One giant leap for Tyler

One giant leap for Tyler
By Dan Wetzel

Jeremy Tyler has decided to forgo his senior year of high school and turn pro.
Yes, high school.
This isn’t some sign of the sporting apocalypse or a teenager with an overvalued sense of worth. It’s a daring, trailblazing yet well-thought-out move that challenges the bizarre way America develops amateur basketball players.
Tyler is an agile 6-11, 260-pound San Diego native, the nation’s top player in the junior class who already committed to the University of Louisville. He’s as close to a can’t-miss NBA prospect as there is; a tantalizing mix of size, speed and smarts. Scouts project him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, when he’s eligible under the NBA’s age requirements.
In the meantime, Jeremy Tyler’s options were to:
1. Spend the next year at his local school, San Diego High, where he faces quadruple teams and isn’t experiencing much development; or
2. Transfer to a basketball factory in some rural outpost back East which has a big-time team but resembles a traditional high school in name only; and then
3. Play college ball for a few months dealing with NCAA limitations on practice time and coaching contact while competing against many of the same guys he has the last few years.
All for free, of course.

“I know I can do great things with my talent. My goal in life is to get better. Playing with the pro guys will get me a lot better faster. It will help me fulfill my dreams of playing in the NBA.”

– Jeremy Tyler

Instead Jeremy and his father, James, who owns his own home improvement company and is about to open a family restaurant, surveyed the traditional route, decided it made little sense, and went looking for a new plan. They called retired sneaker executive and hoops dealmaker Sonny Vaccaro and plotted a course for Europe.
It isn’t the easy way – hanging out in high school, AAU and college is safer and far less demanding – but it is what they believe will be the best way to prepare for the NBA. It’s exactly what a teenager of comparable talent would do if they were pursuing a career in music, acting, tennis, hockey or even academics.
“It may not be the best way to get to the NBA, but it’s the best way to get ready for the NBA,” Jeremy Tyler told Yahoo! Sports this week. His decision was first reported by the New York Times.
“I know I can do great things with my talent,” Tyler continued. “My goal in life is to get better. Playing with the pro guys will get me a lot better faster. It will help me fulfill my dreams of playing in the NBA.”
Over the next couple of weeks the Tylers said they will hire a financial planner and professional sports agent and pursue early feelers from professional teams in Spain, Italy and Israel. Jeremy Tyler is likely to receive a contract worth at least a few hundred thousand dollars a year and could sign endorsement contracts worth at least that.
The plan is to live abroad the next two years, with his father and an uncle taking turns staying with him. “He’ll never be alone,” James said.
Tyler will play against the grown men who can challenge a player of his size and potential. Away from the court he’ll be home-schooled, earn a GED and return in two seasons when he’s eligible for the 2011 draft.
By then, Jeremy Tyler figures, he’ll be a much better player and person; having learned from top coaches, enjoyed unlimited practice time and broadened his horizons in a foreign land. He calls it “a dream job” and isn’t the slightest bit nostalgic for homecoming, prom or missing out on college hoops.
And while he’ll earn a great deal of money, he says his chief motivation is to make himself the best prospect possible for the even greater amount waiting in the NBA.

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In basketball terms, it’s a no brainer. The only risk is exposure at the hands of superior competition. Tyler could just stay in the States and hide his weaknesses against smaller, less-talented opponents.
“His game will be picked apart [by scouts], but long-term it’s much better for his development as a player,” said one Western Conference general manager, who can’t comment publicly due to NBA rules. “It’s a bold move, but I’ve seen tape and that kid could play in the NBA right now. He’s an incredible talent.”
Jeremy Tyler said he wants his shortcomings exposed so he can work on them in the same European professional leagues that have produced dozens of NBA players.
This June’s draft will bring more, including Brandon Jennings, a guard from Compton, Calif., who skipped his freshman season of college to play in Italy. Despite predictable challenges on and off the court, Jennings is returning as a projected lottery pick. NBA front offices said they value his experience more than that of a college freshman.

“He was bored in high school. He said that every game. [He’d] just get the rebound and shoot it back in the hole. I said, ‘we’re wasting this guy’s time. He’s not getting the challenge he deserves.’ As a parent, all you want to see is your kid strive to be his best.”

– James Tyler, Jeremy’s father

Then there’s Spain’s 18-year-old Ricky Rubio, expected to be the No. 2 pick in June’s draft. He turned pro at age 14 and at 17 was an Olympic starter holding his own against Team USA.
“For a 14-year-old overseas to be able to make money to play the same sport I’m playing, I think it’s only fair to have the same opportunity,” Jeremy Tyler said. “If you have a talent, you should be able to use it. If college is not going to help you at any stage, it’s a little unfair.”
The college is not going to help you part is where Jeremy, who is polished beyond his years, understands the criticism will come from.
He and his father are bracing for an establishment backlash that fails to appreciate their motivation, determination and appreciation of the intrinsic value of education. They think most of it will be designed to protect the billion-dollar business of amateur basketball.
“It’s just the old way of doing things and no one wants to swallow the pill of change,” James Tyler said. “Basketball is an American sport and they want the kids to go through the channels. And I think there is so much money generated in collegiate sports that they don’t want that interrupted.
“It’s a double standard.”
It won’t help the NCAA if top prospects flee to Europe to develop their games rather than add star power to March Madness.
College hoops was rescued from a long talent drain when in 2005 the NBA enacted an age limit that prohibited American players, but not foreigners, from entering the draft until one year after their high school class graduated.
That has led to a push of young stars in college basketball for one year, even if their commitment to being a “student-athlete” is often dubious. To be eligible for a season, a kid needs to earn just two D’s in the fall semester. He can fail, or not even show up for, every other class his freshman year and drop out immediately after the season.
Jeremy Tyler insists he’s on solid academic ground and isn’t going to Europe to avoid school work. The family informed Cardinals coach Rick Pitino about the decision.
“Education will always be there,” Jeremy said. “It doesn’t matter if I get it now or in three years. I can always go back. I’ll always have that to fall back on. I want to have a degree in business management.”
“Give me the day Harvard is going to close and then I’ll reconsider,” said James, who attended Mississippi Valley State but didn’t graduate. “He can always go back to school. It’s all learning. How is living in Europe not a learning experience?”

