Five Tool Player – Kobe Bryant

Five tools of a great basketball player:

1. Shoot - Off the dribble, the post, three point range.
2. Pass – Correct pass at the right time, give it to a teammate in a position where they can make a play.
3. Dribble – Handle the basketball, go left, go right, create the shot.
4. Defend – Guard multiple positions.
5. Intangibles – Know the time, read the situations, rise to the occasion, make the right play to win the game.

Kobe vs. LeBron in Madison Square Garden

Kobe’s 61 on February 2nd, 2009 at the Madison Square Garden in the Lakers win over the Knicks 126-117.

LeBron’s 52 and a triple-double on February 4th, 2009  at the Madison Square Garden in the Cavs win over the Knicks 107-102

Some comparisons between two classic performances:

• An article from ESPN
• A blog written by David Friedman

Tim Duncan

Timothy “Tim” Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands) is a Virgin Islander American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6′11″ (2.11 m), 260-pound (118 kg) power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and the current captain of the Spurs. He has also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award twice, and has been voted into 11 NBA All-Star games, 11 All-NBA teams, and 11 All-Defensive teams.

Duncan started out as a swimmer and only began playing basketball in ninth grade, and had difficulties adapting. However, he soon became a standout for St. Dunstan’s Episcopal High School, and had an illustrious college career with the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons, winning the Naismith College Player of the Year, USBWA College Player of the Year and John Wooden awards in his final year. Duncan graduated from college before entering the 1997 NBA Draft as the number one pick, and his list of accomplishments and leadership in the Spurs’ NBA title runs in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007 have led basketball experts to consider him to be one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.

Off the court, Duncan is known for his quiet and unassuming ways, as well as his active philanthropy. He holds an honors degree in psychology and created the Tim Duncan Foundation to raise general health awareness and fund education and youth sports in various parts of the United States. Read more ->

Kevin Garnett – Passion of a Warrior

It happened way back this season, the game when Kevin Garnett taunted Jose Calderon while he was dribbling the ball across the court.

Some have called for a “taunting foul”, some have disparaged Garnett for being a “bully”, while others have talked about the great passion that Garnett has for the game.

To me, Garnett is just an overgrown kid who enjoys playing basketball above all and hates losing above all – the symbol of ultimate competitiveness. He, not Pierce, not Allen, stands alone on the top of the green pyramid which demolished the Lakers in the finals last year. His passion is contagious, and it never lets down. He’s the guy who kisses Rondo’s head when he’s playing well, and makes “Big Baby” cry when he doesn’t.

Talk about the big three all you want, it’s Garnett who transformed the Celts last year. I know, Pierce had great games against the Cavs and some against the Lakers. Allen had some great games too, despite his slump mid-way through the playoffs. I am also aware that both of them played consistently well throughout the season to earn the all-important top spot before the playoffs. But it is Garnett’s basketball exuberance summed up in his screams after Game 6 against the Lakers: “Everything’s possible,” and “What can you say now” which made Perkins a rock-solid center and Rondo one of the most exciting young point guards in the league; that same exuberance which had helped Pierce refocus on his defense and Ray accept being the third offensive option on the team.

What else can I say now? After you see Garnett talk about his feelings while playing the game all you can wish is to once, only once, feel the same while working for your living.

Chris Paul Piling Up Amazing Stats

Chris Paul: Ruining Stats for Point Guards Everywhere, robd, NBAMate.com – Probably Australia’s Best NBA Blog

Chris Paul already ruined my favourite and most-proclaimed statistic last season – the last player to average 20 points and 10 assists through a season.

But it doesn’t end there. For a long time the benchmark for little people in the NBA has been Isiah Thomas. Throughout the eighties Isiah put up some pretty crazy numbers. The peak of his offensive prowess coincided with the peak of his passing prowess, resulting in four-straight 20-10 seasons, two of which included 4+ rebounds and 2+ steals.

After averaging 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals last season Chris Paul put himself into that most elite of categories. And then he thought he’d go one better. Currently averaging 21.2 points, 11.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 steals, Chris Paul’s stats are now so ridiculous that John Hollinger’s computer explodes every time he tries to calculate his PER.

And then we come to even more rarified territory – the 25-15-10-7 game. Before today, no one had registered 25 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and 7 steals in a game in the last 22 years. To use a HP phrase, it’s serious nova territory – supernova territory.

Paul has triple-double, Stojakovic hits six 3-pointers in Hornets’ victory, Associated Press, ESPN

Paul had 27 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and seven steals for his league-leading fifth triple-double of the season, and the New Orleans Hornets defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 101-86 on Monday night.

It was the second time this season Paul came within a few steals of a quadruple double, but when asked about that, he could only critique the few times he mishandled the ball or unloaded an errant pass.