Leteći Čeh Vesely for NBASerbia.com: I Tried Everything To Impress The Coach

[Note: The quotes from http://www.nbaserbia.com/vesti/3156/jan-veseli-pokusavao-sam-na-sve-nacine-da-se-nametnem-treneru are translated through translate.google.com]

Jan Vesely: "I tried everything to impress the coach. I was trying to prove to him that I'm worthy, that I can play for this team, that I can give a contribution. However, I did not have lot of playing time. Then it‘s up to me to be ready when I get a chance. Of course my spirit was downhearted at times. At the end of the day I try to take something positive out of this, I look at it as an experience. I had the opportunity to work with great players, and it's good for me."

Vesely  on the upcoming summer: "I'll work all summer, it‘ll be extremely valuable. I want to improve in every aspect of the game, I want to fix what I can. I got games with the national team, first I'm going to concentrate on that. I think it helps me that I’ll play with the guys from the [Czech national] team. At some point there I will be able to regain confidence. I will join the team in August. I know what I have to do [to be successful in the NBA] and I'm ready to be better."

Vesely on the Wizards' 2012-13 season: "We didn’t have a good start, but we ended up happy with this season. It was a little better than last year, we have to be happy with what we did. We were able to win more games but truthfully, in the end we were a little weary. We lost some games even though we had the win in the pocket, but this is a good team."

Luke_Mellow Vault: Running Diary of Spurs vs. Pistons

Originally posted by FiCS on March 25, 2007, 7:51 PM

Friday, March 23, 2007
This week, I decided going all out for my first ever running diary, and the game would be this year's final regular season game between the old foes - Spurs (47-20) x Pistons (43-24). My streetball buddies promised to come home to the town, to watch the Detroit vs. San Antonio showdown together and have a grand time. In this ongoing blog post of our evening/night, there’s going to be lots of mentions of (we're all college guys, so you can imagine…) junk food & beverages (I can't really write "alcohol", because my mommy might definitely read this someday). We got a brand-new LCD television, comfy sofas, a reliable laptop computer and even a personal lubricant prepared... well, everything is ready and set for thank-God-it’s-Friday's broadcast. Our crew got a consummate man cave of sports fandom in the basement of Valdie‘s house, called HOOPSROOM, where everything basketball-themed, the main colors are red & black, and they say the room smells like a coyote's urine. (Note: in our Central European Time zone, it‘s 7 hours later than in San Antonio, Texas.) So, let's go... here's what transpired:

8:00 PM - 09:00 PM
I just arrived at the spot... and Valdie’s dad welcomed me with the words: *Are you guys going to watch that stupid basketball again?* *Yeah, of course, we do expect having a great time,* I responded. *I'm gonna watch my wife naked in the bed,* he said, *and I do expect having a not so great time.* Valdie‘s my best friend on our streetball team, the BAFs; we're talking about yesterday’s NBA games a little, the Suns, coming of the home win in which Amar’e Stoudemire dominated the Kings (amassing 33 points, 21 rebounds), were 52-16, and Kobe (60 points) battled the Grizzly duo of Pau Gasol (35 &15), Mike Miller (33) in a narrow Laker victory. Then we watched the NBA Action weekly show noting these semi-important things: A) Avery Johnson’s ugly green tie, B) Jason Terry swimming in the pool, C) The Jet's cute little daughter,  D) Ty Thomas‘ dunk on the Celtics (the Bulls wearing their special green St. Patrick‘s uniforms). After the show, the Galaxie-Sport (Note: a Czech sports TV channel) aired that Tullamore Dew commercial and it led to this question by Valdie: *You want a glass of Scotch?* Damn, the first hour of the diary and Irish and Scotch whiskies were mentioned.

9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
We got this text from our bro Crazy C: *IM THERE IN 5 MINS.* George, Pete and The Mammoth just came, thank God, with no trace of alcohol in their bodies... though we had no tool to check it out. Geez, I forgot to tell ya about HOOPSROOM's entry door which has got an inscription 'No Girls Allowed'. (It actually translates to 'No girls under 17 and no women over 32 years of age'.) We watched a highlight reel video of Kobe's aforementioned 60, discussed it some: The Mammoth: *How many points the Mamba gonna score tonite?* Me: *82?* George: *Around 30, cuz scoring more is mathematically impossible after his 65-50-60 explosion.* Pete: *What the bleep? Mathematically? You moron, why then Wilt scored more than 50 seven times in a row?!* George: *Holy shit, he played like 150 years ago.* Pete: *Man, I don't care. I'm just sayin‘ 55.* The Mammoth: *56.* Valdie: *He gonna kill 'em with 100.*

11:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Had a quickie half-hour nap, as always when watching games at night. This actually happened: Two hours gone and Crazy C is nowhere to be found... classic. Pete already drank two bottles of beer. Budvar classic. The Mammoth had a call with his control freak girlfriend, who accused him of wasting a time with "stupid, boozy, drunkish boys", instead of being with her. And it’s not like we all can be together ten times a week... Gosh, after getting married, there's no way for you to continue following sports night in and night out, please remember that. That's how it sucks. It’s just before the midnight and Marc‘s here! I knew he was reliable. This is probably getting a bit boring for you, but we are watching some youtube basketball clips now… Bonus: one girls-vs-boys link for your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD9V326LbEI. It’s titled Shower Time, Women versus Men. Go figure.

