball skills. Among the taller players who have enjoyed success at the position is Magic Johnson, who was 6'9"/2.06 m and won the National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award three times in his career. Other point guards who have been named the NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson (who somewhat foreshadowed Johnson in that he was 6'5"/1.96 m, the size of many forwards in his era), and relatively undersized Steve Nash, who is a two-time winner.

Styles of play

Offense

brings the ball up the court.]] The point guard is almost always positioned on the perimeter of the play, so as to have the best view of the action. This is a necessity because of the point guard's many leadership obligations. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers as a "coach on the floor" or a "floor general". In the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their team as a player-coach. This is not as common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized to coaching and are non-players. Some point guards are still given a great deal of leeway in the offense, such as Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. Former Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni had allowed him to freelance often when leading the Suns' offense, even letting Nash call his own plays at times. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are still extensions of their coach on the floor and must display good leadership skills.

Along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard. Generally speaking, the point guard is the player in possession of the ball for the most time during a game and is responsible for maintaining possession of the ball for his team in the face of any pressure from the opponents. Point guards must be able to maintain possession of the ball in crowded spaces and in traffic and be able to advance the ball quickly. A point guard that has enough ball-handling skill and quickness to be able to drive to the basket in a half-court set is also very valuable and considered by some to be a must for a successful offense.

After overall ball-handling, passing and scoring are the next most important areas of the game for a point guard. As the primary decision maker for a team, a point guard's passing ability determines how well a point guard is able to put his or her decision into play. It is one thing to be able to recognize the player that it is in a tactically advantageous position, but it is another thing entirely to able to deliver the ball to that player. For this reason, a point guard is usually, but not always, more skilled and focused on passing than shooting. However, a good jump shot and the ability to score off a drive to the basket are still valuable skills. A point guard will often use his or her ability to score in order to augment his or her effectiveness as a decision maker and play maker.

In addition to the traditional role of the point guard, modern teams have found new ways to utilize the position. Notably, several modern point guards have used a successful style of post play, a tactic usually practiced by much larger centers and forwards. Working off of the fact that the opposing point guard is in all probability an undersized player with limited strength, several modern point guards have developed games close to the basket that include being able to utilize the drop step, spin move, and fade away jump shot. Former New York Knicks & Indiana Pacers PG Mark Jackson, and Chauncey Billups (now of the Denver Nuggets) are notable examples of players who frequently use this style of play. Michael Jordan's habit of incessantly backing down opposing PGs in the post actually prompted the NBA to institute a rule against a ballhandler keeping his back to the basket for more than 5 seconds at a time.

In recent years, the sport's shift from a fundamental style of play to a more flashy, scoring-orientated game has resulted in the proliferation of so-called combo guards at the point guard position. These players, e.g. Monta Ellis, Gilbert Arenas focus more on scoring as opposed to playmaking, forgoing assists and ball-movement for higher scoring numbers. Young players who are relatively short (i.e. 6'2" or less) are now developing the scoring aspects of their skill-sets, whereas previously these players would find it difficult to enter the NBA without true point guard skills. Even still, combo guards still require above-average passing skill, but not as much as possessed by "pure" point guards (which is what those in the traditional mold of a point guard, such as Rajon Rondo, are referred to as).

Defense

A point guard primarily defends on the perimeter, just as he primarily plays on the perimeter on offense. On defense, the point guard is tasked with making the opposing point guard as ineffective as possible. A defensive point guard will try to accomplish this with constant pressure on the ball, making it difficult to maintain possession. A defensive point guard will also pressure opponents in passing lanes in an attempt to generate steals and scoring opportunities for his own team.

Another important task for a point guard on the defensive end is to be a help defender. Whenever the player that the point guard is tasked with defending is away from the ball, a point guard will usually allow distance to accumulate from his or her assignment in order to help his or her teammates with their assignments. Walt Frazier, Dennis Johnson, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd are often considered among the greatest defensive point guards in NBA history.

See also

Bob Cousy Award – An annual award given to the nation's top NCAA male point guard

Nancy Lieberman Award – The counterpart to the Cousy Award; given to the top NCAA female point guard

References

External links

"Tips for playing the Point Guard Position" from HoopsU.com

DAILY DIME: SPECIAL EDITION 10 greatest point guards ever, accessed 2008-02-09

FOXSports.com - Best all-time point guards, accessed 2008-02-09

Category:Point guards Category:Basketball positions Category:Basketball terminology

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

Caption	Rondo with the Celtics in Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Hawks
Name	Rajon Rondo
Position	Point guard
Height ft	6
Height in	1
Weight lb	171
Team	Boston Celtics
Number	9
Nationality	American
Birth date	February 22, 1986
Birth place	Louisville, Kentucky
College	Kentucky
High school	Eastern HS (Middletown, Kentucky),Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
Draft round	1
Draft pick	21
Draft year	2006
Draft team	Phoenix Suns
Career start	2006
Highlights

Rajon Pierre Rondo (born February 22, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a scholarship from the University of Kentucky. He played for two years at Kentucky before declaring for the 2006 NBA Draft, represented by agent Bill Duffy.

During the draft, Rondo was selected 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns, and was subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics, where he made his NBA debut as a rookie during the 2006–07 season. He played a supporting role before he established himself as the starting point guard for the Celtics during the 2007–08 season. That season, Rondo earned his first NBA Championship, playing alongside All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. His breakout performance came during the 2009 NBA Playoffs, where he nearly averaged a triple-double, and helped his team take the eventual Eastern-conference champion Orlando Magic a full seven games in the East semi-finals.

Early life

Rondo was born on February 22, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky to Amber Rondo. He has three siblings: Dymon, William and Anton. He had little contact with his father, who left his family when he was seven years old. In his senior year at Oak Hill Academy, Rondo broke Jeff McInnis's single-season school record of 303 assists, while averaging a double-double. There, he included two efforts of 27 assists and a single-game school record of 31, merely four away from the all-time national record. Rondo was named to the McDonald's All-American Team in 2004 and scored a total of 14 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds in the all-star game. He also participated in the 2004 Jordan Capital Classic game, logging 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. He ended his career as Oak Hill Academy's all-time assists leader in a single season with 494 assists, surpassing Jeff McInnis.

