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== Teams ==

=== Eastern Conference Atlantic ===

==== Boston Celtics ====
Arena – TD Garden

Championships – 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008)

Founded in 1946. The franchise's 17 championships are the most for any NBA franchise. The Celtics have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the Finals

The "Big 3" era of the 1980s featured Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish

The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins

Red Auerbach coached the Celtics to nine NBA championships between 1957 and 1966

The Celtics mascot is 'Lucky the Leprechaun'

==== Brooklyn Nets ====
Arena – Barclays Center

Championships – 0

The team was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBA's rival league, the American Basketball Association (ABA). They were known as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before moving to Long Island in 1968 and changing their name to the New York Nets. In 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as the New Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. In the summer of 2012, the team moved to the Barclays Center, and took its current name

==== New York Knicks ====
Arena – Madison Square Garden

Championships – 2 (1970, 1973)

The New York Knickerbockers, commonly referred to as the Knicks, were established in 1946

Head coach Red Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973

The Knicks play their home matches at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan 

==== Philadelphia 76ers ====
Arena – Wells Fargo Center

Championships – 3 (1955, 1967, 1983)

Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA. The team moved to Philadelphia in 1964. Their name was changed to the "76ers" after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776. Also known as the Sixers

In December 2015, the 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers, after setting a league record 28 consecutive losses dating to the 2014–15 season

Allen Iverson played for the 76ers from 1996 to 2006, before being traded to Denver Nuggets. He won the NBA scoring title four times. His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks sixth all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. MVP in 2001

==== Toronto Raptors ====
Arena – Air Canada Center

Championships – 1 (2019)

The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian-based team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at the SkyDome (since renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), before moving to the Air Canada Centre in 1999

The choice of team name was influenced by the popularity of the 1993 film adaption of ''Jurassic Park''

The Raptors won their first championship in 2019, beating Golden State Warriors. Kahwi Leonard was named Finals MVP

=== Eastern Conference Central ===

==== Chicago Bulls ====
Arena – United Center

Championships – 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)

The team was founded in 1966. The Bulls won six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats. All six championship teams were led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships and never lose an NBA Finals series in their history

The Bulls won a NBA record-72 games during the 1995–96 NBA season, which was beaten by Golden State Warriors in 2015–16

Dennis Rodman played for the Bulls from 1995 to 1998. He also played three games for Brighton Bears, and became a professional wrestler

Born in what is now South Sudan, Luol Deng is now a British citizen who played for Chicago Bulls from 2004 to 2014, and who now plays for Miami Heat 

==== Cleveland Cavaliers ====
Arena – Quicken Loans Arena

Championships – 1 (2016)

The team began play in the league in 1970 as an expansion team. They have won two Eastern Conference championships (2007, and 2015)

They had a 26-game losing streak in 2010–11, which tied the record for the longest losing streak in major American professional sports. The Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in 2016, beating Golden State Warriors 4–3, becoming the first the team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win the NBA Finals

==== Detroit Pistons ====
Arena – The Palace of Auburn Hills

Championships – 3 (1989, 1990, 2004)

The team was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons in 1941, a member of the National Basketball League (NBL). The Pistons joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948. In 1949, the NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA, and the Pistons became part of the merged league

Since moving to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons have won three NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004

==== Indiana Pacers ====
Arena – Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)

Championships – 0

The Pacers were first established in 1967 as members of the ABA and became members of the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA-NBA merger. The team is named after Indiana's history with the Indianapolis 500's pace cars and with the harness racing industry. The Pacers were Eastern Conference champions in 2000

==== Milwaukee Bucks ====
Arena – BMO Harris Bradley Center

Championships – 2 (1971, 2021)

The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team. The Bucks won their first league title in 1971. By winning it all in only their third season, the Bucks became the fastest expansion team in NBA history to win the championship. In 2015, the future for the Bucks in Milwaukee was solidified after the Wisconsin state senate voted in favour of a proposal to use public money to help finance a new arena to replace the Bradley Center, which was built in 1988

