Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, New York City that manufactures and distributes various lines of enhanced water. Founded in May 1996 by J. Darius Bikoff with an electrolyte enhanced line of water called Smartwater, Energy Brands initially distributed its products to health food stores and independent retailers in the New York area. Adding Fruitwater and Vitaminwater to its line in 1998 and 2000, respectively, the company expanded to nationwide distribution in the early 2000s.

By 2002, the Glacéau line of waters were the top selling enhanced water brand in the United States, with the company's Vitaminwater being its best selling product. In 2006, the company earned US$350 million in revenues. The company then began its global expansion, launching its products in the United Kingdom and Australia in 2008, France in 2009 and Argentina in 2011.

Energy Brands is owned primarily by Bikoff, employees, and small investors. Rap artist Curtis Jackson—known as 50 Cent—obtained a minority share of the company as part of an endorsement deal. 30% of the equity was sold to LVMH sometime in the 2000s, which in turn sold those shares. The shares eventually were sold to India-based Tata Group in August 2006, which held the shares until May 2007 when Coca-Cola Company purchased the company as an independent subsidiary, leaving its actual operations with its existing management including Bikoff.

History[link]

J. Darius Bikoff, a self-proclaimed health nut born on September 21, 1961, first conceived of the idea of vitamin enhanced water in 1996. According to him, he was feeling "run down" and concerned he was catching a cold, so he took some Vitamin C and drank some mineral water. As he consumed the items, he started thinking about the idea of having them together instead of having to take them separately.^[1][2] He founded Energy Brands in May 1996 using his personal savings and contracting with an aquifer in Connecticut for the base water used.^[2] The individual products carried the Glacéau name, with the company's first product being Glacéau Smartwater.^[3]

Reflecting on the company's early history, Bikoff notes that it was "very tough" as he struggled with founding the company having no actual experience in beverage manufacturing, beyond working in an aluminum fabrication factory.^[1][3] While launching his company, he was also having to deal with personal struggles including a divorce and having to file for bankruptcy.^[1] He started by personally introducing Smartwater to smaller independent natural food stores around New York, moving to a statewide launch when the product became successful. He used this same basic method, adding in "mom-and-pop stores", for the launches of Fruitwater and Vitaminwater in 1998 and 2000, respectively.^[3] By 2001, the company's drinks were sold in over 4,000 retail stores in the New York area.^[2] According to Bikoff, this enabled his products to go unnoticed by the large beverage makers until the product was firmly established when he could then cultivate relationships with various independent distributors opening the way for nationwide distribution.^[3]

Bikoff eventually allowed LVMH to buy a 30% equity share in the company. LVMH later sold the stake to another investor, who in turn sold it again.^[1] The shares ended up in the hands of India-based Tata Group in August 2006, which paid $677 million for the 30% equity, seeking to expand its American business interests.^[4]

Coca-Cola Acquisition[link]

On May 25, 2007, the company was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company for $4.1 billion in cash. ^[5] In the Coca-Cola press release announcing the acquisition Bikoff is quoted:

"It's a perfect match connecting the hottest active lifestyle brand with the full resources of the world's best beverage company," said J. Darius Bikoff, glacéau founder and chief executive officer. "To best understand today's announcement, you really need to go out, buy a bottle of vitaminwater and try it for yourself to see how well it works." ^[5]

$1.2 billion of the sales went to the Tata Group for its 30% minority ownership, which Tata agreed to sell not wishing to be a subsidiary of Coca-Cola.^[6][7] Under the purchase agreement, Energy Brands remains nearly autonomous as a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, with Coca-Cola primarily operating with a hands off method, leaving Bikoff and Energy Brands principal operating officers in charge. In discussing the role of Coca-Cola, Bikoff states: "We run independently, we have our own offices. If Coca-Cola don't call me, I don't call them."^[1]

In 2008, Energy Brands began launching its products in the United Kingdom and Australia in 2008, with France following in 2009 and Argentina in 2011. The company eventually plans to expand to Canada and Mexico.^[1]

Legal disputes[link]

On April 5, 2006, Energy Brands filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan alleging that PepsiCo's SoBe "Life Water" packages infringed its trade dress for similar drinks.^[8] In the subsequent settlement Pepsi agreed to change its packaging.^[9][10]

On January 14, 2009, the Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a class-action lawsuit against Energy Brands' parent company in the Northern District of California Court. The suit alleges that the marketing of the drink as a "healthful alternative" to soda is deceptive and in violation of Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The consumer group states that "according to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of Vitaminwater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles". Coca-Cola dismissed the suit as "ridiculous," on the grounds that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage" and an attempt by the group to increase its readership.^[11][12]

Business model[link]

Financials[link]

