query: when did nba change to best of 7

pos: NBA playoffs the 2–7 and 3–6 winners. The two winners advance to the third round, or conference finals. The winner from each conference will advance to the final round, or the NBA Finals. All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5–7 being played if needed. This format has been used since 2014, after NBA team owners unanimously voted to change from a 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013. The most common criticism of

pos: NBA playoffs the 2–7 and 3–6 winners. The two winners advance to the third round, or conference finals. The winner from each conference will advance to the final round, or the NBA Finals. All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5–7 being played if needed. This format has been used since 2014, after NBA team owners unanimously voted to change from a 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013. The most common criticism of

pos: 1984 NBA Finals 6, and 7 were hosted by the team with the best record. The change in format came after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the finals. The 2-2-1-1-1 format would return for the 2014 NBA Finals. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75–64. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979–80 season

pos: 1999–2000 Portland Trail Blazers season victory to advance to the 2000 NBA Finals, where they would go on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in six games to win their 12th NBA championship. This series has been widely criticized for its controversial officiating and many critics of the series feel that the NBA may have tampered with the series and especially with game 7. Following the season, Jermaine O'Neal was traded to the Indiana Pacers, and Brian Grant was dealt to the Miami Heat. The Blazers did not win another playoff series until May 2, 2014, when Damian Lillard hit a 3-point shot with 0.9 seconds

pos: George Hill (basketball) to the Conference Finals and eventually becoming NBA champions. On July 13, 2012, Hill re-signed with the Pacers to a reported five-year, $40 million contract. During the 2012–13 season, Hill made a game-winning floater against the Toronto Raptors and a game-winning layup over the outstretched arms of Dwight Howard against the Los Angeles Lakers. Hill had the best game of his NBA career on February 7, 2014 when he scored a career-high 37 points against the Portland Trail Blazers along with 9 rebounds and 8 assists including a game-tying three-pointer to force the game to overtime. After missing the first

pos: Joe Lacob of fellow venture capitalists: "Part of it was, he couldn't get along with anybody else in the organization. And, look, he did a great job -- and I'll always compliment him in many respects -- but you can't have 200 other people in the organization not like you." Lacob generated some controversy by calling his team "light years" ahead of everybody else in the NBA during the 2015-16 NBA season. The Warriors won championships in the 2014-15 NBA season, 2016-17 NBA season, and the 2017-18 NBA season. During his tenure as owner, Golden State attained the NBA records for best

pos: 2014–15 Golden State Warriors season smashing the prior NBA record of 484 (set by themselves in 2013–14). The Warriors did not have a pick in the 2014 NBA draft. 2014–15 Golden State Warriors season The 2014–15 Golden State Warriors season was the 69th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and their 53rd in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors finished the season 67–15, a new franchise record for wins in a season, clinching their best record in the NBA since they won 59 games in the 1975–76 season. They are the tenth NBA team to win 67 games in a

pos: 2014 NBA Finals higher seeded team, Games 3 and 4 at home for the lower seeded team, Game 5 at the higher, Game 6 at the lower, and Game 7 at the higher). The series began on June 5, 2014, and ended on June 15, 2014. Although LeBron James did not repeat as league MVP, he was still the best player in the league for the two-time defending champions. Dwyane Wade was rested regularly during the regular season to preserve his knees, but returned to his old form during the playoffs. The third All-Star of the Big Three for Miami, Chris Bosh, played

neg: NBA Conference Finals divisional finals. In the , the league realigned itself to three divisions, with the addition of the Central Division. However, the arrangement was only used for one season and the league went back into two divisions format in . The two divisions format remained until , when the NBA realigned itself into two conferences with two divisions each, which led to the renaming to Conference Finals. The finals was a best-of-3 series from 1949 to 1950 to; a best-of-5 series from 1951–56, and a best-of-7 series since 1957. Currently, the Conference Finals are played in a best-of-7 series like the

neg: ABA–NBA merger Bucks defeating the Dallas Chaparrals, 106–103. Gradually, the ABA began to prove itself superior, going 15–10 against the NBA in 1973, 16–7 in 1974, and 31–17 in 1975. Overall, the ABA won more of these interleague games than the NBA did, and in every matchup of reigning champions from the two leagues, the ABA champion won, including in the final pre-merger season when the Kentucky Colonels defeated the Golden State Warriors. "Boston Globe" sportswriter Bob Ryan said of the ABA-NBA exhibition games: "When those exhibition games began, the view in the NBA was, 'Now we'll show those guys.' But then

neg: Basketball in Greece Sherf, Dragan Šakota, Petar Skansi, Jonas Kazlauskas, Xavi Pascual, and David Blatt. Historically, the best Greek players generally did not play abroad because of the financial strength of Basket League, enabling its clubs to keep the country's top players at home. Until the late 1990s, virtually all of the national team members played their club basketball in Greece. This situation began to change in the early 2000s, when the top leagues in Russia and Spain experienced huge financial growth, and a few top players chose to chase the even greater financial rewards and competitive challenge of the NBA. This can

neg: 2006 NBA Playoffs in the 2007 playoffs, being a division winner did not guarantee a top-3 playoff seed. The Detroit Pistons clinched the best record in the NBA, earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went to the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, which had a better record than the Heat. The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East: The San Antonio Spurs clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when

neg: 2017 NBA Finals best winning percentage () in NBA playoffs history. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving tried their best to combat the Warriors offense but were unable to overcome a bad night from Kevin Love, who only had six points and a game low minus-21 in his 29 minutes, and the Cavaliers bench, which was outscored 7 to 35 by the Warriors' bench. The Cavaliers did come out aggressive early while Golden State dealt with a series of turnovers. Though the Warriors trailed 41-33 with 10:14 left in the second quarter, they chipped away at that deficit and eventually were able to take

