NBA - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Game Winner

NBA - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Game Winner

(nba-tv.pl) NBA - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

(nba-tv.pl) NBA - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Classical moves of NBA, including Michael Jordan "The spectacular move", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway, George Gervin, Julius Erving "Dr. J", etc.See other clips of this series at "My VIdeo"

Classical moves of NBA, including Michael Jordan "The spectacular move", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway, George Gervin, Julius Erving "Dr. J", etc.See other clips of this series at "My VIdeo"

Bruce Lee vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Bruce Lee vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

One of the greatest player to ever play the game of Basketball.

One of the greatest player to ever play the game of Basketball.

NBA SWAT Team, the best shotblockers of the late 80s and early 90s

NBA SWAT Team, the best shotblockers of the late 80s and early 90s

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history (more)

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history played the final game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, not in the setting that he would have preferred but in a special atmosphere nonetheless. Jordan's final moment on the court ended with him receiving applause and a lengthy standing ovation from nearly everyone in the arena -- including the coaches and the other players.He soaked it all up with a wide smile and a wave to the crowd after exiting for good with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. ``Now I guess it hits me that I'm not going to be in a uniform anymore -- and that's not a terrible feeling,'' Jordan said afterward. ``It's something that I've come to grips with, and it's time. This is the final retirement.'' Jordan finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes -- drawing several adoring ovations from the last sellout crowd that will ever watch him play. ``The Philly people did a great job. They gave me the biggest inspiration, in a sense,'' Jordan said. ``Obviously, they wanted to see me make a couple of baskets and then come off. That was very, very respectful, and I had a good time.'' Jordan's final points almost looked scripted, with Eric Snow of the 76ers fouling him in the backcourt for no apparent reason except to send him to the line. ``Coach (Larry Brown) told me to foul him, get him to the line to get some points and get him out of there,'' Snow said. Both foul shots went in, and the Wizards committed a foul one second later so that Jordan could be removed from the game and receive the proper send-off. In a rare scene, the 10 players who remained on the court turned to Jordan and applauded, too.The 40-year-old Jordan would have preferred to end his career in the playoffs, but the Wizards never clicked during his two years in Washington and finished 37-45 in both seasons. But that was merely a footnote on this stirring night, the last time the basketball public was treated to one of the greatest athletes in history playing the game one last time. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best in NBA history, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07. ``I never, never took the game for granted. I was very true to the game, and the game was very true to me. It was just that simple,'' Jordan said. With the Sixers ahead by 21 points with 9 1/2 minutes remaining, the crowd began chanting ``We want Mike.'' The chant grew louder as the period progressed with Jordan remaining seated, and fans ignored the game to stand and stare at the Wizards' bench, wondering why Jordan wasn't playing.This being Philadelphia, they eventually booed. Jordan finally pulled his warmups off and re-entered the game with 2:35 left for his brief final appearance. ``I played here. I told him I at least have to be able to come back (to Philadelphia),'' Wizards coach Doug Collins said. ``I told him to go back in for a minute. He said, 'I'm stiff.' I said, 'Please. They want to see you.' He said, 'Larry Hughes is going to foul out soon, so put me in then.''' Earlier in the game, Jordan showed his age.There was a play in the first quarter when he looked like the Jordan of old, except for the result. Starting near the foul line, Jordan ducked his shoulder, lowered his head, stuck out his tongue and drove to his right, the ball rolling off his fingers ever so softly as it arched toward the net. Rather than going in, though, the ball hit the front rim and missed -- one of several of his shots that came up a few inches short. One of the exceptions was Jordan's final shot of the first half -- a one-handed dunk that came after he received a nice pass under the basket from Bobby Simmons. Jordan hit his first two shots of the third quarter but didn't do much else positive in the period. On an alley-oop pass from Tyronn Lue, the ball hit him in the fingertips and bounced harmlessly away. A lazy crosscourt pass was picked off by Aaron McKie, leading to one of Philadelphia's 31 fast-break points. Jordan's final field-goal attempt was a missed layup with 8:13 remaining. ``I'm not embarrassed,'' Jordan said, ``but it's just not ... I've had better feelings in terms of playing a competitive game.''The standing ovation that Jordan received lasted about three minutes, with Jordan smiling, nodding and chewing gum throughout. The group Boyz II Men sang ``It's So Hard To Say Goodbye'' between the first and second quarters as a montage of Jordan's career highlights was shown on the scoreboard. (less)

Johnson labeled the shot "my junior, junior sky-hook," after Abdul-Jabbar's favorite weapon. "You expect to lose to the Lakers on a sky-hook," noted Bird. "You don't expect it to be from Magic."

Johnson labeled the shot "my junior, junior sky-hook," after Abdul-Jabbar's favorite weapon. "You expect to lose to the Lakers on a sky-hook," noted Bird. "You don't expect it to be from Magic."

Just a good time here with MJ shooting 74% for 40pts for the second highest All-Star scoring game in history (Wilt has 42). MJ with his standard proclivity for spectacular improvisation around the rim was in full view here. No more words are necessary for this one.

Just a good time here with MJ shooting 74% for 40pts for the second highest All-Star scoring game in history (Wilt has 42). MJ with his standard proclivity for spectacular improvisation around the rim was in full view here. No more words are necessary for this one.

Just a good time here with MJ shooting 74% for 40pts for the second highest All-Star scoring game in history (Wilt has 42). MJ with his standard proclivity for spectacular improvisation around the rim was in full view here. No more words are necessary for this one.

Just a good time here with MJ shooting 74% for 40pts for the second highest All-Star scoring game in history (Wilt has 42). MJ with his standard proclivity for spectacular improvisation around the rim was in full view here. No more words are necessary for this one.

Michael Jordan got the start and provided one more lasting moment. But it was all Kevin Garnett at the finish. The 52nd NBA All-Star Game was Jordan's last and filled with firsts as the Western Conference exhausted the Eastern Conference 155-145 in a double-overtime thriller. Given (more)

Michael Jordan got the start and provided one more lasting moment. But it was all Kevin Garnett at the finish. The 52nd NBA All-Star Game was Jordan's last and filled with firsts as the Western Conference exhausted the Eastern Conference 155-145 in a double-overtime thriller. Given a surprise start as Toronto's Vince Carter stepped aside, Jordan appeared to make yet another of his seemingly endless series of game-winning shots. The superstar swingman of the Washington Wizards threw in a high-arcing jumper from the right baseline over Phoenix's Shawn Marion that gave the East a 138-136 lead with 4.8 seconds left in the first overtime, bringing a roar from the Philips Arena crowd. "I didn't think it was going to go in, but it went in," said Marion, who was victimized for a game-winning shot by Jordan in Phoenix last season. "I thought it was the game-winner, but anything can happen in an NBA game," Jordan said. Anything did. A foul call on a three-point attempt put Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant at the line for three free throws with one second to go. Bryant made just two free throws to tie the game. "The first thing when Kobe got up, he said, 'I can't believe he called that,'" said Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal, who committed the foul. Bryant's free throws forced an unprecedented second extra session, which belonged entirely to Garnett. The 7-footer of the Minnesota Timberwolves -- who played shooting guard earlier in the game -- took the smaller Carter into the low post for three straight jumpers. He added a foul shot for a 145-138 lead with 3:38 remaining, and the West never trailed again. "It looked like old 23 crept back in the building and was trying to take the game, but for the most part, we hung together and won," Garnett said. Garnett collected his first All-Star Game MVP award as he scored 37 points on 17-of-24 shooting and added nine rebounds and five steals. His points were the most in an All-Star Game since Jordan scored 40 in 1988. "The All-Star Game is not about individual," said Garnett, an unselfish superstar. "It's totally a group effort. It's a time for you to share stories, good times, emotional times with your teammates." Jordan, who turns 40 in eight days, gave Garnett some stories to share. He started very slowly and even missed a dunk in the first quarter. But he became the all-time leading scorer in the All-Star Game late in the third quarter and finished with 20 points on 9-of-27 shooting. "I think I got a chance to enjoy some good young company tonight," Jordan said. Some of that company joined Jordan on the Eastern Conference. Guards Allen Iverson of Philadelphia and Tracy McGrady of Orlando -- both of whom offered their starting spot to Jordan -- scored 35 and 29 points, respectively. But it wasn't enough to prevent the East from dropping to 32-20 in the all-time series. "I was going to try to forget my jersey in the locker room," McGrady said. "That way (Jordan) had to start and go out there." Bryant scored 22 points and Steve Francis of Houston added 20 for the West, which erased an eight-point deficit in the last two minutes of regulation and blew a seven-point lead in the last two-plus minutes of the first overtime. San Antonio's Tim Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds and the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal had 19 and 13. It was the sixth overtime All-Star Game and the first since 1993 in Utah. Although the first quarter was the lowest-scoring opening period in 50 years and the first half the lowest since 1976, the game fell three points shy of the highest-scoring contest, another overtime affair in 1987. The pace seemed to quicken a bit after a halftime ceremony in which Jordan was serenaded by Mariah Carey, who wore No. 23 jerseys of Chicago and Washington while performing three songs, including "Hero." "I thank you for your support," a visibly humbled Jordan said to the crowd. "I leave the game in good hands." "The halftime ceremony was something I'll remember for a long time," said Francis, who was playing in his second All-Star Game. "I felt like he was talking to me when he said the NBA was going to be in good hands." McGrady took the third quarter into his hands, scoring 17 points to give the East a 93-86 lead. With 2:04 to go in the period, Jordan sank two free throws to move past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251 points) as the all-time leading scorer. The West overtook the East at 102-100 on a dunk by Shaquille O'Neal with 8:14 to go, but McGrady responded with a three-pointer. Three jumpers by Jordan and a drive by Iverson pushed the lead to 116-106 left and tightened the MVP race. It appeared to be Jordan's when he flipped in a left-handed shot on 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas for a 120-112 lead with 1:58 to play. But he missed shots on three consecutive possessions, allowing the West back in it. "I wanted it to be a competitive game," Jordan said. "It was a fun ending anyway you look at it." Bryant had a chance to win it when he was fouled with 17 seconds left but split the pair, and Marion partially blocked Jordan's jumper at the other end. Despite eight overtime points from Iverson, the East looked dead when Francis hammered home a lob for a 135-128 bulge with 2:09 remaining. But McGrady and New Jersey's Jason Kidd scored four points each as the East surged to a 136-135 edge with 33 seconds left. A free throw by Shaquille O'Neal tied it. "It's easy to come in with the attitude that you are just going to run down the court and jump around and not play hard, but that's not what it is about," Iverson said. "I think the fans deserve more than that." The fans got a huge treat when Carter -- who had been criticized for keeping his starting spot -- stepped aside for Jordan in a classy move. "This is a storybook ending for Michael," Carter said. "I'm sure I'll have another opportunity to be in the All-Star Game, and this is how it's supposed to be." "I felt like he had taken a beating and he shouldn't have," Jordan said. "I think he was being very respectful." But Jordan missed eight of his first 10 shots, and the poor shooting was contagious. The East held a pedestrian 23-18 lead after one period and the West held a 55-52 halftime edge. (less)