12:00 AM - 1:00 AM
We are fresh and ready for the basketball game to begin; Crazy C arrives, 12:12 AM! Here's his explanation: *Sorry guys, my plane was delayed.* My translation for you: he was drinking at some bar for two solid hours, then ended up going home with some teen slut and came after seven minutes, then slept for another two hours. Crazy C’s confession: he was at the Michigan bar (three hours), draining four beers and throwing darts at the same time. We can't fucking wait for this Spurs-Pistons clash. Valdie‘s raving about Shaq's Jordan-esque move, I'm nervous like hell, 30 or so minutes before a big game are the worst. Pete’s saying something about his recent windmill dunk (Crazy C: *Wow, that happened in 1992.*), Marc and The Mammoth are eating cheese pizzas and chocolate cupcakes. George (coke in his right hand): *Why they removed that Sprite ad before NBA games? Sad. Shit.* Da truth, baby.

1:00 AM - 1:10 AM
It's a minute past 1 AM and we are damn ready for the game to start. Crazy C is snuggled up to The Mammoth on the left sofa, me and Valdie have the right one, and George, Pete and Marc are sitting in the other in the middle of the HOOPSROOM. Marc: *Shouldn't the volume be higher? Don't wanna hear Valdie bitching about the game all night long... don't wanna hear his parents having sex as well.* Crazy C: *Is Chauncey healthy?* Me: *Yep.* Crazy C: *Me too.* Marc: *How many times will C pee during the broadcast? What’s the over/under? 8?* Crazy C: *You guys shut the fuck up. Zero.* The Mammoth: *Damn, hoping you’re right buddy.* Galaxie-Sport TV is kicking off its coverage and Czech play-by-play announcer Petr Janouch's voice is greeting all hoops fans in Czechoslovakia. Starting Lineups... Spurs starters: Tony Parker, Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, #21, Francisco Elson; Pistons starters: Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tay Prince, Sheed Wallace, Chris Webber. Hmm, I know Detroit’s gonna fire on all cylinders from the get-go. Hopefully the Spurs too. The Mammoth: *Pop should start Manu. He drives me mad with that coming off the bench thing.* Well, the game is about to begin, AT&T Center is loud and raucous. 

1:10 AM - 1:25 AM
We learn that San Antonio had lost two straight at home to the Pistons going into this matchup. Cisco Elson makes 16-foot jumper, yeah! And now Timmy with the ball in the paint, scores. Brent Barry threeee... yes!! 7-0, Spurs. I think Valdie's parents heard our roar upstairs. Barry drains another trey, this time a just-throw-it-in-the-direction-of-basket 25-foot bomb. 10-2. Tony Parker hits his automatic floater... but couple of possessions later his shot‘s blocked by Rasheed. Man, this Elson fellow somehow goes coast to coast, kinda, TP finds him, jumper is good, two points. George: *This WDFN [Pistons‘ flagship station] sucks. They're only showing the Detroit plays.* By the way, if you didn’t know that already, I’m a huge Spurs fan. What need I say? I’m very sorry for my homerism. Bruce Bowen hits a three-pointer! 17-6. Horry alters Tayshaun’s shot... a couple of sloppy possessions result in a layup for Barry, 19-7. What a start for Silver and Black! The TV screen is showing the Across The Board stats: Rebounds 12-2 for the home team. Parker bags his long-two jumper, 21-10. Pete: *The Spurs won‘t lose today.* Marc is trying to convince us to switch to the Blue Hustler channel. No. Way.

1:25 AM - 1:40 AM
Gotta say, I love Antonio McDyess. I want him wearing a Spurs jersey someday. Parker darts to the rack... yes, and-one! Wow, TP with a 360 quick turn, SCORES!! 25-12. Get buckets Tony! Manu Ginobili is finally on the floor, enters the game for Barry. Parker is virtually unstoppable tonight... scores among the trees (towers?) with a pretty scoop shot, 27-14. End of the first quarter. 30 seconds into the second quarter and Rasheed gets the 7777th technical of his career. I always enjoyed the Wallaces battling Duncan in the paint, though. Manu shoots a technical free throw, 28-16. Frankly, I must say, Parker and Eva Longoria make a pretty combustible pair. Pete: *I can’t really say who’s looking hotter, Tony or Eva.* Marc: *You gotta be kiddin‘ me. Eva!* By the way, tonight’s officials are Robbie Robinson, Bill Kennedy, and Eddie F. Rush.