---

Sonny Vaccaro, 69, spent four decades as a powerful sneaker executive and basketball middle man, doing everything from signing Michael Jordan to Nike and Kobe Bryant to adidas, to creating what is now known as national grassroots basketball (high level AAU and high school teams).
He has little patience with college basketball, which after years with an inside view, he calls exploitative and dishonest. As a long-time fighter for player rights, he thinks the NBA’s age limit is criminal.

Jeremy Tyler at Day 3 of the LeBron James Skills Academy.

(Photo courtesy Kelly Kline)

A year ago he helped Jennings and his mother head to Rome and this winter fielded calls from at least a dozen families who considered doing the same.
That included James Tyler, who watched his man-child of a son get little out of high school ball, where his local school has few good players allowing defenses to descend on Jeremy. He contrasted that with the week Jeremy spent last summer at the Amare Stoudemire big man camp, where he was more aggressive and improved almost by the hour.
“He was bored in high school,” James said. “He said that every game. [He’d] just get the rebound and shoot it back in the hole. I said, ‘we’re wasting this guy’s time. He’s not getting the challenge he deserves.’ As a parent, all you want to see is your kid strive to be his best.”
Rather than choose to send his son off to a diploma mill with a killer basketball team back East – for some reason perfectly acceptable to the establishment – he and his son looked to Europe.
Jennings opened the door to Europe, Vaccaro said. Jeremy Tyler is taking it to the next level.
“I always wanted someone to do this,” Vaccaro said. “It’s amazing to me this kid from San Diego has the guts to do this, to take on all these establishment people like this.”
James Tyler said this isn’t about cashing in on his son. If he wanted to do that, he could’ve accepted under-the-table payments from agents or college coaches.
“Financially we don’t need anything from him. I can provide for him,” James said, before laughing. “And that’s saying something [because] he’s a seven-foot kid that eats a lot.
“If you know Jeremy, you know this kid is going to excel,” James said. “Why would we waste his time holding him back? Kobe [Bryant] was only 17 [when he went pro] and he blossomed. And LeBron [James] blossomed. [Dwight] Howard blossomed. Why not give my son that chance?”
Jeremy hopes others take a look at the European option and consider it. Why mindlessly follow a system designed to enrich and reward everyone but the player?
He said he didn’t set out to be a revolutionary. He is one anyway.
In the future the news of a kid forgoing his senior year of high school might not sound so shocking.

Let's wait and see him on 2011. :)

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Quick: D. Will vs. B.Roy ... and NBA is notified to revise my ballot

Whoa, people! Whoa!

Just got back from dinner, and boy, people must be bored tonight.

I will admit I made a huge mistake in my postseason ballot - a HUGE mistake - and I corrected it. There is no way I should have put Kevin Durant on the third team ahead of Tim Duncan. Have no idea what I was thinking. I have notified the NBA to change my ballot to reflect Duncan as third team forward in place of Durant.

Now as far as Brandon Roy on the third team behind Deron Williams ...

You all might be right. I never said it was an easy choice for me, and I never said it was the right choice.

I think most of you who follow my coverage of the team through The Oregonian, the Quick Chats on OregonLive and my segments on The Fan all know what I think of Roy. I think he is amazing. Exceptional. One of the best around.

I also happen to have as much respect for Deron Williams.

Now, there are a couple of factors that clouded my decision, which probably aren't fair, but as you all know, I'm pretty straightforward and not afraid to admit mistakes. I make them all the time.

First off, I will admit there was some extra caution in trying NOT to be a homer. I try to check myself throughout the year in whether I'm becoming biased toward a Blazers player, coach or front office personnel. Am I looking and evaluating these people as I would say, a person from the Lakers ... or Bucks ... or Nets? So yeah, there was probably an element - an element - of me not wanting to show favoritism toward Roy.

Second, I will admit that I probably allowed past performances to cloud my pick of Williams for second team. This honor, and vote, should be about this season.

But Williams won me over during the 2007 playoffs, when he led the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals while averaging 19.2 points and 8.6 assists. Then again, last season, he was brilliant in the playoffs, averaging 21.6 points and 10 assists in 12 playoff games. And he was an Olympian. All of that sticks with me when I think of him.

