A look at the NBA and its players during the 1980s, including the introduction of the 3-point shot, the transformation of the Los Angeles Lakers into "Showtime," and the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Narrated by Fab 5 Freddy.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fred Brathwaite (born 1959), more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American Hip hop historian, Hip hop pioneer and former graffiti artist. He was active in New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s, and later hosted the first hip-hop music video show on TV, "Yo! MTV Raps". Description above from the Wikipedia article Fab 5 Freddy, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
William Bellamy is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, where he is credited for creating or coining the phrase "booty call", described as a late night call to a potential paramour with the intention of meeting strictly for sex.
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, which he currently holds.
Michael Lamont Bivins (born August 10, 1968) is an American singer, rapper, manager, actor, and producer, and a founding member of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe.
DJ Jazzy Jeff was born on January 15, 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA as Jeffrey Allen Townes. He is an actor, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Strange Days (1995) and Boyz n the Hood (1991). Was the part of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince together with Will Smith, with whom he won two Grammy awards. Legendary Philadelphia hip-hop DJ and serious turntablist who has won DJ competitions such as the New Music Seminar's 1986 DJ Battle For World Supremacy. Although he never competed in the DMC World Championship competitions, he is in the DMC hall of fame for contributions to the world of hip-hop and DJing. First hip-hop artist (along with Will Smith) to win the first best rap performance Grammy for "Parents Just Don't Understand" (1988).
Julius Winfield Erving II, commonly known by the nickname "Dr. J", is an American retired basketball player who helped popularize a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and playing above the rim in his career at the ABA and the NBA.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time. Johnson played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association.
Stephen Douglas Kerr is an American former professional basketball player and coach currently affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. He won the NBA championships five times as a player, three times with the Chicago Bulls and twice with the San Antonio Spurs, as well as three times as the head coach of the Warriors. Born and raised in the Middle East, Kerr attended Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles, California, where he was a player for the Palisades Dolphins. In college basketball, Kerr played for the Arizona Wildcats. In 1988, he began his professional career with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He spent three seasons with them and one season with the Orlando Magic before joining the Chicago Bulls. Kerr played an instrumental role in garnering the Bulls their second championship. In 1999, the Spurs acquired him from the Bulls and subsequently won the championship, making Kerr one of two players to have four successive NBA titles. After a season-long stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, Kerr finished his playing career with the Spurs in 2003. Since retirement, he has been a television analyst, and from 2007 to 2010, the general manager of the Suns. In 2014, he joined the Warriors as the head coach.
Lisa Deshaun Leslie is an American former professional basketball player. She is currently the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida.
Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Indiana Pacers. Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname "Knick Killer." When he retired, he held the record for most career 3-point field goals made. He is currently third on the list behind Stephen Curry and Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw percentage five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Description above from the Wikipedia article Reggie Miller, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Patrick John O'Brien (born February 14, 1948) is an American author and radio host, best known for his work as a sportscaster with CBS Sports from 1981 to 1997, as well as his work as the anchor and host of Access Hollywood from 1997 to 2004, and The Insider from 2004 to 2008.
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Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Webber played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with the largest portion of his career spent with the Sacramento Kings.
Charles Wade Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Donald Adeosun Faison ( born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and voice actor best known for his role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC (formerly NBC) comedy-drama Scrubs (2001–2010). Faison first emerged on the scene with parts in films such as Clueless (1995) and Remember the Titans (2000). He has continued his career with the films Next Day Air and Skyline. Description above from the Wikipedia article Donald Faison , licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
John Thomas Salley (born May 16, 1964, height: 6'11") is an American former professional basketball player, talk show host, actor and producer. He was the first player in NBA history to win championships with three franchises, as well as the first player in the NBA to win a championship in three different decades. He is an actor and producer, known for Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009), Bad Boys (1995) and Black Dynamite (2009). He also has appeared on TV shows including Malcolm and Eddie as well as hosting VH1's Basketball Wives and the second season of Couples Retreat.
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Kenny Smith is a long-time member of TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show. While Smith has been an analyst, Inside the NBA has won four Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily. This year, Smith received a Sports Emmy nomination for Best Analyst. Smith makes regular appearances on NBA TV and has served as analyst for Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ combined coverage of the NCAA March Madness Division I Men’s Basketball Championship since 2011. Smith is also the founder of The Jet Academy, the virtual live basketball camp.
Isiah Lord Thomas III, also known as "Zeke," is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for NBA TV. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Greatest Players, and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He played his entire professional career for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, nicknamed "the Dream," is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and, in his last season, the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers, as well as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
American actor and a comedian Michael David Rapaport has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s. For his television credits he's best known for his roles on the television series Boston Public, Prison Break, Friends, and The War at Home. Rapaport has appeared in both dramatic and comedic roles on film and television. His movie performances include “Metro”, “Deep Blue Sea”, and “Higher Learning”. Rapaport also had recurring roles on several television shows including: Friends, “The War at Home”, “My Name is Earl” and “Prison Break”. Rapaport is married to Nichole Beattie and they have two children, sons Julian Ali and Maceo Shane.
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' National Championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record, at the time, 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards. Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2009 and was inducted on September 11, 2009. Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets; he recently won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Jordan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Walter "Clyde" Frazier Jr. is an American former professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association. As their floor general and top perimeter defender, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's only two championships, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
George Gervin, nicknamed "the Iceman", is an American former professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls.
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His accomplishments include four NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. James has appeared in fifteen NBA All-Star Games and been named NBA All-Star MVP three times. He won the 2008 NBA scoring title, is the all-time NBA playoffs scoring leader, and is fourth in all-time career points scored. He has been voted onto the All-NBA First Team twelve times and the All-Defensive First Team five times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. James played basketball for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was heavily touted by the national media as a future NBA superstar. A prep-to-pro, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. Named the 2003–04 NBA Rookie of the Year, he soon established himself as one of the league's premier players; he won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2009 and 2010. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with the Miami Heat. This move was announced in an ESPN special titled The Decision, and is one of the most controversial free agent decisions in American sports history. James won his first two NBA championships while playing for the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. He was named league MVP and NBA Finals MVP in both championship years. After his fourth season with the Heat in 2014, James opted out of his contract to re-sign with the Cavaliers. In 2016, he led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, delivering the team's first championship and ending Cleveland's 52-year professional sports title drought. His teams appeared in the NBA Finals in eight consecutive seasons (from 2011 to 2018). In 2018, James opted out of his contract with the Cavaliers to sign with the Lakers. Off the court, James has accumulated additional wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts. His public life has been the subject of much scrutiny, and he has been ranked as one of America's most influential and popular athletes. He has been featured in books, documentaries, and television commercials. He has also hosted the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the 2015 film Trainwreck. Description above from the Wikipedia article LeBron James, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Karl Anthony Malone, nicknamed "The Mailman," is a retired American professional basketball power forward. He spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. Malone was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. He scored the second most career points in NBA history (36,928), and holds the records for most free throws attempted and made. He is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.
Bill Walton is an American former professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics, winning 2 NBA championships in 1977 and 1986. He works as a sports commentator and occasionally appears in movies, often playing himself, and in documentaries about basketball.
Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
