Nuggets Basketball

Billy Bonds asked:


The Rockets, along with the Seattle SuperSonics, entered the NBA in 1967 as an expansion team based in San Diego. They selected Pat Riley with their first draft pick in 1967. They went on to produce a then-NBA record 67-loss season.

In 1968 the Rockets won the coin toss versus the Baltimore Bullets, giving them the first overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft. They selected Elvin “the Big E” Hayes from the University of Houston. Hayes led the team to the franchise’s first ever playoff appearance in 1969. The Rockets lost in the Western divisional semi-final to the Atlanta Hawks two games to four in a best-of-seven series.

The 1970 NBA Draft brought Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich to the Rockets - both significant to the franchise after their playing careers were over.

Coached by Jack McMahon and Alex Hannum, the Rockets tallied a 119-209 record over their tenure in San Diego.
In 1971, real estate broker Wayne Duddleston and banker Billy Goldberg bought the franchise for $5.6 million and relocated the team from San Diego, where fans were more disposed to the Los Angeles Lakers than the Rockets. The Rockets originally had been named for San Diego slogan, “A City in Motion,” but with the move to Houston their name took on even greater relevance. Houston is home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, which received national attention during Project Apollo.

The Rockets began playing at various venues in Houston, including the Astrodome, AstroHall, and Hofheinz Pavilion. They also played games at HemisFair Arena in San Antonio and in Waco. However, fan support was weak in the football and baseball-dominated city, and the Rockets averaged less than 5000 fans per game during their first Houston season. It was mused that the local churches in Waco drew more attendance than the Rockets.

Before the start of the 1971 season, Coach Alex Hannum left for the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association. Tex Winter was hired as the new coach shortly before the team was sold. Coach Winter applied a triple-post offensive system that contrasted with the offensive style to which Hayes was accustomed. Houston soon traded Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin. Lack of success did little to capture the city’s attention, and in the Spring of 1973, following the Rockets 10th straight loss, Winter was relieved of his duties.

In 1975, with Coach Johnny Egan’s guidance and Tomjanovich, Murphy, and Mike Newlin leading the way, the Rockets made their first appearance in the playoffs since arriving in Houston. The Rockets defeated the New York Knicks (led by Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe) in the first round, but lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.

At the start of the 1977 season, the Rockets negotiated a trade with the Buffalo Braves to acquire Moses Malone, who as a high school star made the unprecedented decision of bypassing college basketball to sign on as a professional with the Utah Stars of the ABA in 1974. The Rockets defeated the Washington Bullets in the 1977 Eastern Conference semi-final, but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Finals. Malone made an impressive showing against Washington’s Elvin Hayes and waning star Wes Unseld.

On December 9, 1977, in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Kunnert got into a fight with the Lakers’ Kermit Washington. As Tomjanovich approached the altercation, Washington turned and threw a punch, landing squarely in the face of an approaching Tomjanovich, causing extensive structural damage to his cranium. The shocking scene became the defining moment of the Rockets’ 1977-78 season as well as the playing careers of Tomjanovich and Washington. Tomjanovich spent the next five months in rehabilitation and returned to appear in the 1978 All-Star Game. A book by John Feinstein recording the events surrounding this event and the different paths that Tomjanovich and Washington have taken since that day is entitled “The Punch.”

Malone received the 1979 MVP Award. Not exceptionally big or quick, he used footwork and positioning to become a successful center in the NBA. Malone, Murphy, and Tomjanovich all played in the 1979 NBA All-Star Game. Rick Barry was signed for the 1979 season from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for John Lucas. Barry averaged a modest 13.5 points and set a new NBA record, posting a .947 free-throw percentage for the season. He would play one more year for the Rockets before retiring in 1980.

The Rockets went 47-35 in 1978-79, Nissalke’s last season as coach. They finished second in the Central Division, losing two straight to Atlanta in a best-of-three first-round series.



