Nike Basketball News

Play With Heart Moments: November 19, 2009

jechee — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:51:24 GMT

Rashard Lewis provided one of Wednesday's Play With Heart Moments when he returned to the court.

On Thursday night, it was time for Pau Gasol to make his regular-season debut for the Los Angeles Lakers. Gasol got off to a quick start, scoring 10 of his team's first 13 points. In 34 minutes, Gasol would finish up with 24 points and 13 rebounds, as the Lakers beat the Bulls 108-93.

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 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.

The Family: Playoffs Preview

Hotnix — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:45:45 GMT

With the regular season just about history, it’s time to turn our attention toward the Greatest Show On Earth, aka the postseason. Two months of intense desire, amazing finishes, and furious battles. The games are played with the sure knowledge that anything less than full effort means a premature end to championship dreams.

Let’s begin our look ahead with the team that came up just short last season, and is gearing up to erase that bitter ending from their collective memory—the Los Angeles Lakers. Showtime is back on the coast, as the #1 seed out west is favored to make it back to the ultimate round.

Leading the way…well, you already know about Kobe Bryant. Great talent, sure, but also an incredible competitive streak, a ferocious defender, and a player who can will his team to victory, either in a game or a series. Simply put, Kobe has to be accounted for at all times, even when he’s taking a breather on the sideline—just his glare from the bench gets his teammates motivated.

One of those sidekicks is critical to L.A. making that leap to winning it all. Andrew Bynum was just shoving his way into the elite big man category when he went down with a knee injury. Fortunately, it wasn’t as serious as the one he suffered last season, when he missed that showdown with Boston. Bynum has made his return, and should provide the missing piece to the puzzle in the paint. L.A. was brutalized inside by the Green Machine last year—that won’t happen with Bynum around.

The Bryant and Bynum combo isn’t all L.A. has to offer. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were pushed around pretty good by Boston’s bigs last year, and they are eager for redemption. Gasol has been berserk this campaign, averaging just shy of 20 and 10. Thursday night, with Bynum back and occupying defenders, Pau pounded Denver to the tune of 27 points and 19 rebounds, his third double-double in four games. Odom is always a double-double threat every night, too, showing a rare ball-handling, shooting, post-up versatility. More importantly, the tandem has taken the opportunity to establish more of an inside presence in Bynum’s absence. That’s some serious size and length L.A. can throw at teams when all three are playing, and playing well.

Another player who will be more of a factor this time around is Trevor Ariza. The 6’8” forward has given his team a little of everything this year—a scoring option, solid defense, smart rebounding, and a step up in “want-to.” L.A. has depth to spare, and Ariza is the best of the subs.

Nothing is guaranteed in this league, but it will be a surprise if the purple and gold aren’t in the final two.

This Is Our Team: Kobe Bryant

GHarty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:57:42 GMT

Kobe Bryant has been working his entire life for an opportunity like this. Is he the missing link between Team USA and the gold?

In 1992, the world watched as the Dream Team changed the game forever. Boys across America dreamed of greatness, to one day join the ranks of the greatest players in history. Those boys spent every waking moment on courts, the Dream Team in their thoughts, working to be the best.

Kobe was one of those kids.

In 1996, he announced his eligibility and was snatched up by Los Angeles. In his first season, he had the honor of playing against the legendary players from Dream Team 2, returning to the league from their complete domination at the games in Atlanta.

Over the course of the next few years, Kobe dedicated himself to the game entirely, becoming the strongest young shooting guard in the league, a go-to scorer for his team and a major defensive threat. The 2000 season brought Kobe his first championship ring, his second All-Star appearance as a starter, a spot on the All-NBA 2nd team and a top slot on the All-Defensive team. And as the 2000 U.S. national team came home with gold, many fans and critics were surprised he wasn't a part of it.

In the following seasons, Kobe elevated LA to the top of the league and led them to two consecutive championship rings. He was officially one of the league's best.

Then, Team USA experienced a fall that shook the basketball world to its foundations. The national team suffered three hard losses at the Summer Games in Greece, including a 19-point defeat to Puerto Rico.