College career

Rondo committed to University of Kentucky over hometown University of Louisville. Rondo, along with All-Americans Joe Crawford and Randolph Morris, gave Kentucky the top-rated recruiting class for 2004 according to Rivals.com. Rondo led Kentucky to several wins including clutch-shot victories against the University of Louisville, South Carolina and Central Florida, but Kentucky failed to advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in either Rondo's freshman or sophomore seasons. He was named to the SEC All-Freshmen Team. He set a Kentucky Wildcats record for most steals in single-season, with a total of 87 steals in his freshman year and made at least one steal in every game. He finished his freshman year at Kentucky averaging 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals.

In his sophomore year he had a career high 12 assists against Ole Miss, despite playing just 23 minutes, and 25 points against Louisville. Rondo also set another Kentucky Wildcats record for most rebounds in a game by a guard, with 19 rebounds in an early season loss to Iowa. He was not known for being a shooter, however, going 18-66 from three with a 57.1% FT average. He averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game in his sophomore year. He averaged 11.0 ppg and 4.5 apg in the eight-game tournament, garnering much attention from NBA scouts. The USA U-21 team won a gold medal at the Global Games held in Texas in late July.

NBA career

2006 NBA Draft

Following the 2005–06 NCAA season, Rondo announced he would forgo his final two seasons at Kentucky and enter the NBA draft. Rondo was drafted 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2006 NBA Draft. Phoenix then traded him to the Boston Celtics along with Brian Grant for the Cleveland Cavaliers' first-round draft pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and cash considerations. He was the first point guard to be chosen in the draft. In another draft-day deal, the Celtics acquired Sebastian Telfair from the Portland Trail Blazers, finally uniting the backcourt Pitino had envisioned at Louisville. He was signed by the Boston Celtics on July 4, 2006.

Rookie season

During his rookie season in the NBA, Rondo played a supporting role and would split time with Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West. Rondo only started in 25 games that season due to his initial backup role to Telfair. He made his NBA regular season debut on November 1, 2006, in a home loss against the New Orleans Hornets. In his rookie season, he lacked on his jump shot which resulted in him slashing to the basket for a teardrop or layup. While coming off the bench, he managed to score a career-high 23 points against the Toronto Raptors, In his first career start, he matched his career-high against the Los Angeles Clippers, though the line-ups were constantly being shuffled between Telfair and Rondo at the point guard. and a career-high seven steals against the Indiana Pacers). which earned him an All-Rookie Second Team selection. He finished the season with an average of 6.4 ppg and 3.8 apg, ranking in the top ten in the NBA in steals (128) and also ranking in the top ten among rookies in several other categories, including first in steals, second in assists and sixth in minutes. In his 77 games played, he averaged 10.6 points per game (ppg), 5.1 assists per game (apg) and 4.2 rebounds per game (rpg). He made his successful return from injury and to the starting lineup in a road win against the New York Knicks. A week later, he matched his career-high against the Miami Heat, and then scored a career-high 24 points in a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers the following month. During the All-Star break, he was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam. Following the All-Star weekend, Rondo recorded a career-high 16 assists in a home victory against the Charlotte Bobcats. Despite his solid rookie year, there was much speculation about Boston needing a veteran point guard. In March, they signed veteran point guard Sam Cassell as a free agent to serve as a backup. Rondo made his playoff debut on April 20, 2008 against the Atlanta Hawks and finished the game with 15 points, 9 assists and 2 steals. The Celtics closed out the series in seven games, went on to defeat Cleveland in the next round, and then defeated the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, facing the Los Angeles Lakers, Rondo recorded two strong performances, including a career-high 16 assists in Game 2. In Game 3, however, Rondo left the court in the third quarter after rolling his ankle. The ankle injury was considered a "non-factor", and Rondo eventually made his return in Game 4. In Game 6, the point guard posted a playoffs career-high 6 steals as the Celtics defeated the Lakers 4–2, giving Rondo his first NBA championship ring. After the game Lakers head coach Phil Jackson called Rondo the "star" of Game 6. Rondo's numbers increased from his previous season performance; however, he was criticized for his shooting. He recorded his first career triple-double along with a career-high in assists (16 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists), against the Indiana Pacers. In a home win against the New York Knicks, Rondo led the team to tie a franchise record with eighteen straight wins. However, after the winning streak was snapped the team struggled, losing seven out of nine games after ending the streak. Rondo—matched up with one of the league's quicker guards, Tony Parker—recorded 16 assists in a losing effort against the Spurs, one short of his season-high. Less than a week later against the Mavericks, he recorded his second career triple-double (19 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists), and then recorded a career-high 32 points against the Phoenix Suns on his 23rd birthday. He became the first NBA athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Red Bull on April 17, 2009. He finished the season ranking fifth in the NBA in assists (8.2) and steals (1.9). The team finished the season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, although they entered the playoffs without their injured All-Star power forward Kevin Garnett.

In the playoffs match-up against the Chicago Bulls, despite putting up a playoff career-high 29 points in Game 1, the Celtics lost in overtime. Boston won the next two games and in Games 2 and 4, Rondo recorded triple-doubles and became the first Celtic player with two triple-doubles in the same series since Larry Bird in 1986. He also became the first player with multiple triple-doubles in the same playoff series since Jason Kidd had three triple-doubles in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 6, he recorded a career-high 19 assists without a turnover, tying an NBA playoffs record. In the next round against the Orlando Magic, the Celtics lost the first game before Rondo's triple-double performance in Game 2 helped secure a home win. His third triple-double of the postseason tied Larry Bird's franchise record and also became the first to do that since Jason Kidd had four. However, the Celtics were defeated in seven games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. During the postseason, Rondo nearly averaged a triple double with 16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists.

2009–10 season

During the 2009–10 season, Rondo averaged career highs in points (13.7), assists (9.8) and steals (2.3) and became the first Celtic to lead the league in steals. On November 2, 2009, Rondo signed a five-year extension with the Celtics worth a guaranteed $55 million. In a road victory against the Orlando Magic on Christmas day, Rondo recorded 17 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, two assists shy of a triple double. Three days later, Rondo scored 30 points along to go with 15 assists in a road loss to the Golden State Warriors. On January 10, 2010, Rondo recorded his third regular-season career triple-double, with 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. On January 28, 2010, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. He also competed in the 2010 H-O-R-S-E contest but lost In the finals to Kevin Durant. Rondo recorded his fourth regular-season career triple-double against the Denver Nuggets on March 24, 2010, with 11 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. Two days later against the Sacramento Kings, Rondo entered the game tied with Rick Fox for a franchise record of most steals in a single-season (167), eventually establishing the record with a second-quarter steal from Sean May. In a game against the Houston Rockets on April 2, 2010, he broke Bob Cousy's franchise record for most assists in a single-season.

