Basketball Fanatico

The2009 NBA Championship Ring

2009-11-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Get To Know the 2009 Championship Ring

2009 Lakers Championship Ring Since every Lakers player contributed in some way towards earning the franchise’s 15th championship to conclude the 2008-09 season, it was fitting that much of the organization’s brain trust had a say in the design of the championship ring to be given out prior to Tuesday’s game against the Clippers.

Several members of the Buss family - including Dr. Jerry Buss, Jeanie Buss, Joey Buss and Jesse Buss - joined Senior VP of Business Operations and CMO Tim Harris, GM Mitch Kupchak and team captains Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant to weigh in and produce a gem (so to speak).

Here are some of the ring’s details:

The gold is of limited edition 15 karat variety to represent the 15th championship earned by the organization.

Per the request of Dr. Buss, there are 14 diamonds surrounding the top of the ring symbolizing the previous 14 franchise championships, with the Larry O’Brien trophy in the middle to represent the 2008-09 title.

As requested by Fisher and Bryant, there is a player image on the side of player rings, and within that image rests an etching of their respective jersey numbers. For example, Kobe Bryant's image contains the No. 24 in the upper right hand corner of that side panel.

The Los Angeles skyline is an element unique to non-player rings in place of the player’s image.

The ring is two toned, with white gold representing the Lakers Sunday whites uniforms that honor legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Each ring is authenticated by a serial number, and to further protect the authenticity, there are hidden etchings of the Lakers logo.

Kupchak contributed the idea to include the varying records of every individual playoff series on the side of the ring, which was done in addition to having the season record to capture the journey of the entire season.

NBA Roundup: James scores 33 in win over Knicks

2009-11-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

By: AP

NEW YORK — LeBron James scored 33 points in his only visit to Madison Square Garden this season, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-91 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

One night after managing just 42 second-half points in an ugly home loss to Chicago, the Cavaliers rang up 40 in the first quarter, leaving New York fans with little left to do besides cheer for the Yankees in attendance and enjoy another mesmerizing performance by James.

He added nine assists and eight rebounds, but fell just shy of passing Kobe Bryant as the active scoring leader at the Garden. James improved his average to 30.4 points, with Bryant averaging 30.5 in 11 visits, according to STATS LLC

James had scored 50 or more in two of his last three visits, joining Michael Jordan as the only visiting players with multiple 50-point games at the current building.

Suns 110, Celtics 103

BOSTON — Jason Richardson bounced back from his worst game of the season to score 34 points with 10 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rebounded from their only defeat.

Kevin Garnett had a season-high 26 points for Boston — the most he's scored since missing the end of the 2008-09 season and the playoffs with strained ligaments in his right knee.

Magic 110, Pistons 103

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic hold off Charlie Villanueva and Detroit.

Villanueva scored 22 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to get past the defending Eastern Conference champs, who led by 19 early and never trailed at all.

Bucks 87, Timberwolves 72

MINNEAPOLIS — Andrew Bogut bested Al Jefferson inside with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Luke Ridnour had 16 points off the bench and Milwaukee used a second-half surge to top Minnesota.

Rookie Brandon Jennings had his first clunker for the Bucks, putting up nine points on 4 for 16 shooting, but his backup Ridnour helped counter a career-high 20 points by Timberwolves rookie Jonny Flynn.

Heat 96, Nuggets 88

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade scored 22 points, Jermaine O'Neal added 18 and Miami dealt Denver its first loss of the season.

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points, Quentin Richardson added 13 and Udonis Haslem finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who are 5-1 for only the third time in their 22 seasons and beat Denver for the first time since Dec. 17, 2004.

Pacers 102, Wizards 86

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Hansbrough scored 13 points in his pro debut.

The first-round draft pick from North Carolina missed the preseason and the first four regular-season games with a right shin injury.

Danny Granger scored 22 points and T.J. Ford added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who raised a banner honoring late co-owner Mel Simon before the game. He died in September at age 82.

Raptors 107, Hornets 90

NEW ORLEANS — Chris Bosh scored 27 points and Toronto used a 27-4 run in the third quarter to take control.

The Raptors trailed 56-51 before hitting a barrage of open 3-pointers to put the game away. Bosh's 3 gave them the lead for good, 57-56, and Hedo Turkoglu and Andrea Bargnani both hit three 3s in the next 7 minutes as Toronto went ahead 81-63.

