HOOP issue 28 10-11 Greatest Hits

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10-11 Greatest Hits

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10-11 GREATEST HITS

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The PoinT

Ming Wong #2 BONUS POINTS

1. Now Dwight Howard can wear the “S” and don the cape again.

2. To me, that would mean Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Hakeem

Olajuwon and Bill Russell.

3. The NBA didn’t officially track blocks until 1973-74 season, but it’s safe to assume that had they,

Wilt and Russ would be sitting at No. 1 and 2 in this category.

4. The Finals MVP trophy is now named in Russell’s honor, so you can imagine how many he

would’ve copped.

5. Please forgive me, fans of advanced metrics.

6. Wow, that was easy. But it gets harder.

7. An untouchable record. Actually, check that…

8. A truly untouchable record.

9. Yes, a bit of hyperbole.

10. Yes, a bit of a cop-out answer.

11. Assuming the duo stayed intact, my guess is six titles.

12. Greatest ever center? Quite possibly.

Now that’s he’s officially submitted his walking papers and put to bed all

his nicknames,1 where does Shaq rank in the pantheon of all-time great NBA

centers?2

Let’s start with hard facts and stats. Among the esteemed group, Shaq is third

in championships with four. He stands behind only Kareem and Wilt in points and

is tops in shooting percentage. Shaq finishes last in rebounds and presumably3

fifth in blocked shots. With just one MVP, he’s tied for last place. He does top

the list with three Finals MVPs, but keep in mind that award wasn’t given out until

1969.4 We could delve into deeper statistics,5 but we’ll keep this simple.

Let’s begin with Malone. Other than rebounds, there isn’t one other area that

Moses tops Shaq in. Shaq > Moses.6

Of all the centers, Shaq is probably most like Wilt in terms of being physically

a generation or two above his peers. They both dominated the opposition while

on the floor and their free-throw shooting is a push. You could have flip-flopped

the two in time and the final tallies in points and rebounds would’ve been similar.

Wilt might have the mind-boggling stats, a better skilled offensive game, the

100-point game7 and claim to 20,000,8 but Shaq did double him up when it

came to rings. I’m going to say that had Shaq played in Wilt’s era, he would’ve

done the same, so I’m going to say Shaq stands just inches above Wilt.

The only center on this list who Shaq went head-to-head against, Olajuwon put

a young Shaq to sleep in their 1995 Finals. Even if you halved Dream’s beautiful

low-post game, it would still be miles ahead of Shaq’s. Shaq was nowhere in

Hakeem’s class on defense. I would even go as far to say that Hakeem was every

bit as good as Russell on defense. Needless to say, I think highly of Olajuwon.

I know some folks who use the number of rings on a guy’s finger as the be-all

and end-all to greatest-ever discussions; I’m not one of them. Yes, Russell had

11 of them, but he also had 11 other players who played a part in those rings.

Russell played during a time of big scoring numbers but still only managed

pedestrian scoring numbers and shooting percentages. There’s no denying Russ’

ability to play team ball and raise the level of play around him. He is also the best

defender in this discussion. Could Russ have guarded Shaq? My guess is that

against 1999-00 Shaq, a Wilt and Russ double-team would have a hard time

stopping Shaq.9 That said, in a one-on-one game, our money is on Shaq, but in

the context of a team game, we like Russell.10

As for Shaq vs. Kareem, the two pivots played almost the same number of

years, making their cumulative body of work easy to compare. Except there is

little comparison as Kareem dominated in every area. An in-his-prime Kareem

would’ve given the best Shaq a handful and vice-versa, but even Superman’s

power game would be rendered useless against Cap’s go-to kryptonite: the

skyhook. What really makes this comparison a moot point is this: Shaq’s top two

movies (Kazaam and Steel) don’t come close to Kareem’s (Airplane and Game

of Death).

My final centers pantheon ranking: 1. Kareem 2. Russ 3. Dream 4. Shaq 5. Wilt

6. Moses.

Could Shaq have been higher? Maybe. He presumably could’ve won a few

more rings11 had he been able to co-exist with Kobe. He probably could’ve been

able to further max out his ability by spending more time honing his game, free-

throw shooting and conditioning.12 But it would’ve been at the cost of him being

the most quotatious, funny and approachable big man ever—three qualities that

none of those other centers can touch.