In the 2010 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in five games and faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. In Game 2, Rondo dished out 19 assists tying his career-high and also tying a franchise record for most assists in a playoff game. In Game 4, he recorded his fourth postseason triple-double along with a playoff career-high 29 points and 18 rebounds. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only other player in NBA history to have 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a playoff game. The Celtics eventually defeated the Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. In the Finals, the Celtics once again faced the Los Angeles Lakers, a team they previously beat in 2008. In Game 2, Rondo recorded his second triple-double of the postseason (19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists), however, despite Rondo's performance, the Celtics succumbed to the Lakers in seven games.

2010–11 season

In the first game of the 2010–11 season, Rondo put up 17 assists, which tied with Oscar Robertson for the third-most assists in a season opener. In the third game of the season, he dished out a career-high 24 assists along with a triple-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) against the New York Knicks. It tied him with Isiah Thomas as the only players in NBA history to have at least 24 assists in a triple-double. His total of 50 assists through the first three games of the season tied John Stockton's NBA record for most assists in the first 3 games of the season. With a 15 assists effort the following day, Rondo again set a record for most assists through the first five games.

Rondo's season also began with injuries. He has played through plantar fasciitis in his feet. He missed three games in November due to a strained left hamstring. He sprained his left ankle in a win against the New York Knicks on December 15, 2010, and missed the next seven games.

NBA career statistics

:Correct as of June 18, 2010

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 2006–07 | align="left" | Boston | 78 || 25 || 23.5 || .418 || .207 || .647 || 3.7 || 3.8 || 1.6 || .1 || 6.4 |- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Boston | 77 || 77 || 29.9 || .492 || .263 || .611 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 1.7 || .2 || 10.6 |- | align="left" | 2008–09 | align="left" | Boston | 80 || 80 || 33.0 || .505 || .313 || .642 || 5.2 || 8.2 || 1.9 || .1 || 11.9 |- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | Boston | 81 || 81 || 36.6 || .508 || .213 || .621 || 4.4 || 9.8 || 2.3 || .1 || 13.7 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 316 || 263 || 30.8 || .489 || .244 || .630 || 4.4 || 6.8 || 1.9 || .1 || 10.7 |- | align="left" | All-Star | align="left" | | 1 || 0 || 19.0 || .667 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 5.0 || 1.0 || .0 || 4.0

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 2007–08 | align="left" | Boston | 26 || 26 || 32.0 || .407 || .250 || .691 || 4.1 || 6.6 || 1.7 || .3 || 10.2 |- | align="left" | 2008–09 | align="left" | Boston | 14 || 14 || 41.2 || .417 || .250 || .657 || 9.7 || 9.8 || 2.5 || .2 || 16.9 |- | align="left" | 2009–10 | align="left" | Boston | 24 || 24 || 40.6 || .463 || .375 || .596 || 5.6 || 9.3 || 1.9 || .1 || 15.8 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 64 || 64 || 37.2 || .432 || .294 || .639 || 5.9 || 8.3 || 2.0 || .2 || 13.8

Awards and honors

NBA Champions Boston Celtics.]]

1× NBA Champion: 2008

1× NBA All-Star: 2010

2× NBA All-Defensive:

:* First Team: 2010 :* Second Team: 2009

NBA All-Rookie selection:

:*Second team: 2007

NBA regular season leader:

:*steals: 2010 (189) :*steals per game: 2010 (2.3)

Boston Celtics franchise records:

:*Most assists in a single season: 794 (2009–10) :*Most steals in a single season: 189 (2009–10)

See also

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

References

External links

The Official Site of Rajon Rondo

YardBarker – Rajon Rondo's Blog

NBA.com Draft Profile

Profile at UKAthletics.com

ESPN.com Player Card

Rajon Rondo Career Stats

ESPN.com 2010 NBA Playoffs Feature: "9 Stories on No. 9: The Legend of Rondo"; 06/08/10

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:American basketball players Category:Basketball players from Kentucky Category:Boston Celtics players Category:Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Category:Male basketball guards Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Louisville, Kentucky Category:Phoenix Suns draft picks Category:Point guards

Caption	Magic Johnson in 1987
Name	Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Width	200
Position	Point guard/Power forward
Number	32
Birth date	August 14, 1959
Birthplace	Lansing, Michigan
Height ft	6
Height in	9
Height footnote
Weight lbs	255
Weight footnote
Career start	1979
Career end	1996
Draftyear	1979
Draftround	1
Draftpick	1
College	Michigan State
Teams
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	17,707 (19.5 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,559 (7.2 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	10,141 (11.2 apg)
Bbr	johnsma02
Letter	j
Highlights
Hof player	earvin-magic-johnson

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game, with an average of 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, were well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur, and motivational speaker.

Amateur career

Early years

Earvin Johnson Jr. was born to Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school custodian. Johnson grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and came to love basketball as a youngster, idolizing players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes, and practicing "all day". despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a Christian, that the name was sacrilegious.

Michigan State University

Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. His college decision came down to the University of Michigan and Michigan State University in East Lansing. He ultimately decided to attend Michigan State when their coach Jud Heathcote told him he could play the point guard position. The talent already on Michigan State's roster also it drew him to the program.

Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and on his desire to become a television commentator. Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 25–5 record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA Tournament.

During the 1978–79 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Professional career

Rookie season in the NBA (1979–80)

Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the team's 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.

The Lakers compiled a 60–22 record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals, in which they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. The Lakers took a 3–2 lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33 points a game in the series, sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6. He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.

Ups and downs (1980–83)

Early in the 1980–81 season, Johnson was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee. He missed 45 games, Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team". The 54-win Lakers faced the 40–42 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs, where Houston upset the Lakers 2–1 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3.

During the off-season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. At the beginning of the 1981–82 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley. Although Johnson denied responsibility for Westhead's firing, he was booed across the league, even by Lakers' fans. During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2 points on .533 shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Johnson later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team, and he credited their success to Riley.

During the 1982–83 NBA season, Johnson averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination. With Johnson's teammates Norm Nixon, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP.

Battles against the Celtics (1983–87)

In Johnson's fifth season, he averaged a double-double of 17.6 points and 13.1 assists, as well as 7.3 rebounds per game. The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18 seconds to go, but after a layup by Gerald Henderson, Johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded, and the Lakers lost 124–121 in overtime. Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get".