1:40 AM - 1:55 AM
Michael Finley makes 18-foot jumper and draws a foul. Well, Matty Bonner loves those hustle plays, he just grabbed an offenisve rebound, then 20 seconds later snatched the ball in the paint again. Mike Fin shoots, hits the target, it‘s 32-26, Spurs. Duncan and Parker each convert only one free throw, the second of two. The score is getting tight, the Pistons just won’t go away...  Duncan makes a running J, and-one! …clangs the free throw. Tony on his drive again, who can stop him?! 38-35. We are talking about Kobe’s next game which begins later this night. Me: *Wait, the Lakers are playing in a while... so who turned the laptop off?* Marc shots back: *Why you're looking in my direction?* Crazy C: *I'm sure it's broken.* Pete: *Nope, battery is low.* Valdie: *Who bought that crap? Guess it was me.* Me: *Just stop talking, you're bringing bad karma upon the Spurs. Manu especially, he’s sloppy in the first half.*

1:55 AM - 2:03 AM
TP makes another layup; Finley makes a technical FT after Coach Flip Saunders got a T. Oh no, Sheed is in his mad-zone, nails a three off the backboard. 41-41. Detroit has the first lead of the game, thanks to a Prince layup. Duncan somehow, someway, with a putback straight out of his marvelous arsenal, 43-43. And now Tony's putback gives the Spurs a two point lead, what a battle! The Spurs fans are chanting "DEE-FENSE, DEE-FENSE". But the score is 45-47, Pistons - Ronald Murray makes 9-foot jumper with five seconds to go. The first half’s over. Man, I really love these San Antonio-Detroit defensive showdowns. As far as I can say, it's the best rivalry. Even better than whipping the Mavericks‘ asses. Top 5 rivalries for the Spurs these days (just my humble opinion): 1) Pistons, 2) Allas Mavs, 3) Lakers, 4) Suns, 5) Heat.

2:03 AM - 2:18 AM
It's time for a break and time for some refreshment. The guys are sipping x-th beer from their bottles... terrific. When I‘m alone in the room watching American sports, the half-time break is a big pain in the ass for me - my body wants to sleep and my brain does not think it’s a great idea. Fortunately, I’ve never fallen asleep through the second half of any NBA game. Can’t wait until the next Celtics-Grizzlies horror show to test my resolve. Watching the game with friends around you is priceless. They’re wheezing, screaming, shouting... this is like a constant alarm-clock without beeping... and free of charge. Lemme tell you, NOTHING's better than watching your favorite sport with a bunch of good buddies. Of course, the big caveat here is that you have to have good neighbors, in case...

2:18 AM - 2:33 AM
The second portion of the contest begins, Dave ‘Big Red‘ Cowens (Pistons assistant coach) on Parker: *He's awfully quick.* TD’s one-hander in the paint goes in. Barry for threeee! Bones is now 3-for-3 from behing the arc. Bowen's DRIVE (!!) plus foul (he misses the ensuing FT) makes it a 7-0 run by the Spurs. You know what? There hasn’t been many times where Bowen did penetrate to the basket during his long pro career. Over/under is set at 6. Or 7? This just popped into my head: call it a rule - the team that leads by three points or less at the halftime of a big game, especially in the Playoffs, never wins. It‘s not scientific by any means, but it does happen more than you might think. Big Shot Rob with a block on McDyess. Barry hits 2 free throws and TP scores on his patented circus layup, plus a foul called on Billups! This brings the sellout crowd of 18,797 to its feet and The Mammoth just spilled a coke bottle all over his cell phone. The Pistons take a full timeout. We love Rob Horry, I know this is probably his last season and he's on his last legs but he still possesses some Horry-esque magic here and there. He just rebounded the rock, went to the corner behind the three-point line and nailed a three-pointer. Magical, gotta love this stuff. 60-51. Brent cuts to the basket, Manu finds him with a nice pass but he misses the shot. Quick poll in the HOOPSROOM: Horry's play deserves the Play of the Game honor.

2:33 AM - 2:48 AM
Galaxie-Sport is showing us some Around The Association stats: The Spurs offense (97,77 points per game) is fifteenth in the league, the Spurs D (89,49 points allowed per game) is the best. Barry‘s shot (a 3-pointer, no less) from the middle is on target (63-55). Duncan gets the ball in the post, goes one-on-one against a Pistons defender, good. Manu is in his pass-first mode, he just threw an alley-oop to the Dutchman Elson and he finished it off! 67-57. Maybe this is the Play of the Game (Pete says Horry’s was definitely cooler.). Interesting, we just saw the Pistons fans poll "Who should Detroit play in the NBA Finals?", the results are: 47% of the fans want Dallas, 20% for San Antonio, 20% Houston, 13% Phoenix. You see, maybe the Pistons fans don't like the up-tempo offense that much. Parker shoots a long two, money, 26 second to go in the third quarter. Ever heard of rolling out a whitewash in a basketball game? (Special thanks to ESPN's Bill Simmons.) I’m counting the whites on the Spurs roster... and immediately, Crazy C shouts out to nobody in particular: *What about the Spurs unleashing Beno Udrih, Ginobili, Bones, Red Rocket and Fabio Oberto?* Marc: *This ought to be banned by Stern.* End of the third, 71-61, SAS. (Quarters: 27-16, 18-31, 26-14.)