Turkoglu and Jose Calderon both had 16 points for Toronto, while Bargnani added 14.

Chris Paul led New Orleans with 21 points and a season-high 18 assists, while Bobby Brown added 16 points.

Bobcats 103, Hawks 83

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Raja Bell scored 24 points and the Charlotte Bobcats looked nothing like the NBA's lowest scoring team against road-weary Atlanta.

Bell hit 9 of 12 shots, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range, Flip Murray added 15 points in his Charlotte debut, and Gerald Wallace offset a poor shooting night with 18 rebounds in the Bobcats' second straight win.

NBA Rookie Rankings, who do you think will win NBA Rookie of the Year

2009-11-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

By Drew Packham, NBA.com 5 hours, 59 minutes ago

After a week of play, it's all about the point guards.

This week, the top four spots are filled by floor generals and, until Blake Griffin (notes) returns, it appears things will stay that way.

In Milwaukee, Brandon Jennings (notes) is quickly winning over fans with his quickness and surprising shooting touch. Any guy who says his goal was to "come in here and get, like, 15 assists a game" (as he recently told The Sporting News) is my kind of guy. Really, Brandon? 15? That's all?

In Golden State, Stephen Curry (notes) is living up to his billing as a player who gets his teammates involved.

In Minnesota, Jonny Flynn (notes) is proving fearless about getting into the lane and made Ricky Rubio (notes) a distant memory.

And in Sacramento, Tyreke Evans (notes), who I pegged last week as the frontrunner, has struggled out of the gate but still shown glimpses of brilliance through four games.

Aside from the top four point guards, Denver's Ty Lawson (notes) is proving to be a valuable backup to Chauncey Billups (notes) (and cracks this week's Top 10) and Jeff Teague (notes) is getting some playing time in Atlanta behind Mike Bibby (notes). NBA.com's Rookie Rankings are just one man's opinion and are released every Wednesday during the season.

1. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
3	34.7	22.0	4.0	5.3	1.7	0.0	.481	.500	.700

Last Week: 5 | Drafted: 10
If you haven't seen my colleague, NBA TV's Rick Kamla, rant on Brandon Jennings, take a look in the NBA.com video archives. If it was any other player, Kamla's hyperbolic praise after two games ("I see greatness" and "perennial All-Star") would seem to be just that—hyperbole. But I've got to side with my man Kamla here. Jennings looks like the real deal and it is definitely going to be a fun ride watching Jennings work.

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
2	37.5	13.0	2.0	5.5	2.5	0.0	.571	.500	.000

Last Week: 2 | Drafted: 7
I knew Stephen Curry was good, but even I have been surprised by his first two games. It's not necessarily the statistics (13 ppg and 5.5 apg in 37.5 mpg), but more his presence on the court. Curry just looks like he gets it. After the Warriors' season-opening loss to the Rockets, Shane Battier (notes), himself known for his understanding of the game, told SI.com, "He has the poise of, not a seasoned veteran, but you couldn't tell that was his first NBA game. A lot of times, looking at a rookie, you're like, 'Wow, this kid is just trying to figure out where to park his car.' But he looked composed, he knows the game, he has it."

3. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	24.0	14.8	2.8	3.3	1.5	0.0	.475	.600	.900

Last Week: 4 | Drafted: 6
Flynn almost singlehandedly saved the Wolves in their opener, scoring 11 in the fourth quarter to lead a surprising rally to beat the Nets. Since then, though, coach Kurt Rambis has had little patience for mistakes (he has 15 turnorvers, most among rookies), benching the rookie in favor of Ramon Sessions (notes), who has grasped the triangle offense much quicker.

4. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	29.3	10.3	3.0	3.5	1.2	0.0	.357	.143	.556

Last Week: 1 | Drafted: 4
Evans took a tumble this week, and it's easy to see why. Granted, the Kings guard is dealing with a gimpy ankle, but he has to do better than 36 percent from the field (last among rookies), 14 percent from beyond the arc (1-for-7) and 55 percent from the free-throw line. Beno Udrih (notes) isn't going to take back the starter's minutes, but he looked like the better guard (yes, Beno Udrih) in the Kings' home-opening win.