In the regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 12.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record 148 points to the Celtics in a 34-point loss in Game 1. However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38 years old, scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 2, and his 36 points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 3–2 lead for Los Angeles. said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers.

Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 1985–86 NBA season, with 18.8 points, 12.6 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9 points, as well as 12.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game, The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107–106. The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",

Repeat and falling short (1987–91)

Before the 1987–88 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6 points, 11.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play. After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and led his team to a 108–105 win. Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1 points on .550 shooting, 13.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.

In the 1988–89 NBA season, Johnson's 22.5 points, 12.8 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game and the Lakers reached the 1989 NBA Finals, in which they again faced the Pistons. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 4–0.

Playing without the retired Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award after a strong 1989–90 NBA season in which he averaged 22.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. Johnson performed well during the 1990–91 NBA season, with averages of 19.4 points, 12.5 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guard Michael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era. Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan, Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 4–1 win.

HIV announcement and Olympics (1991–92)

After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately. He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease". At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive people had contracted it from heterosexual sex, and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both. and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh most memorable moment of the past 25 years. Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports."

}}

Despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game at Orlando Arena, although his former teammates Byron Scott and A. C. Green said that Johnson should not play, and several NBA players, including Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, argued that they would be at risk of contamination if Johnson suffered an open wound while on court. Johnson led the West to a 153–113 win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson. During the tournament, which the USA won, Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems, but he received standing ovations from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people. Johnson retired permanently, saying, "I am going out on my terms, something I couldn't say when I aborted a comeback in 1992." In 1991, Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly, with whom he had one son, Earvin III;

Media figure and business interests

In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. He runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company that has a net worth of $700 million; Johnson has also worked as a motivational speaker. before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008. In 1994, Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers, having reportedly paid more than $10 million for part ownership. He also held the title of team vice president. Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010. In 2006 Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic.

Politics

Johnson is a supporter of the Democratic Party—in 2005, he publicly endorsed Phil Angelides for governor of California, and in 2007 he supported Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. In 2010 Johnson endorsed Barbara Boxer in her race for re-election.

HIV activism

to discuss federal assistance for those with AIDS.]]

After announcing his infection in November 1991, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV, although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals. In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, but left after eight months, saying that the commission was not doing enough to combat the disease.

HIV had been associated with drug addicts and homosexuals, He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs, and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities. holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21), He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127).

For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in 1996, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson #17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan."

Rivalry with Larry Bird

Johnson and Larry Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State squad defeated Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two Lakers–Celtics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans, drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair. Sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN asserted that Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever"; during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival.

Works

Biographies

Johnson's autobiography is Other biographies include: (German) (German) (In ESPN SportsCentury)

Instructional

Updated version of

See also

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

References

External links

nba.com historical playerfile

Magic Johnson Bio, NBA Encyclopedia, Playoff Edition

Basketball Hall of Fame biography

Magic Johnson Foundation

Magic Johnson Official Website

Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball coaches Category:African American basketball players Category:African American sports executives Category:AIDS activists Category:American health activists Category:American motivational speakers Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Michigan Category:California Democrats Category:HIV-positive people Category:Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:Los Angeles Lakers head coaches Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:National Basketball Association head coaches Category:National Basketball Association owners Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Lansing, Michigan Category:Point guards Category:United States men's national basketball team members

Josiah Turner, Jr. (1821–1901) was a North Carolina lawyer, politician, and newspaper editor.

Turner, onetime president of the North Carolina Railroad Company, was elected to represent Orange County in the North Carolina House of Representatives (1852, 1854, and 1879–1880) and in the North Carolina Senate (1858, 1860, and 1868).

Turner was a Whig before the collapse of that party in the late 1850s and was opposed to secession in the run-up to the American Civil War. After the war began, however, he served in the Confederate States Army, ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Confederate House of Representatives in 1861 (losing to Archibald H. Arrington), and was elected to that body in 1863, serving in the Second Confederate Congress. There, he opposed the policies of President Jefferson Davis.

Turner was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1865 as a "Conservative" but was not seated. Elected again to the state legislature after the war, he opposed Republican Gov. William W. Holden, who had Turner arrested in Hillsborough for allegedly assisting the Ku Klux Klan. Turner also used his newspaper, the Raleigh Sentinel, to attack Holden and his party. "Turner's crusade is considered to have been largely responsible for the recapture of the state legislature by the Democrats (then called Conservatives) and for the overthrow of Governor William W. Holden in 1870 and his impeachment in 1871," wrote William S. Powell. But, said Powell, Turner was "no financial wizard" and the paper ended up in the hands of the publishers of the Raleigh Observer. Eventually, they folded the paper into The News & Observer.

Turner was elected to the legislature in August 1878 and at the same time commenced another campaign for Congress, this time as an Independent Democrat with the support of some Republicans. But other Republicans could not stomach Turner due to his past reputation as, in the words of the New York Times, "the most violent opponent the Republicans ever had in this state." The resulting split in the opposition seemed to ensure a November victory for Democrat Joseph J. Davis.

In 1880, "Turner's behavior [as a state legislator] became 'very erratic,' according to an account in A Biographical History of North Carolina from Colonial Times to the Present, published in 1906. 'He manifested a special antipathy to the speaker, Hon. John M. Moring, whom he denominated as a 'gander head,' and his conduct was so obstreperous that at length the body, worn out by his unruly and unseemly proceedings, was driven to expel him as a member,' reads the account." No other member of the North Carolina General Assembly was so removed from office again until Thomas E. Wright was expelled in 2008.

Turner's last major campaign was another run for Congress in 1884 as a Republican. He was defeated by William R. Cox.

References

Inventory of the Josiah Turner Papers

OurCampaigns.com

Under the Dome

Category:1821 births Category:1901 deaths Category:Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Category:North Carolina State Senators Category:North Carolina lawyers Category:Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from North Carolina

Name	Jay Hernandez
Caption	Jay Hernandez in the Hostel (2005 film)
Birthname	Javier Manuel Hernandez, Jr.
Birthdate	February 20, 1978
Birthplace	Montebello, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Yearsactive	1999–present

Jay Hernandez (born February 20, 1978) is an American actor.

