Nike Basketball News

Play With Heart Moments: November 17, 2009

jechee — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:54:12 GMT

Another 40-game for Kobe Bryant, and a come-from-behind win for the Phoenix Suns were the settings for Tuesday's Play With Heart Moments.

Kobe Bryant enjoyed his 100th career 40-point game, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons, 106-93. Kobe has entered the zone as a permanent resident this season - last year he had four 40-point games all year. In 11 games this year? He's matched that total. That's Playing With Heart.

In Houston, Amare Stoudemire led the high-octane Suns offense with 23 points, to lead Phoenix over the Rockets, 111-105. The Suns have topped 100 points in every game this season, and Amare's 19.5 points per game are a big reason why Phoenix is the first team to win 10 games.

Don't just play. Play With Heart. See what Playing With Heart means to LeBron James, and pledge your heart to the game.

Play With Heart Moments: November 12, 2009

jechee — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:10:16 GMT

Thursday night in the NBA. Two games on the schedule. LeBron. Kobe. The Cavaliers took on the resurgent Heat, while the Lakers played the Suns, who have gone back to their high-scoring ways.

In Miami, LeBron led Cleveland over the Heat, 111-104. While LeBron scored 34 points and dished out 7 assists, the difference makers were Mo Williams and J.J. Hickson. Williams hit 5-7 from behind the arc to finish with 25 points, while Hickson scored a career-high 18 points.

The Suns came into Staples Center to play its seventh game in ten days. The Lakers took advantage of having three days off, and charged ahead to a 121-102 victory. Kobe had another good day at the office, with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He continued to demonstrate his new arsenal of post moves. Spending the summer in the gym adding weapons to your game, all after winning your fourth cookie? That's how you Play With Heart.

Don't just play. Play With Heart. See what Playing With Heart means to LeBron James, and pledge your heart to the game.

Play With Heart Moments: November 4, 2009

jechee — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:09:07 GMT

Wednesday was a busy night in the NBA, with 10 games on the schedule. Five players, including a pair of teammates, Played With Heart.

In Golden State, Anthony Morrow scored 24 points off the bench, including 4 for 4 from behind the arc, to lead the Warriors over Memphis, 113-105. In the third quarter, Morrow and Memphis' Rudy Gay matched basket for basket, dueling for four minutes, possession after possession. Gay would finish with a team-high 29 points, as well as 8 rebounds.

Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh led Toronto over Detroit, 110-99. Bosh contributed on both sides of the court, with 25 points and 8 rebounds. Bargnani recorded his first double-double of the season, with 22 points and 12 rebounds. On two consecutive possessions with five minutes left in the game, Bargnani was able to get the foul line, where he knocked down all four free throws.

And in Houston, Kobe Bryant had his 98th career 40-point game, scoring 41, as the Lakers beat the Rockets in overtime, 103-102. 16 of Kobe's points came in the fourth quarter and overtime. That's having the pure drive to win. That's Playing With Heart.

Don't just play. Play With Heart. Check out what Playing With Heart means to LeBron James, and pledge your heart to the game.

Play With Heart Moments: October 27, 2009

jechee — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:39:14 GMT

Check out Play With Heart moments from opening night in the NBA from LeBron, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Lamar Odom, and Greg Oden.

LeBron played like the MVP he is, scoring 38 points and dishing out 8 assists. But his Play With Heart moments came on the defensive end: two transition blocks to stop Boston from scoring easy points.

Cleveland didn't get the W, as Paul Pierce was clutch in the fourth quarter. In the final 1:03, Pierce hit two jumpers, and knocked in two free throws to ice the 95-89 victory.

On ring night in Los Angeles, the Lakers beat the hometown rival Clippers, 99-92. Kobe Bryant played a complete game, with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 4 steals. Lamar Odom was ready to play, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists--including two highlight passes in the first half.

In Portland, Greg Oden showed how to Play With Heart in other ways than scoring points. He had 12 rebounds and 5 blocks as he helped Portland beat Houston, 96-87.

