Robinson sparks Celtics to 100-75 rout of Nets
The Celtics were going through their final warm-ups prior to facing the Nets on Sunday when All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo walked over to head coach Doc Rivers to give him the bad news. “It was literally about two seconds before the game was going to start,” Rivers said of when he learned that Rondo couldn’t play through hamstring and foot injuries.
Read more on AP via Yahoo! Sports
Stan Van Gundy, former headcoach Miami Heat
Image by dbking
Stan Van Gundy
College – SUNY-Brockport
In just two years as an NBA head coach, Stan Van Gundy's list of accomplishments is quite impressive and continues to grow rapidly. Since being named the fifth head coach in franchise history and taking over the reigns from HEAT President Pat Riley on Oct. 24, 2003, Van Gundy has guided Miami to two postseason berths, a Southeast Division championship, 101 regular season wins and 17 postseason victories. The 17 postseason victories rank third in the NBA over the two-year period and the 101 regular season wins stand as the fifth highest mark in the league. Additionally, in each of his two years as a head coach he has guided the HEAT to a 17-win improvement over the previous season, making him only the second coach in NBA history to lead his team to at least 15-win improvements in consecutive years.
Following a legend in any business is tough, and in coaching circles there are few that measure up to Riley, a sure Hall-of-Famer. Van Gundy, however, has rewarded Riley's confidence in him and is developing his own legacy. In his two seasons he has guided two vastly different rosters and led each of those teams to at least the conference semifinals, only the third and fourth times in franchise history that the HEAT has advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs and the first time it has been accomplished in consecutive years. Last season he took the HEAT a step further, guiding Miami to the Eastern Conference Finals for only the second time in the team's history and came within several minutes of reaching the finals. His .607 postseason winning percentage ranks 10th on the NBA's all-time list and fourth among active coaches. Van Gundy's 17 postseason wins rank second on Miami's all-time list, one behind Riley, and both his postseason and regular season (.616) winning percentages rank first in HEAT history. He has also guided Miami to its only two four-game postseason sweeps, eliminating both New Jersey and Washington in four games during the magical 2005 postseason run. The eight consecutive postseason victories established a franchise record.
His regular season success during the first half of the 2004-05 season earned him the honor of being named the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game in Denver. Van Gundy was the first Miami HEAT coach to serve as an All-Star head coach and guided the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 10-point victory.
After an outstanding rookie year in which he took a team that had won 25 games the previous year, and with a couple of key additions, turned it into a 42-win playoff team, expectations where high for Van Gundy and the HEAT for the 2004-05 season. Those expectations rose even higher after Riley pulled off a blockbluster trade acquiring All-Star Shaquille O'Neal. Van Gundy once again proved up to the challenge leading the HEAT, with 11 new players during the 2004-05 season, to a 59-23 record and earning the top record in the Eastern Conference. The 59 wins marked the second-best single-season total in franchise history and allowed the HEAT to capture the inaugural Southeast Division title by a whopping 14 games over its next closest competitor, the largest margin for any division winner in the NBA in 2004-05. In fact the 14-win edge over the second place division finisher was the largest in the NBA since the Chicago Bulls won the Central Division by 20 games over its next closest competitor in the 1995-96 season. One of the keys to Miami's success in 2004-05 was dominating its division rivals. The HEAT posted a 15-1 record and .938 winning percentage against Southeast Division foes, setting an NBA record in the process for best divisional record. The HEAT tied eventual NBA champion San Antonio for the second best overall record in the NBA in 2004-05. Miami's 35-6 mark at home was the best in the Eastern Conference and second best in the league while its 24-17 road mark topped the Eastern Conference and ranked fifth in the league.
A three-time Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in his two seasons, Van Gundy received the league honor twice during the 2004-05 campaign. It didn't take long for Miami's new additions to accept the coach's philosophy and produce positive results. Van Gundy was tabbed the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in December after guiding the HEAT to a 14-1 record. The 14 wins and .933 winning percentage each set franchise records for a single month. Van Gundy also grabbed the honor in March after directing the HEAT to a 12-3 mark. Major winning streaks played a huge part in Van Gundy earning the monthly honors. The HEAT went on a franchise-record 14-game winning streak from Dec. 6-Jan. 1 and reeled off 12 straight victories from Feb. 26-Mar. 19. In the process, Van Gundy's HEAT became the first Eastern Conference team with a pair of double-digit winning streaks in the same season since the 1995-96 NBA champion Chicago Bulls.