Early life and career

Hernandez was born Javier Manuel Hernandez, Jr. in Montebello, California, the son of Isis (née Maldonado), a secretary and accountant, and Javier Hernandez, Sr., a mechanic. He has a younger sister, Amelia, and two older brothers, Michael and Gabriel. Hernandez is a fourth-generation Mexican American. He attended Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, California, but transferred to Schurr High School in Montebello, California his senior year. While riding an elevator in a high rise in Los Angeles, Hernandez was approached by talent manager Howard Tyner who suggested Hernandez had what it took to have a successful career in Hollywood. He enrolled Hernandez into acting school and sent his pictures to casting agents.

Hernandez subsequently hit success with his role opposite Kirsten Dunst in Crazy/Beautiful. He has since appeared in several major Hollywood films, including playing the lead role in the 2005 horror film Hostel, which performed well at the box office, and World Trade Center, released the same year. Hernandez appears in the action/crime film Takers, which was released in August 2010.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 2000 | Living the Life | Kikicho |- | rowspan=2|2001 | Crazy/Beautiful | Carlos Nuñez |- | Joy Ride | Marine |- | 2002 | The Rookie | Joaquin "Wack" Campos |- | rowspan=3|2004 | Torque | Dalton |- | Ladder 49 | Keith Perez |- | Friday Night Lights | Brian Chavez |- | rowspan=2|2005 | ''Hostel | Paxton |- | | Carlito Brigante |- | rowspan=3|2006 | Nomad | Erali |- | Karas: The Prophecy | Nue | Voice |- | World Trade Center | Dominick Pezzulo |- | rowspan=3|2007 | Grindhouse | Bobby | Teaser Trailer Segment "Thanksgiving" |- | Live! | Pablo |- | | Paxton |- | rowspan=4|2008 | American Son | Junior |- | Lakeview Terrace | Javier Villareal |- | Quarantine | Jake |- | Nothing Like the Holidays | Ozzy |- | 2010 | Takers | Eddie Hatcher |- | 2011 | Final Destination 5 | Jake Loubos |- |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1998–2000 | Hang Time | Antonio Lopez | Unknown episodes |- | 1999 | USA High | Jose | 1 episode |- | rowspan=2|2000 | Undressed | Eddie | Unknown episodes |- | One World | Octavio | 1 episode |- | 2002 | | Cisco | 2 episodes |- | 2006–2007 | Six Degrees | Carlos Green | 14 episodes |}

Award nominations

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC"|Year ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC"|Award ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC"|Result ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC"|Category ! style="background-color: #BCBCBC"|Film |- |2002 |ALMA Award |Nominated |Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture |Crazy/Beautiful |- |2006 |Teen Choice Award |Nominated |Movie - Choice Scream |Hostel |}

References

External links

Fan Site

Category:Actors from California Category:American film actors Category:American people of Mexican descent Category:American television actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:1978 births Category:Living people

Name	Chris Paul
Position	Point guard
Height ft	6
Height in	0
Weight lb	175
Team	New Orleans Hornets
Number	3
Nationality	American
Birth date	May 06, 1985
Birth place	Lewisville, North Carolina
High school	West Forsyth
College	Wake Forest
Draft round	1
Draft pick	4
Draft year	2005
Draft team	New Orleans Hornets
Career start	2005
Teams

Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985) is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.

Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake Forest University. After his sophomore year with the Demon Deacons, he declared for the draft. Since being selected 4th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by New Orleans, Paul has been a NBA Rookie of the Year (2006), a three-time All-Star, and an All-NBA and All-Defensive team honoree. He led the Hornets to the second round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs. He has also won an Olympic Gold Medal with the United States national basketball team.

Off the court, Paul is a notable ten-pin bowler and a sponsored spokesperson for the United States Bowling Congress (USBC). He has participated in numerous celebrity and youth bowling events as the head of the CP3 Foundation to benefit programs in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and charities in Winston-Salem.

Early years

Chris Paul was born in Lewisville, North Carolina as the second son of Charles Edward Paul and Robin Jones after Charles "C.J." Paul. Growing up, Chris and C.J. took summer to work at their grandfather's gas station.

High school

Paul played at West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina, where he was a 2003 McDonald's All-American and was named North Carolina's Mr. Basketball for 2003 by The Charlotte Observer. Paul averaged 30.8 points, 9.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.0 steals per game as a senior in leading his team to a 27–3 record and the Class 4A Eastern Regional finals. That same year, at the beginning of the season, Paul scored 61 points in honor of his grandfather, Nathaniel Jones, who, days before, had been beaten to death. Paul scored one point for every year his grandfather lived. When Paul reached the 61-point mark, he intentionally missed a free throw, then took himself out of the game even though the state high school scoring record of 66 points was well within reach.

Summer circuit

Though he did not win a state championship while in high school, Paul did take the Winston-Salem-based Kappa Magic (alongside future University of North Carolina rival Reyshawn Terry), to the 2002 National U-17 AAU Championship over an All-Ohio team led by 2003 McDonald's All-American Drew Lavender, taking home the tournament's MVP award in the process.

College career

Paul attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He played there for two years leading the Demon Deacons to two NCAA Tournaments, and one Sweet Sixteen appearance. In his freshman year he was named the ACC Rookie of the Year, and National Freshman of the Year by several publications. Paul also earned ACC All-Defensive Team honors during his time at Wake and was among the Consensus First Team All-Americans in his sophomore year. By the time he declared for the 2005 NBA Draft as a sophomore, he had finished near the top of almost every offensive category at Wake Forest.

NBA career

2005–2006: Rookie stardom

Paul was selected fourth overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that summer to the city of New Orleans, Paul did not play his first full season in New Orleans. Instead, the team played in various arenas and relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Hornets only played three games in New Orleans Arena.

Paul led all rookies in points, assists, steals, and minutes, earning him the 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Paul was a near-unanimous winner for the award, but one voter (Ron Boone, television analyst for the Utah Jazz) gave Deron Williams his vote instead of Paul. This, along with the fact that both were taken back to back in the draft and play the same position, has led to an on-court rivalry between Paul and Williams. Their rivalry began on December 1, 2004 when Paul led his No. 1-ranked Wake Forest into Champaign to face Williams' Illini. Illinois thrashed the Demon Deacons 91–73 and took the top spot from there into their run to the 2005 NCAA Championship Game. Williams had 8 points and 11 assists while Paul was held to 10 points.

Paul finished the 2005–06 season averaging 16.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. He was also the only unanimous selection to the 2005–06 NBA All Rookie First Team and was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month every month in the 2005–06 season. After the season, Paul won the ESPY Award for Best Breakthrough Athlete. He recorded his first triple-double on April 2, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.