New Jersey Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers (90-105)(5-2-2008) Pau Gasol 24p-12reb(6)-4ast The 24 points are tied for fifth-most in franchise history for a player in his Lakers debut. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27 Magic Johnson 26 Stu Lantz 26 Elgin Baylor 25 Pau Gasol 24 Cazzie Russell 24

New Jersey Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers (90-105)(5-2-2008) Pau Gasol 24p-12reb(6)-4ast The 24 points are tied for fifth-most in franchise history for a player in his Lakers debut. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27 Magic Johnson 26 Stu Lantz 26 Elgin Baylor 25 Pau Gasol 24 Cazzie Russell 24

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history (more)

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history played the final game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, not in the setting that he would have preferred but in a special atmosphere nonetheless. Jordan's final moment on the court ended with him receiving applause and a lengthy standing ovation from nearly everyone in the arena -- including the coaches and the other players.He soaked it all up with a wide smile and a wave to the crowd after exiting for good with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. ``Now I guess it hits me that I'm not going to be in a uniform anymore -- and that's not a terrible feeling,'' Jordan said afterward. ``It's something that I've come to grips with, and it's time. This is the final retirement.'' Jordan finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes -- drawing several adoring ovations from the last sellout crowd that will ever watch him play. ``The Philly people did a great job. They gave me the biggest inspiration, in a sense,'' Jordan said. ``Obviously, they wanted to see me make a couple of baskets and then come off. That was very, very respectful, and I had a good time.'' Jordan's final points almost looked scripted, with Eric Snow of the 76ers fouling him in the backcourt for no apparent reason except to send him to the line. ``Coach (Larry Brown) told me to foul him, get him to the line to get some points and get him out of there,'' Snow said. Both foul shots went in, and the Wizards committed a foul one second later so that Jordan could be removed from the game and receive the proper send-off. In a rare scene, the 10 players who remained on the court turned to Jordan and applauded, too.The 40-year-old Jordan would have preferred to end his career in the playoffs, but the Wizards never clicked during his two years in Washington and finished 37-45 in both seasons. But that was merely a footnote on this stirring night, the last time the basketball public was treated to one of the greatest athletes in history playing the game one last time. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best in NBA history, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07. ``I never, never took the game for granted. I was very true to the game, and the game was very true to me. It was just that simple,'' Jordan said. With the Sixers ahead by 21 points with 9 1/2 minutes remaining, the crowd began chanting ``We want Mike.'' The chant grew louder as the period progressed with Jordan remaining seated, and fans ignored the game to stand and stare at the Wizards' bench, wondering why Jordan wasn't playing.This being Philadelphia, they eventually booed. Jordan finally pulled his warmups off and re-entered the game with 2:35 left for his brief final appearance. ``I played here. I told him I at least have to be able to come back (to Philadelphia),'' Wizards coach Doug Collins said. ``I told him to go back in for a minute. He said, 'I'm stiff.' I said, 'Please. They want to see you.' He said, 'Larry Hughes is going to foul out soon, so put me in then.''' Earlier in the game, Jordan showed his age.There was a play in the first quarter when he looked like the Jordan of old, except for the result. Starting near the foul line, Jordan ducked his shoulder, lowered his head, stuck out his tongue and drove to his right, the ball rolling off his fingers ever so softly as it arched toward the net. Rather than going in, though, the ball hit the front rim and missed -- one of several of his shots that came up a few inches short. One of the exceptions was Jordan's final shot of the first half -- a one-handed dunk that came after he received a nice pass under the basket from Bobby Simmons. Jordan hit his first two shots of the third quarter but didn't do much else positive in the period. On an alley-oop pass from Tyronn Lue, the ball hit him in the fingertips and bounced harmlessly away. A lazy crosscourt pass was picked off by Aaron McKie, leading to one of Philadelphia's 31 fast-break points. Jordan's final field-goal attempt was a missed layup with 8:13 remaining. ``I'm not embarrassed,'' Jordan said, ``but it's just not ... I've had better feelings in terms of playing a competitive game.''The standing ovation that Jordan received lasted about three minutes, with Jordan smiling, nodding and chewing gum throughout. The group Boyz II Men sang ``It's So Hard To Say Goodbye'' between the first and second quarters as a montage of Jordan's career highlights was shown on the scoreboard. (less)

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history (more)

Michael Jordan's coach pleaded with him to go back in the game, and the opposing coach made sure Jordan had the chance to end his career with a basket. Jordan's last shot was a free throw, and like his final appearance in an NBA uniform, it was good. One of the greatest players in NBA history played the final game of his illustrious career Wednesday night, not in the setting that he would have preferred but in a special atmosphere nonetheless. Jordan's final moment on the court ended with him receiving applause and a lengthy standing ovation from nearly everyone in the arena -- including the coaches and the other players.He soaked it all up with a wide smile and a wave to the crowd after exiting for good with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 107-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. ``Now I guess it hits me that I'm not going to be in a uniform anymore -- and that's not a terrible feeling,'' Jordan said afterward. ``It's something that I've come to grips with, and it's time. This is the final retirement.'' Jordan finished with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes -- drawing several adoring ovations from the last sellout crowd that will ever watch him play. ``The Philly people did a great job. They gave me the biggest inspiration, in a sense,'' Jordan said. ``Obviously, they wanted to see me make a couple of baskets and then come off. That was very, very respectful, and I had a good time.'' Jordan's final points almost looked scripted, with Eric Snow of the 76ers fouling him in the backcourt for no apparent reason except to send him to the line. ``Coach (Larry Brown) told me to foul him, get him to the line to get some points and get him out of there,'' Snow said. Both foul shots went in, and the Wizards committed a foul one second later so that Jordan could be removed from the game and receive the proper send-off. In a rare scene, the 10 players who remained on the court turned to Jordan and applauded, too.The 40-year-old Jordan would have preferred to end his career in the playoffs, but the Wizards never clicked during his two years in Washington and finished 37-45 in both seasons. But that was merely a footnote on this stirring night, the last time the basketball public was treated to one of the greatest athletes in history playing the game one last time. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best in NBA history, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07. ``I never, never took the game for granted. I was very true to the game, and the game was very true to me. It was just that simple,'' Jordan said. With the Sixers ahead by 21 points with 9 1/2 minutes remaining, the crowd began chanting ``We want Mike.'' The chant grew louder as the period progressed with Jordan remaining seated, and fans ignored the game to stand and stare at the Wizards' bench, wondering why Jordan wasn't playing.This being Philadelphia, they eventually booed. Jordan finally pulled his warmups off and re-entered the game with 2:35 left for his brief final appearance. ``I played here. I told him I at least have to be able to come back (to Philadelphia),'' Wizards coach Doug Collins said. ``I told him to go back in for a minute. He said, 'I'm stiff.' I said, 'Please. They want to see you.' He said, 'Larry Hughes is going to foul out soon, so put me in then.''' Earlier in the game, Jordan showed his age.There was a play in the first quarter when he looked like the Jordan of old, except for the result. Starting near the foul line, Jordan ducked his shoulder, lowered his head, stuck out his tongue and drove to his right, the ball rolling off his fingers ever so softly as it arched toward the net. Rather than going in, though, the ball hit the front rim and missed -- one of several of his shots that came up a few inches short. One of the exceptions was Jordan's final shot of the first half -- a one-handed dunk that came after he received a nice pass under the basket from Bobby Simmons. Jordan hit his first two shots of the third quarter but didn't do much else positive in the period. On an alley-oop pass from Tyronn Lue, the ball hit him in the fingertips and bounced harmlessly away. A lazy crosscourt pass was picked off by Aaron McKie, leading to one of Philadelphia's 31 fast-break points. Jordan's final field-goal attempt was a missed layup with 8:13 remaining. ``I'm not embarrassed,'' Jordan said, ``but it's just not ... I've had better feelings in terms of playing a competitive game.''The standing ovation that Jordan received lasted about three minutes, with Jordan smiling, nodding and chewing gum throughout. The group Boyz II Men sang ``It's So Hard To Say Goodbye'' between the first and second quarters as a montage of Jordan's career highlights was shown on the scoreboard. (less)