What was your favorite Play With Heart moment from Tuesday?

1-on-1: Kobe vs. LeBron for the last shot

jechee — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:19:18 GMT

Better.

The more attractive or favorable of the two. More advantageous or effective between peers. Higher accuracy or overall performance when measured against one another.

But how do you measure it? Is the answer in the stats?

One of these guys grabs a couple more rebounds, dishes out a couple more assists and averages a couple more points per game. They both won big in the 2008-2009 regular season, separated by just a single win. But one of them won just a little bit bigger.

Translation: 1 NBA Championship.

The jersey numbers?

23: 24.

The handsomeness of their respective puppets?

The better alias? King; Mamba.

Doesn't matter.

Look, there's 82 games in a season. Each one's 48 minutes long. And eight other guys have something to do with almost every single trip down the floor. So we're not going to make this easy on you and simply toss out a weak little "who's better" question.

We're getting down to the finer points of hoop.

And if you're keen on the clues listed above, you already know it's Kobe vs. LeBron in the first round of 1-on-1.

In one corner you've got LeBron's uncanny knack for breaking down the opposing team's defensive scheme paired with complete unselfishness.

Send two or three dudes to cut off his driving angle and not only does he have the magical court vision to find the open man, he completely trusts his teammates to knock down game-winning shots.

Doesn't hurt that kid's 6'8" 250 - and even sending three might not be enough. Or that he's improved his midrange J and long distance game to the point that even playoff pressure no longer stands in his way when drilling a 28-footer for the win is called for.

In the other corner you've got Kobe's unparalleled killer instinct.

Send the whole damn team after him and he's still going to find a way to bury you. He's got the unblockable baseline fadeaway, a feathery, old-school window game and that lightning rod laser from deep.

And even after more than a decade of ripping out his opponent's heart come winning time, Kobe still has the bounce to turn 7-footers into posters.

The question:

Down a bucket. 15 seconds left on the clock. Coach just spent the last minute hyperventilating over a dry erase board, mocking up the last shot.

Kobe. LeBron.

Who would you want to take it?

Kobe in Asia: Chengdu

GoodN81 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:00:29 GMT

All good things must come to an end - but that doesn’t mean they can’t end in style.

Or an all-day celebration of Kobe’s weeklong Asia tour.

First up: a visit to the Chengdu Nike Jinkai store grand opening.

There Kobe met with a handful of players from the Chegndu All Day Training Activation U24 championship team. He shared the Nike Zoom Kobe IV Beijing and the Nike Zoom Kobe IV Finals that debuted the previous day in Shanghai with them - and 17 of their closest journalist friends.

Next up: TV time.

Kobe sat down for an exclusive interview/photo session in the Shangri La hotel. CCTV5, SiChuan TV, Titan Sports, Slam and Inside Stuff chronicled the events.

One last thing: the biggest training session of the tour.

Kobe got out on the floor with 24 young ballers at Chengdu Sports University - with 1,500 of their new best friends.

He punctuated the event with back-to-back dunks as part of his offensive skills showcase.

41 media outlets covered the training event. 33 more got interviews before boarding passes were issued for Kobe’s return flight home.

Next stop: Los Angeles, CA.

Want more Kobe? Nike Basketball has coverage of the previous Kobe in Asia tour stops in Manila, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as a breakdown of the Signature Moves that have made him a four-time NBA Champion.

Want to keep track of all the Kobe in Asia tour stops as they happen in real time? Become a fan of Nike Basketball on Facebookor follow Nike Basketball on Twitter. And don’t be shy with those @replies.

Kobe in Asia: Shanghai

GoodN81 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:46:52 GMT

Master technicians just don’t leave any room for things like getting tired.

After all: the next generation was waiting to ball.

So Kobe hand-picked three lucky players from the capacity crowd at Shanghai Luwan Stadium and delighted everyone involved with an on-court lesson plan centered around his favorite attack moves.