Although he has always emphasized defense first, Van Gundy also stressed the importance of teamwork and shot selection on the offensive end. During the 2004-05 campaign, the HEAT set a franchise-record by shooting 48.6 percent from the floor as a team, a +.061 improvement over the 2003-04 season. The +.061 improvement was easily tops in the league nearly doubling the next best improvement. Twelve of Miami's 14 players with at least one year of NBA experience improved their shooting percentage from the previous season, with five of those players establishing career highs. The effort translated on the scoreboard as the HEAT set a team record with 50 100-point games. Defensively the team still remained one of the league's best ranking first in blocked shots, fourth in field goal percentage defense and eighth in fewest points allowed per game.
Always known throughout the league for his work ethic and attention to detail, Van Gundy was put to the test early in his initial season after Riley decided to step down before the start of the season and give the team a new look. Although the announcement on October 24, 2003 might have come as a shock to most, the well-prepared Van Gundy was ready to tackle the challenge. He had spent the previous eight years, including six as the team's assistant head coach, sitting on the HEAT bench next to Riley, who ranks third all-time in NBA coaching victories. Despite a rash of injuries early and an unforgiving schedule which saw the HEAT drop its first seven contests, Van Gundy never panicked and showed the poise of a veteran as he guided the HEAT in the right direction and a 42-40 regular season mark. The 42 victories tied him with his predecessor Riley for the most by an individual in his first season as a HEAT head coach.
Van Gundy's inaugural season as a head coach resulted in Miami's first playoff berth in three years. In the process the HEAT became just the fourth team since the NBA went to its current playoff format in 1983-84 to make the playoffs after starting the season with at least seven consecutive losses. He guided Miami to a 17-win improvement over the previous season, the second best single-season improvement in franchise history and the fourth best in the NBA from the 2002-03 season to the 2003-04 campaign. Not only did Van Gundy lead his team into the playoffs, but by virtue of its 17-4 record over the final 21 games of the 2003-04 season, the HEAT finished second in the Atlantic Division and with the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, earning Miami homecourt advantage in its Opening Round playoff series against New Orleans.
In the postseason the HEAT defeated New Orleans, 4-3, in the Opening Round, making Van Gundy just the fourth rookie head coach in NBA history to win a decisive seventh game joining Paul Westphal (1993), Jerry West (1977) and Joe Mullaney (1970). He led the HEAT to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for just the third time in franchise history, before being eliminated in six games by the Indiana Pacers, the team which registered the best record in the NBA during the 2003-04 campaign. Along the way the HEAT won a franchise-record six consecutive home playoff games.
Individually, Van Gundy won Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors for March 2004 after leading the HEAT to an Eastern Conference best 12-3 record for the month. Miami entered the month of March ten games under .500 (25-35) and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings and closed the month one game under .500 (37-38) and in a three-way tie for fourth place. The 12 victories Van Gundy guided Miami to at the time tied for the second highest monthly total in HEAT history, one shy of the franchise record set in February of 1998 (13-2). The club also won a season-high seven consecutive games from Mar. 12-26, Miami's longest winning streak since a seven-game winning streak from Mar. 28-Apr. 9, 2000. The seven-game winning streak gave Van Gundy the franchise's longest winning streak by a head coach in his first season guiding the HEAT.
Two areas that Van Gundy has continually stressed that the HEAT need to be strong in are on the defensive end of the floor and at home. His teams have delivered in both areas. The HEAT has finished eighth in scoring defense in both years under Van Gundy, marking ten consecutive years Miami has placed in the top 10 in the league. Under Van Gundy the HEAT have returned as one of the more dominant homecourt teams in the NBA. After recording a combined 34 victories at home during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, Miami has won 78 percent of its regular season games played at the AmericanAirlines Arena under Van Gundy, producing a 64-18 home mark. Included among the 64 wins is a franchise-record 18-game home winning streak from Jan. 21, 2005-Apr. 5, 2005. The HEAT finished 35-6 at home during the 2004-05 regular season to set a franchise record for home victories in a season. In Van Gundy's first season the HEAT finished with a 29-12 record at home. The 29 victories are tied for the fourth best single-season mark in franchise history. The HEAT's 29 home victories during the 2003-04 season were 13 more than the previous year, easily smashing its previous best improvement over an 82-game season. In postseason play, Van Gundy's teams have produced a 12-3 home record, including a franchise-record six-game home winning streak during the 2004 Playoffs.
