Point Guards in NBA History

Steve Nash - May not be the greatest defensive player in NBA History, but he epitomizes the quintessential "get everybody involved" type of point guard. A perfect mixture of street ball and a controlled NBA game. He could always penetrate inside the paint and kick it out for a 3 pointer. I also love that he's not afraid to turn the ball over.

Oscar Robertson - One of the most complete players to ever lace them up. It's hard to think of any weaknesses when you talk about the Big O. The fact that he averaged a triple-double in an entire has to be one of the most amazing stats in not just basketball, but all of sports.

John Stockton - This was a tough call choosing Stockton over Johnson. But in the end, how can you go against the guy who is the all time leader in NBA assists and steals. A floor leader in every sense of the word.

Small Forwards in NBA History

Larry Bird - To say he was a great shooter is kind of like saying the ocean is vast. He had an eagle eye that made him from deadly from any part of the court. He was also the most crafty player out on the court. If there was a way to get a basket, Bird would find a way.
Dominique Wilkins - The human highlight reel was a one of a kind offensive player. He literally played ABOVE the rim. One of the greatest high flyers to ever play the games. He didn't just take it to the hole. He ran through who ever got in his way.
Scottie Pippen - Yeah I know that he played with Michael Jordan, so it's not like everybody was worried about him. But Jordan never won a championship until Pippen joined the Bulls. I think that pretty much says it all. He was also a dynamite one on one defender.

NBA Centers of All Time

Hakeem Olajuwon - The foot work was phenomenal. His touch was pristine. He was agile as a gazelle. He brought a new dimension to the position that has never been seen before. He showed that the point guards weren't the only one who could bring some artistry to the game of basketball.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar - There hase never been an offensive weapon like the sky hook. It's impossible to defend. If you go for the block while it's up in the air, you'll be called for goaltending. If you try to block it from his right hand, you'd be called for a foul. Your only hope was that he had an off game, which didn't happen too often.
Bill Russell - What can you say about somebody who has 11 championship rings. You can say that no other player will ever come close to achieving something like that. He's the only person that ever got the best of Wilt Chamberlain. That's saying a lot.

Dennis Rodman History

Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American professional basketball player. He is one of the controversial NBA basketball players in America. Born on May 13, 1961 in Trenton, New Jersey, he played for San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and Detroit prisons. The Dennis Rodman Biography/History is popular to many Americans because he is one of the best NBA players. Dennis made a name for himself through his astonishing talent, tattoos, body piercing and dye colors on his hair.

In 1991, the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals swept the Pistons. The Pistons rebound Dennis Rodman and got on the lead. However, Rodman raised his level of playing and in 1992; he was extraordinary, with an average of over 18 rebounds, as he became a winner of the first of seven direct rebounding titles. In 1993, Rodman had a second rebound, which was also the last with the Pistons. He joined the San Antonio Spurs during the off-season. In San Antonio, Rodman continued with his expertise and made many more great scores. The following season, he spearheaded 62 wins for San Antonio making it to the western conference finals. However, his publicized relationship with Madonna was too much for the Spurs to bear. In the offseason, he joined the Bulls. With Rodman aboard, the Bulls improved on 25 games. The team also had Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan and the three formed an all-defensive first team.

After the season with the Bulls, he left Chicago and started rebuilding himself. Being the best NBA rebounder, without doubt he made a name for himself. According to Dennis Rodman Biography/History, he could not have lasted as long just because of a criminal record and tattoos. Although he does not view himself as a basketball icon or a role model, he gains from the benefits of the basketball experience.

Teenagers Wanting to Play in the NBA

n the NBA Draft last week for the first in history the first three players drafted were freshman and a record 10 freshman were taken in the first round. The one and done rule is now in full force. As of last year, the NBA prohibits players from playing in the NBA until they have spent one year out of high school and are 19 years-old. This was implemented by NBA Commissioner David Stern in response to the numerous high school seniors that made themselves eligible for the NBA draft in recent years (as many as six one year) - many of whom were not ready to make the jump from high school to the NBA.

Now, was this rule put in place to save the youngsters from their own delusions, or to save the NBA from the embarrassment of having to to draft unproven high school seniors in the first round as one sports commentator on ESPN's SportsReporters suggested yesterday (the embarrassment, I'm assuming he meant, would actually come later when the player did not make it in the NBA - which several did not in recent years)? Or, for both of these reasons?

Excellent Exercises For Jumping High

The first exercise I want to share with you is one for strengthening those legs. Most people would tell you to do calf raises, but I disagree with that. They focus primarily on the calf and there is a little more to jumping than that. You should be doing squats. They will work the entire leg and focus on every single muscle, big and small, when it comes to jump. Just look at a squat; it is a jump in slow motion. This is will make your legs powerful.

Exercises for jumping higher shouldn't be all about power though. You also need to have that springiness in the legs that help you spring right off the floor. The best thing for that is to walk around on the balls of your feet for around 30 minutes every few days. This will train the muscles to stay springy.

Training Your Pet Parrot

Uncover the cage and watch your bird's behavior. Approach your bird slowly while looking straight at the bird's eyes. Slowly slip your hand into the cage and leave it there and watch the bird's reaction. If your parrot attacks you, keep doing this for the next few days. Before long, your parrot will calm down and start to accept you again. You may use a perch or stick, or even a toy, if you do not want to get yourself injured. As you approach the bird with your hand, caress its belly with gentle strokes. Once the bird has gained your trust, it will hop onto your fingers. Use words like 'up' to get your bird perched on your hands.

Once your bird has gained your trust, you are in a great position to start training your bird to talk. Start with simple words like 'hello' or the bird's own name like 'polly'. Slowly use easy to pronounce words and repeat frequently. You can also use training tapes to teach your bird to talk. Cover the cage and play the tape on your recorder or CD player. You can even teach the bird to sing if you repeatedly play a music tape or CD. The best time to do this is early in the morning.