One player was so overwhelmed with the experience that he thanked Kobe for “being able to learn from the master.”

But before he got to those 1,500 raucous fans at the conclusion of the fifth Asia tour stop in as many days, Kobe discussed chasing NBA championships, his return to Shanghai and his unparalleled training regime during a one-hour taping with one of China’s leading broadcast networks, STV.

Then he debuted two new limited edition styles of the Nike Zoom Kobe IV.

One celebrates his gold medal performance in Beijing; one honors his 2009 NBA Finals MVP. Both shoes will only be available in China.

And just before taking the action to the court, Kobe greeted hundreds of screaming fans at the Nike Shanghai store - which included a 20-foot image of himself that he just had to sign.

After giving those young players the experience of a lifetime, Kobe sat down with more than 110 journalists from over 80 media outlets for his exit interviews.

Final stop: Chengdu.

Want more Kobe? Nike Basketball has coverage of the previous Kobe in Asia tour stops in Manila, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as a breakdown of the Signature Moves that have made him a four-time NBA Champion.

Want to keep track of all the Kobe in Asia tour stops as they happen in real time? Become a fan of Nike Basketball on Facebookor follow Nike Basketball on Twitter. And don’t be shy with those @replies.

Kobe in Asia: Hong Kong

GoodN81 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:24:08 GMT

The most celebrated theme of the fourth tour stop shared a common thread with the 2009 NBA season:

Kobe’s quest for his fourth NBA Championship.

He kicked things off from the Nike Hong Kong flagship store with the following words:

“I can (now) share the happiness of winning the NBA Finals with my Hong Kong fans.”

Over 2,000 young players, fans and celebrities flocked to Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai Hong Kong. Hundreds more flooded Canton Road Tsim Sha Tsui - one of the busiest streets in the city.

Among the gifts bestowed on the 2009 Finals MVP:

• A five-fingered puppet with four rings, equal parts a celebration of his fourth NBA title and well-wishing on adding a fifth in the near future.
• A super-sized ring filled with cookies.

Among the gifts Kobe showered on his adoring fans:

• In-depth on-court training with three young, talented local players.
• A demonstration game between Nike League ballers and the local basketball elite.
• Exclusive group interviews with local media outlets.
• Autographed basketballs, posters and one-on-one photos.

Plus a couple of surprises:

• Kobe presented the newly launched Zoom Kobe IV Finals.
• He then kicked off a pair of his new Dream Season shoes and gave them to fans in the stands.

More than 150 members of the press representing 53 media outlets covered the action, which continues again tomorrow.

Next stop: Shanghai.

Want more Kobe? Nike Basketball has coverage of the previous Kobe in Asia tour stops in Manila, Singapore, and Taiwan, as well as a breakdown of the Signature Moves that have made him a four-time NBA Champion.

Want to keep track of all the Kobe in Asia tour stops as they happen in real time? Become a fan of Nike Basketball on Facebookor follow Nike Basketball on Twitter. And don’t be shy with those @replies.

Kobe in Asia: Taiwan

GoodN81 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:02:43 GMT

You may have heard that good things often happen in threes. Taipei got the memo.

The third day. The third stop. Three handpicked Taiwanese players receiving exclusive on-court training tips from Kobe, where he showcased the Signature Moves that make his offensive game impossible to contain.

Overall, this was the third time he had ventured to Taiwan. And this visit produced Kobe’s very first dunk of the tour.

So maybe this trip is about the power of one. As in: one lucky local getting to go one-one-one with Kobe. Kid even made him sweat after making a couple of baskets.

Final score: 5-2.

Then there’s that number: two. While the visit left that lucky youngster with lifelong bragging rights - after all, he drained two shots against the 2009 NBA Finals MVP - Kobe experienced a meeting of the minds for all-time at the energy space TPE6453.

The other icon in the equation: Hiroshi Fujiwara, worldwide streetwear design genius and pioneer for Nike’s “HTM” line. Fujiwara has also appeared in feature films and collaborated with many celebrated music artists.