There will be a giant void—figuratively and literally—in the NBA next year.

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It began once LeBron James announced he was joining his buddy Dwyane Wade in South Beach, and the attention

only intensified as the season went along. Every awe-inspiring play confirmed on the vast potential of the pairing, but

with every setback or loss, the pundits questioned the move. But whether the eyeballs were there to see them succeed

or fail, the results were spectacular as the tandem overwhelmed opponents and entertained the throngs that packed

arenas to get a glimpse of two of the most dynamic players in the League running together. Despite the end result of

the last game of the season, the LeBron & Dwyane Show can only expect higher ratings in season 2. Victor Baldizon/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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It was a pregame ritual that the fans of Cleveland used to share and celebrate whenever #23 would bless the crowd

with chalk prior to tipoff. Upon his first return to the Quicken Loans Arena, #6 no longer got the same ovation during his

routine. Instead of cheers, he was met with jeers and turned backs. LeBron got the last laugh, though, as his Miami

Heat celebrated a win over his former team.GrEGory shamus/GEtty imaGEs sport

We didn’t realize it, but 2010-11 was the final year that

the Diesel would rev down NBA courts. It might’ve been

an injury-plagued year, and far from the greatness

that we’ve been accustomed to seeing from Shaquille

O’Neal, but he nevertheless entertained both on and off

the court.Brian BaBinEau/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

From the announcement of another lost season for

Greg Oden to the long-term health issues surrounding

franchise player Brandon Roy’s knee, it’s an

understatement to say 2010-11 was a tough year for

the Portland Trail Blazers. The lone good news for the

team was the continued development of LaMarcus

Aldridge, who looks to be an inside-outside force.daVid shErman/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Yes, it was two balls and two baskets—a Slam Dunk

Contest first—but JaVale McGee’s double-dipper still

counted for just one dunk attempt, which meant it only

garnered a perfect score of 50, not 100.JEff Gross/GEtty imaGEs sport

The 2011 Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard

continued to show why he is the most dominant paint

presence in the game.fErnando mEdina/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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We’re guessing here, but as a self-professed Chicago Bulls fan, Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama might’ve gritted his

teeth while accepting a commemorative team-autographed Los Angeles Lakers banner when the team stopped by the

White House in December for the ceremonial post-championship visit.andrEw d. BErnstEin/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Had Blake Griffin not missed all of last year, qualifying

him for rookie status in 2010-11, John Wall’s

impressive debut season of 16.4 points, 8.3 assists

and 1.8 steals per game would have warranted Rookie

of the Year status.nEd dishman/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Between Serge Ibaka (#9) and Tyson Chandler (#6),

you have a guy who led the League in total blocks

this season and one of the most viscous dunkers in

the game. We really don’t know the outcome of this

play, but you can bet neither guy was giving any

ground.laynE murdoch/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Where caring happens.www.nba.com/cares

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After another season-ending injury cut short his

campaign, it was another painful season for Yao Ming

to endure, but he still did his best to spread cheers to

people’s faces. Instead of turnaround jumpers and

low-post hooks, Yao relied on charitable works like

decorating Christmas cookies with Houston children.Bill Baptist/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Dirk Nowitzki deservedly gets the lion’s share of the credit for Dallas’ amazing season, but many have

pointed to the addition of Tyson Chandler’s defense as a key cog to propelling the Mavs from contender

to champ.danny BollinGEr/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

With over 22,000 points scored in his career,

Dirk Nowitzki has become one of the best scorers in NBA

history. Much has been said about his shooting prowess

(he’s a top five shooter of all time in our book), but what

separates him from much of the pack is his uncanny

ability to shoot it from all angles and manners, and in a

7-foot package that makes his jumper one of the most

unguardable shots the League has ever seen. And now

he’s a champion, to boot.GarrEtt Ellwood/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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It was still worth just three points like the previous

2,560 that he’d hit prior, but the 2,561st three-pointer

that Ray Allen dropped, on February 10, gave him more

than any other NBA player in history. After the historic

shot, Allen acknowledged the former three-point king,

Reggie Miller, who was on hand to pass the crown over.