Raw brand Male wrestlers * Batista (David Bautista, Jr.) * D-Lo Brown (Accie Conner) * Paul Burchill (Paul Birchall) * Lance Cade (Lance McNaught) * John Cena * CM Punk (Phil Brooks) * Ted DiBiase (Ted DiBiase, Jr.) * "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (more)

Raw brand Male wrestlers * Batista (David Bautista, Jr.) * D-Lo Brown (Accie Conner) * Paul Burchill (Paul Birchall) * Lance Cade (Lance McNaught) * John Cena * CM Punk (Phil Brooks) * Ted DiBiase (Ted DiBiase, Jr.) * "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan * Shad Gaspard * Charlie Haas * Chris Jericho (Christopher Irvine) * JTG (Jayson Paul) * Kane (Glen Jacobs) * Kofi Kingston (Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah) * John "Bradshaw" Layfield * Paul London * Santino Marella (Anthony Carelli) * Rey Mysterio (Oscar Gutierrez) * Jamie Noble (James Gibson) * Chuck Palumbo * William Regal (Darren Matthews) * Cody Rhodes (Cody Runnels) * Snitsky (Eugene Snisky) * Matt Striker (Matthew Kaye) Female wrestlers * Katie Lea Burchill (Katarina Waters) * Jillian Hall (Jillian Fletcher) * Mickie James * Kelly Kelly (Barbara Blank) * Layla (Layla El) - Also the valet of Jamie Noble * Beth Phoenix (Elizabeth Carolan) Referees * Mike Chioda - Senior official * John Cone * Jack Doan * Marty Elias (Marty Rubalcaba) * Chad Patton Other on-air talent * Mike Adamle - General Manager * Michael Cole (Michael Sean Coulthard) - Play-by-play commentator * Lilian Garcia - Ring announcer * Jerry Lawler - Color commentator and occasional wrestler * Ron Simmons - Occasional appearances Inactive talent * Candice Michelle (Candice Michelle Beckman-Ehrlich) - Recovering from a re-aggravated clavicle[2] * Deuce (James Reiher Jr.) - Yet to debut since move from SmackDown to Raw * Hardcore Holly (Robert Howard) - Taking time off due to personal issues[3] * Robbie McAllister (Derek Graham-Couch) - Inactive due to Rory McAllister's injury * Rory McAllister (Russell Murray) - Recovering from a torn pectoral muscle[4] * Melina (Melina Perez) - Recovering from an ankle injury[5] * Shawn Michaels (Michael Hickenbottom) - (Kayfabe) detached retina suffered at The Great American Bash (2008)[6] * Randy Orton - Recovering from a clavicle injury[7] * Val Venis (Sean Morley) - Recovering from a shoulder injury[8] Tag teams and stables * Paul and Katie Lea Burchill[9] * Chris Jericho and Lance Cade * Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes * John Cena and Cryme Tyme (JTG and Shad) SmackDown brand Male wrestlers * Shelton Benjamin * The Big Show (Paul Wight, Jr.) * Carlito (Carly Colón) * Domino (Clifford Compton) * Edge (Adam Copeland) * Festus (Andrew Hankinson) * Funaki (Shoichi Funaki) * The Great Khali (Dalip Singh Rana) * Jeff Hardy * Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers) * Jesse (Terrence Gordy, Jr.) * Brian Kendrick * Mr. Kennedy (Kenneth Anderson) * Vladimir Kozlov (Oleg Prudius) * Shannon Moore * Montel Vontavious Porter (Alvin Burke, Jr.) * Zack Ryder (Matthew Cardona) * Triple H (Paul Levesque) * Umaga (Edward Fatu) * Jimmy Wang Yang (James Yun) Female wrestlers * Cherry (Kara Drew) * Maria (Maria Kanellis) * Maryse (Maryse Ouellet) * Michelle McCool * Natalya (Natalie Neidhart) * Victoria (Lisa Marie Varon) Referees * Wes Adams * Mickie Henson - Senior official * Jim Korderas * Nick Patrick (Joseph Hamilton, Jr.) * Charles Robinson Other on-air talent * Ezekiel (Rycklon Stephens) - Bodyguard of Brian Kendrick * Mick Foley - Color commentator * Alicia Fox (Victoria Crawford) - Associate of Edge * Vickie Guerrero - General Manager and (kayfabe) wife of Edge * Justin Roberts - Ring announcer * Jim Ross - Play-by-play commentator * Ranjin Singh (Dave Kapoor) - Manager and interpreter of The Great Khali. Also Raw brand writer * Eve Torres - Backstage interviewer Inactive talent * Big Daddy V (Nelson Frazier, Jr.) - Inactive due to losing weight and pneumonia[10] * Kenny Dykstra (Kenneth Doane) - Inactive since return from injury in March; wrestling dark matches[11][12] * Gregory Helms - Recovering from a major neck injury[13] * R-Truth (Ron Killings) - Wrestling dark matches; promos airing to hype on-screen debut[14] * DH Smith (Harry Smith) - Yet to debut since move from Raw to SmackDown; wrestling in Florida Championship Wrestling * The Undertaker (Mark Calaway) - Returning at Summerslam [15] Tag teams and stables * Jesse and Festus * La Familia (Edge, Chavo Guerrero, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, and Bam Neely with Vickie Guerrero) * Natalya and Victoria ECW brand Male Wrestlers * Evan Bourne (Matthew Korklan) * Elijah Burke * James Curtis (Kurt Sellers) * Colin Delaney * Tommy Dreamer (Thomas Laughlin) * Armando Estrada (Hazem Ali) * Finlay (David Finlay, Jr.) - Also SmackDown senior producer * Chavo Guerrero (Salvador Guerrero, IV) * Matt Hardy * Mark Henry * Hornswoggle (Dylan Postl) * Mike Knox (Michael Hettinga) * The Miz (Michael Mizanin) * John Morrison (John Hennigan) * Bam Neely (Justin LaRouche) * Nunzio (James Maritato) * Ricky Ortiz (Richard Young) * Stevie Richards (Michael Manna) * Braden Walker (Chris Harris) Referees * Scott Armstrong (Joseph James, Jr.) - Senior official * Mike Posey Other on-air talent * Tony Atlas (Anthony White) - Manager of Mark Henry * Tony Chimel - Ring announcer * Todd Grisham - Play-by-play commentator * Theodore Long - General Manager * Tazz (Peter Senerchia) - Color commentator * Tiffany (Taryn Terrell) - Assistant to the General Manager * Lena Yada - Backstage interviewer Inactive talent * The Boogeyman (Martin Wright) - Inactive due to teeth replacement [16][17] * Super Crazy (Fransico Pantoja Islas) - Yet to debut since move from Raw to ECW Tag teams and stables * Finlay and Hornswoggle * John Morrison and The Miz Notes * SmackDown and ECW have a talent exchange agreement, where members of the two brands can regularly appear on both shows.[18] Developmental roster Florida Championship Wrestling Male wrestlers * Afa, Jr.(Afa Anoa'i, Jr.) * Brad Allen (Mariusz Puczko) * Stu Bennett * Big Rob (Rob Terry) * Black Pain[19] * Sinn Bowdee (Nick Cvjetkovich) * Colt Cabana (Scott Colton) * Eddie Colón * Johnny Curtis * Charles Evans * Jack Gabriel (Steve Lewington) * Giant Titan (Mike Jarvi) * Jake Hager * Joe Hennig * Greg Jackson (Greg Marasciulo) * Bradley Jay (Brad Bradley) * Tyrone Jones (Tyrone Evans) * Kafu (Victor Ceron) * Bryan J. Kelly * Kevin Kiley * Mike Kruel * Imani Lee * Lupe Martinez (Lupe Viscara) * Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway) * Heath Miller * Nic Nemeth (Nick Nemeth) * Sheamus O'Shaunessy (Stephen Ferrelly) * Eric Perez * Shawn Spears (Ronnie Arniell) * Kevin Thorn (Kevin Fertig) * Gabe Tuft * Hade Vansen * Andrew Vein (Andrew Vain) * T.J. Wilson Female wrestlers * Miss Angela (Angela Fong) - Valet of The Puerto Rican Nightmares * Bri Bella (Brianna Garcia) * Nicole Bella (Nicole Garcia) * Daisy (Beverly Mullins) * Roucka (Milena Roucka) Other on-air talent * Timmy Baltimore - Timekeeper * Kevin Keenan - Referee * Goose Mahoney - Referee Tag teams and stables * Nic Nemeth and Brad Allen[20] * Heath Miller and Jack Gabriel[20] * The Bella Twins (Bri and Nicole Bella) * The Empire (Drew McIntyre and Stu Bennett)[21] * The Puerto Rican Nightmares (Eddie Colon and Eric Perez) with Miss Angela Unassigned talent * Patrick Brink[22]-Yet to debut * Matt Cappotelli - Unable to wrestle due to medical reasons * Reid Flair (Reid Fliehr) - Yet to debut[23] Corporate management Executive officers * George Barrios - Chief Financial Officer * Kevin Dunn - Executive Vice President of Television Production * Donna Goldsmith - Executive Vice President of Consumer Products * Edward Kaufman - Executive Vice President and General Counsel * John Laurinaitis - Senior Vice President of Talent Relations * Michael Lake - President of WWE Studios * Linda McMahon - Chief Executive Officer * Shane McMahon - Executive Vice President of Global Media * Stephanie McMahon-Levesque - Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, Creative Writing, and Live Events[24] * Vince McMahon - Chairman (Owner) of the Board of Directors * Geof Rochester - Executive Vice President of Marketing * John Saboor - Senior Vice President of Special Events[25] * Michael Sileck - Chief Operating Officer Creative writers * Christopher DeJosephs - ECW brand writer; makes occasional appearances as Big Dick Johnson * Brian Gewirtz - Raw brand head writer * Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz) - SmackDown brand head writer * Ed Koskey - ECW brand head writer * Pat Patterson (Pierre Clemont) - Creative consultant * Michael Pavone - Unassigned specific brand * Freddie Prinze, Jr. - SmackDown brand writer * Dusty Rhodes (Virgil Runnels Jr.) - FCW head writer Producers, road agents and trainers * Arn Anderson (Martin Lunde) - Raw brand senior producer * Brad Armstrong * Gerald Brisco * Tony Garea (Anthony Garcia) * Steve Keirn - FCW director and trainer * Billy Kidman (Peter Gruner) - FCW trainer and occasional wrestler * Jack Lanza * Steve Lombardi * Dean Malenko (Dean Simon) - ECW brand senior producer * Bruce Prichard * Tom Prichard - FCW head trainer * Mike Rotunda * Sgt. Slaughter (Robert Remus) * Ricky Steamboat * Tim White * Barry Windham * Harvey Wippleman (Bruno Lauer) Other personnel * Stone Cold Steve Austin (Stephen Williams) - Public relations; makes occasional appearances * Max Bretos - Part-time interviewer * Carlos Cabrera - Spanish commentator * Howard Finkel - Part-time announcer * Ric Flair (Richard Fliehr) - Public relations; makes occasional appearances * John "Big" Gaburik * Jim Johnston - Music director * Jack Korpela - Host of WWE Bottom Line, WWE specials, and PPV pre-shows * Josh Mathews (Josh Lomberger) - Editor of WWE 24/7 * Christopher Nowinski * Gene Okerlund - Part-time interviewer * Roddy Piper (Roderick Toombs) - Makes occasional appearances * Dr. Ferdinand Rios - Physician * Marcelo Rodriguez - Spanish commentator * Hugo Savinovich - Spanish commentator * Joey Styles - Director of digital media content for WWE * Mark Yeaton - Timekeeper * Mae Young - Makes occasional appearances Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "NHL" redirects here. For other uses, see NHL (disambiguation). National Hockey League Current season or competition: 2008–09 NHL season The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield. Sport Ice hockey Founded 1917 Commissioner Gary Bettman No. of teams 30 Country(ies) Flag of Canada Canada Flag of the United States United States Most recent champion(s) Detroit Red Wings TV partner(s) CAN: CBC, TSN, RDS, RIS, NHL Network Canada USA: NBC, Versus, HDNet, NHL Network US Official website NHL.com The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world,[1] and one of the North American major professional sports leagues. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America,[2] is awarded annually to the league champion at the end of each season. The league was formed in 1917 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from a predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), founded in 1909. It started with four teams, and through a series of expansions, contractions and relocations, the league is now composed of 30 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and six in Canada. After a labour dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, the league has staged a successful comeback, including revenue and profit growth.[3] The NHL draws many highly skilled players from all over the world. Currently, the league has players from about 20 different countries.[4][5] Canadians have historically constituted a large majority of the players in the NHL because both the sport and the league originated in Canada. In the past 25 years, the percentages of American and European players have increased because of the NHL's continued expansion into the United States, its high standard of play compared to other leagues, and the availability of highly skilled European players.[6] Contents [hide] * 1 History o 1.1 Labour issues * 2 Game * 3 Hockey rink * 4 Rules * 5 Teams * 6 Season structure * 7 Trophies and awards * 8 Notable active players * 9 Origin of players * 10 Television and radio * 11 Popularity * 12 See also * 13 References * 14 Notes * 15 External links [edit] History Total Stanley Cup Championships Defunct teams not included. Team Titles Montreal Canadiens 24 Toronto Maple Leafs 13 Detroit Red Wings 11 Boston Bruins 5 Edmonton Oilers 5 New York Islanders 4 New York Rangers 4 Chicago Blackhawks 3 New Jersey Devils 3 Colorado Avalanche 2 Philadelphia Flyers 2 Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Anaheim Ducks 1 Calgary Flames 1 Carolina Hurricanes 1 Dallas Stars 1 Tampa Bay Lightning 1 Further information: Stanley Cup Main article: History of the National Hockey League After a series of disputes in the Canadian National Hockey Association (NHA) between Eddie Livingstone, who was the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts, and other owners, the owners of the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators, and Quebec Bulldogs met at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal to talk about the NHA's future.[7] Their discussions eventually led to the creation of the National Hockey League on November 22, 1917; the founding teams were the Canadiens, Wanderers and Senators. A Toronto franchise, because of the dispute, was given temporarily to the Toronto Arena Corp to operate, and is often referred to as the Arenas, though they operated without a nickname.[8][7] Montreal Canadiens in 1942 Montreal Canadiens in 1942 Even though the league struggled to stay in business during its first decade, the NHL's teams were very successful on the ice; only once, in 1925, did a team from any other league win the Stanley Cup, and by 1926 the NHL was the only league competing for the Cup.[9] The NHL then started a process of expansion: the Boston Bruins (the first U.S.-based NHL franchise) and Montreal Maroons entered the league in 1924–25; the New York Americans and the Pittsburgh Pirates entered in the 1925–26 season; and the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks (now spelled Blackhawks), and Detroit Cougars (now known as the Red Wings) entered in the 1926–27 season, raising the number of teams in the NHL to ten. The Great Depression and the onset of World War II, took a toll on the league, and by 1942 the NHL was reduced to six teams. These six teams (the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers) are collectively known as the Original Six, and for the next quarter-century were the only teams in the National Hockey League. During this time the Norris family had influence over four of the teams as Detroit and Chicago were operated by members of the family, and Boston and New York had mortgages to the family. The media would nickname the league the "Norris House League."[10] By the mid 1960s, the desire for a network television contract in the U.S., and concerns that the Western Hockey League was planning to declare itself a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup, spurred the NHL to undertake its first expansion since the 1920s. Six new teams were added to the NHL roster in 1967, and were placed in their own newly-created division. Two teams each were added in California, Pennsylvania, and the Mississippi River valley. The teams were the Los Angeles Kings, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, and St. Louis Blues. Three years later, the NHL added the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres. In 1972, the World Hockey Association was formed, and though it never challenged for the Stanley Cup, the WHA's status as a potential rival to the NHL did not go unnoticed. In response, the NHL decided to rush its own expansion plans in 1972 by adding the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames (which became the Calgary Flames in 1980) to forestall WHA franchises in newly constructed arenas in those markets, followed by the addition of the Kansas City Scouts (which became the Colorado Rockies in 1976 before becoming the New Jersey Devils in 1982) and Washington Capitals two years later.[11] The two leagues fought for the rights of players and fans until the WHA folded in 1979 as part of an agreement whereby four of the remaining six WHA teams would enter the NHL as expansion teams: the Hartford Whalers (the Carolina Hurricanes since 1997), Québec Nordiques (the Colorado Avalanche since 1995), Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets (the Phoenix Coyotes since 1996).[12] With the expansion in 1974, the NHL was aligned into 2 conferences. These conferences, Campbell (representing the west) and Wales (representing the east) each had 2 divisions. The Campbell's divisions were the Smythe and Norris; while the Wales' divisions were the Adams and Patrick. This changed in 1993 when the NHL was realigned into geographical conferences (East & West), divided into 3 divisions. The Eastern Conference currently consists of the Atlantic, Southeast, and Northeast while the Western is made up of the Central, Northwest, and Pacific. Reasons for realignment include further expansion into the U.S. and efforts to expand the NHL's breadth of audience. After a period of stability in the 1980s, the NHL further expanded with nine new franchises in ten years. The San Jose Sharks entered in 1991; a season later the Ottawa Senators would return to the NHL along with the addition of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 1993, the league added two additional teams, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers. Next came the Nashville Predators in 1998, the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, and then the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000, bringing the total to 30 teams. [edit] Labour issues History of the NHL National Hockey League Founding (1917–1942) Original Six (1942–1967) 1967 NHL Expansion (1967) Expansion era (1967–1992) Modern era (1992–present) Ice hockey portal · v • d • e There have been three league-wide work stoppages in NHL history, all happening between 1992 and 2005. The first was a strike by the National Hockey League Players Association in April 1992 which lasted for 10 days, but the strike was settled quickly and all affected games were rescheduled.[13] A lockout at the start of the 1994–95 season forced the league to reduce the schedule from 84 games to just 48, with the teams playing only intra-conference games during the reduced season.[13] The resulting collective bargaining agreement was set for renegotiation in 1998 and extended to September 15, 2004.[14] With no new agreement in hand when the existing contract expired on September 15, 2004, league commissioner Gary Bettman announced a lockout of the players union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.[14] The lockout shut down the league for 310 days, the longest in sports history; the NHL was the first professional sports league to lose an entire season.[14] The league vowed to install what it dubbed "cost certainty" for its teams, but the NHL Players Association countered that the move was little more than a euphemism for a salary cap, which the union initially said it would not accept. A new collective bargaining agreement was ratified in July 2005 with a term of six years with an option of extending the collective bargaining agreement for an additional year at the end of the term, allowing the NHL to resume as of the 2005–06 season.[14] On October 5, 2005, the first post-lockout NHL season took to the ice with 15 games, and consequently all 30 teams. Of those 15 games, 11 were in front of sell-out crowds.[15] The NHL received record attendance in the 2005–06 season. 20,854,169 fans, an average of 16,955 per game, was a 1.2% increase over the previous mark held in the 2001–02 season.[16] Also, the Montreal Canadiens,Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and the Vancouver Canucks sold out all of their home games;[16][17] all six Canadian teams played to 98% capacity or better at every home game.[16] 24 of the 30 clubs finished even or ahead of their 2003–04 mark. The Pittsburgh Penguins had the highest increase at 33%, mainly because of 18-year-old first overall draft pick Sidney Crosby.