neg: 2017 NBA Finals Kerr still being out due to illness. The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA Finals history to fail to record a steal in a game. With the loss, the Cavaliers' nine game road playoff winning streak (a streak that began when they won Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals) came to an end. James dropped to 1–7 in NBA Finals openers in his career. The Warriors won Game 2 over the Cavaliers, 132–113, to improve their best start in NBA playoff history to 14–0. Their fourteen-game win-streak is the longest postseason win streak in NBA history. Golden State

neg: 1962 NBA Finals 1962 NBA Finals The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' 6th straight trip to the Finals, and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7, 110–107 in overtime. It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime in Game 7. The only other Finals series decided in overtime

neg: Commissioner Association followed suit by appointing a commissioner in 1967, largely in response to a rival league that commenced play that year. The ABA did not recognize the NBA commissioner's authority and maintained its own commissioner's office until merging with the NBA in 1976. The National Hockey League did not follow suit when the rival World Hockey Association commenced play, as then-NHL president Clarence Campbell, who was openly hostile to the WHA's very existence, made clear he was not interested in any change to his own title. The NHL finally appointed a commissioner in 1993 (long after merging with the WHA)

neg: Hack-a-Shaq also did so to defend against O'Neal. So, even though it had been first used two years earlier against Rodman, the strategy became known for its use against O'Neal. As with Chamberlain decades earlier, intentional off-the-ball fouls against O'Neal became controversial. During the 2000 NBA Playoffs, both the Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers relentlessly used the Hack-a-Shaq defense against the Lakers. The NBA discussed expanding the off-the-ball foul rule to cover more than just the final two minutes of the game, or another rule change that would discourage the use of Hack-a-Shaq. Ultimately, though, the NBA did not change

neg: Chris Crawford (basketball, born 1975) tryout with the New Jersey Nets, but did not ever play for them. In his NBA career, Crawford played in 252 games and scored a total of 1,654 points. Chris Crawford (basketball, born 1975) Christopher Lee Crawford (born May 13, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (50th pick overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft. A 6'9" forward from Marquette University, Crawford played in 7 NBA seasons, all with the Hawks. His best year was in the 2003–04 season where he averaged a career high 10.2 points per

neg: NBA draft lottery short of the required 23 votes needed to push the change through. In 2016, Dikembe Mutombo made people question the draft's legitimacy when he prematurely tweeted a congratulatory message to the Philadelphia 76ers for receiving the first pick hours before the lottery was conducted. Philadelphia did indeed win the first overall pick. Further questions were raised a bit when the NBA Draft revealed that every spot remained exactly the same as it was before the event took place, which was the first occurrence in draft lottery history. A year later, Lakers executive Magic Johnson raised even further questions about the

neg: NBA on ABC the Los Angeles Lakers (whose home city Michaels resides when not broadcasting sports events) or Sacramento Kings, a total of 21 consecutive games. Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals would end up being Michaels' last with the "NBA on ABC". For the 2005–06 season, Al Michaels and Hubie Brown were slated to remain as ABC's main broadcast team. The duo worked that year's Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat and were expected to work the NBA Finals together as well. However, that plan did not come to fruition. In 2005, the National Football League

neg: History of the Los Angeles Lakers number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 1999–2000 NBA season. Bryant was also named the 2007–2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. Entering the post-season, the Lakers would post a 12–3 record entering the Finals. However, problems suddenly arose when the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Celtics, the best-record team during the regular season, convincingly beat the Lakers 4–2 in the best of 7 series. In the 2009 season, the Lakers had only one goal in mind: "ring", their huddle chant throughout the year. In January, the Lakers would again

neg: NBA Fastbreak '98 NBA Fastbreak '98 NBA Fastbreak '98 is a basketball simulator released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997. It takes place during the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. It was published by Midway Games. The game was released with minimal changes as "NBA Action 98" on Sega Saturn published by Sega Sports IGN gave the game a 4/10. They did praise the change from games using two dimensional sprites to 3D, as well as the actual NBA content (logos, players, uniforms, etc.) instead of being another generic basketball game. They did, however, criticize the gameplay as being "sluggish", citing that the

neg: Bill Russell win 60 games in a season, and Russell was voted as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. In the post-season, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors of Chamberlain, and Russell did his best to slow down the 50-points-per-game scoring Warriors center. In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to only 22 points (28 below his season average) while scoring 19 himself. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of star forward Elgin

neg: 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals won by the Celtics 4 games to 2. This time, the Lakers won the series 4 games to 3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. Kobe Bryant won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP as well as his fifth and final NBA Championship. On July 14, 2010, Phil Jackson won the 2010 ESPY Awards for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player. The Lakers came

neg: NBA Finals The Houston Rockets were down 3 games to 1 to the Phoenix Suns in the Semi-Finals and won 2 out of 3 games on the road, including game 7 to advance to the Conference Finals. After his short stint with baseball, Jordan returned to basketball late in the 1994–95 season. Although he did not lead the Bulls to the Finals, he returned to pre-retirement form the next season while the team acquired perennial rebounding champion Dennis Rodman. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, attaining, at the time, the best regular season record in NBA history. They dominated in

neg: 2007 NBA Finals 2002 NBA Finals, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets. This series was the last sweep in the NBA Finals until 2018, where the losing team was once again the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Finals were played using the 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. The other playoff series were played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format. The best-of-seven series began on June 7, 2007, with the Western Conference champion