Brian BaBinEau (2)/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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A big reason for the Indiana Pacers’ return to the playoffs after four-season absence has

been solid bench play, headlined by Tyler Hansbrough. With a reputation as a hard-nosed

player, Hansbrough comes off the bench with a rabid mentality that sometimes even his

fellow teammates have to endure. Just ask Mike Dunleavy.Ezra shaw/GEtty imaGEs sport

If you combine the ages of the 1995 co-Rookies of the

Year, Jason Kidd (#2) and Grant Hill (#33) would total

76 years. Proving that age is certainly nothing but a

number, the two graybeards started 80 games apiece

for their respective teams while staying productive.christian pEtErsEn/GEtty imaGEs sport

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All the talk was about Miami’s formation of a power trio,

but in order to make it happen, the Heat had to unload

2008’s No. 2 overall pick Michael Beasley. Beasley

made the most of his opportunity as one of

Minnesota’s featured players by averaging 19.2 points

per game and hitting—and subsequently celebrating—

this game-winning shot in November.

daVid shErman/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Much like the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers

will soon have to start seeking out more rafter space

what with the storied tradition of championship

banners and retired numbers of franchise greats. At

the start of the season, the Lakers unveiled their 11th

title banner since being in L.A.noah Graham/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Even with all the hype surrounding the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade pairing, Kobe

Bryant proved during the All-Star Game in his L.A. backyard that he is still the king of

his court as he cleanly picks Wade’s pocket and narrowly evades LeBron’s patented

chase-down block during a breakway. In addition to putting on a show for his city,

Bryant also took home All-Star MVP honors.GarrEtt Ellwood; Bill Baptist/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

With his second consecutive All-Star selection, Atlanta’s

Al Horford (#15) looks like a likely fixture for the

midseason showcase, while Chicago’s Joakim Noah’s

breakout season might put a pair of former NCAA

National champion Florida Gators in the Eastern

Conference squad for years to come.scott cunninGham/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson is “Captain” in both

nickname and title on the Bobcats, so it’s no surprise

he sets the tone for the team by diving headfirst into

the sidelines after a loose ball.KEnt smith/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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It was Russell Westbrook’s All-Star coming-out party in 2011 and the Oklahoma City Thunder guard made the most of

the opportunity. The high-flying Westbrook relishes breakaway moments, and he got just that during the All-Star Game.

As you can guess—and the photos indicate—he did not disappoint. andrEw d. BErnstEin/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs; pool/GEtty imaGEs sport

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Even with all the hype surrounding them, Miami’s

Orion’s Belt did not disappoint. They averaged 70.9

points per game and became the first trio since the

1961 Cincinnati Royals’ Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman

and Wayne Embry to each score at least 30 points and

collect 10 rebounds in a single game.marc sErota/GEtty imaGEs sport

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The weakness to the best defense will always be

dribble penetration. It funnels the defense in and

attracts so much attention that it will free up open

looks for the offense. Few in the League can get into

the paint as well as Boston’s Rajon Rondo and even

fewer also have the ability to accurately locate a

teammate—in this case, Glen Davis—to set him up

for the scoring opportunity.GarrEtt Ellwood/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

The 2010-11 season was the year of the point guard.

Two of the breakout 1s include Boston’s Rajon Rondo

(#9) and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (#0).

Rondo displayed a keen passing eye with 11.2 assists

per game while Westbrook delivered an all-around

game of 21.9 points, 8.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9

steals per contest.Brian BaBinEau/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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If you watched any NBA highlights at all this season, Blake Griffin needs little introduction. If by the off chance you

never heard of the guy, consider this spread of photos a proper introduction to the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year.noah Graham (10); andrEw d. BErnstEin (3); nEd dishman; rocKy widnEr/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs; pool; stEphEn dunn/GEtty imaGEs sport

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When the rumors of Carmelo Anthony joining the New York Knicks finally came true in

February, the searing spotlight of the media capital of the world shone directly on Melo. While

the results were middling, the new hope that Anthony combined with Amar’e Stoudemire now

brings is good enough to a championship-starved New York fan base.nathaniEl s. ButlEr/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Golden State’s Monta Ellis might not come to mind when discussing the premier shooting guards in the