As a privately owned company, Energy Brands has never been required to release information about its sales figures or other financial information. Bikoff himself never stated what percentage of the company he owned before it was sold. Forbes magazine once reported that he owned only 25% of the company, but in an interview with The Times, he denied this stating: "Did anyone say I had less than 50%? Look, I maintained control of the company and I maintain it today. But I don’t talk about my share as every story becomes one about personal wealth."^[1] In 2006, the company was reported to have an annual sales revenue of $350 million.^[1][3]

Before the sale to Coca-Cola, 70% shares of the company were held by company employees and smaller investors, with 30% held by the Tata Group.^[1] In October 2004, rap artist Curtis Jackson—known as 50 Cent—was given a minority share in the company in exchange for his becoming a spokesperson after learning that he was a fan of the beverage. The health conscious Jackson noted that he first learned of the product while at a gym in Los Angeles, and stated that "they do such a good job making water taste good." After becoming a shareholder and endorser, Jackson worked with the company to create a new grape-flavored "Formula 50" variant of VitaminWater and mentioned the drinks in various songs and interviews. It's unknown how much Jackson made from the purchase of his shares by Coca-cola, with estimates in the financial press mainly in the $50 million range. Though he no longer has an equity stake in the company, Jackson continues to act as a spokesperson for Vitaminwater, enthusiastically supporting the product including singing about it at the BET Awards and expressing his excitement over the company's continuing to allow his input on products.^[13]

Products[link]

Energy Brands' first product was Glacéau Smartwater, vapor-distilled water with added electrolytes, which was released at the company's launch in 1996.^[2][3] Glaceau Fruitwater, adding zero-calorie fruit flavors to the core Smartwater, followed in 1998. In 2000, Vitaminwater was launched, adding vitamins and natural flavors with Smartwater.^[2][3] Designed to "fill the gap" between soft drinks and water for people who knew they should drink more water but weren't, Vitaminwater was targeted primarily at adults. With fewer calories than soda, the company states that the drink both hydrates consumers and provides nutrients they are likely to be missing.^[1] Vitaminenergy—an energy drink became the company's fourth product.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, Energy Brands' Glacéau drinks were the top selling brand of enhanced water.^[14] Vitaminwater is considered its most successful of the four products.^[2][3] On April 2, 2009, Glacéau Vitaminwater introduced a new line for the weight-conscious market called Vitaminwater10 that has 10 kilocalories per eight-ounce serving,^[15] and later Vitaminwater Zero, a calorie-free drink, down from the older line that serves 50 kilocalories. Both drinks utilize Truvia as a sweetener.^[16] In September 2010, a rebranded version of the 10 calorie drink was introduced to the Canadian market, although Vitaminwater Zero is still exclusively a US product.

VitaminWater[link]

VitaminWater consists of vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis filtered water; crystalline fructose (derived from corn syrup) as a sweetener; citric acid; electrolytes; natural flavors; and vitamins, including Vitamin C, B3, B5, B6, B12, and E. Other ingredients are added according to the flavor and intended purpose of the drink. The drinks contain 33 grams of sugar in a 20oz bottle which is equivalent to about 8 teaspoons of sugar (4 grams per teaspoon). Regular Coke contains 65 grams of sugar in a 20oz bottle which is equivalent to about 16 teaspoons of sugar. With 125 calories per bottle

Misleading advertising[link]

In January 2011, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority ruled that a Summer 2010 advertisement that claimed VitaminWater was "nutritious" was misleading due to the high sugar content (23g per 500ml) of the drink. The ruling banning the advertisement stated: "Because Vitamin Water contained about a quarter of a consumer's GDA (guideline daily amount) for sugar as well as the added vitamins, we considered that the description of Vitamin Water as 'nutritious' was misleading."^[17]

Flavors[link]

• 1st Generation: Revive, Power-C, Energy, Focus, Essential
• 2nd Generation: Defense, Formula 50, B-Relaxed, XXX, Multi-V
• 3rd Generation: Balance, Endurance, Vital-T, Rescue, Charge
• 4th Generation: Dwnld, Tranquilo, Connect, Spark, Stur-D

Discontinued flavors[link]

• Power-C - Acerola [1st Discontinued Flavor]
• Perform - Lemon-Lime
• Defense - Lemon-Ice
• Stress-B - Lemon-Lime
• Endurance - Peach-Mango
• B-Relaxed - Jackfruit-Guava
• Tranquilo - Tamarind-Pineapple
• Formula 50 - Grape

Smartwater[link]

Smartwater is distilled water and electrolytes with 10 mg of calcium, 15 mg of magnesium, and 10 mg of potassium per liter.^{[citation needed]} It is available in 700 mL, 1 L, 1.5 L, and 20 oz bottles.