neg: 1962 NBA Finals NBA Finals again in 1987 and 2010, both times in California. 1962 NBA Finals The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' 6th straight trip to the Finals, and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7, 110–107 in overtime. It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime

neg: 1953 NBA Playoffs 1953 NBA Playoffs The 1953 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1952–53 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers won their fourth championship in the last five years, and defeated the Knicks in the Finals for the second straight season to complete their run. Not only did the four Western Division teams meet for the third straight year, but the Eastern Division teams this year, had a slight change. The Philadelphia Warriors did

neg: 2009 NBA Playoffs 2009 NBA Playoffs The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP. The Boston Celtics lost a best-of-7 series after leading 3–2 for the first time to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Before that, their first round series with the Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. The Houston

neg: 1984 NBA Playoffs 1984 NBA Playoffs The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983–84 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP. This was the first postseason allowing 16 teams to qualify, a format still in use. The first round format was also changed from best-of-3 to best-of 5. It was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969; they met 7 times in the Finals from

neg: Wild card (sports) by regular-season record, without regard to seeding. Before the 2006–07 NBA season, the NBA seeded its teams in the same manner as the NHL. Until 2015, the NBA seeds the three division winners and the wild-card team with the best record by regular-season record. This means that the wild-card with the best record got a seed as high as #2 (if that team is in the same division as the team with the best record in the conference); however, the next four wild-card teams will still be limited to the #5 through #8 seeds. This change was made to ensure

neg: 1966–67 San Francisco Warriors season 1966–67 San Francisco Warriors season The 1966–67 NBA season was the Warriors' 21st season in the NBA and 5th in the San Francisco Bay Area. They entered the season hoping to improve upon their previous season output of a 35–45 record. They did, finishing the season with a 44-37 record. The Warriors even made it to the NBA Finals, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games. Over the offseason, the Warriors made three transactions, the first being made on June 7, when the team signed Bill McGill. McGill would not be on the team's final roster. On September 1,

neg: Tom Garrick Tom Garrick Thomas S. "Tom" Garrick (born July 7, 1966) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round (45th overall pick) of the 1988 NBA Draft. He played guard in four NBA seasons, mainly for the Clippers. Garrick's best year as a Clipper was during the 1989–90 NBA season when he averaged 7.0 ppg in 73 games. He played collegiately at the University of Rhode Island. Garrick is currently the head women's basketball coach at UMass Lowell. He was the head coach of the University of Rhode Island women's

neg: 2000 NBA Finals to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse, as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. The Pacers, like the Lakers, struggled in the playoffs. They

neg: 1999–2000 Indiana Pacers season NBA season brought several major changes to the Pacers. It was their first season at Conseco Fieldhouse, as well as their first since 1993 without center Antonio Davis, who was traded for the rights to the No. 5 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Jalen Rose replaced Chris Mullin in the starting line up, winning the NBA Most Improved Player award, while Austin Croshere replaced him as the sixth man. The Pacers started the season 7–7 but eventually finished with an Eastern Conference best 56–26 record, including a franchise-best 25 game win streak at home. The Pacers, like the

neg: 2012 NBA Playoffs the 1st-seeded Spurs, this marked the first time in straight seasons an 8th-seed upset a #1 seed. The 76ers suffered the same fate as the Grizzlies, forcing the next series to a Game 7 but losing on the road. Game 7 of the Lakers–Nuggets series ensured a 13th straight postseason with at least one Game 7 played. The last without one was the 1999 NBA Playoffs. The Spurs became the fourth team and first from the West to go 8–0 through the playoffs' first two rounds following the 2003 change in the first round format to 7 games. The Heat

neg: 2014 NBA Playoffs Game 7s were played on the same day. Two other game sevens were played on the following day, featuring Dallas at San Antonio and Brooklyn at Toronto. The five game sevens in the first round already tied the record for the most number of game sevens in any NBA playoffs, set in the 1994 NBA Playoffs. However, the NBA only adopted a best-of-seven format for the first round beginning in 2003. The Hawks–Pacers series was the first series to force a Game 7, making this postseason the 15th consecutive postseason to have at least one Game 7. The 1999 NBA

neg: 2002 NBA Playoffs NBA's second three-peat in seven years. This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Lakers. 2002 NBA Playoffs The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA Playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. This year marked the return of

neg: 2002 NBA Playoffs 2002 NBA Playoffs The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA Playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0. Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. This year marked the return of playoff success for the Boston Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995, won their last playoff

neg: 2007 NBA Playoffs 2007 NBA Playoffs The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2006–07 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Tony Parker was named NBA Finals MVP, making him the first Spur other than Tim Duncan and the first European-born player to receive the award. The playoffs are conducted in 4 rounds of best-of-7 series. The 3 division winners in each conference, along with the 5 best non-division winners in each conference, qualify for the playoffs.