NBA, but ask around the League and you’ll hear praise from opponents for his quickness, ballhandling,

outside shot and ability to finish around the basket that makes him one of the toughest to cover at

his position.camEron BrownE/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Lost amidst the Blake Griffin dunk show in 2010-11

was the continued progress of his teammate Eric

Gordon. The shooting guard was just 0.2 points behind

Griffin in per-game scoring at 22.3 and forms the

promising inside-outside tandem for the Los Angeles

Clippers for years to come.laynE murdoch/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Much of the attention to Miami’s new additions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh fell on the offensive side of the ball, but

when the duo took their talents to South Beach, they were also importing some very heady defense to the Heat.issac Baldizon/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Luis Scola might very well be the most overlooked

player in the NBA. Why that is so is a mystery. The

Houston forward finished his fourth year and he has

improved his scoring average every year he’s been in

the League and finished 2010-11 at 18.3 ppg.sam forEncich/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Watch an NBA game and you’ll discover that the ways players

celebrate a basket or defensive stop are as diverse as the

achievements itself. Whether it’s the chest bump, the

airplane, a toast to the crowd, the new kid on the block,

the “three monocle” or the tried-and-true high-five, you can

expect celebrations as unique as the game itself.Brian BaBinEau; GlEnn JamEs; laynE murdoch; KEnt smith/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs; Elsa/GEtty imaGEs sport

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It was December 8, 2010, and it will go down as a day where end-of-game buzzers were no match for the brilliance of

last-second shots. In a span of a few hours: New York’s Raymond Felton (bottom right) wetted a three-pointer with the

clock ticking down to beat the Toronto Raptors; in Milwaukee, Bucks center Andrew Bogut (top, right; not actual photo

of the play) tipped in an inbounds pass with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Pacers; Rudy Gay’s three ball at the end of

regulation (top left) gave Memphis extra life and led to overtime, where the Grizzlies would eventually defeat the Suns;

And finally, Derek Fisher’s scoop layup (bottom left) that just narrowly left his hands before the buzzer turned what

would be a one-point upset loss to the rival Clippers into a one-point Lakers victory.noah Graham; ray amati; Gary dinEEn/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs; christian pEtErsEn/GEtty imaGEs sport

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Before Carmelo Anthony arrived in Gotham, it was

just Amar’e Stoudemire carrying and rejuevenating

Madison Square Garden all by himself, earning the

Knicks their first All-Star starter since franchise legend

Patrick Ewing.chris trotman/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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WATCH ALL SEASON LONG ON

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WNBA.COM/TICKETS

HERE’S TO 15 YEARS OF GETTING AFTER IT.

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It had been but just a few weeks since Kendrick Perkins arrived in Oklahoma City via a midseason

trade, but Dwyane Wade welcomed him to the Thunder by serving up some thunder of his own.michaEl Ehrmann/GEtty imaGEs sport

Kevin Love captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player of

the Year thanks to a season not seen in the NBA in

almost 30 years. Love became the first player since

Moses Malone in 1982 to notch a 30-point/30-rebound

game with a 31 and 31 game against the Knicks on

Nov. 12, 2010. He also became the first since Malone’s

1982-83 season to average 20 points and 15 boards.rocKy widnEr/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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Gone unnoticed by many is the fact that Steve Nash

ended his nine-year run as the point guard of the

top-ranked offense in the NBA. Dating back to 2001-

02 as a Dallas Maverick, Nash has been pacing the

best offensive team every season. That said, he still

kept the Suns at a not-too-shabby fourth place while

averaging 14.7 points and a League-best 11.4 assists

per game.p.a. molumBy/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

Deron Williams certainly racked up the air miles in February. After a trade deadline deal

sent the All-Star point guard to New Jersey from Utah, Williams had to quickly ready his

passport for a flight across the pond to London to take part in the first-ever regular-

season games in Europe as the Nets and Raptors played a pair of games in the O2

Arena in London.nathaniEl s. ButlEr/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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In the NBA, one of the most exciting plays is the big dunk over a defender. In this instance the dunker was Denver’s J.R.