Also, I tend to think that a player who is among the NBA's top two in points, rebounding or assists needs strong consideration for high placement on the All-NBA teams. Of course, there are exceptions, like this season when Troy Murphy and David Lee are second and third in rebounding. But Williams is second in the NBA in assists at 10.6 while his main go-to-guy - Carlos Boozer - has missed more than half of the season. Williams is also averaging a steady 19.4 points.

And a third point, I should not have waited until the last second to do my ballot. In the past I have taken great strides to crunch numbers and weigh options. This season I was more rushed.

So I hear all of you saying the Blazers won more games, and Roy won more player of the week honors, and that Roy is an All-Star and Williams is not.

You may be right saying Roy deserves the second team before Williams. I may be wrong. But that's how I voted. And that's why I voted the way I did. And it wasn't an easy vote. But it's a vote I will stand behind.


I agree with you sir. Deron deserves it. :)
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Now what Kobe?

Kirilenko will be charged with slowing down Trevor Ariza.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The venue isn’t the only thing that’s changing for tonight’s Game 3 (10:30 ET, TNT). Utah’s starting lineup is going through a transformation too.

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan told reporters today after shootaround that he is going to insert Andrei Kirilenko into the starting five and bring Kyle Korver, who had been starting at small forward, off the bench.

“[Trevor] Ariza has had great runs here on us in these games, I thought I’d try to start Andrei and see what happens,” Sloan said.

Through the first two games of the series, Ariza has skyrocketed his regular season production from 8.9 points on 46.0 percent shooting and 1.8 assists to 17.0 points on 81.3 percent shooter with 5.5 helpers per game.

Meanwhile, Kirilenko has yet to show up. His numbers are down from 11.8 points on 44.9 percent shooting in 27.3 minutes per game to 9.0 points on 38.5 percent shooting while playing 21.5 minutes per game.

“It’s just a different look,” Deron Williams said. “Hopefully it gives AK some confidence, we need him playing well.”

“He gives us a little more length out there. Ariza has been hurting us a lot starting ballgames out with his outside shooting, his defense and his hustle so hopefully AK can match that.”

Several members of the Lakers mentioned Kirilenko’s weakside shot-blocking ability as something to be aware of, but overall preferred to concentrate on their own team execution rather than any personnel moves by Utah.

“I don’t think it changes anything too much,” Ariza said. “We’re still going to have the same game plan and still going to do the same thing.”

**********

Whether Carlos Boozer knew that no team in the history of the NBA Playoffs has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit or not, he was sure he didn’t want to become the next team to try the feat.

“It’s a must win,” Boozer said. “We’re down 0-2. For us, this is the biggest game of our season to win tonight and get back in the series.”

He hopes that playing on their home court will be what the Jazz need to get over the hump.

“We’re confident at home. We play fast at home. We just … win … here."

**********

Utah will be without Mehmet Okur again as he continues his gradual recovery from a right hamstring strain.

**********

Sloan said that the Lakers size down low has been the biggest factor in L.A. getting easy looks outside. When Utah has to double inside, L.A.'s bigs have been able to kick the ball back to the perimeter for open jump shots.

“We’ve got to do a better job keeping them from scoring so many points in the paint and making three-point shots,” Sloan said. “We’ve given up 54 points at the three-point line in two games. That’s inside-out basketball at its best.”

Utah plays the 6-foot-9 Boozer and the 6-foot-8 Paul Millsap at power forward against the 7-foot Pau Gasol and the 6-10 Lamar Odom. Jarron Collins is 6-foot-11 and has to contend with the 7-foot Andrew Bynum.

“We’re playing Paul Millsap against a guy who is 7-feet tall, you give up four or five inches, it’s hard to get to him and block his shot. We’re talking about a size differential here of a huge amount,” Sloan said.

“I’m going to put them on the concrete stretcher and see if I can get them about 7-foot-6 tonight, everybody will stand in the lane, we’ll zone them and take them that way.”

**********

Williams on the key to preventing the Lakers to getting off to a quick start for the third straight game:

“It comes down to getting stops. We’re not stopping them. We have trouble stopping these guys. Until we figure a way out to stop them on the defensive end, we’re not going to win.”

For those scoring at home, that was four stops in one answer from Williams. Maybe he was saying the word once for every win the Jazz still need in order to beat the Lakers in the series.

**********

Sloan talked about the mental toughness that Kobe Bryant possesses, saying, “he just walks on the floor and a lot of people are intimidated by his greatness.”

I’m not sure if you can say that Jazz forward Carlos Boozer is intimidated by him, but he has what you could call a “Kobe consciousness.”

“Honestly, point blank, you have to spend so much attention on Kobe because he’s Kobe,” Boozer said. “Because of that, other guys are getting shots and he trusts his teammates.”

There is a different between being mentally tough and playing mind games though. When Matt Harpring was asked if he thought Bryant was one of the five best players in the league at getting in the heads of his opponents, Harpring strongly disagreed.

“No,” Harpring said. “I wouldn’t even put him in my top 20. I don’t think he’s a player that plays mental games.”

Bryant agreed.

“I don’t even know what mental games are,” he said. “I don’t even know what that is to be honest with you. I just go out there and I play. I compete, I play hard and just go from there.”

**********

Williams and Bryant traded friendly barbs through the media about their time together during the Beijing Olympics.

Williams said he identified with Bryant once he got to know him because of their shared competitive nature, but added that Bryant would stop at nothing to win ... even if it meant bending the rules here and there.