During that time, Kobe was playing his best basketball yet. With his mind-blowing 81-point game against Toronto, another All-Star appearance, the scoring championship, the All-NBA team, and the All-NBA Defensive team, he drew the attention of USA Basketball. But due to knee surgery, he was forced to miss his first taste of the international game at the 2006 World Championships.

Team USA, lacking the chemistry, passion and dedication, fell to Greece and took home bronze.

Later that year, Kobe got a second chance. Joining the ranks of a hand-selected squad of NBA greats, he threw himself full-force into their practices. Last summer, he got the chance to represent at the 2007 FIBA Americas tournament in Vegas, a qualifying tournament for Beijing.

Team USA's head coach Mike Krzyzewski said, “In Kobe we have a great player who wants to represent his country as much as anybody and he's never had a chance. He's like a little kid in his enthusiasm to play. Kobe's presence here makes us more complete."

Against Argentina – the gold medal winners in 2004 – Kobe exploded for 27 points in a 91-76 win. For the tournament, he averaged over 15 points a game, shot 46% from 3-pt range and provided the leadership crucial to a team with so many superstars.

"We're out there to win a gold medal, so each of us is going to do whatever we have to do," Bryant said. "Winning a gold medal is at the top of the list for me."

And since last summer, Kobe has elevated his game to yet another plateau. He took a trip to New Orleans for an All-Star start, brought home the league MVP award, led his team to the best record in the Western Conference, and has positioned his team to win yet another championship.

And after a historic season like this one, there's only one thing left for Kobe to do. He knows the hopes a nation rest on his shoulders – and he has never been more ready. He's taking the international court for the first time in Beijing and taking back the basketball gold medal. He's been waiting his entire life for a year like this. Team USA has been waiting for the Black Mamba.

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The Competition: Pau Gasol

GHarty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:48:11 GMT

In 2006, behind the strength of Pau Gasol, Spain shook up the world. Can he do it again in ’08?

Since joining the international basketball federation, Spain has been a dominant force in the European game. With sixteen appearances in the Eurobasket tournament and 8 medals, they’ve easily proven themselves against their European counterparts. But when faced with the rest of the world, Spain has often struggled to keep up.

After a string of defeats on the world stage, it became painfully clear that the team was in need of a strong leader. They needed someone to unite them both on and off the court. Someone who could give hope not only to the players themselves, but to a country in need of a savior.

And when that savior showed up, he came in the form of Pau Gasol.

At the 2004 Games, Pau was introduced to the world in a big way. The leader of a new generation of Spanish superstars, his game was revolutionary. The 7-footer moved like a small forward, played with either hand and could knock down open jumpers. And he’d already racked up medals for his country in the Junior European, Junior World, European and FIBA World championships. With his record of success, Spain was all but guaranteed a medal.

But that year, despite his country’s high hopes, the team was faced with too many obstacles. The Spaniards finished a distant 7th out of 12 teams in the tournament.

It wasn’t until the 2006 FIBA World Championships that Spain – and Pau Gasol – were given a second chance.

Right from the start of the tournament, Pau set the tone, averaging 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. Spain bulleted through the competition, and in the most memorable game of the series, they faced Argentina – the world champs – in the semifinals.

With a minute left in the game, Pau fractured a bone in his foot. It was a shock to the team, but they were able to recover quickly, holding on to win 75-74. Shortly after, despite losing their leader, Spain went on to beat European rival Greece to become the World Champions.

Pau was awarded the MVP trophy for the tournament.

"My teammates today played an amazing game," Pau said. "They played with their hearts and together as a unit. It's no fun to watch. I thought I would suffer some more, but I am so happy to see the way they responded without me being there."

This summer, as Spain gears up to defend its title, all hope is resting on Pau’s shoulders. But if his first season with Los Angeles is anything to judge by, he’s never been more ready.

After being traded mid-season to L.A., Pau ignited the renaissance that took a controversial L.A. team from the middle of the pack to the top. He was the perfect fit for a roster that needed a quality, consistent low-post player to step into the number two scoring position. When he wasn’t getting clutch rebounds and easy buckets down low, he was capitalizing on an amazing chemistry with Kobe that resulted in huge points.

Without Pau, the Lakers may never have made the Finals.

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