Like the frenzied legion that turned out to see Kobe in Manila, more than 2600 crazy fans showed their support for Kobe. Like their contemporary artisans on Kobe's stop in Singapore, more than 100 of them created hand-made posters for their hero. And one adoring fan waited in line for more than 36 hours to claim the first event admission ticket.

Over 100 journalists turned out to cover the events, with four local television stations broadcasting parts of them live.

Next stop: Hong Kong.

Want to keep track of all the Kobe In Asia tour stops as they happen in real time? Become a fan of Nike Basketball on Facebook or follow Nike Basketball on Twitter. And don’t be shy with those @replies.

Kobe in Asia: Manila

GoodN81 — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:39:35 GMT

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Italy. And back to Philly.

Traditional indoor basketball on the hardwood. Summer league hoops on the blacktop.

Plus plenty of soccer mixed in everywhere.

From the time he was a young kid, Kobe Bryant’s world has been a wide-reaching platform for learning and exploring. And not just the basketball world: the world, in and of itself, at large.

That’s why he’s a soccer aficionado. And that word - aficionado - is especially fitting. It’s got Spanish roots, and Kobe’s fluent in Spanish and Italian.

But his love of basketball isn’t just wrapped in European accents. Because basketball is a worldwide game - so he’s always refused to try and tuck it neatly into any one corner of the globe. And his Road To Beijing experience with USA Basketball’s “Redeem Team” reignited a passion for spreading the global gospel of the game in a way that can’t even be measured in gold medals.

So after returning the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA throne, Kobe returned to Asia.

“I love coming here. It’s like a second home to me,” he said.

First stop: Manila.

The goal: checking up on the young players he met on previous Asia tours and inspiring the next generation of ballers.

“I’m looking forward to returning to Asia to see the progress the kids have made since my last visit,” he said.

The result? Pure pandemonium.

1500 people lined up at the ticket distribution event, including one lady who waited 17 hours for hers. 170 members of the press representing 65 media outlets across web, print and TV cataloged the press conference. Four TV networks (ESPN, GMA-7, ABS-CBN, Solar Sports) and the Philippine Star got exclusive one-on-one interviews with the reigning NBA Finals MVP.

A couple of them even ran those stories live from the airport. And the Philippine Daily Inquirer matched the Philippine Star with front page headlines.

First-stop highlights:

• Playing with and coaching up several of the young players he met during his 2007 tour.
• An impromptu stage move: Kobe pulled two lucky kids up on stage, removed his new Dream Season shoes and autographed them for the unsuspecting youngsters.
• Kobe greeted kids from the Gawad Kalinga charity and helped Nike Philippines present a check for 100,000 pisos to their sports program.

Next stop: Singapore.

Make sure to check out Facebook.com/NikeBasketball and Twitter.com/NikeBasketball to keep up with the tour in real time!

Read Kobe in Asia: Singapore

Kobe Bryant 2009 Finals MVP

GoodN81 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:19:22 GMT

With his 4th NBA Title and his first Finals MVP Award, Kobe Bryant’s 2009 dream season is complete. Some might say his road to the Larry O’Brien Trophy started in Beijing, but it began the day after the Lakers lost in the Finals last year to Boston.

From that moment on Kobe made his game truly unstoppable. He dedicating himself to defense, sustained intensity and teamwork. He dedicated his game to being smarter and quicker than the competition. His lead by example efforts helped spur Team USA to a gold finish in Beijing but that was only a glimpse of what was to come from The Black Mamba.

Throughout the regular season he furthered his work ethic and helped make everyone around him wearing the purple and gold better. 61 points in Madison Square Garden, 399 total assists in the regular season, 33 ppg in the Finals, just examples of Kobe’s elevated game.

And so it’s fitting that at the end of his 08-09 run, Kobe is recognized for the instrumental part he played in helping the Lakers franchise win their 15th NBA championship. We can only imagine what this accomplishment will lead to in the season to come as he and the Lakers defend the NBA throne.