2:48 AM - 3:03 AM
Carlos Delfino is out there on the floor. This hombre from Santa Fe, Argentina (I looked it up on the Internet) should be rewarded with the 'The Most Laid-back Latinoamericano Ever', presented by The Nightclub of Santa Isabel.  We got an Argentine match-up, Gino vs. Delfino and I apologize I can't give you any trash talk because I don’t speak Spanish that well... wait... my sister does, I'll call her. Bonner hits a corner three, count it, and it's 75-68. McDyess definitely has his sweet spot from that 17-foot range, 2 points for the away team. In the span of nine seconds, two Spurs were hit with personal fouls... the refs are giving us the first plate of B.S. calls tonight. George screaming: *You blind assholes, what the hell are you doing?!* Crazy C: *Chill out man... you know, that brings bad karma.* Me: *Coach Pop is getting mad, a tech is about to happen.* I’m always astounded how fast Gregg Popovich paces those sidelines. It feels like he‘s a 38-year old instead of 58-year old.

3:03 AM - 03:18 AM
TD's 11-foot jumper, good! 77-72. The greatest power forward ever makes free throw 1 of 2, the greatest power forward ever makes free throw 2 of 2. Way to go Tim. Ginobili, threeeee... 82-74, the Spurs-theme music is BLARING and it has me reminiscing about the 2005 NBA Championship memories. Wonderful, it’s like deja vu deluxe or something. Valdie's laptop is finally working, and the Black Mamba has 44 (George's theory went right into the toilet.) 3:46 to go and Manu hits a huge three, 82-74. Detroit full timeout. Ginobili‘s got an all-time clutchness in his veins, confidently scores on a patented left-handed finger roll, 85-76, after a slick handoff to him by Duncan. What a mad big man scramble in the paint, Ginobili with a big, big rebound. Bowen trying to quiet down Tim and Tony after TP was whisted for a foul on Billups. Bullshit! I’m sure this never happened in the NBA once: Manu, from the left sideline, throws a lob pass to Tony who‘s on the right sideline, only it lands out of bounds. Keep in mind it's the last minute of a close game... Manu's face tells it all, but you really had to see Popovich‘s what-da-fuck face - incredible. Eight seconds later, Chauncey drains a big 22-foot shot, almost a trey, 85-82, 50 seconds to go. Pop’s thought bubble: *I know Tony‘s capable of doing that, BUT Manu?!?* I can't write what the guys in the HOOPSROOM said on that blooper... my blog would get banned. Valdie yells out: *KOBE'S SCORED 50!* 65/50/60/50. I bet that someone (a math genius) will create a website to find a formula how many points KB24 scores in the next Lakers game. And it won't be George. 55 is my amateur guess.

3:18 AM - 3:30 AM
Fuck off, what a fantastic block by McDyess on Parker; Chauncey launches a three, wants a foul (knowing that the refs are horrible tonight) but no whistle this time... McDyess, who’s in the right spot at the right time all the time, catches the short shot under the basket and lays it up! 85-84,18.3 to go. What a game. The Clutch Manu at the charity stripe, makes both... 87-84... Across The Board stats: 3-pointers 8-16 (SA), 1-12 (DET). That’s probably the difference tonite. B.S. Call of the Game: Bruce guards Rip, Hamilton falls down to the floor and drops the ball, Bruce quickly gains it, has a chance for a breakaway layup BUT they whistled a foul on him AS SOON AS he touched the ball! Indeed, three blind mice. Rip's choke act follows, the masked fella misses both free throws (Cue the voice of Sheed: "Ball don't lie!"), the second one is pulled down by The Big Fundamental, 10.4 to go. TD is immediately fouled, converts the first one - Finley waving his hands on the bench, the second one is no good... 88-84, 8.3 secondf left. Billups calls a timeout... (We're cheering like crazy, the HOOPSROOM may explode in the maelstom of loud cheers and jumping.) ...and after the timeout hits a jumper, 88-86. Pete yells: *Bring some nooooise!* Fin trying to inbound the ball, has to call a T.O. (4.4 left). 'We will rock you' is blaring in the AT&T Center. Finley set to inbound for the second time, Ginobili runs for the ball, a foul by Delfino. I’m thrilled, I know Manu’s gonna ice the game with two freebies. Yep, makes both, and they're showing a sad C-Webb's face on the screen. Me: *I knew it guys, my theory is working, the Spurs won!* Crazy C: *Hooray for more beeeer.* George: *Bring on the Dallas Wavericks!* Pete: *Holy shit, I love it when the Spurs battle the Pistons, it's a treat for the real fan.* Marc: *I'm drunk and done, where’s my bed?* Valdie: *Lookin' forward to the Playoffs time! Janouch was great tonight, too. I love his voice when something exciting happens on the hardwood.* Never mind that Prince nailed a meaningless buzzer-beater three, making it 90-89. (Final Quarter: 19-28.)