The 46-year-old Van Gundy came to the HEAT in 1995 after serving as head coach at the University of Wisconsin. Before his tenure as the head coach with the Badgers, he was an assistant at UW under current NBA Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Stu Jackson. Van Gundy began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Vermont, 1981-83, and was head coach at Castleton State College (VT) for three seasons. After assistant coaching stints at Canisius College in 1987 and Fordham University in 1988, Van Gundy was named head coach at Massachusetts-Lowell and spent four seasons there before being hired at Wisconsin. In eight years as a college head coach, Van Gundy compiled a record of 135-92 (.535).
A native of Indio, CA, the affable Van Gundy has been around the game of basketball his entire life. Growing up he often went on scouting trips with his father, Bill, a successful college coach, and went on to become a star guard at Alhambra High School. He played in college for his father at SUNY-Brockport, where he was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the entire SUNY system as a senior. Van Gundy graduated from SUNY-Brockport in 1981 with a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Physical Education. His father also served as head basketball coach at Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y before retiring and moving down to Florida. Jeff Van Gundy, Stan's younger brother and current head coach of the Houston Rockets, is entering his tenth year as an NBA head coach. Prior to taking over the coaching reigns of the Rockets in 2003, Jeff was the head coach of the New York Knicks from 1996-2001, where he also worked under the tutelage of Pat Riley from 1991-95. On Nov. 11, 2003, Stan and Jeff Van Gundy became just the second pair of brothers to face one another as NBA head coaches joining Herb and Larry Brown who first accomplished the feat in 1977.
Van Gundy, an avid baseball fan, resides in Miami with his wife Kim and their four children, Shannon (14), Michael (11), Alison (9) and Kelly (6).
Ric Flair – Caesars Palace Casino – Las Vegas
Image by Kaloozer
See more at www.kalooz.com
Follow Kalooz on YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheKaloozer and on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kalooz
“Believe in MAGIC!!!! – BEAT the LAKERS”~
Image by turtlemom4bacon
I drove by the RDV Sportsplex the other day where the NBA – ORLANDO MAGIC practice basketball. They are in the payoffs for the second time in francise history.
They are playing the Los Angeles Lakers.
This "statue" (approximately 8 feet tall) is at the entrance to the Sportsplex which is rather cool.
I especially like the stethoscope and Doctor’s kit 
~
***** GO MAGIC!!!!!!!!!! *****
Please view on the LARGER sizes ~
Orlando Magic ~
Wikipedia
Conference Eastern Conference
Division Southeast Division
Founded 1989
History Orlando Magic
1989–present
Arena Amway Arena
City Orlando, Florida
Team colors Blue, black, white, silver
Owner(s) Orlando Magic, Ltd., a subsidiary of RDV Sports, Inc.
General manager Otis Smith
Head coach Stan Van Gundy
D-League affiliate Bakersfield Jam
Championships 0
Conference titles 2 (1995, 2009)
Division titles 4 (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009)
Official website www.orlandomagic.com
The Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy. The franchise was founded in 1989 as an expansion franchise and has had such notable NBA stars as Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Dwight Howard throughout its young history. The franchise has also been in the playoffs for more than half of their existence (11 playoff appearances in 20 years).
How do I tell Dad I'm dating Shaquille O'Neal? #whitegirlproblems – by LilliElGee (Lillian Gao)
RT @DaveDavisHockey: Tim Connolly just told the media his eye injury is from trying to imitate a Shaquille O'Neal dance move. http://bit.ly/dNP2Sm #Sabres – by gordwkr (Gordon Walker)
Whats everyone asking for Christmas?…I will be asking for a Shaquille O'Neal autographed copy of the hit movie Kazaam!!! – by SmackTalk_Radio (Sig Alph Smack Talk)
Shaquille O’Neal Trivia!
what are some estimated prices of shaquille o’neal basketball cards from 1995 to 1996.
they are inserts
Answer by Doin what i do best. (GO HEAT)™
dunno.
No comments:
Post a Comment