neg: 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season of the Week" for games played from December 13 through December 19 and again for games played March 7 through March 13 "Main article: 2011 NBA All-Star Game" "Main article: 2010–11 NBA season" On November 19, when San Antonio beat the Utah Jazz to go 10–1, it marked the best start to a season in franchise history. 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season The 2010–11 San Antonio Spurs season was the 44th season of the franchise, 38th in San Antonio and 35th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the playoffs, the Spurs lost to the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in six

neg: Eddie Lee Wilkins Eddie Lee Wilkins Eddie Lee Wilkins (born May 7, 1962) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the New York Knicks in the sixth round (133rd pick overall) of the 1984 NBA Draft. A 6'10" forward/center from Gardner-Webb University, Wilkins played in 6 NBA seasons. He played for the Knicks (1984–85, 1986–87, 1988–91) and Philadelphia 76ers (1992–93). Wilkins graduated from Cass High School. In his NBA career, Wilkins played in 322 games and scored a total of 1,534 points. On November 15, 1990, he had one of his best games as a pro when he scored

neg: NBA draft players selected in the draft to play in the NBA was Manute Bol out of the Sudan in 1983 in the 5th round by the San Diego Clippers. Bol's selection was later deemed ineligible by the NBA. Two years later Bol was drafted again by the NBA this time out of Division II University of Bridgeport in 1985 as the 31st pick overall in the second round. Although Bol did not have a stellar career, he is known for being one of the tallest players ever to play the game at 7 feet and 7 inches. He holds the record

neg: 2017 NBA All-Star Game NBA announced they did not have plans to remove the game from Charlotte and did not vote to; however, Silver said HB2 remained a problem and, according to an official press release, was also concerned about Charlotte's capability to host because of HB2. Silver next spoke about the issue on April 21 at the Associated Press Sports Editors commissioner meetings and on ESPN's Mike and Mike morning radio show. During both appearances he stated the NBA would rather work with the state and city governments to help change the law than issue a definitive statement. However, he also made clear

neg: 2013 NBA Finals of the best games in which he has ever taken part. Dwyane Wade predicted it will go down as "one of the best finals games that's been seen", while NBA legend Magic Johnson called it "one of the best two or three games" he had ever seen. On July 17, 2013, Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals received the 2013 ESPY award for Best Game. The Spurs were leading 75–65 at the end of the third quarter, but LeBron James sparked a 20–7 run for the Heat to start the fourth quarter, personally scoring 11 of those points. With

neg: Sports in Texas and Texas hosts three NBA teams: the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets, and the Dallas Mavericks. All three have won championships, however the Spurs having won at least 50 games over the past 15 seasons and 5 NBA championships, are arguably the best professional franchise in Texas sports and are considered one of the best NBA franchises in history. The Houston Rockets did however distinguish themselves as the first team in Texas to win an NBA Championship and are currently the only team in Texas to have back-to-back NBA Championships. Texas is home to one WNBA team, the Dallas

neg: Big Three (San Antonio Spurs) the two combined for 48 points—25 from Duncan, 23 from Ginóbili—to take an 81–74 win in Game 7 to win the second NBA Championship of the "Big Three" era. The voting for the NBA Finals MVP award was very close between Duncan and Ginóbili, but Duncan ultimately won his third NBA Finals MVP award. During the 2005–06 NBA season, the "Big Three" was a part of the Spurs team that was able to make it to a franchise-best record of 63–19 and the best record in the Western Conference. Duncan averaged 18.6, Parker averaged 18.9 points and the third member

neg: 1996 NBA Finals USA at the Atlanta Olympics. The Bulls would also defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the 1998 NBA Finals. The Bulls' combined 87 wins in the regular season and postseason would stand as an NBA record until the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, coached by former Bull Steve Kerr, broke it with 88 total wins (thanks to the first round using a best-of-7 format instead of the best-of-5 in 1996), including a 73-9 regular season mark. However, the Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, failing to repeat as champions after beating the same Cavaliers

neg: Playoff format for the first three finishers in each of the league's four divisions to enter the postseason, but the first-place teams drew byes and did not play any best-of-three series; the postseason then proceeded as the NBA's did, with the second and all later rounds being best-of-seven. This remained the case until the 1979–80 season, when the NHL expanded its playoff field to 16 after absorbing four teams from the defunct World Hockey Association in a semi-merger, whereupon the byes were abolished and all 16 qualifying teams participated in the first round, which was lengthened to best-of-five. In both the NBA

neg: Vlade Divac on the other team by purposely falling to the floor upon contact with an opposing player. Veteran NBA forward P. J. Brown claimed that Divac might have been the best of all time at flopping. Divac freely admitted doing so, adding that he usually did it when he felt like the officials had missed some calls and owed him. However, when the NBA instituted anti-flopping penalties in 2012, Divac expressed his support for such rules, stating that he felt players after him were "overdo[ing] it" with respect to flopping. Ian Thomsen, a "Sports Illustrated" columnist, grouped Divac with fellow international

neg: Number (sports) 6 in Orlando). When Michael Jordan retired in 1993, the Chicago Bulls retired his 23; when he came out of retirement he chose to wear 45 until, during the 1995 NBA post-season, he went back to his familiar 23. Also, players cannot change numbers midseason, but they used to be able to (Andre Iguodala and Antoine Wright changed from No. 4 and No. 15 to No. 9 and No. 21 for Chris Webber and Vince Carter, respectively). Since Kelenna Azubuike was inactive all season, Carmelo Anthony was able to wear Azubuike's No. 7 when traded to the Knicks in 2011,

neg: Kentucky Colonels floor in the regular season) for financial reasons. They acquired all-star Caldwell Jones to replace him, but he never gelled with the team. Jones was dealt mid-season for young Maurice Lucas. Hubie managed to make the team competitive, but they lost in the postseason to the Denver Nuggets in 7 games. Kentucky was one of the league's most talented teams, and had one of its best fan bases, but during the ABA's talks of merging with the NBA, the Colonels were not a favorite to change leagues. As a result, John Y. Brown, Jr. was forced to fold the Colonels.