“We had a lot of shooting contests after practices of which he cheated,” Williams said. “We would be shooting shots and all of the sudden for the last shot when I’m about to win, he wants to come over and contest it or foul me or something like that.”

Bryant got the last word when a reporter told him about Williams’ accusation.

“He’s a liar,” Bryant said. “He’s mad I used to kick his butt all the time. He lost all the time … Well, he beat me once, but once out of two months is not very good. Tell him I said that.”

Yeah! 2-1! Go Utah! Dwill and Boozer will win the championship! ^^

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Basketball star Lebron James on the NBA playoffs and his new movie

Basketball star and giant of the NBA Lebron James explains why he’s currently at the top of his game, talks up the Cleveland Celtics’ hopes in the NBA playoffs and spills the beans on his new movie.

Q: Do you feel this has been your best season yet? And if so, why?

A: I do think this is my best season as an individual thus far and the reason why is that our team was really successful and we continued to play with a great deal of high intensity throughout the whole year. I raised my level also, so I would say this is the best season I have had in the NBA thus far.

Q: What is your reaction to the news that Kevin Garnett could be out for the Playoffs? That certainly opens the door for the Cavs. Also, if you do end up getting through the Celtics, does that mean it is going to be easier for you to pledge your future to Cleveland when you have a chance to sign an extension in July?

A: I think every team that makes the Playoffs is a threat. No matter what you do in the regular season, the top eight teams make the Playoffs, so your record is thrown out the window. Boston is a great team with our without KG, so they will still be in the running. There are other good teams like Orlando, Miami; the fist round opponent we play in Detroit, is a really good team. I’m excited to be in Cleveland and I’ve never given any indication of me leaving so this season has nothing to do with me leaving or staying. I am very excited about being part of this franchise.

Q: And about KG being out?

A: I think KG has to do what’s best for him at this point. He doesn’t want to do something that can hurt him for a long period of time for next season. I know the team may be a little bit down, but they still have a lot of veteran guys and they still have two All-Stars that can play the game of basketball really well, so they are going to be fine.

Q: You are 82 games into the season already, you’ve had a fantastic workload and now you have to peak again to go into, potentially, four series in the post-season. How do you prepare yourself mentally and physically to go again after such a long time, seven or eight months already?

A: We all know it’s a new season now. We had a great regular season and no one can take that away from us but that’s over and done with now. We have a bigger goal, and our main goal is to win an NBA Championship, so it’s relatively easy to get back focus for the postseason because we know it’s the best part of the season. The Playoffs is like taking a kid to a candy store – you don’t want to leave. So we’re really excited about it.

Q: How much has Pau Gasol improved the Lakers and how do you see them as a possible Finals rival?

A: I think the Pau Gasol trade goes down in history as one of the biggest trades in sports history along with some of the other great trades in the sport of basketball. He has definitely helped that team become the team they are today. He is a very, very good player and it will be a great matchup if we can get to The Finals, and the Lakers can get to The Finals, to face-off against each other.

Q: How did you manage to make your teammates better this season?

A: Well my game is geared around making my teammates better; it’s nothing I did differently. Maybe being more vocal or being more of a leader. The way I play the game automatically gets my teammates involved because I like to pass, I’m a very unselfish player, a very unselfish person, so it was very easy for me to get my teammates involved and get them better everyday.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the Pistons? It seems like everyone is saying bring on the Celtics, bring on the Lakers and they are overlooking the first and second rounds. What’s your take on the Pistons?

A: There is no way you can overlook the Pistons. This is a team that has been to the Conference Finals like six years in a row. You can never overlook a team that has been through all the ups and downs of the Playoffs. We know how experienced that team is, and how powerful and dangerous that team is, so we are looking forward to the challenge just like we were in the Eastern Conference Finals. We know its going to be a good test for us.

Q: What’s the difference this year in the Cavs? Is it Mo Williams? Is it that the team adjusted to each other? Or has your game elevated so much to carry the team?

A: I think its all three. The addition of Mo in the offseason has really helped us. The team chemistry from day one, everyone was focused on the championship and getting better every day from the first day of training camp, and then just my game getting better through the off-season and bringing that to implement it in to our team. Everything you just said is the reason we are on top of the NBA and finished with the best record in the NBA, and we have to continue to play like we are one of the best teams in the NBA in the post-season.

Q: How much of a motivation is the 4-0 defeat in the ‘07 Finals for you?

A: It’s a big motivation to see how close we were, but how far we were from a NBA championship team. That motivated me a lot and that’s a lot of the reason I am the player I am today. You can only get better when you hit trials and tribulations or bumps in the road. I definitely used that as motivation and that’s why you guys see the player you see today in LeBron James.

Q: After such a great season, would you feel it would be an opportunity missed if you were not to be the champions this time around?

A: I feel like I’m at a point in my career if I’m not competing for a championship, I’m wasting my time and I’m wasting my teammates time. To be in a position to be in the Playoffs and fight for an NBA championship, I’m looking forward to it.

Q: What aspects of your game do you see that you still need to improve on and what will you be doing in the off-season for that?