[16][18] After losing a season to a labour dispute in 2005, attendance figures for League teams have returned to solid ground; but the League's TV audience has not because of ESPN's decision to drop the sport from its schedule. The NHL League's current agreement with NBC gives the sport a share of revenue from each game's advertising sales, rather than the usual lump sum paid up front for game rights. The NHL is estimated to earn annual revenue of around $2.27 billion[19]. [edit] Game Original NHL logo, used before 2005. A version of the logo features it in the likeness of a hockey puck. Original NHL logo, used before 2005. A version of the logo features it in the likeness of a hockey puck. Los Angeles Kings' Mike Weaver battling for the puck against Calgary Flames' Daymond Langkow, December 21, 2005. Los Angeles Kings' Mike Weaver battling for the puck against Calgary Flames' Daymond Langkow, December 21, 2005. Main article: Ice hockey Each National Hockey League regulation game is an ice hockey game played between two teams and is 60 minutes long. The game is composed of three 20-minute periods with an intermission of either 15½ or 17 minutes (if nationally televised) between periods.[20] Television timeouts are taken at the first stoppage of play after 6, 10, and 14 minutes of elapsed time unless there is a power play or the first stoppage is the result of a goal. In these cases, the timeout will occur at the first stoppage after the penalty expires or the next stoppage after the goal, respectively. At the end of the 60-minute regulation time, the team with the most goals wins the game. If a game is tied after regulation time, overtime ensues. During the regular season, overtime is a five-minute, four-player on four-player sudden-death period, in which the first team to score a goal wins the game. Until the 2005–06 season, if no team was able to score in the five-minute overtime, the game ended in a tie. Beginning in the 2005–06 season, if the game is still tied at the end of overtime, the game enters a shootout. Three players for each team in turn take a penalty shot. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. If the game is still tied after the three shootout rounds, the shootout continues but becomes sudden death. Whichever team ultimately wins the shootout is awarded a goal in the game score and thus awarded two points in the standings. The losing team in overtime or shootout is awarded only one. Shootout goals and saves are not tracked in hockey statistics; shootout statistics are tracked separately. Shootouts do not occur during the playoffs. In the playoffs, sudden-death 20-minute five-on-five periods are played until one team scores. While a game could theoretically continue forever, only four games have reached five overtime periods, two have reached six, and none have gone beyond six.[21] There are no television timeouts during playoff overtime periods; the only break is to clean the loose ice at the first stoppage after the period is halfway finished.[22] [edit] Hockey rink Diagram of an NHL hockey rink:1. penalty boxes2. team benches3. scorekeepers' area. Diagram of an NHL hockey rink: 1. penalty boxes 2. team benches 3. scorekeepers' area. Main article: Hockey rink National Hockey League games are played on an oblong hockey rink, similar to a rectangle with rounded corners, and surrounded by a wall. It measures 25.91 by 60.92 metres (85 by 200 ft) in the NHL,[23] while international standards call for a rink measuring 29–30 metres by 60–61 metres (95.14–98.43 ft by 196.85–200.13 ft). The center line divides the ice in half,[24] and is used to judge icing violations. There are two blue lines that divide the rink roughly into thirds, which divide the ice into two attacking and one neutral zone.[24] Near the end of both ends of the rink, there is a thin red goal line spanning the width of the ice, which is used to judge goals and icing calls. Starting in the 2005–2006 season, after testing in the American Hockey League, a trapezoidal area behind each goal net has been introduced.[25] The goaltender can only play the puck within that area or in front of the goal line; if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line and not in the trapezoidal area, a 2 minute minor penalty for delay of game is assessed by the referees.[26] [edit] Rules Main articles: National Hockey League rules While the National Hockey League follows the general rules of ice hockey, it differs slightly from those used in international games organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) such as the Olympics. Infractions of the rules can lead to either the stoppage of play in the case of offside and icing calls, or a penalty call for more serious infractions. During the 2004–05 lockout, the league changed some of the rules regarding being offside. First, the league removed the "offside pass" or "two-line pass" rule, which required a stoppage in play if a pass originating from inside a team's defending zone was completed on the offensive side of the center line, unless the puck crossed the line before the player.[27] Furthermore, the league reinstated the "tag-up offside" which allows an attacking player a chance to get back onside by returning to the neutral zone.[27] The changes to the offside rule were one of several rule changes intended to increase overall scoring,[27] which had been in decline since the expansion years of the mid-nineties. Another rule difference between the NHL and the IIHF rules concerns how icings are called. In the NHL, a linesman stops play due to icing if a defending player (other than the goaltender) touches the puck before an attacking player is able to,[28] in contrast to the IIHF rules where play is stopped the moment the puck crosses the goal line. As a result of the rule changes following the 2004–05 lockout, when a team is guilty of icing the puck they are not allowed to make a line change before the following faceoff.[28] The NHL and IIHF differ also in penalty rules. The NHL, in addition to the minor and double minor penalties called in IIHF games, calls major penalties which are more dangerous infractions of the rules, such as fighting, and have a duration of five minutes.[29] This is in contrast to the IIHF rule, in which players who fight are ejected from the game.[30] Usually a penalized team cannot replace a player that is penalized on the ice and is thus shorthanded for the duration of the penalty,[31] but if the penalties are coincidental, for example when two players fight, both teams remain at full strength. Also, unlike minor penalties, major penalties must be served to their full completion, regardless of number of goals scored during the power play.[31] The NHL and the NHLPA created a stringent anti-doping policy in the new CBA of September 2005. The policy provides for a 20-game penalty for a first positive test, 60 games for a second positive test, and a third offence resulting in a permanent ban.[32] [edit] Teams Devils Islanders Rangers Flyers Penguins Bruins Sabres Canadiens Senators Maple Leafs Thrashers Hurricanes Panthers Lightning Capitals Blackhawks Blue Jackets Red Wings Predators Blues Flames Avalanche Oilers Wild Canucks Ducks Stars Kings Coyotes Sharks The National Hockey League originated in 1917 with four teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and six in Canada. The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful franchise with 24 Stanley Cup championships; in the four major North American professional sports leagues the Montreal Canadiens are only surpassed in the number of championships by the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, who have two more. The next most successful franchise is the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 Stanley Cups, but they have not won a championship since 1967. The Detroit Red Wings, with 11 Stanley Cups, is the most successful American franchise. The longest streak of winning the Stanley Cup in consecutive years is five, held by the Montreal Canadiens from 1955–56 to 1959–60; the New York Islanders (1980–1983) and the Montreal Canadiens (1976–1979) have four-year championship streaks.[33] The 1977 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, the second of four straight Stanley Cup champions, was named by ESPN as the second greatest sports team of all-time.[34] Of all the major leagues in North America, the NHL is the only league to field teams that play in two countries' capital cities, Ottawa and Washington, DC The current league organization divides the teams into two conferences. Each conference has three divisions, and each division has five teams. The current organization has roots in the 1998–99 season where a league realignment added two divisions to bring the total number of divisions to six; the current team alignment began with the 2000–2001 season when the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets joined the league as expansion teams. Division Team City Arena Founded Joined NHL Eastern Conference Atlantic New Jersey Devils Newark, NJ Prudential Center 1974 New York Islanders Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum 1972 New York Rangers New York, NY Madison Square Garden 1926 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 1967 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena 1967 Northeast Boston Bruins Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden 1924 Buffalo Sabres Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena 1970 Montreal Canadiens Montreal, QC Bell Centre 1909 1917 Ottawa Senators Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place 1992 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 1917 Southeast Atlanta Thrashers Atlanta, GA Philips Arena 1999 Carolina Hurricanes Raleigh, NC RBC Center 1972 1979 Florida Panthers Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center 1993 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum 1992 Washington Capitals Washington, DC Verizon Center 1974 Western Conference Central Chicago Blackhawks Chicago, IL United Center 1926 Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena 2000 Detroit Red Wings Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena 1926 Nashville Predators Nashville, TN Sommet Center 1998 St. Louis Blues St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center 1967 Northwest Calgary Flames Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome 1972 Colorado Avalanche Denver, CO Pepsi Center 1972 1979 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton, AB Rexall Place 1972 1979 Minnesota Wild St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 2000 Vancouver Canucks Vancouver, BC General Motors Place 1970 Pacific Anaheim Ducks Anaheim, CA Honda Center 1993 Dallas