NBA: 12 months

NBA action all year round?! Possible! ...if you know the calendar.



Here it is...





SEPTEMBER: Training Camp


This is when players report back to their teams and start practice.



OCTOBER: NBA Pre-season


If the NBA was a play, then the pre-season is the rehearsal.



NOVEMBER: NBA season starts


It's game time!



DECEMBER: Christmas Games


The best teams, the best players, and the best match-ups usually play on Christmas Day.



JANUARY: All-Star Nominees


Expect a lot of highlight plays in this month because players are starting to market themselves in order to make the All-Star Game.

Quick Note: To be an all-star player, you'll have to get "voted-in" by the fans. More highlights equals more votes.



FEBRUARY: Trade deadline; All-Star Game


Blockbuster trades usually happen in this month.


You can also look forward to the following: Rookie Game, Three-Point Contest; Dunk Contest; and All-Star Game.

image taken from: NBA.com

MARCH and APRIL: March Madness, Jordan Brand Classic, and McDonald's All-American Games


March Madness is the college version of the NBA playoffs.


High School all stars can be seen playing in the Jordan Classic and McDonald's All-American games.


Why are these events important? Because they're the future NBA stars.

image taken from: mcdonaldsallamerican.com

MAY : NBA Playoffs


The real NBA season! This is where the championship begins. Clear your schedule. Every game counts here...



JUNE: NBA Finals and NBA Draft.


A new champion is crowned in this month.


You will also get to see which teams the rookies will play for in the NBA draft.



JULY: 'Free Agent' period.


Big name players can now sign new contracts with their old teams, new teams, or just retire...



AUGUST: International Competition


During the offseason, International NBA players usually compete for their countries in international tournaments like the Olympics, EuroBasket, and the Asian Championship games.

NBA: Then And Now

You wanna know the difference between your NBA and your dad's NBA?



Then let me take you back in time... to the early 70's... and we can make one or two stops in the 80's too...



Here we go… The 70's vs. The Millennium...




TEAMS


Then: 17 teams

Now: 30 teams




INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS


Then: 0

Now: 83





UNIFORMS


Then: Short shorts

Now: Knee-length shorts




SHOES


Then: Dominant shoe brand was Converse

Now: Nike, Adidas




CAR OF CHOICE


Then: Cadillac Eldorado

Now: Cadillac Escalade




HIGHLIGHT PLAY


Then: Finger Roll Lay-Up and Break-Away Dunk

Now: Reverse Lay-Up and Alley-Oop Dunk




TRAVEL


Then: Commercial Flight

Now: Private Plane




ACCOMMODATIONS


Then: 2 players per room

Now: 1 player per suite




ENTERTAINMENT


Then: BoomBox

Now: X-Box




TECHNOLOGY


Then: Hi-Fi

Now: Wi-Fi




LOCKER EQUIPMENT


Then: BlackBoard and bench

Now: WhiteBoard and personal recliner seats




FILM SESSION


Then: Reel to Reel

Now: DVD




REFEREES


Then: 2

Now: 3




CONTROVERSIAL PLAY


Then: settled by referee

Now: settled by video replay




TV COVERAGE


Then: USA only

Now: 200 plus countries




VIDEO CAMERAS


Then: 4 per game

Now: at least 21 per game




SHOT CLOCK


Then: on the floor

Now: on top of backboard




SCORE DISPLAY


Then: 2 scoreboards on opposite ends

Now: 1 Jumbotron hanging on top center court. See photo below:

Photo by: Bari D at Flickr




RIMS


Then: Breakable

Now: Shaq-proof




LARRY O'BRIEN


Then: Name of NBA commissioner

Now: Name of NBA trophy




PHIL JACKSON

Then: champion as a player

Now: champion as a coach




LINDSEY HUNTER


Then: New born baby

Now: Oldest player in the league (Chicago Bulls)




5 MILLION DOLLARS


Then: Team payroll in the 1980's

Now: This year's salary of Derek Fisher (L.A. Lakers)




ROAD TRIP ALLOWANCE


Then: $ 30 a day in the 1980's

Now: $ 110 a day

30 Teams: 30 Questions

Image by Gotzon on Deviant art

To make the NBA season more interesting… you have to ask yourself what each team or player is going through…

So many questions to ask but so little time to spare… that’s why I’ll list down one question per team…


ATLANTA HAWKS

Can the Hawks win at least 48 games?

If they do, they will own this record: Most consecutive years with increasing number of wins: 6.



BOSTON CELTICS

What will be their excuse if they lose this year?

Their excuse last year: Garnett was injured.



CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Can they beat the Dallas Mavericks?

Ever since they joined the league, they’ve defeated every team in the NBA except the Dallas Mavericks.


CHICAGO BULLS

Who’s the team leader?

Ben Gordon, their leading scorer last year, is now with the Detroit Pistons.


CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Is Shaquille O’Neal the solution to the problem?

Guarding Dwight Howard was the problem last year.


DALLAS MAVERICKS

Can Jason Kidd still play?

He’ll be 37 before the season ends. That’s old in NBA years.


DENVER NUGGETS

Can they make the Playoffs for the 7th year in a row?


DETROIT PISTONS

Are fans coming to the games this year?

Detroit led the league in game attendance.


GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Will the Warriors win 24 games this year?

If yes, then Don Nelson becomes the ‘coach with the most victories’.


HOUSTON ROCKETS

Who’s going to watch the Rockets play without Yao Ming?

Usually, when Yao Ming plays, 1 billion TV sets in China are tuned in to watch him play… but he’s out for the year (injury).



INDIANA PACERS

Can the kid play?

Experts are saying that rookie Tyler Hansbrough’s game… is not suited for the NBA.


LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Will Blake Griffin save the Clippers?


LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Will Ron Artest be a perfect fit to an already perfect team?


MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Will Allen Iverson stay retired? I don’t think so.


MIAMI HEAT

Who can stop Dwyane Wade?

NBA scoring leader: meaning no one in America could stop him. Olympics scoring leader: meaning no one in the world could stop him.


MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Is Brandon Jennings going to win Rookie of the Year?


MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Can Coach Rambis (former Lakers assistant) teach them to play like the Lakers?


NEW JERSEY NETS

Are they going to replace Sacramento Kings in the worst team department?


NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Is Chris Paul going to lead the NBA in assists… again?

He did so in the past two years.


NEW YORK KNICKS

Will they finally have a winning record?

They haven’t had one since the new millennium.


OKLAHOMA THUNDER

Will Kevin Durant get recognition and make it to the All-Star game?


ORLANDO MAGIC

Will they be last again in Free Throw Shooting?


PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Will they be last again in Three Point Shooting?


PHOENIX SUNS

Is the number 1 scoring team going to run out of fuel when the playoffs arrive?


PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

When will the real Greg Oden show up?

Greg Oden, the college player, used to be a menace on court…


SACRAMENTO KINGS

Can they beat a team from the East?

They played 30 games against Eastern Conference teams… and won only once!


SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Are they going down?

In the past 4 years, their number of ‘games won’ has been decreasing.


TORONTO RAPTORS

Will the streak finally end this season?

They have an on-going streak of making at least one 3-pointer a game for the past 10 years.


UTAH JAZZ

They did not do anything to improve their team; will they regret this move when the season ends?


WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Will they ever be healthy and stay healthy?

They have 3 superstars who don’t seem to play with each other coz 1 is always out with an injury… tough luck.