TY

NuggetsMania asked:

Allen Iverson’s NBA longevity as shown on Nuggets Fast Break

LESTER

T.o. Whenham asked:


A - All-Star. It’s the NHL All-Star Game in Dallas this week. No one watches hockey when it is full of hits, fights and all the fun body contact, so why in the world would people watch it when the players aren’t touching each other?

B - Bush, Reggie. The 88-yard run was as impressive as you expect from this super freak. He sure made it clear that he isn’t yet a mature man, though, didn’t he? Do you think that that front flip into the end zone pissed the Chicago defense off, or was it just a coincidence that those were the last points New Orleans scored?

C - Crosby, Sidney. I know I dwell on this guy, but the Pittsburgh forward will get more attention than anyone else at the NHL All-Star Game. Remember, he’s only 19 years old, so he’s only going to get better than he is, and he’s amazing already. If you haven’t seen him play, do yourself a favor and catch a Penguins game.

D - Drew Brees. This guy can put up huge numbers even when he’s looking pretty average. Seeing he ended up with 354 yards passing was surprising to me. If I was a Saints fan I would be concerned about this game and the four others that the team lost this year when Brees passed for more than 340 yards.
E - Eastern Washington. The Eagles are just 10-10 and are very unlikely to make the tournament. It’s too bad because their star guard, Rodney Stuckey, is as exciting to watch as any player in the country. He leads his conference in points and steals, and is second in assists. If he made the tournament then more people would be able to see how good he is.

F - Floyd Mayweather Sr. Oscar De La Hoya’s trainer wants an unprecedented $2 million payoff or he won’t train the Golden Boy for his next fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. I hope Oscar doesn’t pay him, because I am already sick to death of hearing about how father and son don’t get along.

G - Grossman, Rex. I can’t believe I am defending Grossman, but his performance Sunday was better than the numbers say it was. He protected the ball, he didn’t make a lot of mistakes, he threw it away when he had to, he made big plays like the pass to Berrian, and his team won by 25. The Super Bowl will not be about Rex Grossman - he’ll be fine.

H - Huh? We all know the story - Indy is an offensive team with iffy defense, while Chicago is all about defense with a lousy offense. Points scored per game in the playoffs for the Colts - 25.3. Bears - 33. Points allowed by the Colts - 16. Bears - 19. Everything is upside down.

I - Insurance policy. Colt Brennan had better call his State Farm agent and buy a massive policy on his arm. The Hawaii QB is coming back for his senior season despite being virtually guaranteed of being a first round pick in the draft. That’s great news for bettors - Hawaii will be an attractive bet and an over play again.

J - Jeff Samardzija. The Notre Dame receiver was a likely first round NFL pick, but he decided to give up football and sign with the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher instead. Maybe he can pull a Bo Jackson or a Deion Sanders and play both sports. Or, since he’s now a Cubs’ pitcher, maybe he’ll get recurring arm injuries and fail to live up to his potential.

K - Kurt Thomas. The Phoenix big man’s absence last year was a big reason the Suns didn’t go further in the playoffs. Now Thomas has gone down with an elbow injury and will miss six weeks. So far the team has kept winning, but could this have a serious impact on the unbeatable Suns?

L - Losses. There were some bad losses in college basketball this week. Pitt did not look like a Final Four squad in losing to Marquette. Kansas frustrated their fans, like they are so good at doing, by losing a game that shouldn’t have been close to Texas Tech. LSU was completely and utterly humiliated by Arkansas.

M - Melo. Denver’s superstar comes back from his 15-game suspension on Monday. The difference is that when he left he was the Nuggets’ only superstar, but now he has to share the spotlight with Allen Iverson. His first few games will take some serious handicapping.

N - New York Knicks. It seems very hard to believe, but the Knicks are actually playing some fairly decent basketball. They are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games. Maybe Isiah Thomas isn’t such a terrible coach after all. No, he really is, but this proves that any team can win a few in the pathetic East.