2006–07 season

Still playing in Oklahoma City, Paul followed up his impressive rookie campaign with a solid sophomore season. He improved his scoring average to 17.3 points, and improved his assists average with 8.9 per game. He averaged 4.4 rebounds per game. Paul's season was riddled with injuries though, as he was limited to playing in only 64 games.

Paul was not named an All-Star in 2007, but he was named to replace Steve Nash in the 2007 PlayStation Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend. He played in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and dished out 17 assists and had 9 steals, both T-Mobile Rookie Challenge records. When interviewed during the Rookie Challenge, Paul vowed that he would be an All-Star next season, as the All-Star Game would be held in New Orleans.

2007–08 season

The 2007–08 season brought the full return of the Hornets to the city of New Orleans. Emerging as a true superstar, Paul averaged 21.1 points and 4 rebounds, and led the NBA in steals with 2.71 per game and assists with 11.6 per game. He was selected by NBA coaches to play in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game which was hosted by the city of New Orleans, thereby fulfilling his vow from the previous season. Paul's teammate David West was named as an All-Star reserve and Hornets coach Byron Scott coached the Western Conference All-Stars. During All-Star Weekend, Paul participated again in the 2008 All-Star PlayStation Skills Challenge winning the first round but losing in the final round to Deron Williams. Paul sparked a 4th quarter comeback for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game, but the East held on to win 134–128. He finished the game with 16 points, 14 assists and 5 steals.

Paul continued his stellar play following the All Star game, leading the New Orleans Hornets to one of the best records in the West. After a 37 point, 13 assist, and 3 steal performance by Paul against the Chicago Bulls on March 17, 2008, Paul led a 4th quarter comeback win, the Hornets ascended to the top of the standings in the Western Conference. On April 4, 2008, Chris Paul helped the Hornets clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2003–04 season. The Hornets ultimately finished the season with a 56–26 record, the best record in team history, and finished #2 overall in the NBA Western Conference standings. Paul ended the season leading the NBA with 11.6 assists and 2.71 steals per game, along with 10 assists and 4 steals. In Game 2, he scored 32 points and set a franchise playoff-record 17 assists, leading the Hornets to a 127–103 victory to go 2–0 against Dallas. After splitting Games 3 and 4 in Dallas, the Hornets eliminated the Mavericks, 4–1, in Game 5 for their first ever playoff series victory behind a 24 point, 11 rebound, and 15 assist performance from Paul.

He finished second in MVP voting, behind Kobe Bryant, who beat him with a margin of 306 votes. He was selected for the All-NBA First Team, 3 votes shy of a unanimous choice.

Paul has reportedly reached an agreement on a three-year extension with the Hornets with a player option with a fourth year, with a total value of $68 million.

2008–09 season

in a March 2009 game.]] For the second season in a row Paul finished the season as the league leader in assists and steals. He also scored a career best 22.8 points per game on a career best percentage of 50.3%. Paul participated in his second NBA All Star Game starting for the Western Conference All Stars. On December 17, 2008, against the San Antonio Spurs, Paul broke Alvin Robertson's 22-year-old NBA record by registering at least one steal in 106 consecutive games. The new record reached 108 consecutive games before ending on Christmas Day against the Orlando Magic.

After the season, Paul was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team first team, and the All-NBA second team. He was also fifth in the 2009 MVP voting, receiving two first place votes and a total of 192 points.

2009–10 season

After a 3–6 start to the season, the New Orleans Hornets fired Scott on November 12 and replaced him with general manager Jeff Bower, who has been involved with the franchise since 1995. Paul stirred controversy by announcing his displeasure with the move and thought the team management should have "consulted with me and asked how I felt before it happened", but clarified that he didn't expect to be asked to give approval. The next day, Paul suffered a left ankle sprain against the Portland Trail Blazers that resulted in eight missed games as the Hornets went 4–4. Once Paul returned on December 9, New Orleans won 18 of their next 28 games, including a six-game winning streak. He earned his third All-Star appearance as a reserve guard, finishing third with 1,055,789 votes behind Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.

In early February, an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in Paul's left knee after it was tweaked in two consecutive games in late January. On February 4, he underwent arthroscopic surgery performed by renowned sports physician James Andrew in Florida. Sidelined for nearly eight weeks, Paul, who was averaging 20.4 points and an NBA-best 11.2 assists, missed 25 Hornets games and the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, where his reserve spot was filled by Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups. On March 22, Paul returned to action since January 29 against the Chicago Bulls, and was inserted in the starting lineup for the game against the Dallas Mavericks, moving Darren Collison out of the starting lineup, who started at point guard during Paul's absence.

International

}} in Beijing.]]

Paul has earned 10 caps for various junior national teams. He made his debut for the senior United States national basketball team on August 4, 2006 in a friendly against Puerto Rico. Paul made the final cut and remained on the Team USA roster for the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Team USA finished with an 8–1 record and defeated 2004 Olympic gold medal winner Argentina for a third-place finish. Paul set a Team USA World Championship total assist record with 44 assists, to go along with only 9 turnovers.

He participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the USA went unbeaten en route to the gold medal, defeating 2006 world champion Spain. Playing as back up to starter Jason Kidd, the "Redeem team" captured gold for the first time since the 2000 Olympics.

Awards and honors

NBA All-Star: 2008, 2009, 2010

All-NBA Team:

:*First Team: 2008 :*Second Team: 2009

NBA All-Defensive Team:

:*First Team: 2009 :*Second Team: 2008

NBA Rookie of the Year: 2006

NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2006

Bronze medal with Team USA, 2006 FIBA World Championship

Notched second place on ESPN's greatest player of the 2007–2008 regular season

Gold medal with Team USA, 2008 Summer Olympic Games

NBA records

Consecutive games with a steal: 108, to

Most games with at least one steal, season: 80 ()

Recorded a steal in every game he played.

Tied with Michael Jordan ()

Fifth player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in the same season Don "Slick" Watts (Seattle SuperSonics, ), Don Buse (Indiana Pacers, ), Micheal Ray Richardson (New York Knicks, ), and John Stockton (Utah Jazz, , ) also achieved this.