vitaminenergy[link]

vitaminenergy is an energy drink which consists of many of the same ingredients as vitaminwater, such as crystalline fructose, electrolytes, natural flavors, and vitamins (Vitamin B3, B5, B6, B12, and C) along with natural caffeine and ribose. Specific ingredients are added according to the flavor of the drink. The product is advertised to not cause the unpleasant “crash ” associated with most energy drinks.

vitaminwater Energy is now off the market.^{[citation needed]}

Flavors[link]

• Dragonfruit 9
• Tropical Citrus 18
• Fruit Punch 21

fruitwater[link]

fruitwater is a less sweetened version of vitaminwater. It consists of the same ingredients only with a light fruit flavor and less crystalline fructose. Aside from “natural flavor,” fruitwater does not contain any actual fruit juice. As of August 2008, nine flavors were available.

Fruitwater is now off of the market.

Flavors[link]

• Raspberry-apple
• Grape
• Peach
• Lime
• Pomegranate
• Dragonfruit
• Lemonade
• Orange
• Kiwi-strawberry
• Mango lemon

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

v t e Coca-Cola brands Sodas Ambasa Ameyal Barq's Beat Beverly Bjäre Julmust Chinotto Citra Coca-Cola Fanta Fioravanti Fresca Fruktime Frutonic Gold Spot Hit Inca Kola Jaz Cola Joya Kinley Kola Inglesa Krest Lemon & Paeroa Lift Lilt Limca Mare Rosso Mello Yello Mezzo Mix Mr. Pibb Nordic Mist Northern Neck OK Soda Portello Quatro Quwat Jabal Ramblin' Root Beer Red Flash Royal Tru Santiba Sarsi Seagram's Senzao Smart Sparkle Sparletta Sprite Stoney Surge Tab Tanora Thums Up Tiky Urge Vault VegitaBeta Victoria Yoli Juices & teas Ayataka Cappy Capri Sun Cepita Delaware Punch Enviga Far Coast Five Alive Fruitopia Frutonic Fuze Glaceau Gold Peak Hajime Hi-C Honest Tea Innocent (58%) Maaza Matte Leão Minute Maid Nestea Oasis Odwalla Qoo Royal Tru Simply Sokenbicha Sparkle Tum-E Yummies Vitamin Water Energy & sports drinks Aquarius BPM Energy Burn Full Throttle Gladiator Mother NOS Powerade Relentless Rockstar Bottled water AdeS Arwa Avra Ciel Dasani Deep River Rock Malvern Water Smart Water Spring! Valpre Other Beverage Partners Worldwide Caribou Coffee Columbia Pictures Georgia Swerve

Jay Leno
Leno in July 2008
Birth name	James Douglas Muir Leno
Born	(1950-04-28) April 28, 1950 (age 62)[1] New Rochelle, New York, U.S.[1]
Medium	Television, Film, Stand up
Nationality	American
Years active	1973–present
Genres	Observational comedy, Political satire
Subject(s)	American culture, Everyday life
Influences	Johnny Carson, Robert Klein, Alan King, George Carlin,[2] Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Rodney Dangerfield
Influenced	Dennis Miller[3]
Spouse	Mavis Leno (1980–present)
Notable works and roles	The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (host, 1992–2009, 2010–) The Jay Leno Show (host, 2009–2010)
Signature
Website	The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series 1995 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno /�?lɛnoʊ/ (born April 28, 1950)^[1] is an American stand-up comedian and television host.

From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time, UTC-5), also on NBC. After The Jay Leno Show was canceled in January 2010 amid a host controversy, Leno returned to host The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 1, 2010.^[4]

Early life[link]

James "Jay" Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1950. His mother, Catherine (née Muir; 1911–1993), a homemaker, was born in Greenock, Scotland, and came to the United States at age 11. Leno's father, Angelo (1910–1994), who worked as an insurance salesman, was born in New York to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy.^[5] Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and although his high school guidance counselor recommended that he drop out of school, he later obtained a Bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College, where he started a comedy club in 1973.^[6] Leno's siblings include his late older brother, Patrick, who was a Vietnam veteran^[7] and a lawyer.^[6]

Career[link]

During the 1970s, Leno appeared in minor roles in several television series and films, first in the 1976 episode "J.J. in Trouble" of Good Times and the same year in the pilot of Holmes & Yo-Yo. After an uncredited appearance in the 1977 film Fun with Dick and Jane, he played more prominent parts in 1978 in American Hot Wax and Silver Bears. Other films and television series from that period include Almost Heaven (1978), "Going Nowhere" (1979) from One Day at a Time, Americathon (1979), Polyester (1981), "The Wild One" (1981) from Alice, "Feminine Mistake" (1979) and "Do the Carmine" (1983) from Laverne & Shirley.

