Nicknamed “The Answer” or “A.I.” Allen Ezail Iverson has accolades such as Rookie of the Year in 1997, 11-time NBA All-Star claiming MVP awards in 2001 and 2005 and was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2001. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
In 1983, Byron Scott played his 10 consecutive seasons and won 3 championship titles with the "Show-Time" Lakers organization.He made the transition to coaching in 1998, where he had success with Hornets from 2004-2009. He made a short stint in broadcasting in 2013, before he went to coach for the Lakers and coached Kobe Bryant during his final season in 2016.
Carmelo Anthony won a natonal championship his freshman year in 2003 at Syracuse University. Following his one-and-done season, Carmelo was drafted in the first round by the Denver Nuggets where he teamed up with Allen Iverson. He also won 4 medals with the U.S. Olympic teams in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Derek Fisher came into the league in 1996 to the Los Angeles Lakers where he spent eight seasons and won five championships with Kobe Bryant. As a player, he was known for the iconic “0.4 shot.” He pulled off a final second three point shot from an inbound pass from “Hall of Fame” teammate, Gary Payton.
Earl played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, where he was a four-year starter and named all-conference as a senior in the Pac-10. He went on to play 13 seasons in the N.B.A. before pivoting to coaching where he is currently with the Toronto Raptors organization.
An abbreviaton for the leter “F” is a positon in basketball often referred to as the “3” or wing position. The player is also known as the small forward (SF) and at times play the wing-guard position. Known to take a crucial game shot or play tenacious defense, the SF is crucial in transition offense and defensive soundness.
At one time, the official sports drink of the NBA. During the 1980’s, Gatorade was iconic as the official brand sponsor alongside Michael Jordan. Anytime you saw a Michael Jordan print ad or commercial, you always saw him with an orange or red Gatorade. The brand has come a long way with brand awareness among athletes and consumers worldwide.
The Miami Heat organization was on-fire during the 2010 era. Recipe for success included Pat Riley team President, head coach Eric Spoelstra, and the “Big Three”: Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade. They hold the record for the NBA’s third-longest win streak with 27 straight games in the 2012-13 season.
A state known for their world-famous Indianapolis 500 and vast agriculture is also the place with rich basketball history. The Indiana Hoosiers is a historical college basketball team that was led by coach Bob Knight, known for his intense coaching-style. The Indian Pacers organization is also based in Indiana. They were known for the iconic league enforcing suspension after a huge brawl known as “Malice in the Palace.”
Starting out a trade-marked photo-op that turned into a memorable poster, now the Jumpman symbol is iconic for the Jordan brand. Notable NBA players that have signed with this famous symbol are Russel Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul. In 2015, Drake collaborated with Future to create the song “Jumpman” on the "What a Time to Be Alive" album.
When this college basketball program comes to mind, we all think about the “one-and-done.” This is a basketball program known to intake very high-level players for one season and turn them to strong players in the NBA. Coach John Calipari started in 2009 with this program. He has turned out stars such as John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Anthony Davis.
The LA Sparks is one of the first WNBA organizations played their first game in 1997. This uphill batle to championship contention was showed growth in the 2000 season when the team went 28-4. With the help of Hall of Famer, Lisa Leslie, the team won back-to-back championships in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Coach Michael Cooper was part of this championship run with his experience with the Los Angeles Lakers “Show Time” dynasty back in the 80’s.
Known for their strong basketball program in the 1990’s, the Men’s University of Michigan basketball program created “The Fab Five.” Consisting of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray “Stephen” Jackson. This team created a big wave in the 1997 season finishing with an overall record of 25-9 overall with a conference record of 11-5.
Standing at 5’9, Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson was born in Seattle and attended the University of Washington playing football and basketball. He then became the NBA’s first three-time slam dunk champion. One of them being his iconic dunk over 6’11” Dwight Howard in 2009. Dwight was dressed as Superman with a red cape, while Nate was dressed up in green attire to represent “Kryto-Nate.”
Nicknamed “Big O” Oscar Robinson was a 12-time all-star point guard. He was known for the highest triple-double statistic in NBA history until Russel Westbrook recently joined him. This is an important stat in the game of basketball because it measures effectiveness on the court. In 1996, he was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
This former Michigan Wolverine “Fab Five” basketball team champion is well known for his effectiveness with the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Rob has a rich basketball history as a player has translated to his experience being a famous sports agent. Notable work includes being CEO of The Landmark Sports Agency and representing players such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Andre Drummond. He now is the Executive of Basketball Operations with the Lakers organization.
Played professionally in the NBA for 13 seasons. Was a high-level scorer for DePaul University where he excelled at points, rebounds, and three-point field goals. “Q-Rich” was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA draft. Notable accolades include winning the NBA Three-Point contest in 2005.
Known for his unselfishness and undeniable efforts on the court, he is also a hard worker off the court. He is a triple-double machine who is in the conversation with the likes of Oscar Robinson. Outside of his time working on the hardwood, he is paying dues with his efforts with the “Why Not?” foundation. The charity strives to inspire young people and teach them to never give up.
The sound of a basketball going through the net. Also, a slang term for the ball entering the hoop without touching the rim. “Swish” is also the nickname of former NBA player J.R. Smith. He later enrolled to North Carolina A and T State University where he played for the golf team with his four years of collegiate eligibility.
This Canadian NBA teams was famous in the 90’s with players such as Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter, and Marcus Camby. This team went through a growing phase in the 2000 era with player development and acquiring veteran talent. During the 2018-2019 season, the Toronto Raptors were able to win their first championship season.
Former player in the NBA is a three-time champion for the Miami Heat is now the Vice President of Basketball Development. He spent majority of his playing career with the team. He is the representation for the city of Miami. Only fittng they transition him to basketball operations for the organization.
Hall of Famer Jim Valvano was inducted in 2023. His organization has teamed up with ESPN to raised over $353 million to cancer research. His famous speech titled “Don’t Give Up…Don’t Ever Give Up!” is a very inspiring piece of work. He shed so much light in his personal struggles with cancer and advocated for others to keep fighting.
Former NBA player now analyst for the NY Knicks, Wally was drafted to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1999. He played there for 7 seasons and notable honors was his at the time franchise record of 44 points in 2003. Starting his broadcast career with the CBS college sports in 2009, he later moved on to working for the NY team he now reports for.
Born in Belgium, Henry was child to a professional basketball player in the early 1990’s. His college career started out playing under coach John Calipari’s first season at the University of Kentucky in 2009. In 2010, he decided to go pro and was drafted to the Memphis Grizzlies. After he was drafted to the Lakers in 2013, he started experiencing physical ailments that started the decline of this pro career.
Former player for the University of Southern California is a Los Angeles nave. He spent 3 seasons there before he was drafted to the Washington Wizards. Later in 2013, he made his way back to California where for the Lakers organization until 2017. The next year he played for the Golden State Warriors and earned an NBA championship in 2018.
This was the nickname of Isiah Thomas III. Considered one of the greatest point guards of all time was known for his playing time with the 1980’s Detroit Pistons. They had memorable batles with the famous Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan. This 12-time NBA all-star was inducted into the Hall of Fame and is now an analyst for NBA TV.