O - Outdoors. Thanks to the Saints, dome teams have now lost the last 10 conference championship games that they have played outdoors. If the weather is that much of a factor to these teams then you really have to wonder why Saints coach Sean Payton had his team practice indoors all week.

P - Peyton Manning. I still can’t stand the guy, but I’m man enough to give a guy respect when he deserves it. Good job. Excellent clutch second half performance. Congratulations. It must be a relief to finally win your first big game in your 30-plus years of life.

Q - Quite useless. I’ve always been curious - what happens to all of the ‘Saints NFC Champion’ and ‘New England AFC Champion’ shirts that obviously didn’t get worn? I think they get shredded up and made into Field Turf.

R - Reche Caldwell. Ugly game for the Patriots receiver who was playing so well in recent weeks. He might want to stay out of Boston for a while because he won’t be too popular there. He made several mistakes, none as costly as dropping the pass that was right on his hands when the nearest defender was about 100 miles away.

S - Serena Williams. It’s been a long time since you have been able to get value betting on a Williams sister, but Serena’s surprisingly solid performance in Australia this week is turning some heads and fattening some wallets.

T - Two halves. I put this here in case Bill Belichick reads this. Bill - football games have two halves. You win more if you make your game show up for both of them. I thought you were a genius coach. What happened?

U - Utley, Chase. The Philadelphia Phillies’ second baseman signed a 7 year, $85 million contract, meaning that the infield, except for third base, should look the same (Howard, Rollins, Utley) for a long time. Now if only the Phillies could find a way to quit *******. They were a terrible team to bet on, especially at home.

V - Vick, Michael. It sounds like Vick is going to be exonerated over water-bottle-gate, but it’s still stunning that a guy like him gets into as much trouble as he does. If I was new Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, I don’t think I’d be too sad if Vick found a new home. The Raiders would be a good fit - he could relate intellectually with the morons in the ridiculous costumes.

W - Wild run. It might be a bit early for you to get excited about the Kentucky Derby, but you might want to remember the name Tiago. The horse is the brother of Giacomo, the 2005 Derby winner, and he won a wild and crazy but impressive race Sunday at Santa Anita. He is incredibly raw, but he sure looks talented.

X - Xavier. Two games for the Musketeers this week. A push in a six-point win against UMass, and an ugly loss as favorites at St. Joseph’s. Rough week. The saving grace is that they are in the midst of a nice streak of five overs in six games.

Y - Youth movement. Hiring 35-year-old coach Eric Mangini worked out well for the Jets this year, so now young coaches are cool in the NFL. Mike Tomlin, the new Steelers’ boss is 34. The Raiders offered their job to a 32-year-old (he wisely declined). Soon, the head coaches will be younger than the rookies.

Z - Zero. The number of touchdowns I would have guessed that linemen would score in the AFC championship. I would have missed it by three. Bizarre.

Questions or comments? E-mail them to twhenham@docsports.com.



JERALD

Joe Cline asked:


How much do you really know about the Lone Star state? If you think you are a true Texas trivia buff, check out these fun trivia facts and see how many you already knew. You might just be gain some knowledge that you can use to impress your friends and family!

~ There have been six separate national flags to fly over the state of Texas over the last 500 years. Texas was governed by Spain, France, Mexico, The Confederate States, The Republic of Texas, and of course, the United States of America. This fact is where the Six Flags theme parks got their name, being that the first of the chain was located in Texas.

~ Texas has more inland water than any other state in the continental US. Of these more than 6700 reservoirs, there is only one natural lake in the entire state of Texas. Caddo Lake, which is located on the Louisiana border, is the only water source that is considered a natural lake. All other “lakes” within Texas’ borders are either manmade or simply a part of a river.

~ Texas became part of the United States as a part of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American war in 1848. Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, however the US Congress denied its annexation in 1844 because of the threat of war with Mexico. It was only after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that the annexation of Texas was resolved between the two countries.