[edit] The Tonight Show

Leno in 1993, shortly after becoming host of The Tonight Show

Starting in 1987, Leno was a regular substitute host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. In 1992, he replaced Carson as host^[8] amid controversy with David Letterman, who had been hosting Late Night with David Letterman since 1982 (aired after The Tonight Show), who many had expected to be Carson's successor. The story of this turbulent transition was later turned into a book and a movie. Leno continued to perform as a stand-up comedian throughout his tenure on The Tonight Show.

In 2004, Leno signed a contract extension with NBC which would keep him as host of The Tonight Show until 2009.^[9] Later in 2004, Conan O'Brien signed a contract with NBC under which O'Brien would become the host of The Tonight Show in 2009, replacing Leno at that time.^[10]

During the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, Leno was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own monologue for The Tonight Show. While NBC and Leno claim there were private meetings with the WGA where there was a secret agreement allowing this, the WGA denied such a meeting.^[11] Leno answered questions in front of the Writers Guild of America, West trial committee in February 2009 and June 2009, and when the WGAW published its list of strike-breakers on 11 August 2009, Leno was not on the list.^[12][13]

In 1998, Leno competed in a tag-team match at the WCW's "Road Wild" pay-per-view . In 2001, he voiced The Crimson Chin, a superhero in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents and continues to do so today.

Leno said in 2008 that he was saving all of his income from The Tonight Show and living solely off his income from stand-up comedy.^[14]

On April 23, 2009, Leno checked himself into a hospital with an undisclosed illness.^[15] He was released the following day and returned to work on Monday, April 27. The two subsequently cancelled Tonight Show episodes for April 23 and April 24 were Leno's first in 17 years as host.^[16][17] Initially, the illness that caused the absence was not disclosed, but later Leno told People magazine that the ailment was exhaustion.^[17][18]

Michael Jackson trial[link]

In the 2005 trial of Michael Jackson over allegations of child molestation, Leno appeared as a defense witness (many celebrity defense witnesses had been expected, but Leno was one of the few whose testimony was actually needed). In his testimony regarding a call by the accuser, Leno testified that he never called the police, that no money was asked for, and there was no coaching — but that the calls seemed unusual and scripted.^[19]

Leno in 2006.

As a result, Leno was initially not allowed to continue telling jokes about Jackson or the case, which had been a fixture of The Tonight Show's opening monologue in particular. But he and his show's writers used a legal loophole by having Leno briefly step aside while stand-in comedians took the stage and told jokes about the trial. Stand-ins included Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Brad Garrett, and Dennis Miller among others.^[20]

[edit] Succession by Conan O'Brien and The Jay Leno Show

Because Leno's show continued to lead all late-night programming in the Nielsen ratings, the pending expiration of Leno's contract led to speculation about whether he would become a late-night host for another network after his commitment to NBC expired.^[21] Leno left The Tonight Show on Friday May 29, 2009,^[22][23] and Conan O'Brien took over on June 1, 2009.

On December 8, 2008, it was reported that Leno would remain on NBC and move to a new hour-long show at 10 p.m. Eastern Time (9 p.m. Central Time) five nights a week.^[24] This show follows a similar format to The Tonight Show, tapes at the same lot, and retains many of Leno's most popular segments. Late Night host Conan O'Brien was his successor on The Tonight Show.^[25]

Jay Leno's new show, titled The Jay Leno Show, debuted on September 14, 2009. It was announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that it would feature one or two celebrities, the occasional musical guest, and keep the popular "Headlines" segments, which would air near the end of the show. First guests included Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey (via satellite), and a short sit-down with Kanye West discussing his controversy at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.^[26]

[edit] Timeslot conflict and return to The Tonight Show

Wikinews has related news: US TV host Conan O'Brien rejects NBC's offer to switch his show's time slot

In their new roles, neither O'Brien nor Leno succeeded in delivering the viewing audiences the network anticipated. On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that beginning March 1, 2010, Jay Leno would move from his 10pm weeknight time slot to 11:35pm, due to a combination of pressure from local affiliates whose newscasts were suffering, and both Leno's and O'Brien's poor ratings.^[27][28] Leno's show would be shortened from an hour to 30 minutes. All NBC late night programming would be preempted by the 2010 Winter Olympics between February 15 and February 26. This would move The Tonight Show to 12:05am, a post-midnight timeslot for the first time in its history. O'Brien's contract stipulated that NBC could move the show back to 12:05 a.m. without penalty (a clause put in primarily to accommodate sports preemptions).^[29]

On January 10, NBC confirmed that they would move Jay Leno out of primetime as of February 12 and intended to move him to late night as soon as possible.^[30][31] TMZ reported that O'Brien was given no advance notice of this change, and that NBC offered him two choices: an hour-long 12:05am time slot, or the option to leave the network.^[32] On January 12, O'Brien issued a press release that stated he would not continue with Tonight if it moved to a 12:05am time slot,^[33] saying, "I believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t The Tonight Show."