neg: 2005–06 Chicago Bulls season 2004-2005 season with a heart condition. The move was met with some controversy, although it ended up resulting in high draft picks for the Bulls due to the Knicks' poor records in the coming seasons. The Bulls did not have any draft picks in 2005. At 41-41, the Bulls managed to sneak into the Eastern Conference Playoffs as a 7th seed. They would lose in the first round to the eventual NBA Champion Miami Heat, although they did manage to stretch the best of 7 series to 6 games, ending a season in which they played very inconsistently on a

neg: Don Haskins five black guys. I just wanted to put my five best guys on the court," Haskins was later quoted as saying. "I just wanted to win that game." Though credited with setting in motion the desegregation of college basketball teams in the South, he wrote in his book, "Glory Road", "I certainly did not expect to be some racial pioneer or change the world." Although Haskins was never able to duplicate his 1966 success, he is nonetheless regarded as an important figure in basketball history. Among the players he coached at UTEP over the years were future NBA all-stars Nate

neg: College basketball Court which ruled in 1971 that the NBA does not have the same antitrust exemption enjoyed by Major League Baseball. Thereafter, collegiate players demonstrating economic hardship were allowed early entry into the NBA draft. The hardship requirement was eliminated in 1976. In 1974, Moses Malone joined the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (which became part of the NBA after the ABA–NBA merger in 1976) straight out of high school and went on to a Hall of Fame career. The past 30 years have seen a remarkable change in the college game. The best international players routinely skip college

neg: 2002–03 Portland Trail Blazers season all playoff series to be best-of-seven; previously first-round series had been best-of-five). The Blazers remain the last team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven series after the 1950-51 Knicks in the NBA Finals and the 1993-94 Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals, though no team has come back to win an NBA playoff series after trailing 3-0. The Blazers' 107–95 Game 7 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas would be the venerable franchise's last playoff game for six years, as the historic postseason streak ended in 2003–04 with a mediocre 41–41 record; two seasons followed

neg: NBA Finals the best postseason record in NBA history. Their opponent in the Finals that year were the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Allen Iverson. In the 2002 NBA Finals, the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets, leading almost the entire time in each game; only for a short while after the beginning of Game 4 did the New Jersey Nets gain any significant lead in any game. In the 2003 offseason, veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone signed with the Lakers. Along with Bryant and O'Neal, they formed what many expected to be one of the best teams in NBA history,

neg: 2016 NBA Playoffs Curry was forced to take a sub par shot that missed, sealing the game as the city of Cleveland, Ohio's 52-year sports curse finally ended. The Cavaliers became the eleventh team to win an NBA playoff series after trailing 3 games to 1, and the first to do so in the NBA Finals. The Warriors became the best team (by regular season record) to fail to capture an NBA championship. Cleveland also became only the fourth team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road. This was the first NBA championship for the Cavaliers. This was the

neg: History of the Dallas Mavericks when Jackson was signed on March 3, the Mavs managed to rally, closing the season with a 7–14 mark, including two straight wins to end the season. That year the Mavericks finished 11–71 which was the 2nd worst record in NBA history. Dallas selected Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn with the fourth overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft and hired Quinn Buckner as coach, but the team's progress was minimal. Part of the problem was that Buckner decided from the start to be a disciplinarian on the model of his college coach, Bobby Knight. The mostly young roster did not

neg: 2009 NBA Playoffs first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Magic. 2009 NBA Playoffs The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP. The Boston Celtics lost a best-of-7 series after leading 3–2 for the first time to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Before that, their first round series with the Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most

neg: NBA 35th Anniversary Team NBA 35th Anniversary Team The NBA 35th Anniversary Team was announced on 30 October 1980 to celebrated 35th Anniversary of NBA. Unlike its predecessor, the NBA 25th Anniversary Team, that followed the concept of All-NBA Team, this team was more like an NBA All-Star Team that contains the eleven best players in the NBA's 35 years existence regardless of their position, and also had a coach. In addition, this team did not require a player to have completed his career to be eligible for this Team. Sorted by last name, players in italics were still active in 1980. All members

neg: 1997 NBA Playoffs the playoffs up to that point; they did not return until 2005, and won the NBA Finals in 2006. The Minnesota Timberwolves made their playoff debut after failing to win more than 30 games in their first 7 seasons. It was also the first of 7 straight years in which they made the playoffs only to lose in the first round. They were the last of the 1988/89 expansion four to make their playoff debut This was the first (and so far, only) time since the ABA–NBA merger that the 4 former ABA teams, the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver

neg: 1957 NBA Finals Bill Russell set a rookie record for rebounds in a single NBA finals game with 32 in game 7, and averaged an NBA finals rookie record of 22.9 rebounds per game for the entire series. 1957 NBA Finals The 1957 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1956–57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the first trip to the Finals for each team, the first Finals in which

neg: 1976 NBA Finals "Miracle of Richfield" Cleveland Cavaliers in six games each to reach their 14th NBA Finals. Boston was seeking its 13th NBA title. Boston swept the four-game regular season series. "Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2" Boston turned back the Suns in game one behind a balanced attack. John Havlicek did not start for the Celtics due to a painful heel injury. However, Boston coach Tom Heinsohn rushed Havlicek into the game with 7:24 left in the first quarter as Phoenix took an early 10–7 lead and the Ohio State product never came back out of the game.

neg: 2004 NBA draft 2004 NBA draft The 2004 NBA draft was held on June 24, 2004, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm (EDT). In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players. The NBA announced that 56 college and high school players and 38 international players had filed as early-entry candidates for the 2004 draft. On May 26, the NBA draft lottery was conducted for the teams that did not make the NBA Playoffs in the 2003–04 NBA season.