=== Eastern Conference Southeast ===

==== Atlanta Hawks ====
Arena – Philips Arena

Championships – 1 (1958)

The team's origins can be traced to the establishment of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1946. In 1951, the team moved to Milwaukee, where they changed their name to the Hawks. They moved again in 1955 to St. Louis, where they won their only NBA championship in 1958. The St. Louis Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968

Cable network entrepreneur and Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner bought the team in 1977

==== Charlotte Hornets ====
Arena – Time Warner Cable Arena

Championships – 0

The original Hornets franchise was established in 1988. The team relocated to New Orleans in 2002, to become the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004 the NBA established, what was regarded at the time as a new expansion team in Charlotte, the Charlotte Bobcats. In 2013, the New Orleans franchise announced it would rebrand itself the New Orleans Pelicans, ultimately returning the Hornets name to Charlotte. The Bobcats were officially renamed the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season

The team is largely owned by Michael Jordan

==== Miami Heat ====
Arena – American Airlines Arena

Championships – 3 (2006, 2012, 2013)

Formed in 1988 as an expansion franchise, the Heat have won three league championships.

In 2013, the Heat won 27 games in a row

The team owner is Micky Arison, who also owns cruise-ship giant Carnival Corporation

Chris Bosh left Toronto Raptors for the Miami Heat in 2010. Bosh won NBA titles with Miami in 2012 and 2013. He also won a gold medal with the USA team at the 2008 Olympic Games

==== Orlando Magic ====
Arena – Amway Center

Championships – 0

The franchise was established in 1989, and won Conference titles in 1995 and 2009

The Magic won the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft Lottery and selected Shaquille O'Neal

==== Washington Wizards ====
Arena – Verizon Center

Championships – 1 (1978)

The Wizards began playing as the Chicago Packers in 1961, as the first modern expansion team in NBA history. They changed their name to Chicago Zephyrs a year later, and then moved to Baltimore in 1963 as the Baltimore Bullets. In 1973, the team announced its move to Landover, a Washington, D.C. suburb, and became the Capital Bullets. A year later they changed their name to the Washington Bullets. In 1997 they changed their name to the Wizards

The franchise has won one NBA championship, in 1978 as the Washington Bullets

After retiring from the Chicago Bulls in 1999, Michael Jordan became the Washington Wizards' president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner. In September 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for Washington 

=== Western Conference Northwest ===

==== Denver Nuggets ====
Arena – Pepsi Center

Championships – 1 (2023)

The Denver Rockets were founded in 1967. They changed their name to the Nuggets in 1974, and played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976

The Nuggets play their home games at Pepsi Center, which they share with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL

The team won their first championship in 2023, defeating Miami Heat. Nikola Jokic was named the Finals' most valuable player to add to the two overall MVPs he won in 2021 and 2022

==== Minnesota Timberwolves ====
Arena – Target Center (Minneapolis)

Championships – 0

Founded in 1989, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 NBA draft, the team made the playoffs eight consecutive times from 1997 to 2004. They won their first division title in 2004 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for that season

==== Oklahoma City Thunder ====
Arena – Chesapeake Energy Arena

Championships – 1 (1979)

The team was originally established as the Seattle SuperSonics, an expansion team that joined the NBA in 1967. The SuperSonics relocated in 2008 and changed their name to Oklahoma City Thunder

In Seattle, the SuperSonics won their division six times, and won the 1979 NBA Championship

In Oklahoma City, the Thunder reached the NBA finals in 2012

Chesapeake Energy Arena was originally known as the Ford Center from 2002 to 2010

Kevin Durant has won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award (2014), four NBA scoring titles, the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, and an Olympic gold medal (2012)

==== Portland Trail Blazers ====
Arena – Moda Center

Championships – 1 (1977)

Founded in 1970, the team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA Championship once, in 1977. Bill Walton was the NBA Finals MVP in 1977, and the regular season MVP the following year