A: Every part of my game needs improvement and its going to continue to get that improvement in the time I spend on the court in practices and games. There is not one distinct thing that I can look at and say you are drastically not improving in that area. I think everyday I practice I get better and I work on certain things. When you are playing the game of basketball, it really helps because when you are out there you are going against certain defenses and going against certain sets. Every part of my game is always improving every time I step on the basketball court.

Q: Are you going to wear new Nike sneakers for the Playoffs?

A: Yes, absolutely. The new Nikes are called the Zoom Soldier 3. They will be in stores this Friday and I will be wearing them in the upcoming Playoffs.

Q: How are they going to be?

A: They are going to be great. They are going to be like me.

Q: I heard wind about a movie that will be coming out in the fall, can you tell us a bit more about that?

A: The movie is called More Than a Game. It’s about me and my four best friends setting out with the dream of winning a national championship and not knowing that the game of basketball would create friendship and brotherhood. It will be coming out in October and I’m looking to do a world tour where I will promote the movie in a couple of cities in Europe -- in London and Paris, and one more city that is to be announced. It’s going to be great. I think every basketball team and everyone that’s in sports, parents; we should all go out and see it because it’s very inspirational.

Q: Can you give us a little more detail? Is a documentary type approach or is it film? Fiction or fact? How would you describe it?

A: It’s everything. It’s action because the game of basketball and people love to see highlights. It goes to peoples’ backgrounds. It goes through all of my four best friends’ backgrounds. It’s very inspirational so you look at the game of basketball different and you look at life different. Certain people are put in your life for a certain reason, and if you take that opportunity, you might be led in the right direction. And we were led in the right direction because we were put with this guy, Coach Dru Joyce.

Q: Are you excited about playing the Lakers since they were the only to beat you in Cleveland?

A: We lost last night at home also against the Philadelphia 76ers, so we lost two games at home. It doesn’t matter who we play against, at home or on the road, we take the challenge. If we go out there and play well and we lose, then we can be satisfied with that. One thing we try to do is control what we can do and hopefully put ourselves in a position where we can try to win ballgames.

Q: How do you feel about the MVP race between yourself, Kobe and Wade?

A: I think it was three great seasons by three great players. For me, it was doing the things that I did for my team and as an individual. The way D-Wade came back from injury a year ago and having 15 victories to making the postseason wining 40-plus games this year. I think Kobe Bryant is always arguably the best player in the world. He always made sure his team was playing at a high level. It was three great seasons and I commend those two guys on playing the game of basketball the way they do, it was fun to watch. It was fun to play and it was fun to watch those two guys.

Lebron in Hollywood? Why not? ^_^

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Celtics’ Allen Is Suspended One Game for Elbow Shot

The N.B.A. suspended Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen one game without pay for elbowing Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao in the groin. Allen will be docked more than $167,000 in salary.
Allen sat out the Celtics’ game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, a meaningless 100-98 victory for Boston. Kevin Garnett also missed the game to rest his strained knee.

Paul Pierce, who finished with 31 points, made the winning jumper as the Celtics hindered Philadelphia’s chances for the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed. Pierce made seven 3-pointers.

Andre Iguodala led the 76ers with 25 points and Thaddeus Young, who returned after missing seven games with an ankle injury, had 18.

The Celtics already had the second seed in the East locked up and could face the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs.

Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said he was surprised Allen was suspended, and said Varejao played a role in the incident.

“The bottom line to me is the foul before the incident,” Rivers said. Varejao and Allen were tangled under the basket after a free throw with 5 minutes 5 seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Cavaliers’ 107-76 victory on Sunday. Varejao flung Allen to the floor, and Allen responded with his elbow.

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NBA AWARDS 2009

It's April. That means it's time to hand out some NBA superlatives.

I have been writing these pick columns for 20 years now, and I offer the same disclaimer year after year, to no avail: these are my picks. They only have to make sense to me, not to you. So it is pointless for you to send me notes which "prove" through some amalgam of PER, formulas rejected as unsound by Daryl Morey and your grandma's home-spun philosophies that Anthony Morrow is a better player than Kobe. I will happily read your awards selections on your blog. But this is, at least for now, my column.

So, let's get to it.

Rookie of the Year

WINNER: Derrick Rose, Chicago

We don't really have to have a debate about this, do we? Rose has been the one outstanding constant in the Bulls' up and down season, which has ended with an unlikely playoff berth. To their mutual credit, GM John Paxson and Coach Vinny Del Negro didn't mess around; they gave Rose the ball from minute one. Rose has responded with rock-solid numbers (16.8 points, 6.3 assists) on 47 percent shooting, along with a flair for the dramatic in the last minute. Haven't heard a peep from him off the court, either -- and remember, Chicago is his home. He's a great building block.

RUNNERS-UP: O.J. Mayo, Minnesota; Michael Beasley, Miami; George Hill, San Antonio.

Sixth Man of the Year Presented by Kia Motors

WINNER: Jason Terry, Dallas

There were a lot of worthy candidates, but in the end, it came down to this for me: the Mavericks don't make the Playoffs without Terry's great season (19.5 points, 36 percent from 3-point range) in reserve. Yes, he's always on the floor at the ends of games, and he's a bench player in name only, but hey, he meets the criteria. And give Terry credit for embracing this role; think about all the former starters who've chafed at any thought of coming off the bench (AI, I'm looking at you). To my knowledge, Terry hasn't made a peep, or at least one that caused a distraction.