neg: 1982 NBA Playoffs two teams, with each team winning one series apiece. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: "76ers win series 4-3" The Celtics were not able to overcome a 3–1 series deficit twice in a row, losing Game 7 at home. The Sixers became the 2nd team to ever beat the Celtics in a Game 7 in the Garden (after the New York Knicks did in 1973) and the 3rd NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1. The Boston Garden crowd in Game 7 chanted "Beat LA! Beat LA!" to the victorious Sixers. This was the 17th

neg: Michael Leahy (author) Michael Leahy (author) Michael Leahy (born January 28, 1953) is an American author and award-winning writer for "The Washington Post" and "The Washington Post Magazine". He is best known for his latest non-fiction book, The Last Innocents, which examines the tumultuous political & social change of the 1960s through the lens of the era's legendary Los Angeles Dodgers. Leahy has also earned recognition for his 2004 book, When Nothing Else Matters, which chronicles basketball superstar Michael Jordan's last comeback to the NBA. Leahy's stories have also been selected for the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 editions of The Best American

neg: 1994 NBA Finals represented Houston's only professional championships. The 1994 NBA Championship represented the city of Houston's first professional championship since those two teams, and the first in a league that did not later merge. 1994 NBA Finals The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the championship, with the Rockets holding home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. The Rockets defeated the Knicks 4 games to 3 to win the team's first NBA

neg: 1957 NBA Finals 1957 NBA Finals The 1957 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1956–57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the first trip to the Finals for each team, the first Finals in which both teams competing were making their first appearances since 1951. The Celtics won the series over the Hawks, 4–3. It remains the only Game 7 in NBA history to be decided in double-overtime. Celtics center

neg: Hollywood Sportatorium However, while four different teams were set to move into the Sportatorium in the first year following the renovations, none of them actually did: While the arena never did attract a truly permanent sports franchise, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League played at the Sportatorium for one NASL indoor season in 1980–81. In addition, the Sportatorium did host at least one preseason NBA matchup when the New Orleans Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks met there on October 7, 1977. Despite the Sportatorium's lack of success in attracting a sports franchise, it thrived as a concert arena.

neg: 1969 NBA Finals (a series in which an injured Jerry West did not play) in 1971, Cooke hired former Celtic Bill Sharman as head coach before the 1971–72 season; eventually the Lakers won 69 games and a professional sports record 33 straight games, en route to defeating the Knicks in the 1972 NBA Finals, despite Baylor's retirement early in the season. This was the only time that the Lakers lost Game 7 at their home floor. Head Coach Bill Russell 1969 NBA Finals The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968–69 NBA season was played between the Los

neg: 1998 NBA All-Star Game Richmond, Vin Baker, Anfernee Hardaway, Shawn Kemp, Tim Hardaway, Steve Smith, Glen Rice, Rik Smits & Jayson Williams. Grant Hill and Michael Jordan shot the best field goal percentages this game when comparing players who shot ten or more shots. Grant Hill was 7/11 from the field and he knocked down a three (.636%). Michael Jordan was 10/18 from the field and he also knocked down one three (.556%). The halftime show featured the Broadway All-Stars. Eastern Conference Western Conference The NBA Rookies game took place on the Friday before the All-Star Game. The coaches of the teams were Willis

neg: Pat Riley Lakers finished 65–17 in the regular season, third-best in team history. They met with similar success in the playoffs, dispatching the Celtics in six games to win Riley his third NBA title. One of Riley's most famous moments came when he guaranteed the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers' championship parade in downtown Los Angeles (he first made the guarantee during the post-victory locker room celebration). While the 1988 Lakers did not produce as many wins in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers, they still won the NBA title, becoming the first team in 19 years to repeat

neg: Tom Davis (basketball player) 29-point, 13-rebound performance against Ohio State. Despite his lauded collegiate career, Davis did not get selected in the 1991 NBA Draft, nor was he ever signed by an NBA team. Tom Davis (basketball player) Tom Davis (born ) is a former American basketball player who is best known for his college career at Delaware State University between 1987–88 and 1990–91. Davis grew up in Willingboro Township, New Jersey and attended Willingboro High School. He was a four-year starter on the boys' basketball team. When it came time to choose which college to attend, Davis wanted to stay relatively close to

neg: NBA draft draft and participate in the NBA Draft Combine multiple times and retain NCAA eligibility by withdrawing from the draft within 10 days after the end of the mid-May NBA draft combine. The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the NBA, where the teams who did not make the playoffs in the past year participate in a state-lottery style process in order to determine the first three picks of the draft, until 2018. The team with the worst record receives the best odds of receiving the first pick. The NBA introduced the lottery process in 1985. The league

neg: 1993 NBA Playoffs in July of a heart attack. Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals saw the Suns attempt sixty-four free throws while connecting on fifty-seven of them, both NBA postseason records. Sportswriter Bill Simmons called the 1993 post-season the best in NBA history. Champion: Phoenix Suns (1) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Los Angeles Lakers: "Suns win series 3–2" This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first seven meetings. (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Los Angeles Clippers: "Rockets win series 3–2" This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the

neg: 1967 NBA Finals 1967 NBA Finals The 1967 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1966–67 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers. This was the first championship series in 11 years without the Boston Celtics, who were defeated in the Division Finals by Philadelphia. Despite dominating the regular season with a 68–13 record (the most regular season wins in NBA history at the time) the 76ers did not have an easy time

neg: A. J. Hammons NBA draft. On July 8, 2016, he signed with the Mavericks and joined the team for the Las Vegas Summer League. During his rookie season, he had multiple assignments with the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He also had three 9-point efforts with the Mavericks during the season, to go with a season-best 7 rebounds on April 7, 2017 against the San Antonio Spurs. On July 7, 2017, Hammons was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Josh McRoberts, a 2023 second round draft pick and cash considerations. Hammons was waived by the Heat on February 8,