Only player in NBA history to lead the league in assists and steals in consecutive seasons (–)

2nd in NBA history

Seasons leading the league in steals: 2 (–)

Consecutive seasons leading the league in steals: 2 (–)

Steals, half: 7, first half, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

3rd in NBA history

Highest average, assists per game, career: 10.0 (3,446/345)

Trailing Earvin "Magic" Johnson and John Stockton

Steals, game: 9, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

New Orleans Hornets records

Regular season

Free throws made, career: 1,634

Highest average, assists per game, career: 10.0 (3,446/345)

Assists, season: 925 () (11.6 apg)

Assists, game: 21, at Los Angeles Lakers,

Assists, half: 14, second half, at Los Angeles Lakers,

Games with 10 or more assists, season: 59 ()

Point-assist double-doubles, career: 150

Point-assist double-doubles, season: 56 ()

Point-assist double-doubles: 8, twice 8, to 8, to

Triple-doubles, career: 11

Triple-doubles, season: 6 ()

Steals, season: 217, (2.7 spg)

Steals, game: 9, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

Steals, half: 7, first half, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

Rookie

Paul's rookie year was .

Highest free throw percentage, season: .847 (394-465)

Free throws made, game: 14, at New York Knicks,

Free throw attempts, game: 17, at New York Knicks,

Assists, season: 611 (7.8 apg)

Assists, game: 16, vs. Golden State Warriors,

Steals, season: 175 (2.2 spg)

Steals, game: 7, vs. Utah Jazz,

Playoffs

Highest average, assists per game, career: 11.0 (187/17)

Assists, game: 17, vs. Dallas Mavericks,

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | align="left" | | align="left" | NO/Oklahoma City | 78 || 78 || 36.0 || .430 || .282 || .847 || 5.1 || 7.8 || 2.2 || .1 || 16.1 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | NO/Oklahoma City | 64 || 64 || 36.8 || .437 || .350 || .818 || 4.4 || 8.9 || 1.8 || .1 || 17.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | New Orleans | 80 || 80 || 37.6 || .488 || .369 || .851 || 4.0 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.6 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 2.7 || .1 || 21.1 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | New Orleans | 78 || 78 || 38.5 || .503 || .364 || .868 || 5.5 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.0 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 2.8 || .1 || 22.8 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | New Orleans | 45 || 45 || 38.0 || .493 || .409 || .847 || 4.2 || 10.7 || 2.4 || .2 || 18.7 |- | align="left" colspan=2| Career | 345 || 345 || 37.3 || .473 || .353 || .848 || 4.7 || 10.0 || 2.4 || .1 || 19.3 |- | align="left" colspan=2| All-Star | 3 || 2 || 28.0 || .472 || .200 || .000 || 4.7 || 13.0 || 4.0 || .0 || 12.7

Playoffs

|- | align="left" | 2008 | align="left" | New Orleans | 12 || 12 || 40.5 || .502 || .238 || .785 || 4.9 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 11.3 ||bgcolor="CFECEC"| 2.3 || .2 || 24.1 |- | align="left" | 2009 | align="left" | New Orleans | 5 || 5 || 40.2 || .411 || .313 || .857 || 4.4 || 10.4 || 1.6 || .0 || 16.6 |- | align="left" colspan=2| Career | 17 || 17 || 40.4 || .480 || .270 || .800 || 4.8 || 11.0 || 2.1 || .1 || 21.9

Personal life

Paul is an official member of the Nike Team Jordan brand. He was one of only three athletes (Derek Jeter and Carmelo Anthony being the others) to have had his own shoe made with the brand.

Paul was the cover athlete for the video game NBA 2K8.

Paul and New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush are close friends and live in the same complex in the Central Business District of New Orleans. They also share a personal chef.

Chris Paul and LeBron James, are best-friends. Paul stated that "He's like my brother"

Chris Paul and Utah Jazz Point guard Deron Williams, are close friends.

During the second season of ESPN's It's the Shoes, Paul revealed to Bobbito Garcia that the "CP3" nickname comes from family tradition. The combination of his initials and jersey number is strictly a coincidence. His father (Charles Paul) and older brother (C.J. Paul) are nicknamed CP1 and CP2, respectively. Paul also notes that all three men's initials are CEP."

Whenever Chris scores during a Hornets home game the PA Announcer will simply say "CP3!" and then play a sound byte of legendary pro wrestler Ric Flair's famous "Wooooo!" quote. Flair, who is an avid Hornets fan and whose loyalty stuck with the team even after they relocated from his hometown Charlotte to New Orleans, attended every Hornets home game in their 2008 Western Conference Semi-Final Series against the San Antonio Spurs and introduced the starting lineups at a home game against the Golden State Warriors.

In 2008, Paul appeared on the NPR news quiz show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!," where he went three-for-three in the "Not My Job" game.

Chris Paul was named the best point guard in the NBA by Gary Payton.

See also

List of National Basketball Association season assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association season steals 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

Notes

External links

ChrisPaul3.com - The Official Website of Chris Paul

The Official MySpace of Chris Paul

Chris Paul fan forum

Chris Paul NBADraft.net profile

IGN.com: Chris Paul interview

"Chris Paul", n°18 on Times list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"

}}

Category:1985 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:American bowling players Category:Basketball players from North Carolina Category:People from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Category:People from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:Point guards Category:New Orleans Hornets draft picks Category:New Orleans Hornets players Category:Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball players Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Basketball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States

Robert "Bobbito" García (born September 25, 1966 in New York City), also known as DJ Cucumberslice and formerly known as Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Kool Bob Love, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player, sneakerfreak, and member of the Rock Steady Crew. He graduated from Lower Merion High School, and in 1988 from Wesleyan University.

From 1990 to 1998 he co-hosted The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR. It featured exclusive demo tapes and in-studio freestyles from many then-unsigned artists such as Nas, Big Pun, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Cam'ron, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Big L, Fugees, Talib Kweli and Notorious B.I.G. who later found great success on major record labels. García set up the important underground, vinyl-only label Fondle 'Em Records in 1995 as an outlet for other guests such as MF DOOM, Kool Keith and Cage. In 1998 The Source named The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show "Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All Time".

In 2003, García created BOUNCE: From the Playground, a quarterly magazine devoted to streetball, especially the playground scene in NYC. He has been an editor, writer, and photographer for the magazine, and has also done work for and been featured in magazines like Vibe and The Source. García is the author of Where’d You Get Those?: New York City’s Sneaker Culture 1960-1987. He has hosted a show on ESPN called It's the Shoes, where he interviewed celebrities about their sneaker collection. He was also featured centrally in the sneaker documentary Just for Kicks. He performs the announcer's voice in the video games NBA Street Vol. 2 and NBA Street V3 and is the M.C. of the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in the video game NBA 2K8, 2k9 and 2k10.

