Nike Basketball News

WBF Blog: Anderson Varejao

tonyhellberg1 — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:32:56 GMT

Glue.

There’s a stickiness to some players that no statistical category can measure.

But numbers would just lie anyway:

It’s impossible to satisfy any statistician with nothing more than the raw human desire that binds championship-caliber teams together.

Anderson Varejao is a glue-guy. Has been since he turned pro as a Brazilian teenager.
And all he’s done since then is bang and battle his way to the NBA Finals and PanAm gold.

Taking charges. Hedging on ball screens. Cleaning up any and all rebounding garbage. Careening wildly to the floor - or into the stands - after every loose ball.

This is the DNA of Anderson’s game. And those properties of punishment earned him a spot on the 2010 NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team.

WBF Blog: 1 on 1 Anderson Varejao vs Yi Jianlian

tonyhellberg1 — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:30:43 GMT

Yi vs. Varejao

Both foreign. Both teenage professionals. Both internationally acclaimed.

Each uniquely adept at filling their respective roles, beloved by their respective fan bases, adored by their respective countries.

On one side:

Yi Jianlian.

Lithe. Long, but strong.

Skilled. In fact, a rarity: a true 7-footer who can stretch the floor and knock down threes.

Opposite:

Anderson Varejao.

Sturdy. Bulk to bang; athleticism to slide in the paint.

Efficient. A hidden gem: statistics and numbers difficult to measure but impossible to ignore.

Yi garnered Finals MVP honors in the Chinese Basketball Association; Anderson played in the NBA Finals.

Hundreds of millions of his Chinese countrymen have tuned in to watch single telecasts of Yi’s NBA games; Anderson’s hairstyle inspired a run at the Guinness World Record for wigs.

Yi has been called “the most athletic 7-footer in the NBA”; esteemed colleagues, peers and voters have recognized Anderson as one of the most important players on any team in the league.

1-on-1:

From your big man, whose skill set do you value more?

LeBron James: Most Valuable Player

TheLetterJ — Mon, 03 May 2010 09:16:13 GMT

Score - check. 29.7 points per game.

Dish - check. 8.6 assists.

Board - check. 7.3 rebounds.

Defend - check. 1.6 steals and a block.

Win - check. Cleveland holds home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Game in, game out, LeBron James has picked up the check. But it's not just the raw numbers that add up to him being, say, the league's second-leading scorer. It's facts like these:

In NBA history, no forward has ever averaged more assists per game.

It's the highlight montages that include as many chase-down shot blocks as rim-rattling slam dunks.

The sense of team on a nightly display. The ingratiation of young rookies on the rise, veteran stars in new roles and seamless rotational additions from the trading deadline.

All punctuated by the joy of 15 guys bonding from choreographed pregame introductions through on-court, in-game, season-long dominance. With a superstar making sure that everyone basks equally in the afterglow of nailing their respective roles.

Sunday. The announcement making it official.

LBJ. 2010 MVP. Taking home 94.3 percent of the first-place votes.

A celebration of another record-setting season for a player who simply does things we've never seen before on the basketball court.

With back-to-back trophies on the mantel - a historical precedent only reached by 10 other players - LeBron now turns his laser focus back to hunting down a championship ring to match.

Celebrate LeBron's second Most Valuable Player award with the LeBron 2010 MVP Men's T-Shirt. Available now - in black and white - on nikebasketball.com.

The Moment: Triple Double

TheLetterJ — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:09:25 GMT

Triple. Double.

Translation: 10 or more in three different categories.

Think assists for point guards. Think rebounds for power forwards. Blocks for defensive-minded centers.

And usually points for any spot of the floor.

37. 12. 11.

Points. Rebounds. Assists.

For a player whose skill set morphs between just about every spot on the floor, call the categories par for the course. After all: it's the fifth time LeBron James has registered a postseason triple-double.

