NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant

During his rookie NBA season, which occurred in 1996-1997, Kobe Bryant played in 71 games and started in six. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and became the youngest player to ever start an NBA game when he was 18 years, five months and five days of age. By the 1997-1998 season, Kobe Bryant was ready for action as the points just kept racking up at each game. During the 1998-1999 season, Bryant was named to the All-NBA Third Team. The following season, which was held from 1999-2000, found Kobe Bryant remaining atop of the mountain on the NBA players list. In addition to being named to the 1999-2000 All-NBA Second Team, he was also honored with the NBA All-Interview Second Team, the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was named the NBA Player of the Week from April 10-16, 2000.

By the time the 2000-2001 season rolled around, Kobe Bryant was a household name. After appearing in 68 games and averaging 28.5 points per game, Kobe ranked among the league leaders in scoring. In 2001-2002, Bryant played in a career-high 80 games, in which he averaged 25.2 points each and was again ranked among the league’s scoring leaders. In 2002, he was named as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game.

During the seasons that followed, Kobe Bryant continued to score points both on the court and in the hearts of NBA fans. With an average of 24 points per game in the 2003 season, Kobe was selected to the 2003-2004 All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team. The 2004-2005 season found Bryant on the All-NBA Third Team. In January 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game, which is the second All-Time in NBA history.

NBA Career Of Lebron James

In 2003, LeBron James was chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the first pick overall and has remained with the team that first introduced him into the NBA. During his rookies season, James started in 79 games and went on to become the youngest player to score 1,000 points in NBA history.

In 2004, LeBron James continued his love of basketball as he became a member of the 2004 United States Olympic Team, which went on to win the Bronze Medal. During the eight games that were played during the competition, LeBron averaged 5.4 points, 1 rebound and 1.6 assists.

During the 2004-2005 NBA season, LeBron James started in 80 games and was named All-NBA Second Team, which earned him the honor of being the youngest player in league history to be given All-NBA honors. His record-breaking streak continued as he surpassed the franchise record for points in a single season, became the youngest and second-fastest player to reach career numbers and became the second All-Star starter in Cavalier history.

Bynum Return Pushed Back To Playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers wait on Center Andrew Bynum and his injured knee. His return date has now been pushed back to (perhaps) the start of the NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers are desperate for help at their big-man positions, as their place atop the NBA's West is shaky at best without Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Bynum, who was expected to originally been back to the Lakers lineup by now, is still not fit for NBA action.

Team Officials are now saying that indications are, Bynum could be ready for the Playoffs. There will be no time to waste once the NBA Playoffs begin, and an Andrew Bynum that is not in NBA game-shape may be more a liability than help come playoff time. There really is not much the Los Angeles Lakers can do in that regard, and there needs to be patience while Bynum heals. Bynum is doing everything he can to rehabilitate his knee, which was temporarily dislocated to go with a deep bone bruise.

There is no doubt that a healthy Bynum and Gasol will make a huge difference in the Lakers' chances to make it to the NBA Finals. The prospect of facing the Phoenix Suns, with Shaquille O'Neal, or Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs without the Lakers' big-men will probably spell a playoff finish for Los Angeles.

Hall of Fame System In NBA

When you have that bar discussion if Mitch Richmond or Robert Horry belongs in the Hall-of-Fame, remember that answer is probably no. Several once sure-fire Famers aren't guaranteed anymore, not after Dominique Wilkins, 9-time all-star and former slam-dunk champ was skipped from the Hall last year. Gary Payton is in the same boat as Wilkins, and might not get into Springfield as quickly as he might have hoped. But why exactly did Wilkins get skipped?



Let's get one thing straight: the NBA has a Hall-of-Fame system might just be worse than Baseball's. For some reason, there is no "NBA Hall-of-Fame"; instead we get the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. The difference in this politically correct age that we live in is that nobody gives a damn about any basketball Hall, other than the one that the pros go in to. Now all factions of basketball greats go into just one Hall-of-Fame, so we notice some other stars, if only by accident.



It's a decent idea on paper, but you know it's a failure when Dominique Wilkins doesn't get in. The most bizarre portion of the Hall inductees is that they elect in everyone, even players who played in the Europe leagues. Of course, Wilkins played in the European leagues, but I guess that was missed somehow in the voting. Why exactly should we care about non-American athletes-I'm pretty sure they don't care about us. Tell me how a guy named Drazen Dalipagic can get in, and Dominique Wilkins cannot?


Casual fans will say that he might not deserve to get in because he never won a ring. Of course, that argument has to be nullified when you sit down and realize that Darko Milicic, Isaiah Rider and Tyrone Lue all have rings. Are you going to award a guy who's the 12th man on a championship team more than a great player who stuck with one lousy team? If you did, then welcome to the Hall Will Purdue.

NBA Players Are Broke After 5 Years of Retirement

Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat was in the news recently with a court document representing his annual income as well as his annual and monthly spending. The "Diesel" pays $156,000 a month just in rent and mortgages on the various properties he owns or leases and another $1500 just for his cable TV bills! Of course Shaq is on another level than most other NBA players with the simple fact that he pulls in $20 million a year in salary but this still shows you a great example of the kind of money players are capable of spending.

Remember former Chicago Bull, 6 time NBA Champion, Michael Jordan running mate and top 50 player of all-time Scottie Pippen? Just 2 years removed from retirement, Pippen was back in the news looking to make an NBA comeback to a team that was a title contender. NBA teams laughed at a Pippen return which was later rumored to be based on his poor financial standing. The rise and fall of Pippen was so drastic that he was seen overseas playing 2 games for Finnish powerhouse, Helsinki ToPo to make a little cash.

Besides the fact that players fork out all of this dough for houses, cars and cable bills you still can't forget that many of them have multiple children from multiple women. This is yet another expense that must be accounted for and child support is one of those bills that doesn't go away for at least 18 years. Again, you can see how 5 years removed from an NBA career with 2-3 child support payments a month and you could run out of millions pretty damn fast.