On January 21, it was announced that NBC had struck a deal with O'Brien. It was decided that O'Brien would leave The Tonight Show. The deal was made that O'Brien would receive a $33 million payout and that his staff of almost 200 would receive $12 million in the departure. O'Brien's final episode aired on Friday, January 22.^[34][35][36] Leno returned as host of The Tonight Show following the 2010 Winter Olympics on March 1, 2010.

On July 1, 2010, Variety reported that total viewership for Jay Leno's Tonight Show had dropped from 5 million to 4 million for the second quarter of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Although this represented the lowest second-quarter ratings for the show since 1992, Tonight was still the most-watched late night program, ahead of ABC's Nightline (3.7 million) and David Letterman's Late Show (3.3 million).^[37] Ratings over the following summer, when compared to the same period in 2009 with O'Brien hosting The Tonight Show (including O'Brien's highly rated debut), showed that while total viewership was 12% higher for Leno, viewership in the important "adults aged 18–49" demographic was 23% lower.^[38] NBC ratings specialist Tom Bierbaum commented that due to the host being out of late night television for a period of time and the subsequent 2010 Tonight Show conflict, Leno's ratings fall was "not a surprise at all".^[39]

Public image[link]

Criticism of Leno[link]

Leno on The Tonight Show in 2005

Leno has faced heated criticism and some negative publicity for his perceived role in the 2010 Tonight Show timeslot conflict.^[40][41] Critics have pointed to a 2004 Tonight Show clip, wherein Leno claimed he would allow O'Brien to take over without incident.^[41][42] At the time, Leno stated he didn't want O'Brien to leave for a competing network, adding, "I'll be 59 when [the switch occurs], that's five years from now. There's really only one person who could have done this into his 60s, and that was Johnny Carson; I think it's fair to say I'm no Johnny Carson."^[42] Leno also described The Tonight Show as a dynasty, saying "you hold it and hand it off to the next person. And I don't want to see all the fighting..." At the end of the segment, he said, "Conan, it's yours! See you in five years, buddy!"^[43]

Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt was among the first celebrities to openly voice disappointment with Leno, saying, "Comedians who don't like Jay Leno now, and I'm one of them, we're not like, 'Jay Leno sucks;' it's that we're so hurt and disappointed that one of the best comedians of our generation... willfully has shut the switch off."^[44] Rosie O'Donnell has been among O'Brien's most vocal and vehement supporters,^[45][46] calling Leno a "bully" and his recent actions "classless and kind of career-defining."^[47]

Bill Zehme, the co-author of Leno's autobiography Leading with My Chin, told the Los Angeles Times: "The thing Leno should do is walk, period. He's got everything to lose in terms of public popularity by going back. People will look at him differently. He'll be viewed as the bad guy."^[48]

Support for Leno[link]

NBC Sports head executive and former Saturday Night Live producer Dick Ebersol spoke out against all who had recently mocked Leno, calling them "chicken-hearted and gutless."^[49]

Jeff Gaspin also defended Leno: "This has definitely crossed the line. Jay Leno is the consummate professional and one of the hardest-working people in television. It's a shame that he's being pulled into this."^[48]

Paul Reiser and Jerry Seinfeld are two of the number of celebrities to have voiced support for Leno.^[50][51]

Responding to the mounting criticism, Leno claimed that NBC had assured him that O'Brien was willing to accept the proposed arrangement and then would not let either host out of his contract.^[52] Leno also said that the situation was "all business."^[52] He appeared on the January 28 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in an attempt to repair some of the damage done to his public image.^[53][54]

Personal life[link]

Leno with President Barack Obama in March 2009

Leno has been married since 1980 to Mavis Leno; they have no children.^[55]

He is known for his prominent jaw, which has been described as mandibular prognathism.^[56] In the book Leading with My Chin he stated that he is aware of surgery that could reset his mandible, but does not wish to endure a prolonged healing period with his jaws wired shut.