Learn Kobe Bryant's Signature Moves

Check out the Zoom Kobe IV's

Kobe Bryant Player Profile

Congratulations Lakers

GoodN81 — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:14:10 GMT

It was during the 2nd quarter when a 16-0 run turned a 9 point deficit in to a 12 point lead for the Lakers that you could tell they had no intention of letting that lead go—and they didn’t. Each player wearing the purple and gold stepped their game up as they sought their franchises 15th NBA Championship Trophy.

Clutch 3-pointers by Trevor Ariza (15 pts) and Lamar Odom (17 pts), all over rebounding by Pau Gasol (14 pts, 15 rbd) in the paint, excellent defense by Derek Fisher (13 pts) and of course Kobe's (30 pts, 5 ast, 4 blks, 2 stl, 6 rbds) team leadership and unstoppable drive to win combined to secure the 2009 NBA Title for the Lakers Sunday night in Orlando as the beat the Magic, 99-86.

The road to the championship trophy was not easy for Los Angeles. Although they entered each round of the Playoffs as the favorites they were challenged each step of the way. But as winning teams do when faced with adversity they stepped their game up to overcome each obstacle. And as a result of their perseverance and dedication to one goal they are the 2009 NBA Champions.

The Finals: Game 4 Recap

GoodN81 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:15:16 GMT

The Lakers 99-91 Game 4 victory last night over the Orlando Magic marked the first time since 1984 that two NBA Finals games went into overtime.

And needless to say, this game did not disappoint.

Starting out just as powerfully as they had ended Game 3, it was obvious that the Magic came out of the gates with a fierce determination to keep up that game's incredible shooting percentages and tie up the series.

But then came halftime.

Down by 12, the Lakers launched into an unstoppable 3rd quarter counter-attack, resulting in numerous Orlando turnovers that Kobe and company gladly capitalized upon. As regulation minutes were winding down in the 4th, the two teams jostled for the lead. Trevor Ariza kept the Lakers involved with keydefensive rebounds that limited Orlando's second chance attempts. And with the Lakers down by three and only about 6 seconds remaining Derek Fisher knocked down what would be one of two clutch 3-pointers to send the game in to overtime. During the extra minutes the Magic fought to take back control, but the combined Laker effort and another key Fisher 3-pointer with :31 seconds left on the clock helpd the Lakers clinch the Game 5 victory.

Ending the game with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, Kobe and the Lakers are one game away from capturing the NBA Championship title that eluded them just a year ago. For the Magic, the threat of seeing their incredible season come to an end is looming as they return to Los Angeles. With so much to play for on both sides, expect nothing but great basketball on Sunday night when Game 5 tips off.

The Finals: Game 3 Recap

GoodN81 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:29:49 GMT

The Orlando Magic officially arrived at the NBA Finals Tuesday night. In fact, you might even say they blew the doors open.

With 75% shooting from the floor in the first half and 62.5% in the game overall, the Magic set not one, but two field goal percentage records last night to make their mark on NBA Finals history.

Leading the scoring charge for Orlando was Rashard Lewis with 21 points and great team defense helped the Magic keep LA at bay.

But it wasn't easy as the Lakers didn't go down without a fight.
Pau Gasol’s 23 points from 9 of 11 shots and Kobe's game high 31 points and 8 assists, helped keep LA on pace with the lights out shooting of the Magic making the game close to the very end.

Going into Game 4, look for the Lakers to try to set the table for a championship win in LA with a game 4 win. Meanwhile the Magic, will definitely aim to replicate the shooting history they made last night to even up the series.

Dream Season: 23 & 24 - Family Time

GoodN81 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:00:55 GMT

Kobe reflects on his appreciation for his wife and their two little girls.

These extra, unaired clips of LeBron and Kobe are from the May 21st airing of the ESPN special “Dream Season: 23 & 24 Presented by NIKE.”