3:30 AM - 4:00 AM
Crazy C’s telling us some silly jokes, I guess he’s in the mood. We are laughing like crazy. I’m having a beautiful time, my team just won, I wanna high-five everyone, I’m even high-fiving myself right now. This stuff happens when your team comes out victorious. Looking at the boxscore... Rasheed 21 & 7, McDyess‘ double-double (18 & 11), Rip scored 16, Flip played just eight guys - McDyess, Delfino and Murray came off the bench. Those last two guys and C-Webb shot an awful 4-of-17 combined. Duncan recorded 17 & 14, Elson had 10 rebounds, Barry scored 16 (3PM-A: 3-4), Manu a huge 10 points; the Player of The Game was Parker, 22 points, 7 dimes and 3 boards. The game had a playoff-like atmosphere, a chippy and a hard-fought battle. The questions is, did we just watch a preview of the NBA Finals 2007? NBA Upset Special today: Nuggets at Raptors 94-121, Heat at Pacers 70-95, Jazz at Clippers 72-104. We're switching off the TV, it’s time to wrap up the night and sleep a little in the early morning hours. We have to be fresh for a Saturday afternoon game. Said The Mammoth: *I’m ready, just gimme the ball*. Crazy C’s stat line reads like this: 6 beers in the HOOPSROOM and 4 trips to the pee-throw-line, we are literally carrying him to Valdie's car (I grabbed him under the shoulders and The Mammoth took his legs). The Mammoth, Pete and George are going home on foot. Pete: *See you soon. One more beer and I‘m done for 5 days.* Valdie is going to take Crazy C and Marc home by car. He’s got a sticker of Vince Carter jumping over that poor French dude on the left front window. Fly.

4:00 AM - 04:15 AM
I am on the way home too, happy and dog-tired, so here's my final tally: one great game. one awesome night. My buddies feeling great. Noone offended, embarrassed or arrested. No injuries for my Spurs. No bittersweet symphony. Watching basketball is a true delight or me. And the the most important thing is... WE WON. Gimme a high-five, Mr. James Naismith. I'm sleeping like a baby. Thanks for reading!

NBA Teams Facebook Likes Rankings

1 Los Angeles Lakers 15,931,155 likes
2 Chicago Bulls 8,096,317 likes
3 Miami Heat 7,497,370 likes
4 Boston Celtics 6,880,144 likes
5 New York Knicks 3,421,512 likes
6 Dallas Mavericks 2,471,060 likes
7 Oklahoma City Thunder 1,824,741 likes
8 Orlando Magic 1,698,011 likes
9 San Antonio Spurs 1,452,438 likes
10 Cleveland Cavaliers 933,649 likes
11 Denver Nuggets 918,168 likes
12 Brooklyn Nets 776,837 likes
13 Phoenix Suns 747,170 likes
14 Los Angeles Clippers 650,678 likes
15 Houston Rockets 635,510 likes
16 Detroit Pistons 463,236 likes
17 Portland Trail Blazers 426,923 likes
18 Golden State Warriors 393,625 likes
19 Toronto Raptors 383,884 likes
20 Utah Jazz 366,365 likes
21 Philadelphia 76ers 309,575 likes
22 New Orleans Hornets 303,057 likes
23 Atlanta Hawks 294,285 likes
24 Minnesota Timberwolves 266,634 likes
25 Milwaukee Bucks 246,483 likes
26 Sacramento Kings 239,525 likes
27 Indiana Pacers 219,503 likes
28 Memphis Grizzlies 210,837 likes
29 Washington Wizards 175,076 likes
30 Charlotte Bobcats 156,115 likes