Leno is dyslexic.^[6] He claims to sleep only four to five hours each night.^[57] Leno does not drink or smoke, nor does he gamble.^[58] He spends most of his free time visiting car collections or working in his private garage.^[58]

Leno reportedly earns $32 million each year;^[59] his total net worth is unknown, but has been estimated to be at least $150 million.^[60]

Charity[link]

In 2001, along with his wife, he donated $100,000 to the Feminist Majority's campaign to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan, to educate the public regarding the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Mavis Leno is on the board of the Feminist Majority.^[61][62]

In 2009, he donated $100,000 to a scholarship fund at Salem State College in honor of Lennie Sogoloff. Mr. Sogoloff gave Leno his start at his jazz club, Lennie's-on-the-Turnpike.^[63]

Love Ride[link]

Since 1985 Jay Leno has been the grand marshal for the Love Ride, a motorcycle charity event which since its founding in 1984 has raised nearly $14 million dollars for charities benefiting muscular dystrophy research and, in 2011, Autism Speaks.^{[citation needed]}

Leno arriving at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in his Hispano-Suiza Aero^[64]

Vehicle collection[link]

Leno owns approximately 100 vehicles, not including about 90 motorcycles.^[65] He also has a website called "Jay Leno's Garage," which contains video clips and photos of his automobiles in detail.^[66]

He has a regular column in Popular Mechanics which showcases his car collection and gives advice about various automotive topics, including restoration and unique models, such as his jet-powered motorcycle and solar-powered hybrid. Leno also writes occasional "Motormouth" articles for The Sunday Times,^[67] reviewing high-end sports cars and giving his humorous take on automotive matters.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jay Leno

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jay Leno

• Official Tonight Show with Jay Leno web site
• Jay Leno's Car Collection
• Jay Leno's Columns at Octane magazine
• The New York Times on Leno's affiliation with McPherson College
• Live performance videos from the Tonight Show
• Jay Leno at the Internet Movie Database

Steve Nash

Nash with the Suns
No. 13 – Phoenix Suns
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1974-02-07) 7 February 1974 (age 38) Johannesburg, South Africa
Nationality	Canadian, British[1]
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	178 lb (81 kg)
Career information
College	Santa Clara
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Phoenix Suns
Pro career	1996–present
Career history
1996–1998	Phoenix Suns
1998–2004	Dallas Mavericks
2004–present	Phoenix Suns
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2005, 2006) 8× NBA All-Star (2002–2003, 2005–2008, 2010, 2012) 3× All-NBA First Team (2005–2007) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2008, 2010) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2002–2003) 2× Skills Challenge Champion (2005, 2010) J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2007) Lou Marsh Trophy (2004) 3× Lionel Conacher Award (2002, 2005–2006)

Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC (born 7 February 1974) is a South African-born 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 2003–04 season and returned to the Phoenix Suns.

In the 2004–05 season, 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 2005–06 season, 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[link]

Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a Welsh mother and an English father on 7 February 1974.^[3][4][5] His family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, when he was 18 months old, then to Vancouver, before finally settling in Victoria, British Columbia.^[6] 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.^[2] In eighth grade, however, he told his mother that one day he would play in the NBA and would become a star.^[6]

High school[link]

Nash originally attended Mount Douglas Secondary School, but after his grades began to drop, his parents decided to enroll him at St. Michaels University School, a private boarding school.^[7] At St. Michaels, he starred in basketball, soccer, and rugby union. While playing basketball during his senior season, Nash averaged 21.3 points, 11.2 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per game.^[8] 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.^[9]

College career[link]

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,^[6] until Santa Clara coach Dick Davey requested video footage of the young guard. After watching Nash in person, Davey said he "was nervous as hell just hoping that no one else would see him. It didn't take a Nobel Prize winner to figure out this guy's pretty good. It was just a case of hoping that none of the big names came around."^[7] However, Davey also told Nash that he was "the worst defensive player" he had ever seen.^[7]

Nash was awarded a scholarship by Santa Clara for the 1992–93 season. At that time, it had been five years since the Broncos appeared in the NCAA tournament. That changed when Nash led the Broncos to a West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament title and an upset win over the No. 2 seeded Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.^[6] In that game, Nash scored six straight free throws in the last 30 seconds of the contest.^[7] Although Santa Clara was defeated by Temple in the next round, the 1992–93 campaign was considered a successful one. However, the Broncos failed to sustain the momentum the following season, and only managed a 5–7 record in the conference.^[6] The team rebounded in the 1994–95 season, with Nash being named Conference Player of the Year and the Broncos topping the WCC.^[6] Featuring the league leader for scoring and assists in Nash, the Broncos returned to the NCAA tournament, but they were defeated by Mississippi State.^[6] After the season, Nash contemplated turning professional, and decided against it when he learned that he would probably not be considered as a first-round pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.^[6]