5. Terrence Williams (notes), New Jersey Nets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	25.8	10.8	5.0	1.3	.5	0.0	.372	.400	.700

Last Week: 9 | Drafted: 11
With Devin Harris (notes) sidelined, Williams should see more time at point guard. Not only that, but Yi Jianlian's (notes) sprained knee means coach Lawrence Frank may be forced to go with a small lineup, playing the energetic Williams in the four spot. The guard out of Louisville seems ready to handle the load and had a nice opener, notching 15 points and 10 boards.

6. Chase Budinger (notes), Houston Rockets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	16.0	9.3	2.5	1.0	.5	0.0	.500	.400	.250

Last Week: 10 | Drafted: 44
Budinger may not be getting big-time minutes (15.9, 14th among rookies), but he's having a big-time impact. In the Rockets' rare road win in Utah, Budinger broke out for 17 points and five rebounds and was the major catalyst for Houston. Budinger sprained his ankle late in the fourth and may miss a game or two, but Rick Adelman is going to have a hard time keeping Budinger off the floor.

7. DeJuan Blair (notes), San Antonio Spurs

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
3	20.7	8.3	8.3	1.3	.67	0.0	.706	.000	.333

Last Week: 7 | Drafted: 37
It's only been a week, but already it appears Blair could finish the season as the top rookie rebounder. Through three games, Blair is pulling in 8.3 boards in about 20 minutes of action. Behind Blair, at 5.0 per game, is New Jersey's Terrence Williams. Blake Griffin may give Blair a run for the title when he comes back from his knee injury, but for the near future Blair should continue to dominate the category.

8. DeMar DeRozan (notes), Toronto Raptors

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
3	20.7	7.3	4.3	0.7	.33	.67	.500	.500	.750

Last Week: 8 | Drafted: 9
DeRozan has started the Raptors' first three games and, despite seeing his minutes drop in each game, appears to have the starting job locked down. "I think the rookie has been very good in limited minutes and we're happy with where he is right now," said coach Jay Triano. Still, while Triano is happy with DeRozan starting, he prefers to play backup Antoine Wright (notes) in crunch time, which are minutes the rookie will have to earn.

9. Omri Casspi (notes), Sacramento Kings

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	21.0	10.3	2.5	0.5	.75	.75	.581	.444	.167

Last Week: NR | Drafted: 23
Most rookies have to represent their college, their hometown, maybe their state in the NBA. Try representing a nation. That's what Casspi—the first Israeli in the NBA—is doing. And doing it well. Casspi, who is averaging 10.2 points (fifth among rookies), has earned coach Paul Westphal's trust. "He's hungry," Westphal said after the King's home opener. "He brings a fierceness. I wish everybody could look in his eyes when I walk down the bench looking to put somebody in the game. He wants to play so bad."

10. Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
4	19.5	9.0	2.3	2.8	1.2	0.0	.483	.400	.857

Last Week: NR | Drafted: 18
Lawson burst onto the scene in the Nuggets' opener, tallying 17 points and six assists against the Jazz. Almost immediately, the emails proclaiming him ROY started flowing into my inbox. Since then, he's come back to earth (my inbox has, too), but it looks like Denver has found the perfect understudy to Chauncey Billups.

Honorable Mention: James Harden (notes), Oklahoma City Thunder: Falls out of the top 10, but has been solid from 3-point land (4-for-7); David Andersen (notes), Houston Rockets: Seeing 12.8 mpg backing up the big men; DeMarre Carroll (notes), Memphis Grizzlies: 12 points, seven rebounds in win over Wizards; 0-for-8 from field in two games since; Jonas Jerebko (notes), Detroit Pistons: Became the first Swede to start an NBA game when he filled in for Tayshaun Prince (notes). Finished with zero points and five rebounds.

All statistics are through Tuesday's games. Statistics in red represent the rookie leader in that category.

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I have a created a poll where you can vote who do you think will win this season's NBA Rookie of the Year. Take a pick and see whether your hunch or intelligent guess or uncanny powers would get it spot on.

Raul B. Romilla
basketballfanatico.blogspot.com

Basketball Fanatico

The2009 NBA Championship Ring

NBA Roundup: James scores 33 in win over Knicks

NBA Rookie Rankings, who do you think will win NBA Rookie of the Year

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