N.B.A. Franchise Stars Rankings Through 2012

Who’s the most consistent winner for his own team in the NBA history? That’s the question I asked myself couple of years ago, in February 2007 to be precise. So then I decided to rank all franchise guys since the 1979-80 season. This winter week, I proceeded to update the research finally -- and I took into consideration every player that has ever played in the best basketball league in the world. Of course, that means I eventually run into some difficulties: players in the 1950s and 1960s played fewer games with fewer playoff rounds but nonetheless, you can’t deny the overall career win percentages. Why win percentages? Throughout the years, I've read and seen tons of articles/videos about basketball history, and an interesting idea popped up in my head... which elite player had the best winning percentage for a particular team he played on (at least seven consecutive seasons)? Why I decided to use the number seven as a cutoff? Hell, I don’t remember that. I just know a player has to play at least seven full season for the same team in order to appear on these lists. If he’s traded during his seventh season, e.g. Chris Webber in Sacramento, he’s ineligible too. Seven seasons leading the same squad is definitely worthy of franchise-star label. I created three categories (regular season, playoffs and overall) and ranked the unquestionable stars and their era's teams. In the end, I got to the number 50... of these 50 basketball stars, whose fans had the best, most successful times following and cheering for their hero with a ball? It bears mentioning: I know these rankings are somewhat inept and with considerable holes -- it examines a player's whole career with his franchise, so he could have been too young and green to contribute in the beginning or too old and creaky to be the force in his twilight days, and I didn't have time or strength to consider games missed because of injuries or whatever (Anyone who wants to explore that in their free time?). "The diehards gonna shake their heads" part: even I feel ashamed that my ranking generates Mr. Ewing ahead of Mr. Hakeem in the 'B' category. But hey, you cannot have everything! I calculated an average of a player's respective franchise seasons, e.g. Barkley, 8 Sixer seasons, .565 average, then his playoff rating number (see my points system below) and combined it in the 'C' part. This isn't to tell who's been the best hoopster or who coulda/woulda/shoulda outplayed whom in a freaking one-on-one game -- this is how they led their teams/cities through thick and thin during number of years. Some bonafide superstars just haven't had the opportunity to play somewhere so long to make the list (e.g. Moses Malone). Also, some franchise stars have played most of their power years together (e.g. Stockton & Malone, 1985-03), and since it was too difficult to determine who was the better player overall (actually you might make a case for either of the two), I decided to include them both. Unfortunately for the all-time super greats like Scottie Pippen or Kevin McHale, nobody sane would ever claim they were better players than MJ or Bird, respectively, so they are off the ranks. Furthermore, as in the D-Wade case for example -- his last two seasons he had the awesome help of one guy named James, rest assured you can’t say with a straight face Wade was the best player on the team in every one of his nine Heat seasons. I told you, this is an imperfect science. Honestly, I admit the list of 50 may be incomplete, but I tried to throw in there everybody who was clearly worthy of all-time status AND fulfilled said prerequisites. Of these, those who are already retired from the game of basketball and have not their jersey number retired by the team they played the most games for: Payton, Mikan (his #99 is a part of Honored Minneapolis Lakers banner) & Shaq (his #34 will be retired during this current NBA season). As you'll see, the way the numbers shook out produced a ranking that conformed very much with a fan's conventional wisdom, with a few interesting exceptions. In other words, it's nice to know that the numbers have our backs. Now, on to the list. Enjoy.

A. Best win percentage (regular season)*

1 Magic Johnson LAKERS /1979-91, 1995-96/ .717**

2 Bill Russell CELTICS /1956-69/ .705

3 Tim Duncan SPURS /1997-12/ .702

4 Larry Bird CELTICS /1979-92/ .701

5 Shaquille O'Neal LAKERS /1996-04/ .693

6 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar LAKERS /1975-89/ .676

7 Julius Erving SIXERS /1976-87/ .670

8 Michael Jordan BULLS /1984-93, 95-98/ .666

9 Bob Cousy CELTICS /1950-63/ .665

10 Kobe Bryant LAKERS /1996-12/ .659

11 David Robinson SPURS /1989-03/ .652

12 Dirk Nowitzki MAVS /1998-12/ .650

13 George Mikan LAKERS /1948-54, 1955-56/ .646

14 Karl Malone JAZZ /1985-03/ .642

15 John Havlicek CELTICS /1962-78/ .639

16 Kevin Johnson SUNS /1988-00/ .638

16 LeBron James CAVS /2003-10/ .638

18 Sidney Moncrief BUCKS /1979-89/ .636

19 John Stockton JAZZ /1984-03/ .633

20 Billy Cunningham SIXERS /1965-72/ .628

21 Jerry West LAKERS /1960-74/ .627

22 Gary Payton SONICS /1990-03/ .619

23 Steve Nash SUNS /1996-98, 2004-12/ .598

24 Carmelo Anthony NUGGETS /2003-10/ .588

25 Elvin Hayes BULLETS /1972-81/ .584

26 Wes Unseld BULLETS /1968-81/ .579

26 Oscar Robertson ROYALS /1960-70/ .579

26 Dwight Howard MAGIC /2004-12/ .579

29 Hakeem Olajuwon ROCKETS /1984-01/ .575

30 Isiah Thomas PISTONS /1981-94/ .565

30 Charles Barkley SIXERS /1984-92/ .565

32 Willis Reed KNICKS /1964-74/ .564

33 George Gervin SPURS /1976-85/ .563

34 Dwyane Wade HEAT /2003-12/ .562

35 Reggie Miller PACERS /1987-05/ .558

35 Alonzo Mourning HEAT /1995-02, 05-08/ .558

37 Patrick Ewing KNICKS /1985-00/ .557

38 Clyde Drexler BLAZERS /1983-95/ .551

39 Dominique Wilkins HAWKS /1982-93/ .544

40 Paul Pierce CELTICS /1998-12/ .537

40 Bob Pettit HAWKS /1954-65/ .537

42 Walter Davis SUNS /1977-88/ .535

43 Kevin Garnett WOLVES /1995-07/ .526

44 Earl Monroe KNICKS /1971-80/ .523

45 Alex English NUGGETS /1980-91/ .516

46 Allen Iverson SIXERS /1996-06/ .498

47 Bob Lanier PISTONS /1970-79/ .475

48 Chris Mullin WARRIORS /1985-97/ .454

49 Mitch Richmond KINGS /1991-00/ .419

50 Adrian Dantley JAZZ /1979-86/ .409

* at least 7 full seasons with the same team

** no. / franchise star / team / years / win percentage

B. Best playoff rating~

~ Points (1974-2012):