In the 1995–96 season, Nash began attracting the attention of the national media and professional scouts. He had spent the summer before that honing his skills, playing with the Canadian national team and working out with the likes of established NBA players Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.^[6] Santa Clara again captured the WCC title, and for the second consecutive year, Nash was named Conference Player of the Year, the first Bronco to do so since Kurt Rambis.^[8] He scored 28 points in leading the #10 seed Broncos to a first round upset win over #7 seed Maryland, but then the Broncos were eliminated by Kansas. Nash's performances ensured that he was named Honorable Mention All-America as a senior by The Associated Press and the USBWA. He also finished his career as Santa Clara's all-time leader in career assists (510), free-throw percentage (.862), and made and attempted three-pointers (263–656).^[8] He remains third on the school's all-time scoring list (1,689), and holds Santa Clara's single-season free-throw percentage record (.894).^[8] In September 2006, Nash had his jersey (#11) retired, becoming the first Santa Clara student-athlete to receive that honour.^[10]

NCAA career statistics[link]

NBA career[link]

Phoenix Suns (1996–98)[link]

After graduating with a degree in sociology,^[7] Nash was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player.^[7] This was because despite his impressive college accomplishments, Nash had not played in one of the major college conferences. During his first two seasons in the NBA, Nash played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Kevin Johnson, Sam Cassell, and later, Jason Kidd.^[6] Both Johnson and Cassell had NBA Finals experience, while Kidd was the second overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and already an All-Star when he arrived at Phoenix.

In his rookie season, Nash only managed 10.5 minutes a game,^[12] but in his second season, his playing time increased significantly and he was even ranked 13th in the league for three-point field-goal percentage.^[6] Nevertheless, the Canadian's tenure with the Suns did not last. While at Santa Clara, Nash had met and befriended Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Donnie Nelson, who worked for the Golden State Warriors at that time. After moving to Dallas, Nelson was able to convince his father, Don Nelson—then the Mavericks coach and general manager—to acquire the under-utilised Nash.^[6] Following the 1998 NBA Draft, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Müürsepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity and a first-round draft pick (who later turned out to be future Phoenix team-mate Shawn Marion).^[6]

Dallas Mavericks (1998–2004)[link]

It was in Dallas that Nash established himself as a formidable point guard, beginning a decade as one of the game's top players. During his first year as a Maverick (the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season) he started in all 40 games he played in, and averaged 7.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.^[12] 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.^[8] He finished the season with averages of 8.6 points and 4.9 assists per game.^[12] More importantly for the team, second-year teammate and friend Dirk Nowitzki was blossoming quickly into a top player, veteran Michael Finley was having an All-Star-calibre year, and the team's new owner, billionaire Mark Cuban, was bringing new energy and excitement to the franchise. Nash now had a supportive environment in which he could thrive.

In the 2000–01 season, Nash averaged 15.6 points and 7.3 assists per game in a breakout season.^[12] With Nash directing the team's offense, Nowitzki and Finley playing at their best, and the acquisition of All-Star Juwan Howard complementing the high-scoring trio, the Mavericks earned a playoff berth for the first time in more than a decade. Dallas lost in the Western Conference Semifinals four games to one to the San Antonio Spurs, but it marked the beginning of a memorable run for Nash and the Mavericks.^[13] In the 2001–02 season, Nash posted career-highs of 17.9 points and 7.7 assists per game^[12] and earned a spot in the NBA All-Star Game and on the All-NBA Third Team.^[14][15] He was now an All-Star, increasingly appearing in television commercials and, with Finley and Nowitzki, a part of the Dallas Mavericks "Big Three."^[16] Dallas earned another trip to the playoffs but lost again in the Semifinals to the Sacramento Kings four games to one.^[17]

Nash closely replicated his previous season's performance in the 2002–03 season, averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 assists per game,^[12] again earning All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honours.^[14][18] 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.^[19] It was only the second Conference Finals appearance in the franchise's history. The 2003–04 season 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%).^[12] In the playoffs, the fifth-seeded Dallas failed to make progress yet again as the Sacramento Kings saw them off four games to one.^[20]

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 2004–05 season. 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?"^[21]

Return to Phoenix Suns (2004–present)[link]

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,^[6] and they were projected to have another poor season. Head coach Mike D'Antoni favoured an up-tempo style of basketball; this required smaller and more athletic players with the capability to outrun and outshoot their opponents. Nash's familiarity with this style combined with the athleticism of his teammates produced an NBA-best 62–20 record and a points-per-game average of 110.4, the highest in a decade.^[22] 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.^[12][23] He edged Shaquille O'Neal to win the 2004–05 NBA MVP award,^[24] 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.^[8] In the playoffs, Phoenix swept the Memphis Grizzlies in four games before meeting the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.^[25] Nash led the Suns to a 4–2 series win,^[25] and the Suns reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1993, but lost to the eventual NBA Champions and arch-rival, the San Antonio Spurs, in five games.^[25]

After Nash's return to Phoenix in 2004, the Suns won 33 more games than they did the previous season.