What should register as meaningful isn’t that statistical point of reference. It's the ease - flirting with effortless grace - that nearly allowed him to reach it through three quarters of work.

Highlighted by a half-court missile that looked like a layup.

Heightened by a road crowd backing Chicago's hungry young legs.

Hammering home the point the this Cleveland team is not here to waste games in their quest for a championship banner.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max Hyperfly Mo Williams

TheLetterJ — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:02:31 GMT

In Cleveland's first game of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Mo Williams helped the Cavaliers defeat Chicago 96-83. Mo had 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Mo followed that up with a 12 point, 3 rebound, 6 assist performance in game 2, another Cleveland victory.

Check out the Air Max Hyperfly that Mo-Gotti has been wearing.

The Moment: LeBron's Reminder

TheLetterJ — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:14:59 GMT

Sometimes The Moment isn't about one particular shot - made or missed - or even whether that shot merely extends a 4th quarter lead versus deciding the overall outcome of the game.

Rather: The Moment becomes the implication of what the move itself means.

There was a time when LeBron James could easily bang his head on the rim on the way to a game-clinching outburst of unparalleled physical prowess; there was a time when that was pretty much all he could do.

That time has passed.

Jab. Step.

Step. Back.

Make. Miss.

Consider:

Chicago throwing every kind of defender at LeBron in the 4th quarter of Game 2. The length of a 7-footer. The sinewy strength of a 21st century wingman. The blood-and-guts hand-checking ability of their best on-ball defender.

Consider:

Each of them begging LeBron to settle for a contested shot late in the clock.

Witness:

LeBron patiently waiting for a jumper to explode on.

For LeBron James, more and more of those "I dare you to shoot" opportunities have become made baskets. And for anyone drawing the elbow-extended late-game defensive assignment, that is an altogether terrifying proposition.

The Moment: Steamrolled

TheLetterJ — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:43:59 GMT

In any game, there's only one winner. It's really that simple: you win or you lose.

But sometimes even though the outcome of a game becomes clear, another opportunity emerges. One where you get to send a message that says, "We may lose this game, but we will not allow ourselves to get steamrolled by LeBron James."

The words of an announcer. No chance for a mixed message. No letdown. No blown lead. No miraculous comeback from the visiting 8-seed.

With 2:29 remaining in the game, LeBron rumbled down the floor on the wrong end of a 1-on-2 fast break. But when you're 6'8" 250 lbs. and blessed with never-before-seen athletic ability, a hard foul becomes your opponents' only line of defense in the open court.

Two Chicago players whiffed - missing more than just the ball. They left an opportunity to remind LeBron about the essence of playoff defense in the wake of a harmless, ticky-tack foul.

The result? A pretty "and-1" finger roll. An insurmountable 12-point lead. The heartiest rendition of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" that the hometown faithful mustered all game.

The announcer opted for steamroll. You could easily call it a freak show. Or merely label LeBron a one-man fast break.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII Black/White-Metallic Gold

TheLetterJ — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:32:53 GMT

A week-long look at LeBron's shoe of choice during the regular season concludes with a look at the Air Max LeBron VII Black/White-Metallic Gold. LeBron wore this version of his signature shoe on December 29, 2010 in Atlanta, when the Cavaliers faced the Hawks.

Despite a 6 for 20 shooting night, the Cavaliers picked up the victory, 95-84.

With the post-season about to begin, LeBron will switch out of the Air Max LeBron VII, and into the LeBron VII P.S..

Learn more about what King James will have on his feet on the road to the NBA Finals. Download wallpapers, watch an interview with Nike Basketball designer Jason Petrie, and on April 17, pick up a pair of LeBron VII P.S. for yourself.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII Red Alternate

TheLetterJ — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:33:16 GMT

On January 6, 2010, when the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Washington Wizards, LeBron James wore the Air Max LeBron VII Red Alternate for the first time.