neg: Franklin Edwards games and averaging 9.0 ppg. Franklin Edwards Franklin Delano Edwards (born February 2, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1981 NBA draft. A 6'1" point guard from Cleveland State University, Edwards played in 7 NBA seasons from 1981 to 1988. He played for the 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings. In his NBA career, Edwards played in 296 games and scored a total of 1,802 points. His best year as a professional came during the 1985–86 NBA season as a member of

neg: Franklin Edwards Franklin Edwards Franklin Delano Edwards (born February 2, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1981 NBA draft. A 6'1" point guard from Cleveland State University, Edwards played in 7 NBA seasons from 1981 to 1988. He played for the 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings. In his NBA career, Edwards played in 296 games and scored a total of 1,802 points. His best year as a professional came during the 1985–86 NBA season as a member of the Clippers, appearing in 73

neg: 1969 NBA Finals NBA history. This series is also notable in that West, with an average of nearly 38 points a game, won the Finals Most Valuable Player award, despite being on the losing team. This was the first year a Finals MVP award was given, and it remains the only time in NBA Finals history that the MVP was awarded to a player on the losing team. It also marks the first time ever in NBA Finals history that a Game 7 was won by the road team. The Los Angeles Lakers had won 55 games in the regular season (2nd best

neg: Reggie Slater Reggie Slater Reginald Dwayne Slater (born August 27, 1970) is an American retired professional basketball player born in Houston, Texas. A 6'7", 255-lb. power forward from the University of Wyoming, Slater was never drafted by an NBA team but did manage to play in eight NBA seasons for the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets and Atlanta Hawks from 1994–1999 and 2000–2003. In his entire NBA career, Slater played in 259 games and scored a total of 1,450 points. His best NBA season came during the 1997–98 NBA season as a member

neg: NBA on ABC shot during the 2005 playoffs by calling it a "great, great contested shot") expected of a main play-by-play voice. Michaels, who by the end of his tenure on the "NBA on ABC" only called a total of 37 NBA games overall with ABC (a combined thirteen regular season games), did return for the NBA Finals, which scored its second-lowest rating of all time (despite the fact that it was the first Finals in eleven years to go to a seventh game). From March 7, 2004 to April 17, 2005 – including playoff games – each game Michaels called involved either

neg: NBA draft lottery are present at the lottery ceremony. The decision of not showing the ping-pong balls live has fueled speculation that the NBA will occasionally fix the draft lottery if it can benefit the league. The speculation originated with the 1985 draft lottery that sent Patrick Ewing to New York, with the theory being that the NBA wanted to send the best player in the draft to New York to increase ratings in a large television market. At that time, the NBA used 7 envelopes in a tumbler representing the seven teams with the worst record. Some have speculated that the envelope

neg: NBA Finals a losing record in the regular season, and the Celtics had an NBA best record of 62–20. The Celtics later won the Finals in 6 games. The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 1982, this time led by new coach Pat Riley, in a rematch against the 76ers. The 76ers defeated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals in a 7-game series, but were defeated by Lakers in 6 games, with Johnson being named Finals MVP. Upon losing their past three NBA Finals appearances, the 76ers decided that they needed one more piece to become champions, and enlisted Malone

neg: 2012–13 NBA season On October 7, the NBA Mexico Games 2012 were played between the New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic. Finally, the NBA Canada Series was played on October 19 between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks in Montreal, and on October 24 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons in Winnipeg. The regular season started on Tuesday October 30, 2012, when the 2011–12 NBA Champions Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 120–107. The regular season ended on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. The entire schedule was released on Thursday night July 26 at 7 PM ET on NBA TV. For the

neg: 2003 NBA Finals promoting NHL on ABC's broadcast of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. 2003 NBA Finals The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2002–03 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs defeated the Nets to win the series 4–2. Spurs' forward Tim Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship series. The series was broadcast

neg: NBA 2K19 "NBA 2K19"'s soundtrack was curated by rapper Travis Scott, who has five songs featured in the game. "NBA 2K19" received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. "Electronic Gaming Monthly" gave the game 7/10, writing: ""NBA 2K19" had a real opportunity to learn from last year's mistakes, and in some ways it did. The Neighborhood is more convenient, the Prelude is way more interesting, and the gameplay has seen some subtle but important improvements. Unfortunately, all this is marred yet again by the game's predatory microtransaction system, which turns the MyCareer stuff into a grind-heavy, pay-to-skip farce."

neg: Marqus Blakely did not play. Blakely entered training camp with the Rockets following the resolution of the NBA Lockout for the 2011–12 preseason, but was released on December 19, 2011. On December 27, 2011, Blakely was re-acquired by the Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League, appearing in 14 games before being traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce in February 2012, where he averaged 16 points per game and 7 rebounds per contest while also being named an NBA D-League All-Star. After the NBA D-League season was completed, Blakely signed as an import player for the B-Meg Llamados of the Philippine Basketball Association

neg: Frank Selvy Selvy was drafted first overall by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1954 NBA Draft. He went on to play nine seasons in the National Basketball Association during the late 1950s and early 1960s, interrupted by a three-year stint in the U.S. Army. As a professional, Selvy is mostly known for his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, teaming with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. He was twice an NBA All-Star. Selvy's best known game in the NBA is probably Game 7 of the 1962 NBA Finals in which Selvy's Lakers faced a four-point deficit at the hands of Boston Celtics

neg: Jordan Clarkson did not play for the Lakers for most of the first half of the season. However, he ended up starting 38 games for the Lakers, primarily at point guard, and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.2 rebounds as a starter. On March 24, 2015, he had a season-best game with 30 points and 7 assists in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Starting alonsgide Jeremy Lin, the pair became the first Asian-American starting backcourt in league history. On March 30 and April 1, Clarkson recorded back-to-back double-doubles. For the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First