Stars Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 1967 Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles, CA Staples Center 1967 Phoenix Coyotes Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena 1972 1979 San Jose Sharks San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose 1991 [edit] Season structure Stanley Cup, on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, is awarded to the league champion. Stanley Cup, on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, is awarded to the league champion. For more details on this topic, see Season structure of the NHL. See also: List of NHL seasons The National Hockey League season is divided into a regular season from the first week in October through early to mid April. Clubs play each other in a predefined schedule, and the Stanley Cup playoffs go from April to the beginning of June, which is an elimination tournament where two teams play against each other to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. The final remaining team is crowned the Stanley Cup champion. Beginning in 2007, the NHL regular season has begun in Europe while teams not involved complete their exhibition schedule. To begin the 2008-2009 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm, Sweden and the New York Rangers take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague, Czech Republic. In the regular season, each team plays 82 games; 41 games at home and 41 on the road. Currently, of the 82 games, teams play 32 games within their division (8 games against each team in the division), 40 games against non-divisional intra-conference opponents (4 games against each team in two other divisions of the same conference) and 10 inter-conference games (1 game against each team in two of the three divisions in the opposite conference).[35] The two divisions from the opposite conference which each team plays against are rotated every year, much like interleague play in Major League Baseball. Beginning with the 2008–2009 season the schedule will be altered so that each team plays every team in the other conference at least once (one game each against 12 teams and two games against the remaining 3 teams) with the number of games against each divisional opponent reduced to 6 and the number of games against non-divisional intra-conference opponents remaining unchanged at 4 each. Points are awarded for each game, where two points are awarded for a win, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation.[36] Among major professional sports leagues, the NHL is the only one to award a team points for losing in overtime. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion. The league's overall leader is awarded the Presidents' Trophy. The three division champions along with the five other teams in each conference with the next highest number of points, for a total of 8 teams in each conference, qualify for the playoffs. The division winners are seeded one through three (even if a non-division winner has a higher point total), and the next five teams with the best records in the conference are seeded four through eight.[37] The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament, where two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. The first round of the playoffs, or conference quarterfinals, consists of the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth.[37] In the second round, or conference semifinals, the NHL re-seeds the teams, with the top remaining conference seed playing against the lowest remaining seed, and the other two remaining conference teams pairing off. In the third round, the conference finals, the two remaining teams in each conference play each other, with the conference champions proceeding to the Stanley Cup Finals. In each round the higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the home-ice advantage. Four of the seven games are played at this team's home venue — the first and second, and, when necessary, the fifth and seventh games — with the other games played at the lower-ranked team's home venue. [edit] Trophies and awards Hart Memorial Trophy on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame Hart Memorial Trophy on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame Main article: National Hockey League awards The National Hockey League presents a number of trophies each year. The most prestigious team award is the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the league champion at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team that has the most points in the regular season is awarded the Presidents' Trophy. There are also numerous trophies that are awarded to players based on their statistics during the regular season; they include, among others, the Art Ross Trophy for the league scoring champion (goals and assists), the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy for the goal-scoring leader, and the William M. Jennings Trophy for the goalkeeper(s) for the team with the fewest goals against them.[38] For the 2006–07 season these statistics-based trophies were awarded to Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and, dually, Niklas Bäckström and Manny Fernandez of the Minnesota Wild respectively.[38] The other player trophies are voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association or the team general managers.[38] The most prestigious individual award is the Hart Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player; the voting is conducted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to judge the player who is the most valuable to his team during the regular season. The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the person deemed the best goalkeeper as voted on by the general managers of the teams in the NHL. The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top defenceman, the Calder Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player deemed to combine the highest degree of skill and sportsmanship; all three of these awards are voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto The Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto In addition to the regular season awards, the Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the most valuable player during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs. Furthermore, the top coach in the league wins the Jack Adams Award as selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The National Hockey League publishes the names of the top three vote getters for all awards, and then names the award winner during the NHL Awards Ceremony.[38] One interesting aspect for the trophies in the NHL is that the same trophy is reused every year for each of its awards. The Stanley Cup, much like its CFL counterpart, is unique in this aspect, as opposed to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Larry O'Brien Trophy, and Commissioner's Trophy, who have new ones made every year for that year's champion. Despite only one trophy being used, the names of the teams winning and the players are engraved every year on the Stanley Cup. The same can also be said for the other trophies reissued every year. Players, coaches, officials, and team builders who have had notable careers are eligible to be voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Players cannot enter until three years have passed since their last professional game, the shortest such time period of any major sport. One unique consequence has been Hall of Fame members (specifically, Gordie Howe, Guy Lafleur, and Mario Lemieux) coming out of retirement to play once more.[39] In the past, however, if a player was deemed significant enough, the pending period would be waived; only ten individuals have been honoured in this manner.[40] In 1999, Wayne Gretzky became the last player to have the three-year restriction waived,[40] and after Gretzky's induction, the NHL declared that he would be the last to have the waiting period omitted. [edit] Notable active players Wayne Gretzky in a New York Rangers uniform in 1997. Wayne Gretzky in a New York Rangers uniform in 1997. The Reigning Hart Trophy winner (Given to the league's most valuable player) is Alexander Ovechkin. The top five point scoring forwards in the 2007–08 season were Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla (all current Hart Trophy nominees), Pavel Datsyuk and Joe Thornton. The top goal scorer was Alexander Ovechkin with 65,[41] followed by Ilya Kovalchuk (52) and Jarome Iginla (50). The top four scoring defencemen were Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Gonchar, Mark Streit, and Brian Campbell[42] and the top goaltenders (by wins) were Evgeni Nabokov (46), Martin Brodeur (44), Miikka Kiprusoff (39), Henrik Lundqvist (37), and Cam Ward (37).[43] [edit] Origin of players In addition to Canadian and American players, who have historically composed a large majority of NHL players, the NHL draws players from all over the world. Since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, restrictions on the movement of hockey players from this region have lessened and there has been a large influx of European players into the NHL such as Alexander Ovechkin.[44] European players were drafted and signed by NHL teams in an effort to bring in more "skilled offensive players".[45] Although recently there has been a decline in European players as more American players enter the league.[46] The addition of European players changed the style of play in the NHL and European style hockey has been integrated in to the NHL game.[44] Conversely Canadian coaches and the Canadian style of play have been embraced by many European countries. Because of the continued success of Canadian teams in world tournaments many other countries are trying to model their development programs after Hockey Canada's. [47] In Winter Olympic years, the league voluntarily suspends its season so that NHL players can play in the Winter Olympics, representing their native countries (though this practice may end after the 2010 Winter Olympics).[48] Currently the NHL has players from 18 different countries, with the majority (52.0 percent during the 2007–08 NHL season) coming from Canada.