~ There have been 7 cities that served as the capital of Texas, though some only briefly. From 1836 through 1839, Columbia, Galveston, Velasco, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, and Houston all served as capital for a short amount of time. In 1839, Austin was named the new capital of the state and it remains there today.

~ Texas has more professional sports teams than any other US state, including: 2 National Football League teams, 2 Major League Baseball teams, 3 National Basketball Association teams,  a Major League soccer team. an American Football League team, a Women’s National Basketball Association team and a National Hockey League team.

~ The largest city in Texas is Houston, with just under 2 million residents as of the 2000 census. There are several towns that make the claim of being the smallest in Texas, with a total of 26 incorporated towns and census-designated places claiming a population of less than 100 residents.

~ The state capital building in Austin was constructed in 1888 from Sunset Red granite, on a foundation of limestone. It stands 15 feet taller than the Capitol building in Washington, DC and has more square footage than any other state capital building in the United States.

Texas is an amazing state, filled with many amazing facts and trivia. By taking the time to learn about the history of the great state of Texas, you can become a font of fascinating information. Texas truly is one of the biggest wonders of the United States



DUNCAN

asiu1990 asked:

Remember Kobe jumping over a moving Aston Martin? Well, Kenny Smith thought he could too on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2. Kobe - “What, you gonna jump over a Hot Wheels or something?” Priceless. MVP.

QUINCY

Al Terry asked:


Nuggets tickets, the word rings in the ears and makes you put your hand forward to grab them. For some ‘nuggets’ stand for images of small glittering gold pieces, but for most it signifies blue and yellow robed icons snatching and jumping with a ball amidst a huge cheering crowd. Yes, we are talking about the Denver Nuggets, in its 32nd NBA season this season.

Basketball has been a craze ever since its inception, but the attention drawn by NBA is unmatched. In its 11 teams, Denver Nuggets plays for the Southwest Division of Western Conference. You could get Nuggets tickets to watch them in action. Denver Nuggets, the team was founded in summer of 1967 from shimmer of Denver Rockets and is currently playing in the Pepsi Center arena.

In 2006-07 season it did pretty well, finishing 2nd place Division level. Its fans are happy that Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby are already on the roster. The team also hopes that Iverson and Anthony will join them.

The Denver Nuggets a winning team in the ABA, merged with NBA in 1976 as ABA went out of business. They prospered early in the NBA history and posted the second best record in the league in their first year itself. In the 1970s and middle part of the 1980s they were the hottest team, led by head coach Larry Brown. Hence it is no wonder that Nuggets tickets were so much in demand then as much as they are now.

However the most exciting thing to happen to the team today is inclusion of Allen Iverson, “the answer”. He started in the NBA in 1996, as skillful guard in the team Philadelphia 76ers, scoring an amazing 30 points in his debut game itself. He has already received many awards in his NBA years such as NBA Rookie of the Year (1997), NBA Most Valuable Player (2001), NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (2001), and NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (2005). In this team, he is teaming with Carmelo Anthony, the 3rd overall Draft pick of the year 2003. On the other hand, Carmelo Anthony is credited for transforming Denver Nuggets from a team not much competitive to a team that outplays every team that gets in its way. This talented player is known for his jump shots, drive, dunk, and lay-up. He is also a good defensive player. When these two players combine in the court, they have the potential to pave the way for one of the most successful games ever played by Denver Nuggets. You can also catch this action live with Nuggets tickets.

Last but not the least Marcus Camby is also one of the weapons of the team. Having received many awards in his years in the NBA, such as 1996 John R. Wooden Award, 1996 Naismith Award, 1996-97 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2004-05 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and 2005-06 NBA All-Defensive Second Team, he too can carry Nuggets on the winning path. So get your Nuggets tickets if you want to see him play.

You can get ready to catch Denver Nuggets in action in the Pepsi center this season and book your Nuggets tickets now. You can book your tickets online also. There are many authorized online booking sites available specially dedicated to the Nuggets team and their games. They also give you all the updates on the forthcoming events.



CARTER

Marcus Holland asked:


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GERARDO