Non-playoffs… 0

First round… 1

Conference semis… 2

Conference finals… 3

NBA Finals… 4

NBA champion… 6

1 Magic LAKERS 4.08

2 Shaq LAKERS 3.88

3 Jordan BULLS 3.77

4 Kareem LAKERS 3.71

5 Bird CELTICS 3.31

6 Duncan SPURS 3.13

7 Kobe LAKERS 3.12

8 Erving SIXERS 3.00

9 Wade HEAT 2.66

10 Hayes BULLETS 2.33 (1972-74 w/o 1st round in playoffs)

11 D-Robinson SPURS 2.29

12 Moncrief BUCKS 2.20

13 I-Thomas PISTONS 2.08

14 Unseld BULLETS 2.07 (1968-74 w/o 1st round in playoffs)

15 Ewing KNICKS 2.00

15 LeBron CAVS 2.00

17 K-Johnson SUNS 1.92

18 Stockton JAZZ 1.89

19 K-Malone JAZZ 1.88

19 Hakeem ROCKETS 1.88

21 Nowitzki MAVS 1.86

22 Gervin SPURS 1.77

22 Pierce CELTICS 1.71

24 Drexler BLAZERS 1.66

25 R-Miller PACERS 1.61

26 Mourning HEAT 1.60

27 D-Howard MAGIC 1.50

28 Monroe KNICKS 1.44 (1971-74 w/o 1st round in playoffs)

29 Nash SUNS 1.40

30 Payton SONICS 1.38

30 Barkley SIXERS 1.38

32 W-Davis SUNS 1.36

33 Anthony NUGGETS 1.28

34 English NUGGETS 1.27

35 Iverson SIXERS 1.20

36 Wilkins HAWKS 1.00

37 Garnett T-WOLVES 0.83

38 Dantley JAZZ 0.71

39 Mullin WARRIORS 0.66

40 Lanier PISTONS 0.55 (1970-74 w/o 1st round in playoffs)

41 Richmond KINGS 0.44

***

~ Points (1948-1974):

Non-playoffs… 0

Division (Conf., 1970-74) semis… 1

Division (Conf., 1970-74) finals… 2

NBA Finals… 3

NBA champion… 5

1 Russell CELTICS 4.61

2 Mikan LAKERS 4.00

3 Havlicek CELTICS 3.25

4 Cousy CELTICS 3.23

5 West LAKERS 2.57

6 Reed KNICKS 2.10

7 Pettit HAWKS 2.09

8 Cunningham SIXERS 1.71

9 Robertson ROYALS 0.80

C. Overall rankings, Top 10 (reg. season + playoffs together)

1 Magic 71.7 + 4.08 = 75.78

2 Russell 70.5 + 4.61 = 75.10

3 Bird 70.1 + 3.31 = 73.41

4 Duncan 70.2 + 3.13 = 73.33

5 Shaq 69.3 + 3.88 = 73.18

6 Erving 69.0 + 3.00 = 72.90

7 Kareem 67.6 + 3.71 = 71.31

8 Jordan 66.6 + 3.77 = 70.37

9 Cousy 66.5 + 3.23 = 69.73

10 Kobe 65.9 + 3.12 = 69.02

Punish Pop? David Stern out of line

Punish Pop? David Stern out of line
Commissioner's reaction reveals a double standard.
November 29, 2012
By John Hollinger

If David Stern is trying to create enthusiasm for the start of the Adam Silver Era, he's off to a good start.

Stern's bizarre decision to announce the San Antonio Spurs would face as-yet-unnamed "substantial sanctions" -- calling it "unacceptable" without ever specifying why -- for sitting out four starters against Miami on Thursday night, bore all the classic tenets of bad management: Reactive, inconsistent, overbearing, and moving us no closer to a solution to the underlying issue.

Let's walk through it. Understandably, ticket-holders in Miami were upset they wouldn't get to see San Antonio's three All-Stars (although Southwest ticket holders in Orlando apparently were thrilled). Also understandably, so was TNT -- one of the league's national television rights holders who thought it would have a marquee game to televise.

While we ended up with a surprisingly good game -- a 105-100 Miami win decided in the final half-minute -- it's likely that some viewers turned off their sets when they saw the assorted de Colos and Josephs on the floor for San Antonio. Or that's the argument, anyway, although it breaks down when one considers the Spurs have pretty much been a form of TV-viewer repellent for several years now. (Seriously, I've probably written a hundred columns on the Spurs over the past decade, and this may be the first one that more than eight non-relatives outside the state of Texas will read.)