neg: 1987–88 Detroit Pistons season was whistled for a foul, even though replays showed he barely touched Kareem. Jabbar then coolly sank the two free thows to put the Lakers up 103–102. The lead held up as Thomas, bad ankle and all, missed another shot at the buzzer. Thomas would end up with 43 points and eight assists, a heroic performance, but it was for naught as the series moved to Game 7. One of the best NBA Finals in recent memory closed out with another classic. Thomas' ankle was still sore, as evidenced by his limping badly in warmups. He did manage to play

neg: Win Elliot Win Elliot Irwin Elliot Shalek (May 7, 1915 – September 17, 1998), better known as Win Elliot, was an American television and radio sportscaster and game show host who was best known for his long tenures as a play-by-play broadcaster of NHL New York Rangers and NBA New York Knicks games and host of "Sports Central USA" on the CBS Radio Network. Born Irwin Elliot Shalek in Chelsea, Massachusetts and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Elliot did Rangers games through the 1950s and 60s, alternating with other announcers of the era, depending on what stations held rights and

neg: Lakers–Spurs rivalry Lakers–Spurs rivalry The Lakers–Spurs rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. The rivalry started in the late 1970s and peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since 1999, the teams have met in the NBA Playoffs 7 times, with the clubs combining to appear in seven straight NBA Finals from 1999–2005. Additionally, the teams won each NBA Title from 1999–2003 (the Spurs won in 1999 and 2003, while the Lakers won in 2000, 2001, and 2002). From 1999–2004, the rivalry was considered as the NBA's best, as each

neg: Washington Wizards (Mureșan, whose height is 7 ft 7 in), two very athletic forwards (Howard and Webber) and one of the league's top point guards (Rod Strickland), started the 1996–97 season at 22–24. That led to the dismissal of Head Coach Jim Lynam. Bernie Bickerstaff, an assistant coach with the Bullets when they won their only NBA Championship in 1978, was called upon to resurrect his former team. The Bullets responded, winning 16 of their final 21 games to finish 44–38, their best record since 1978–79. The late surge enabled the Bullets to climb within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the

neg: ABA–NBA merger you know what happened—the ABA teams won nearly as often as the NBA did ... Those NBA–ABA games were intense". Longtime NBA coach Larry Brown said of the ABA vs. NBA games, "When some exhibition games were arranged in the 1970s to make some money and we (the ABA) beat them, the NBA said they weren't up for the games. Come on. When I coached Carolina, we played the Knicks after they won a championship. I looked at their guys shooting around and I looked at my guys and I didn't want my players to take off their warm-ups because

neg: 1969 NBA Finals again five years later. The Lakers' Game 7 loss led to the departure of Butch Van Breda Kolff. Much public opinion sided against the coach, who was quickly branded as the man who banished his star center to the bench in the crucial final minutes of a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Elgin Baylor, the team captain, diplomatically stated that the coach had made his decision in the team's best interests, and, whatever the results, all had to live by it. West, by all accounts, was furious over Chamberlain's benching, claiming that all coaches are obligated to place their

neg: Playoff format (changing its name to the NBA three years later) and retaining it through the 1959–60 season; the league resumed its use of the best-of-three first-round series in 1974–75, but abolished it again in 1983–84 when the number of teams qualifying for its postseason tournament was increased to 16 (ten teams had qualified during the first two years of the aforementioned period, this number being expanded to twelve in 1976–77; in both instances some of the highest-ranking teams did not participate in the best-of-three round, drawing byes and automatically advancing to the second round, which was best-of-seven, as were all subsequent

neg: Michelin Cup limited to competitors flying the principal French bombing aircraft, the Breguet 19. The best time was achieved by Capt. Coslin, with Lieut Gérard as observer, with a time of 18h 0m 24s, a speed of . However, since this time did not better the previous best, the cup did not change hands. There were two competitions in 1926-7, one restricted to the Breguet 19. The course for both competitions was Paris (Le Bourget)—Nancy—Metz—Strasbourg—Dijon—Bourges—Clermont-Ferrand—Lyons—Istres—Pau—Casaux—Châteauroux—Tours—Romorantin—Chartres—Paris, a distance of . The main competition was won by Capitain Challes flying a Blériot-SPAD S.61 in 12h 14m 37s. The military competition was won by Capt

neg: 1986–87 Atlanta Hawks season 1986–87 Atlanta Hawks season The 1986–87 NBA season was the Hawks' 38th season in the NBA and their 19th season in the city of Atlanta. The Hawks finished first place in the Central Division with a franchise-best record of 57–25. Dominique Wilkins made the All-NBA Second Team, and was selected for the 1987 NBA All-Star Game. In the first round of the playoffs, the Hawks defeated the Indiana Pacers in four games, but lost in five games to the 3rd-seeded Detroit Pistons in the semifinals. Notes (2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (7) Indiana Pacers: "Hawks win series 3-1" Last Playoff Meeting:

neg: Mamadou N'Diaye (basketball, born 1993) Tacko Fall in the tallest tip-off and match-up in US college basketball history in a game against the UCF Knights. During his junior season, N'Diaye led the Anteaters to a program-best 28 wins. He played in 37 of 38 games on the season, starting 36, and averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He broke the UCI school record for blocks with 218 which was previously broken by former teammate Will Davis II the previous season with 208. On April 7, 2016, N'Diaye declared for the 2016 NBA draft, but did not hire an agent. While he