[4] For more information about the origins of NHL players, see the list of NHL statistical leaders by country. [edit] Television and radio In Canada, National Hockey League games are aired nationally by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and The Sports Network (TSN). Regional games are broadcast by a number of networks including Rogers Sportsnet (RSN). French language games are broadcast by the Réseau des sports (RDS) and Réseau Info-Sports (RIS), but no longer is on Radio-Canada (the French-language counterpart of the CBC), which created a controversy in French-speaking Canada. The program Hockey Night in Canada, usually aired on Saturday nights on CBC, is a long-standing Canadian tradition since first airing on television in 1952,[49][50] and even prior to that on radio since the 1920s. During the playoffs, the CBC airs all games that involve Canadian teams and the Stanley Cup finals; TSN airs certain other games during the first three rounds. In the United States NHL games are aired nationally by Versus (previously the "Outdoor Life Network" and "OLN"), and by NBC.[51] NBC replaced the previous over-the-air network, ABC, and has a revenue-sharing agreement with the NHL. Versus replaced ESPN as the cable network; Comcast, which owns Versus, offered a two-year $120 million agreement, while ESPN offered a revenue sharing agreement.[51] In addition, select games are broadcast in high definition on the HDNet cable channel. Versus has about 20 million fewer subscribers than ESPN, but Comcast switched Versus from a digital tier to basic cable to make NHL games available to more cable subscribers.[51] For Versus the NHL coverage was a good addition as Versus' ratings grew by about 275% when it showed an NHL game,[51] but television ratings in the United States have seen record lows.[52] Versus posted a 0.4 rating for the 2006 playoffs while ESPN posted a 0.7 rating two years ago; NBC posted a rating of 1.1, compared to ABC's 1.5 rating two years ago.[53] The 2007 Stanley Cup Finals were the lowest rated in the United States in history. As a whole, the television ratings on NBC were down 20% from last year's series[54], with Game 3's coverage on NBC garnering a mere 1.1 rating[55] (approximately 1,205,600 households), making it the lowest rated prime-time broadcast in the network's history. However, coverage in Canada on CBC pulled in 2,608,000, 2,378,000, and 2,553,000 (for Games 1, 2, and 3 respectively), slightly higher than their numbers for the first three games in 2006. Comparatively, in 1994, when the New York Rangers were involved, game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals posted a rating of 5.2.[56] Although 2007 saw low Stanley Cup Finals ratings, the 2008 series between Detroit and Pittsburgh drew one of the highest Stanley cup ratings ever with strong 4.4 as the high overnight rating. XM Satellite Radio is the official satellite radio broadcaster of the NHL, as of July 1, 2007.[57] Between September 2005 and June 2007, the NHL's broadcasting rights were shared with both XM and Sirius Satellite Radio and were broadcast on just Sirius before the NHL lockout. XM used to broadcast more than 80% of NHL games, including all the play-offs and finals. Starting with the 2007–08 season, XM broadcasts every game. Outside of North America, NHL games are broadcast across Europe on NASN (North American Sports Network) which takes feeds from Versus, FSN, TSN and CBC (including Hockey Night in Canada), and MSG. Games can also be seen in the UK on Five. [edit] Popularity The NHL is considered one of the four major professional sports leagues in the USA, along with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. Hockey has the smallest total fan base of the four leagues, the smallest revenue from television, and the least sponsorship. In contrast, hockey is the most popular of these four major sports in Canada. The NHL fan base is also the most affluent and well educated of the four.[58] NHL season ticket prices have traditionally been higher (given the number of games per season) than the other sports.[58] [edit] See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to: National Hockey League * Index of Professional Sports teams in the United States and Canada * List of TV markets and major sports teams * Major North American professional sports leagues * Heritage Classic * NHL Winter Classic * List of Black ice hockey players * List of Latino ice hockey players [edit] References * Chi-Kit Wong, John (2005). Lords of the Rinks. ISBN 0–8020–8520–2. * Coleman, Charles (1966–1969). Trail of the Stanley Cup, vols. 1–3. * Holzman, Morey; Joseph Nieforth (2002). Deceptions and Doublecross. ISBN 1–55002–413–2. * Holzman, Morey; Joseph Nieforth (2002). Deceptions and doublecross : how the NHL conquered hockey. Toronto, ON, Canada: Dundurn Press. ISBN 1–55002–413–2. * McFarlane, Brian (1997). Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing Inc. ISBN 1–57167–145–5. * National Hockey League (2005). "2005–06 NHL Official Rules". NHL.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-10. "NBA" redirects here. For other uses, see NBA (disambiguation). National Basketball Association Current season or competition: 2008-09 NBA season NBA logo depicting Jerry West Sport Basketball Founded 1946 Commissioner David Stern No. of teams 30 Country(ies) Flag of the United States United States Flag of Canada Canada Most recent champion(s) Boston Celtics Most championships Boston Celtics (17) TV partner(s) ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV Official website NBA.com The National Basketball Association (NBA) is North America's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of thirty teams from Canada and the USA. It is an active member[1] of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, which also includes the NHL, the NFL, and MLB. The league was founded in New York City, on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey. Contents [hide] * 1 History o 1.1 1940s and 1950s: The early years o 1.2 1960s: Celtics dynasty o 1.3 1970s: The NBA vs. the ABA o 1.4 1980s: Magic vs. Bird o 1.5 1990s: The Jordan Era and globalization o 1.6 2000s: Post-Jordan Western Conference domination + 1.6.1 The international influence + 1.6.2 Other developements * 2 Teams o 2.1 Defunct teams * 3 Regular season * 4 Playoffs * 5 Recent problems o 5.1 Criminal activity, possible gang-related behavior o 5.2 Alleged corruption * 6 Notable people o 6.1 Presidents and commissioners o 6.2 Players o 6.3 Coaches * 7 Awards * 8 See also * 9 Notes * 10 External links [edit] History [edit] 1940s and 1950s: The early years Further information: List of NBA seasons The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeast and Midwest United States. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers which the NBA now regards as the first game played in the league's history.[3] Although there had been earlier attempts at professional basketball leagues, including the American Basketball League and the National Basketball League, the BAA was the first league to attempt to play primarily in large arenas in major cities. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won its 1948 title, followed by the 1948 NBL champion Minneapolis Lakers who won the 1949 BAA title. On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to merge with the NBL, expanding the National Basketball Association to seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as large arenas and smaller gymnasiums and armories. In 1950, the NBA consolidated to eleven franchises, a process that continued until 1954, when the league reached its smallest size of eight franchises, all of which are still in the league (the Knicks, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Royals/Kings, Pistons, Hawks, and Nationals/76ers). While contracting, the league also saw its smaller city franchises move to larger cities. The Hawks shifted from "Tri-Cities" (the area now known as the Quad Cities) to Milwaukee (in 1951) and then to St. Louis (in 1955); the Royals from Rochester to Cincinnati (in 1957); and the Pistons from Fort Wayne to Detroit (in 1957). In 1960, the Lakers relocated to Los Angeles, and the Warriors moved to San Francisco, in 1963. The following year, the Nationals left upstate New York to bring basketball back to Philadelphia, changing their nickname from "Nationals" to "76ers." This means out of the original eight franchises, only the Knicks and Celtics have not relocated at any point. Although Japanese-American Wataru Misaka technically broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947-48 season when he played for the New York Knicks, 1950 is recognized as the year the NBA integrated with the addition of African American players by several teams including Chuck Cooper with the Boston Celtics, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton with the New York Knicks, and Earl Lloyd with the Washington Capitols. Today, more than fifty years later, over 80% of NBA players are African American. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships and established themselves as the league's first dynasty. To encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. If a team does not attempt to score a field goal (or the ball doesn't make contact with the rim) within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped and the ball given to its opponent. In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league in 1959 and became the dominant individual star of the 1960s, setting new records in scoring (100) and rebounding (55). Russell's rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the great individual rivalries in the history of American team sports. [edit] 1960s: Celtics dynasty Through this period, the NBA continued to strengthen with the shift of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco, and the Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia, as well as the addition of its first expansion franchises. The Chicago Packers (now Washington Wizards) became the 9th NBA team in 1961. From 1966 to 1968, the league expanded from nine teams to fourteen, introducing the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Rockets (who relocated to Houston four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns. Then in the 1970s, it was extended to seventeen teams as the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) all made their debuts. In 1967, the league faced a new external threat with the formation of the American Basketball Association. The leagues engaged in a bidding war. The NBA landed the most important college star of the era, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), who together with Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in his second season, and who later played on five Laker championship teams. However, the NBA's leading scorer, Rick Barry jumped to the ABA, as did four veteran referees—Norm Drucker, Earl Strom, John Vanak, and Joe Gushue. [edit] 1970s: The NBA vs. the ABA The American Basketball Association also succeeded in signing a number of major stars, including Julius Erving, in part because it allowed teams to sign college undergraduates. The NBA expanded rapidly during this period, one purpose being to tie up the most viable cities. From 1966 to 1974, the NBA grew from nine franchises to 18; the New Orleans Jazz (now in Utah) came aboard in 1974. Then, following the 1976 season, the leagues reached a settlement that provided for the addition of four ABA franchises to the NBA, raising the number of franchises in the league at that time to 22. The franchises were the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and New York Nets. Some of the biggest stars of this era were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, Dan Issel and Pete Maravich. [edit] 1980s: Magic vs. Bird The league added the ABA's innovative three-point field goal beginning in 1979 to open up the game. That same year, rookies Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson joined the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers respectively, initiating a period of significant growth in fan interest in the NBA throughout the country and the world. Bird went on to lead the Celtics to three titles, and Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to five. Also in the early '80s, the NBA added one more expansion franchise, the Dallas Mavericks, bringing the total to 23 teams. [edit] 1990s: The Jordan Era and globalization Michael Jordan entered the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, providing an even more popular star to support growing interest in the league. This resulted in more cities demanding teams of their own. In 1988 and 1989, four cities got their wishes as the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debuts. Globalization also occurred in the 1980s. A growing number of NBA star players also began coming from other countries. Initially, many of these players, such as 1994 NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, first played NCAA basketball to enhance their skills. In 1991, Susan O'Malley became the first female president of an NBA franchise, when she became the president of the Washington Bullets. Jordan, along with Scottie Pippen would lead the Bulls to six championships in eight years during the 1990s. Olajuwon won back-to-back titles with the Houston Rockets in '94 and '95. The 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team, the first to use current NBA stars, featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Christian Laettner. In 1995, the NBA expanded to Canada and to 29 teams with the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies. In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies were relocated to Memphis, which left the Toronto Raptors as the only Canadian team in the NBA. In 1996, the NBA created a women's league, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In 1998, the NBA owners began a lockout which lasted 191 days and was settled on January 18, 1999. As a result of this lockout the 1998-99 NBA season was reduced from 82 to 50 games. Since these games were all played in the same year, the season is known as the 1999 NBA season. San Antonio won the championship on June 25th by beating the New York Knicks. In 2004, two years after the Hornets relocation to New Orleans, the NBA returned to North Carolina as the Charlotte Bobcats were formed. [edit] 2000s: Post-Jordan Western Conference domination Since the break-up of the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference has dominated the NBA, winning 7 of 10 championships. Tim Duncan and David Robinson won a championship in 1999 with the San Antonio Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s off with the three straight championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs won it again 2003 against the Nets, with the Lakers returning to the Finals in the following year, only to fall to the Detroit Pistons (the only championship team from 1998 to 2007 not including either Tim Duncan or Shaquille O'Neal). In the off-season, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, and the Lakers and Bryant did not win another playoff series until 2008. San Antonio won their third championship in 2005 with a nucleus of Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and Duncan. In 2006, O'Neal won title number four with the Miami Heat, giving the franchise its first championship. San Antonio then swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, giving them four titles in nine years. Before the 2007-08 season tipped off, the Boston Celtics, fresh off of one of the worst seasons in the franchise's history, made bold moves by acquiring Kevin Garnett from Minnesota and Ray Allen from Seattle to complement captain Paul Pierce. The moves immediately made the last place Celtics into a title contender for the first time in decades. As the season rolled on and the Celtics began dominating all their opponents, other teams reacted by pulling off major trades of their own, with the Lakers, the Suns, and the Mavericks all trading for major stars (Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jason Kidd respectively). After a competitive regular season and playoffs, the 2008 NBA Finals saw a rematch of the league's highest profile rivalry, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. In six games, the Celtics completed the league's biggest single season turnaround by defeating the Lakers and winning the franchise's 17th championship, their first since 1986. [edit] The international influence An increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA, such as: * Leandro Barbosa, Brasil - 2007 Sixth Man Award winner * Andrea Bargnani, Italy — First pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors (entered the NBA in 2006) * Pau Gasol, Spain — 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year and 2006 World Championships MVP (entered the NBA in 2001) * Manu Ginobili, Argentina — 2004 Olympic Tournament MVP and 2008 Sixth Man Award winner (drafted in 1999, entered the NBA in 2002) * Andrei Kirilenko, Russia — EuroBasket 2007 MVP (drafted in 1999, entered the NBA in 2001) * Dirk Nowitzki, Germany — MVP of the 2002 World Championships and Eurobasket 2005, and 2007 NBA MVP (entered the NBA in 1998) * Tony Parker, France — 2007 NBA Finals MVP (entered the NBA in 2001) * Peja Stojakovic, Serbia — Eurobasket 2001 MVP (drafted in 1996, entered the NBA in 1998) * Yao Ming, China — First pick in the 2002 NBA Draft (entered the NBA in 2002) On some occasions, young players from the English-speaking world have attended U.S. colleges before playing in the NBA (notable examples are Canadian Steve Nash, 2005 and 2006 MVP, and Australian Andrew Bogut, the top draft pick in 2005), while other international players generally come to the NBA from professional club teams. Currently, the Toronto Raptors have the most international players in the NBA. The NBA is now televised in 212 nations in 42 languages. [edit] Other developements In 2001, an affiliated minor league, the National Basketball Development League, now called the NBA Development League (or D-League) was created. Before the league was started, there was strong rumors that the NBA would purchase the CBA, and call it its developmental league, as the Continental Basketball Association was its "minor league" affiliate for years. Raptors Celtics Nets Knicks 76ers Bulls Cavaliers Pistons Pacers Bucks Hawks Bobcats Heat Magic Wizards Mavericks Rockets Grizzlies Hornets Spurs Nuggets Timberwolves Trail Blazers NBA Oklahoma City Jazz Warriors Kings Suns Clippers Lakers On June 29, 2006, a new official game ball was introduced for the 2006-07 season, marking the first change to the ball in over 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons. Manufactured by Spalding, the new ball featured a new design and new synthetic material that Spalding claimed offered a better grip, feel, and consistency than the original ball. However, many players were vocal in their disdain for the new ball, saying that it was too sticky when dry, and too slippery when wet. On December 11, 2006, Commissioner Stern announced that beginning January 1, 2007, the NBA would return to the traditional leather basketball in use prior to the 2006-2007 season. The change was influenced by frequent player complaints and confirmed hand injuries (cuts) caused by the microfiber ball.[4] The Players' Association had filed a suit in behalf of the players against the NBA over the new ball.[5] As of 2006, the NBA team jerseys are manufactured by Adidas, which purchased the previous supplier, Reebok. On July 19, 2007, the FBI investigated allegations that veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy bet on basketball games he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games.[6] On August 15, 2007, Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the investigation. However, he could face more charges if it is determined that he deliberately miscalled individual games. On February 19, 2008, the NBA declared that the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets will play the first outdoor game on October 11, 2008, at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It will be the first outdoor game in the modern era of the NBA. In June 2008, it was announced that the Seattle SuperSonics will play under a new name at Oklahoma City beginning in the 2008-2009 season, effectively leaving the city of Seattle. The team became the third NBA franchise to relocate in the past decade. [edit] Teams The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, reductions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada. The Boston Celtics have won the most championships, including the most recent, with 17 NBA F (less)