In a mere 31 minutes of action, LeBron tallied 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, as the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 121-98.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII Cool Grey/Cool Grey-White

TheLetterJ — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:20:27 GMT

On April 2, 2010, LeBron James wore the Air Max LeBron VII Cool Grey/Cool Grey-White for a game against the Atlanta Hawks. In the 93-88 Cavaliers victory, LeBron had 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The Collection 3.0: LeBron VII P.S.

TheLetterJ — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:05:09 GMT

The Cleveland Cavaliers have clinched home-court advantage throughout the post-season, so LeBron James has been resting up for the NBA Playoffs. When he next hits the court, he'll be wearing the LeBron VII P.S.

Check out nikebasketball.com on April 15 for an interview with Nike Basketball designer Jason Petrie.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII Blue Alternate

TheLetterJ — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:29:56 GMT

On December 2, 2009, LeBron James wore the Air Max LeBron VII Blue Alternate for the first time in a game against Phoenix.

LeBron tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, as the Cavaliers defeated the Suns, 107-90.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII Black/Black-Green

TheLetterJ — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:44:04 GMT

All week, nikebasketball.com will be featuring some of the shoes that LeBron James has worn this year.

On April 4, LeBron wore the Air Max LeBron VII Black/Black-Green when the Cavaliers traveled to Boston to take on the Celtics. LeBron ended up with 42 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, although the Celtics picked up the victory, 117-113.

The Collection 3.0: Air Max LeBron VII NFW

TheLetterJ — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 07:58:29 GMT

December 30, 2009 was LeBron James' 25th birthday. For that day's game against the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron debuted the Air Max LeBron VII NFW.

It was quite a happy birthday for King James, as he had 48 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 106-101 Cavaliers victory.

The Moment: LeBron James - 0:06, Down 2

TheLetterJ — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:43:54 GMT

Game start. Score tied. Zeroes.

By the end of the first, your team's down nine. Add six more in the second for a 15-point halftime deficit. Turn up the heat in quarter number three to the tune of 32 points scored - and still find yourself down by two more.

But you're not just facing 17 points-worth of uphill battle. In fact, at one point, your opponent's lead had swelled to 22.

You're on their floor - a place where they've dropped three straight games.

The building is electric, roaring at playoff-level decibels against you.

Three years after your opponent hung another banner in this very building, you're the No. 1 team in the league - while they're merely fighting for their playoff-seeding life. A win for you seals homecourt advantage throughout the second season; a win for them proves they won't go quietly when those playoffs come calling.

That a Game 7 anywhere in the world will play out just like this.

The building isn't the only thing on fire, though. Hard fouls. Superstars barking at each other. Six technicals in all. And your coach already exited stage left, courtesy of two quick whistles.

But then you get hot, attacking the rim like it stole something from you.

20 of your game-high 42 points come in a furious fourth quarter flurry. A knowing grin replaces the frustrated sneer you'd worn for the first 36 minutes.

Game end. Down two. Show time.

You are LeBron James, grabbing a rebound and racing up the court. Streaking to your left? A teammate flying down the middle, a transition dunk away from tying the game.

The choices:

Ride the momentum wave and play it safe. Dish off to the open teammate, tie it up and take your chances in overtime. You'd just proven to Boston that NO lead of theirs is safe - so five minutes of overtime simply becomes an exhibition of your dominance.

Take it yourself. Just one minute earlier, you'd sliced through the lane for a nifty layup and a one-point lead. And that's exactly what you'd been doing throughout the 4th on the way to those 20 points. On the final breakout, Tony Allen was already backpedaling wildly - putting him on his heels and blowing by likely results in a bucket and the go-ahead free throw attempt.

Swagger it up. Take advantage of the defense - expecting you to drive, desperately trying to cut off the angles - and the moment. Silence the crowd. Rip a W from the jaws of defeat. Nail a game-winning three.

The decision:

Stop. Pop. Errant three ball.

Ball game.

In that moment, LeBron shot for the win. Did he make the wrong decision - simply because the shot didn't go in?