Smith and on the receiving end of things is San Antonio Spurs’ rookie Gary Neal. Welcome to the L, rook.GarrEtt Ellwood/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

DeMar DeRozan rose up in 2010-11. The Toronto

swingman showed that he’s more than just a dunker.

Sure, the second-year man competed in his second

Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star, but he also flashed NBA

scoring ability, averaging 17.2 points in a League full of

athletic scorers at the 2 guard spot.ron turEnnE/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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SSUBSCRIBESUBSCRIBE

NOW!SSSU SC ESUBSCRIBESUBSCRIBESUBSCRIBES BSCRIBE

NOW!

800-829-3347or log on to

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Kobe Bryant spent the 2010-11 season climbing the NBA’s all-time scoring ledger. Bryant opened the

season at 12th place with 25,790 points and quickly leapfrogged John Havlicek (25,395), Dominique

Wilkins (26,668), Oscar Robertson (26,710), Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946), Elvin Hayes (27,313) and Moses

Malone (27,409) to settle in at sixth place. Despite all the scoring, Bryant still found time to pass the ball.noah Graham/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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All-Star isn’t just about dream pairings on the court:

The Western Conference tandem of Chris Paul and

Tim Duncan teamed up during the NBA Cares All-Star

Day of Service to rehabilitate a playground.

JEssE d. GarraBrant/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

As a show of team solidarity with a bit of playful mockery, the Eastern Conference All-Star starters—

Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Amar’e Stoudemire and Dwyane Wade—joined LeBron James during his

now familiar pregame chalk toss.

noah Graham/nBaE/GEtty imaGEs

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After 13 seasons of taking off from NBA arenas, Vince

Carter might be unable to fly quite as high as he once

did, but that doesn’t mean all flights have been

grounded.D. Clarke evans/nBae/Getty ImaGes

Their postseason might not have gone as planned, but for a team that many folks doubted to be championship

contenders because of the aging nucleus of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the San Antonio Spurs were still

good enough for an NBA second-best 61 wins. noah Graham/nBae/Getty ImaGes

Philadelphia 76ers basketball experienced a

resurgence this season, in no small part to the zealous

defense of their backcourt of Andre Iguodala (#9) and

Jrue Holiday (#11), here seen giving Detroit’s Will

Bynum (#12) an aerial double-team.DavID Dow/nBae/Getty ImaGes

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He might’ve led the NBA in scoring this season with

2,161 points and a 27.7 per game average, but it

doesn’t mean Kevin Durant isn’t willing to also hit the

floor to corral a loose ball. Scott cunningham/nBaE/gEtty imagES

The memories of Michael Jordan’s first championship

are seared in our minds, so it still feels like yesterday

when the 1991 Chicago Bulls won their first NBA

Championship. As part of the anniversary, members

of the ’91 title team marked the occasion with a

commemorative night to celebrate the achievement at

the United Center.Ray amati/nBaE/gEtty imagES

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Memphis’ surprising season was made possible thanks in no small part to Zach

Randolph. The southpaw forward’s unorthodox game might not be smooth, but his

ability to produce and lead the Grizzlies to its best playoff showing in franchise history

was undoubtedly pleasing to watch.Joe Murphy/NBAe/Getty IMAGes

In addition to Tyreke Evans, last year’s Rookie of the

Year, the Kings added another piece to their future

core with center DeMarcus Cousins. The All-Rookie

First Teamer showed plenty of promise with 14.1 points

and 8.6 boards per game. rocky WIdNer/NBAe/Getty IMAGes

Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans wisely avoided the

embarrassment of being the subject in Dorell Wright’s

poster shot. Wright was one of the most improved

players during the season, more than doubling last

year’s scoring with 16.4 points per game.rocky WIdNer/NBAe/Getty IMAGes

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Most Valuable Player awards are not based on fancy highlights, but that is not to say

that Chicago’s Derrick Rose become the youngest-ever MVP in NBA history without any

flash. The third-year point guard had plenty of substance leading his Bulls to the best

record in the League with 62 wins, but showed plenty of style, too. Sam Forencich/nBae/Getty imaGeS

10 11GREATEST HITS

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