RUNNERS-UP: Lamar Odom, Lakers; J.R. Smith, Denver; Nate Robinson, New York.

Defensive Player of the Year Pres. by Kia Motors

WINNER: Dwight Howard, Orlando

A third easy call. Superman 2.0 is first in the league in blocked shots, which almost always end the opposition's possession, and first in defensive rebounds, which definitely ends the opposition's possession. Howard's control of the paint means fewer opponent drives to the basket that draw fouls (the Magic is 7th in the league in fewest free throw attempts allowed per game), more low-percentage perimeter shots (Orlando is tied for third in defensive field goal percentage) and gives his teammates the time to close out on shooters (the Magic is tied for second in 3-point field goal percentage allowed per game).

RUNNERS-UP: Shane Battier, Houston; Kevin Garnett, Boston; LeBron James, Cleveland.

Most Improved Player Pres. by Kia Motors

WINNER: J.R. Smith, Denver

Smith epitomizes what this award should be: a recognition of someone who came into the league with a certain amount of skill and who has not only added upon those skills, but has become a better basketball player -- not someone who we all expected to be great, like Kevin Durant. A true knucklehead when he came to Denver, Smith has matured on and off the court, reached a certain comfort with Nuggets Coach George Karl and has become an often lethal sixth man for the vastly improved Nuggets. "The first couple of years, he didn't know if he wanted to be 'Melo or Allen," a Nuggets insider divulges. "Now, he's just J.R. He's not perfect, but he's much more comfortable in his own skin than he's ever been."

RUNNERS-UP: Paul Millsap, Utah; Al Jefferson, Minnesota; Devin Harris, New Jersey.

Coach of the Year

WINNER: Mike Brown, Cleveland

Brown was honest enough when he came to Cleveland that offense wasn't his strength, so he often defers to his assistants. He is secure enough to let his players police themselves in the locker room. But he's been strong enough to demand more out of LeBron James with each passing season, and this season it's all come together. The Cavs are first in the league in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage allowed. They have the league's best record. They are disciplined and tough and together, what San Antonio has been all these years under Gregg Popovich. That's about as good a comparison as I can come up with for a coach.

RUNNERS-UP: Rick Adelman, Houston; Nate McMillan, Portland; Erik Spoelstra, Miami.

Executive of the Year

WINNER: Danny Ferry, Cleveland

Ferry looked at a team that was in the Finals two years ago and said 'nah, not good enough.' He's spent the last two years re-making that team built around LeBron James into an even better one. The Cavs had one legit shooter in '07 in Daniel Gibson; now they have four (Mo Williams, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Gibson). He got rid of Larry Hughes three years after giving him $70 million once it became clear Hughes thought he should handle the ball instead of James. Last summer's trade for Williams was a gamble, and it paid off (and then some: Joe Smith, who was sent to Oklahoma City as part of the deal, came back to Cleveland for the stretch drive, meaning Ferry got Williams and Smith, in essence, for Damon Jones). And Ferry's tough negotiations with Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic in '08 have left the Cavs in very solid shape this summer to add another big piece.

RUNNERS-UP: Mark Warkentien, Denver; John Paxson, Chicago; Otis Smith, Orlando.

Most Valuable Player Presented by Kia Motors

WINNER: LeBron James, Cleveland

Is James a better player than Kobe Bryant? No. Has he been more amazing this season than Dwyane Wade? No. But his value is immeasurable: to the Cavaliers, to the state of Ohio, to the league. Look at the Cavs on the bench. They're clapping for one another, on their feet, enthusiastic, into the game. Which is hard enough to do at the pro level, but doggone near impossible when one player gets all the attention, all the adulation, all the money.

Two years ago, the Cavaliers put James on the opposition's weakest offensive player; now, he often takes the best one. Two years ago, James would break off plays before they started so he could sweep to the basket; now, he patiently runs through the options. He's always believed in the team, but now he believes in his teammates. Big difference.

You take Kobe off the Lakers and they're not a title contender, but they still are a playoff team, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom up front, and Derek Fisher at the point. You take LeBron off the Cavs, and, no offense, it's Secaucus Time. (You take D-Wade off the Heat, and, oh, my goodness. It's his best argument for MVP.)

The stats speak for themselves: Cleveland's defense, Cleveland's record (including its near-impregnable home mark), James's own individual numbers. But the most impressive number James has this season is this: he's tied for 10th in the league in assists per game.

Let me write that again.

LeBron James, who is asked to score 30 a game every night, and rebound, and defend at a much higher level than in the past, and sell out arenas across the country, and do every interview, and every commercial, and host every show, and help his country win the gold medal halfway around the world (so, too, were Bryant and Wade, to be fair) is tied for 10th in the league in assists per game.

Yes, he has the ball in his hands all the time. So do Tony Parker. And Devin Harris. And Andre Miller. And Chauncey Billups. And Derrick Rose. Any of whom you'd happily have run your team from the point any day of the week. And James has more dimes per game this season than all of them. (Kobe, by comparison, is 35th in assists per game. Which is not bad at all, considering how much defensive pressure he faces every night. But the other guy is 10th.)

Best of all, James allows Mike Brown to coach him. I'm not in Cleveland every day, and I'm not in the Cavs' locker room, or their huddles, or their practices. But it certainly seems like James has the same kind of relationship with Brown that Tim Duncan has with Gregg Popovich, and that Kobe now has with Phil Jackson. Mutual respect, mutual trust.