The next season, Stoudemire suffered a serious knee injury, and Johnson and Quentin Richardson were traded away.^[26] 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.^[23][26] The Suns were again the highest-scoring team in the league with seven players averaging double figures in points per game,^[26] and Nash was voted for the first time to start for the 2006 Western All-Star team.^[27] 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,^[8] Nash was named the league MVP for the second year in a row.^[28] In the first round of the playoffs, Phoenix overcame a 3–1 deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers and won the series 4–3.^[26] The Los Angeles Clippers were their Conference Semifinals opponents, and the Suns again needed seven games to clinch the series.^[26] For the second year in a row however, the Suns bowed out in the Conference Finals, this time to Nash's former team, Dallas.^[26]

In the 2006–07 season, Nash had another stellar campaign, averaging 18.6 points and a career-high 11.6 assists per game while becoming the first person since Magic Johnson in 1990–91 to average 18 points and 11 assists per game during the regular season.^[29] 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 2003–04.^[29] Nash received 129 first-place votes and 645 total points from the panel of 129 media members.^[29] He narrowly missed being MVP a third consecutive time, coming in second with 44 first place votes to 83 for Dirk Nowitzki.^[30] 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.^[31]

Nash with then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal

Nash played in 81 regular-season games during the 2007–08 season; 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).^[12] On 31 January 2008, he collected his All-Star stripes for the sixth time in his career.^[32] 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.^[33] 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.^[33] Nevertheless, Nash was later named to the All-NBA Second Team for the 2007–08 season.^[34]

Before the 2008–09 season 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^[35] 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,^[36] 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 2009–10 season with a series of strong performances, going 8–1 in their first nine games (a franchise-best since 1980–81), with Nash producing two 20-assists games.^[37] On 21 January 2010, Nash was named as the starting point guard for the West for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.^[38] 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.

The Suns underwent two major roster changes in the 2010–11 season. During the pre-season, Stoudemire left for New York, while longtime teammate Leandro Barbosa was traded for Hedo Türkoğlu. Josh Childress and Hakim Warrick were also recruited to join the Suns. Not long after the season began, Türkoğlu, Richardson, and Earl Clark were traded to Orlando for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, and Mickaël Piétrus, while rising star Goran Dragic was traded to the Houston Rockets for Aaron Brooks.^[39] The Suns had difficulty being even a .500 team, and for the second time since Nash returned to Phoenix, the Suns failed to make the playoffs.

In February 2012, Nash was named to his eighth All-Star Game. At the time, he was leading the NBA in assists per game.^[40]

On April 21, 2012, Nash passed Oscar Robertson for career assists versus the Denver Nuggets.

International career[link]

Medal record
Men’s Basketball
Competitor for  Canada
FIBA Americas Championship
Bronze	2001 Neuquén	National team

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.^[6]

Nash captained Canada at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.^[41] 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."^[42] Nevertheless, he did see a possible silver lining, saying "Hopefully kids [in Canada] will be inspired to play—that's what I really hope."^[42] A victory in its final game of the tournament, a placement game against Russia, enabled Canada to salvage 7th place. Nash's Olympic performance propelled him to stardom in Canada and he finished fifth in voting for the 2000 Lionel Conacher Award, which is handed out to the Canadian male athlete of the year.^[43]

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,^[44] 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."^[45]

Player profile[link]

Nash is known for his dribbling, passing, and shooting abilities.

Nash is most noted for his playmaking, ball-handling skills and shooting. He led the league in assists for five years, averaging 11.5 assists per game in 2004–05, 10.5 in 2005–06, 11.6 in 2006–07, 11.0 in 2009–10 and 11.4 in 2010–11^[12] and won the 2005 and 2010 NBA All-Star Skills Contests.^[8] As of the end of 2011–12 season, he had a 90.4% career free-throw shooting average (second best in NBA history)^[46] and a 42.9% career three-point shooting average (eight-best in league history),^[47] and ranked as one of the top 10 players in league history in total assists, assists per game, and three-point field goals made.^[48][49][50] In addition, he is ranked third (starting from 1986–87) in regular season point-assist double doubles.^[51] 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.^[26][52] This was a feat he would repeat in the 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns.^[12] Only 11 times has a player shot 50-40-90 in an NBA season while also achieving the NBA league minimum number of makes. Nash (five times) and Larry Bird (three times) are the only players to have accomplished this feat more than once.^[53] 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).^[8] Only nine other NBA players have won back-to-back MVP awards: Johnson, Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James.^[8] On 11 May 2006, ESPN.com rated Nash as the 9th-best point guard of all time,^[54] 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.^[55] In a similar survey in 2009, Nash was rated as the best passer of the ball and the player possessing the best basketball IQ.^[56] 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."^[57]

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.^[58] 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.^[26] With Nash operating at the point, between the 2005–06 and 2009–10 seasons, the Suns led the league in field goal percentage.

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]