Nonetheless, let's walk through the four main problems I have with Stern's sudden decree:

Reactive. Popovich told our Brian Windhorst that he'd basically decided as soon as the schedule came out that he'd be resting his players for this game. Certainly if the league had given him some warning not to do it -- Popovich has done this several times before, remember -- he would have thought twice about enacting his plan.

More important, anyone with any familiarity with the Spurs could see this coming from a mile away. I wrote about it in my column Thursday morning, and it's not as if I'd had a sudden burst of clairvoyance; San Antonio Express-News beat writer Jeff McDonald had been warning fans for several days that the Spurs would likely tank this game.

Stern's reaction was to be Captain Renault in "Casablanca," shocked to learn that teams sometimes sit out healthy players in his league. Clearly he felt some blowback (probably from the networks more than fans) about what had happened, and immediately went into knee-jerk mode. But this was not some sudden, unexpected thunderbolt like the fight at the Palace. He should have been prepared for it.

Inconsistent. This is not the first time Popovich has done this; not even close. He never has been sanctioned, or warned, or even glanced at sideways. Last season he sat all his starters in a game at Portland just before the All-Star break, for instance, and unlike Thursday night that contest wasn't close at all: The Blazers won by 40. (A night remembered fondly out there as "the last time we thought the Blazers were good.") He also has done this a couple of other times over the past few years, nearly always at the end of a long road trip with a back-to-back set, like Thursday night's game at Miami.

Moreover, Popovich isn't the only one. You want a bad national TV game as a result of sitting stars? How about last year's Miami-Boston game on April 24, in which six of the seven All-Stars from the two different teams sat out because of assorted maladies, both real and imagined, and the result was a 78-66 abomination that may be the single-worst game I have ever seen in person. (Did I mention I flew up to cover this putrescence?) I'm still waiting to hear about the sanctions facing those two teams.

Or, more important, there's the little matter that the league is completely unwatchable in March and April because of all the rampant tanking taking place by teams out of the playoff chase, combined with playoff teams resting key players as well. Here's what I wrote after being subjected to that Heat-Celtics stinker last April, and my feelings haven't changed: Fixing the abominable quality of the last two months of the season is one of the bigger problems facing the league. The league has shown no real momentum toward addressing it.

But Popovich sitting out his starters for one game in November, so he can have a better team by the end of the season and win more games (which he usually does)? That's the problem that requires action?

Overbearing: So now we're going to have "substantial sanctions" for this event, that the Spurs had no idea was going to provoke a response from the league despite the ample and obvious warning signals they'd given that this would happen?

Great. So next time San Antonio wants to do this, it will be five percent harder. The Spurs will have to make up fake injuries, perhaps (how we missed you, "tendonitis," ever since the injured list went away), and probably have them chill on Miami Beach on game night instead of flying them home early from Orlando (that'll show 'em!). He might even have to choose a different game to tank -- I don't think we would have had such a commotion if Popovich had sent out the 'B' team against the Magic a night earlier, for instance.

Better yet, maybe if the commissioner is so concerned about fans being able to see the stars compete, he can tell us what sanctions he gave himself last Nov. 29, when nobody could see any games because the players were locked out.

Stern has just taken a running start down a mighty steep and slippery slope by essentially telling a team how to manage personnel. That's particularly true when it's a team trying to actually win and not that more common, depressing scenario of draft-inspired tanking. What if he orders Pop to play his guys and then Duncan gets hurt? Or at a lesser level, what if the Spurs lost a more important game upcoming against Memphis because they were tuckered out from this one and the long trip? These are the decisions coaches are making every day in this league, and they know their teams far better than Stern.

Not addressing the underlying problem. If the 82-game schedule is too taxing for virtually any player over the age of 25, and if back-to-backs at the end of long trips are particularly problematic, maybe the solution is not to throw the book at teams who try to manage for the long haul and have everybody in peak condition in June. (Sadly, there are a great many teams who don't fall under this banner.)

Maybe, just maybe, the problem is trying to schedule prominent national TV games with one of the teams on a back-to-back at the end of a long trip. Here's an idea: If you really want to make sure the TNT and ABC games are marquee events, then make sure both teams have a day off heading into it.

Instead, Stern's response essentially is to chastise the Spurs for being smarter than everybody else and figuring out that if you only contest, say, 79 of the 82 games on the schedule, you can come out of it in a lot better shape at the end.

I'll insert the caveat that there may be variables we don't know. Perhaps warnings were sent, wags of the finger given, and all of it happened behind the scenes. I still don't agree with it, for all the reasons given above, but it would seem maybe five percent more sensible than it does now.

Nonetheless, the initial takeaway from this affair is that this was a fit of Selig-ian lunacy not befitting of the best commissioner in sports history. One hopes that the league will sit down and take a more reasoned approach before deciding its "substantial" sanctions ... unless, that is, one of those sanctions involves Popovich taking extra questions in his between-quarter TV interviews. In that case, everybody wins.