"For me, that's bigger than anything else," Brown told me Wednesday. "I'm not Phil Jackson. I haven't won titles. I don't have the credibility that [Jackson] has. For me to have a young superstar, who everybody's anointed as the best player in the game, for him to allow me to coach him, makes it that much easier for me to coach everybody else."

Two days after the Cavs lost to the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, James was back in the gym. Shooting. Lifting. Four or five hours a day. He was furious that the Cavaliers lost with the season on the line, and he was determined -- manically so -- that it never happen again. He has done everything possible this season to make that so.

RUNNERS-UP: Kobe Bryant, Lakers; Dwyane Wade, Miami; Dwight Howard, Orlando.

ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM
Guards: Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Dwayne Wade, Miami
Forwards: LeBron James, Cleveland; Kevin Garnett, Boston
Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando

SECOND TEAM
Guards: Chris Paul, New Orleans, Tony Parker, San Antonio
Forwards: Carmelo Anthony, Denver, Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Center: Yao Ming, Houston

THIRD TEAM
Guards: Chauncey Billups, Denver; Brandon Roy, Portland
Forwards: Paul Pierce, Boston, Pau Gasol, Lakers
Center: Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix.

DUDES WHO'VE HAD GREAT SEASONS THAT FEW WILL RECOGNIZE
Guards: Jose Calderon, Toronto, Deron Williams, Utah
Forwards: Danny Granger, Indiana, Antwan Jamison, Washington
Center: Joel Pryzbilla, Portland.

BEST FANS: Chicago. Year after year, through good teams and bad ones, and years after Michael Jordan left town, Bulls backers still come out in the brutal cold winters of the Second City and fill up the United Center -- this year, they were second to Detroit in average attendance and filled their arena at 97 percent capacity.

BEST OWNER: Dan Gilbert, Cleveland. Yeah, he's got LeBron, but he hasn't just settled for sellouts -- he's given the green light to aggressively take on more big contracts when necessary (Ben Wallace, Mo Williams, etc.) to keep winning. Given that his primary business, Quicken Loans, has suffered major losses in this economic tsunami (though Quicken apparently has fewer of those "toxic" subprime home loans on its books), Gilbert's willingness to put his money where his mouth is makes him a true winner.

And now, it's your turn.

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Nike Hoop Summit: A friendship reunited 

by Kevin Hudson, The Oregonian

A Northwest basketball reunion on a national stage

TUALATIN -- A year ago, Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy appeared poised to take on the state of Washington. Now, after spending their senior year of high school more than 800 miles apart, they're ready to take on the world.
For the two guards out of Tacoma, tonight's Nike Hoop Summit is a chance to reunite after their equally promising high school basketball careers diverged onto distinctly different paths.

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Bradley decided to leave Washington for a prep school in Nevada after his junior season for academic reasons, he said, breaking up the dynamic on-court duo and straining their off-court friendship. "When he told me he was leaving, I was devastated," Gaddy said Thursday, after a U.S. team practice for tonight's game against an international team. "But I had to get through it."
Looking back from the pinnacle of high school basketball, though, both players agreed the aftermath of the decision was instrumental to the success they've enjoyed this year and the achievement of their shared dream -- Division I college basketball and beyond.

Thomas Boyd/The OregonianAvery Bradley.

A friendship forged
Four seasons ago, as freshmen fighting for playing time at Catholic school Bellarmine Preparatory in Tacoma, Bradley and Gaddy became fast friends.
"That real good chemistry has always been there," Gaddy said. "It's just natural between us. I always knew where he was going to be on the court."
By their junior year, they had developed into dominant guards whose games complemented each other: the 6-foot-3 Gaddy a more traditional point guard with his ball-distributing ability and smooth outside shot; Bradley the explosive finisher and tenacious defender.
Bellarmine coach Bernie Salazar dubbed them "fire and ice" for Bradley's passion and determination and Gaddy's cool demeanor and almost effortless style. They averaged 25.7 and 23.2 points, respectively, that season and led Bellarmine to a 25-4 record and the 4A state semifinals.
A state championship seemed well within reach their senior season. Gaddy said he wanted nothing more than to win that title with his best friend, Bradley.
But Bradley was struggling. His grades were slipping, and he was on the brink of derailing his Division I dreams. A transfer to Findlay Preparatory at Henderson International School, a three-year-old program near Las Vegas, gave him a change of scenery and, he said, a chance to refocus on school.
"It was just focus. I had lost that," Bradley said. "Down there there's less people in the classes, like six people, and you can't slack off or not pay attention. I feel like it really helped me."
Said Gaddy: "It was a real learning year for me, and it looks like it helped him out a lot, too."
Both claim that the year apart helped them grow in ways they might not have experienced had Bradley stayed at Bellarmine. Gaddy said he had to learn to be more of a leader and trust his younger teammates without Bradley to finish his thread-the-needle passes. Bradley bore down on his academics and said he thinks he is back on the right path.
"Now we can inspire each other," Bradley said. "Because we both picked up new parts of our game that weren't there last time we played together. It's fun."
Dreams realized
Tonight's Nike Hoop Summit marks the second of three all-star events the two will play in together this month as a victory lap of sorts for their decorated high school careers and a reunion for best friends.
The first was the McDonald's All-American Game on April 1, when the 6-2 Bradley won the dunk contest. The last will be the Jordan Brand Classic in New York's Madison Square Garden next Saturday.
Their selection to these three all-star games is a testament to the individual growth each claims to have achieved this season and a chance to bring closure to last summer's painful separation.
The Summit also offers them the unique chance to represent their country in their native Northwest.
"When you are playing for your country, you've got to represent," Gaddy said. "It's such an honor even to be asked."