In 2006, Madison Square Garden Network (MSG-TV) hired García to do the "Hot Minute At The Half" reports with celebrities in the crowd during New York Knicks home games. He became the first Latino broadcast member in the 60-year history of the franchise.

In 2007, García worked with Nike on limited edition Nike Air Force 1 and Air Force 25 models, selecting the colors, fabrics and logo used, and designed the "Project Playground" limited edition of the Adidas Superstar.

In 2009 Bobbito Garcia worked on Blokhedz animated web series on Missiong.com. He was the voice of Eatho; the smart Puerto Rican b baller

References

External links

Bobbito aka Kool Bob Love (Official Site)

Bobbito Garcia's official Bounce Magazine site

Category:American businesspeople Category:American magazine founders Category:American music journalists Category:American breakdancers Category:Hip hop DJs Category:Street basketball players Category:Puerto Rican basketball players Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:Hispanic and Latino American people Category:People from New York City Category:1966 births Category:Living people

Robert Matthew "Bob" Hurley, Sr. (born July 3, 1947) is the basketball coach at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Hurley has amassed 23 state championships and more than 900 wins in 35 years as a coach, creating a national powerhouse despite substandard facilities and financial limitations. Five of his teams have gone undefeated, including his 2007-08 team. On April 5, 2010, he was announced as the only coach to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame that year and only the third high-school coach in history to be so honored; he was formally inducted on August 13 of that year. Hurley is the father of Bobby Hurley, a former All-American point guard at Duke, and Dan Hurley, who was hired in April 2010 to coach Wagner College after years of coaching at Newark's Saint Benedict's Preparatory School, also one of the top high school programs in the nation. Dan has since hired Bobby as an assistant at Wagner.

Hurley's undefeated 1989 team, which featured Jerry Walker, Hurley's son Bobby, Terry Dehere, and Rodrick Rhodes, was ranked first in the nation by USA Today. Three of the players on that team — Bobby Hurley, Dehere and Rhodes — were first round draft choices in the NBA draft. That team won New Jersey's first Tournament of Champions and amassed 50 straight victories in a two-year span. It is generally considered one of the best teams in New Jersey history.

Hurley's 2007-08 squad was also undefeated, finishing with 32 wins and no losses and ranked number one in the U.S. even though no starter is taller that 6'6. The '08 team, with six seniors accepting Division I basketball scholarships, also won Hurley's 10th Tournament of Champions, winning its state tournament games by an average of more than 27 points per game. The team also won St. Anthony's 25th state championship, more than any other school in U.S. history. Hurley was the coach for 23 of those teams and an assistant coach on the other two. His teams are known for their speed, defensive intensity, and precise ball movement. He is known for his intense calls from the sideline to players during stoppages in play.

Book

Hurley's 2003-04 team, also undefeated and ranked second in the nation, is the subject of The Miracle of St. Anthony, a best-selling book by Adrian Wojnarowski. The book chronicles how the team marched to an unbeaten season, state title, and number 2 national ranking despite off-the-court crises and not having a single senior graduate to a Division I program. St. Anthony, run by Felician nuns, has achieved this success with a student body of just 235, one of New Jersey's smallest.

Over the years, though, more than 100 graduates of the program have earned Division I basketball scholarships, including six from the 2007-08 team. Every senior to graduate from his program has won at least one state championship, with many winning several. Hurley has also produced a total of five first-round NBA draft picks: his son, Bobby, Dehere, Rhodes, David Rivers, and Roshown McLeod. Hurley has never been a teacher at or a full-time employee of St. Anthony. For most of his career, the coach was employed as a probation officer. Currently, his day job is director of the Jersey City Recreation Department. He has been instrumental in the restoration of the historic Jersey City Armory to a modern sports arena.

Hurley gained national attention when his son Bobby graduated and became a four-year starter and All-American at Duke University. Bobby, along with Grant Hill and Christian Laettner, led Duke to two NCAA titles.

Over the years, Hurley has been offered a number of college coaching jobs. He has turned them all down. He is also one of just a few high school coaches to be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Movie

In 2007-08, TeamWorks Media was granted access to film a documentary portrait of Hurley and St. Anthony High School's fundraising effort. "The Street Stops Here," directed by Kevin Shaw , captured challenges that tested Hurley's resolve. The most talented senior class Hurley ever assembled, with six seniors headed to Division I schools, was about to graduate without having won a state championship – something that has never happened to one of his teams. Even more dire, fundraising efforts were tied to a major Wall Street firm responsible for the current U.S. recession, raising a financial crisis that threatened to close St. Anthony.

The documentary captured several compelling moments as Hurley's team went undefeated that season, winning their 25th State Title and third mythical National Championship as voted upon by USA Today. The Friars were bolstered by top-notch talent currently starring at major Division I programs; Mike Rosario (Florida), Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Jio Fontan (Southern California) and Dominic Cheek (Villanova). Other major prep players from that time making an appearance in the film include Sacramento Kings rookie Tyreke Evans (American Christian H.S.) Cincinnati star Lance Stephenson (Lincoln Brooklyn H.S.) and North Carolina swingman Dexter Strickland (St. Patrick's of Elizabeth, NJ). Interviews from Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and North Carolina's Roy Williams are featured. Former Bear Sterns CEO Alan Schwartz is seen as a contributor to St. Anthony's fundraising effort.

"The Street Stops Here," premiered nationally on PBS March 31, 2010 and is available on DVD .

Coaching family

In the last five years, Hurley's teams have been challenged for supremacy in the state by St. Patrick's High School of Elizabeth and Saint Benedict's Preparatory School of Newark. St. Patrick's is coached by Kevin Boyle, who, like Hurley, is a graduate of Saint Peter's College in Jersey City. St. Benedict's was coached until 2010 by Bob's younger son, Dan Hurley, who played for St. Anthony and then Seton Hall University. All three schools are within 10 miles of each other and have been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the past few seasons. Indeed in 2008, when Bob's team was ranked #1 in the nation, Dan's St. Benedict's squad was ranked #2, and only a 3-point loss kept St. Benedict's from an undefeated season and a #1 ranking of its own.

References

External links

St. Anthony High School web site

"The Street Stops Here" movie website

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States Category:Saint Peter's College (New Jersey) alumni