Thomas Boyd/The OregonianAbdul Gaddy.

U.S. coach John Olive said he feels lucky to have two guards so familiar with each other. The team will have practiced just four times before tonight, but Gaddy and Bradley showed their chemistry right away, executing flashy two-man plays in the team's first practice Thursday morning.
"They know how to play very well with one another and they're very well-coached," Olive said. "They're quality guards that we'll play a lot together."
The two won't get another chance to play together after next weekend, as both have signed letters of intent -- Bradley with Texas and Gaddy with Washington, where he'll play alongside another close friend, point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Gaddy and Bradley remained in close contact throughout their year apart, texting and calling after big games or big performances. This will continue in the future as they look forward to watching each other's careers develop from afar. Tonight, they will relish what could be some of their final moments together on a basketball court.
"There's going to be a few plays where we just connect and people are going to be like, 'Wow,'" Gaddy said. "But it's just going to be normal to us because back home we did that all the time."

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Jordan gets inducted to the Hall of Fame

One of the greatest NBA basketball players to ever grace the courts accepted an invitation into the 2009 Hall of Fame on Monday.

Michael Jordan will be honored Sept. 10-12 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

According to an article in The Chicago Tribune Jordan said, “I would never have envisioned myself at any point being in any hall of fame.”

The announcement came on the day of the men’s Final Four championship in Detroit, Mich. Jordan’s alma mater North Carolina was getting ready to play Michigan State for the national title.

He will be honored along with former greats such as David Robinson who conquered two NBA championships in 14 seasons with the Spurs, John Stockton who holds the NBA record for assists. Coaches Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz and C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers University were inducted as well.

Players who are inducted into the Hall of Fame must have been retired for at least five years. Contributors to the game of basketball, who did not play, can also be inducted at any time. Although there is a slight controversy to the process, Jordan’s numbers leave no doubt he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Jordan transcended the NBA during his 15-year career on and off the court. He dominated on the courts, toying with his opponents and playing like a kid with no worries in the world.

He even flashed signs of greatness during his college years at North Carolina with his contribution to their national championship title.

Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984, Jordan quickly became a household name. He branded the term “Air Jordan” while soaring over his opponents at will.

During his time in the league he averaged 30.12 points per game, won six championships and six championship mvp awards with the Chicago Bulls. He was also the most valuable player of the league five times.

Jordan even conquered the basketball scene on an international level by wining two gold medals in 1984 and the 1992 Olympics, in Barcelona. Jordan, along with teammates Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and a host of NBA legends, devoured any competition that was placed in front of them.

Off the court, Jordan turned the sneaker industry upside down. The Jordan brand is the standard of shoes and clothing. It all started in 1984 when Nike was falling behind in the fast paced shoe industry and needed a way to get back in the game. Nike offered him a contract for $2.5 million. The Air Jordan 1 was released in 1985 and the rest is history.

Jordan has done so much for the game, it became a question of not if, but when would he get that invitation to the Hall of Fame.

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Nike Hoop Summit

by Kyle Laggner,

In only their second practice together as a team, The World Select Team from the 2009 Nike Hoop Summit prepare for competition at the Trail Blazers' practice facility in Tualatin Monday 4/6/09. From L to R: Tomislav Zubcic, Croatia; Zhang Dayu, China and Milan Macvan, Serbia. - (Fredrick D. Joe/The Oregonian )

What: Annual basketball game between the USA Basketball men's junior national select team (made up of high school seniors) and a world select team (made up of international players 19 years old or younger).

When/where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Rose Garden. The game is making its second consecutive appearance in Portland.

Who: Each team has 10 players on its roster. Among the U.S. players is Mike Moser of Grant High School in Northeast Portland. Moser is a 6-foot-8 forward who has signed with UCLA. Nine of the top-25-ranked seniors are on the U.S. roster.

Alumni: Four alumni of the Nike Hoop Summit are on the Portland Trail Blazers roster: Martell Webster (2005) and Jerry Bayless (2007) played for the United States, and Sergio Rodriguez (2004) and Nicolas Batum (2007) played for the World team.

Another game of interest: Two U.S. team members took Monday's NCAA championship basketball a little more personally than most. John Henson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Tampa, Fla., and Leslie McDonald, a 6-4 guard from Memphis, Tenn., are in North Carolina's 2009 recruiting class. The Tar Heels beat Michigan State 89-72 for the men's Division I championship.

Teammates now, Southland opponents later: Grant's Moser is joined on the U.S. team by Renardo Sidney from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles. Sidney has orally committed to USC. Another U.S. team player, Abdul Gaddy of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, is headed to a Pacific-10 Conference team -- Washington.

Tickets: Available from the Rose Quarter ticket office, by phone (877-789-7673) and online at www.rosequarter.com.

Highlights: The I-5 Elite AAU Team 17U tryouts

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