The team is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen

Moda Center was known as the Rose Garden until 2013 

==== Utah Jazz ====
Arena – Vivant Smart Home Arena (Salt Lake City)

Championships – 0

The franchise began in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz, and moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. They have made NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998, where they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls

John Stockton spent his entire professional career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz, from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals

=== Western Conference Pacific ===

==== Golden State Warriors ====
Arena – Chase Center (San Francisco)

Championships – 7 (1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)

The team was established in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, a founding member of the BAA, and it won the inaugural 1947 BAA Finals that is now considered the first NBA Championship. In 1962, the franchise relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and was renamed as the San Francisco Warriors. In 1971, it changed its name to Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors set an NBA record with their 73rd win in regular season in 2015–16, beating the record set by Chicago Bulls in 1995–96

The Warriors most recently won the NBA championship by defeating Boston Celtics in 2022

The team's home arena from 1971 to 2019 was the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The home arena is now the Chase Center

==== Los Angeles Clippers ====
Arena – Staples Center

Championships – 0

The franchise was founded in 1970 as the Buffalo Braves. The Braves moved to San Diego in 1978 and became known as the San Diego Clippers. In 1984, the Clippers moved to Los Angeles. Through much of its history, the franchise failed to see significant regular season or playoff success, but in 2013 won its first division title

In 2014, Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, agreed to purchase the team for $2 billion

Staples Centre is the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams, the Clippers and the Lakers 

==== Los Angeles Lakers ====
Arena – Staples Center

Championships – 17 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020)

The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the NBL. The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers in honor of the state's nickname, "Land of 10,000 Lakes". The Lakers won five NBA championships between 1949 and 1954. They relocated to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season, and made the NBA Finals six times in the 1960s, but lost each series to the Boston Celtics. The 1980s Lakers were nicknamed "Showtime" due to their Magic Johnson-led fast break-offense, and won five championships in a 9-year span, including their first ever Finals championship against the Celtics in 1985. They won three consecutive titles between 2000 to 2002, and won their last title in 2010

The Lakers hold the record for NBA's longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set during the 1971–72 season

In 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a match against the Toronto Raptors

Metta World Peace was known as Ron Artest before legally changing his name in 2011. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders 

Phil Jackson coached the Lakers to five championships from 2000 until 2010. In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach (six with Chicago Bulls), surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach

==== Phoenix Suns ====
Arena – Talking Stick Resort Arena

Championships – 0

The Suns began play as an expansion team in 1968. They have reached the NBA Finals twice, in 1976 and 1993

Steve Nash played for the Suns from 1996 to 1998 and from 2004 to 2012. He was NBA MVP in 2005 and 2006. He currently serves as the general manager of the Canadian national team

Talking Stick Resort Arena, formerly America West Arena and US Airways Center, was opened in 1992

==== Sacramento Kings ====
Arena – Sleep Train Arena

Championships – 1 (1951)

The Kings are the oldest franchise in the NBA. Originating in Rochester, New York, they joined the BAA as the Rochester Royals in 1948, and won the NBA championship in 1951. They relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 and Kansas City in 1972. The team initially divided its home games between Kansas City and Omaha. They were known as the Kansas City Kings from 1975 to 1985, when they moved to Sacramento

The Kings have the longest drought of not winning an NBA championship, 65 years

Sleep Train Arena, originally ARCO Arena and later Power Balance Pavilion, was opened in 1988 

===Western Conference Southwest===

==== Dallas Mavericks ====
Arena – American Airlines Center

Championships – 1 (2011)

Since their inaugural 1980–81 season, the Mavericks have won two conference championships, and one NBA Championship (2011)

==== Houston Rockets ====
Arena – Toyota Center

Championships – 2 (1994, 1995)

The team was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets, before moving to Houston in 1971. They reached the NBA finals in 1981 and 1986, but were defeated by the Boston Celtics on both occasions. In 1994 they won their first title, and repeated as champions in 1995 as the lowest-seeded team in NBA history to win the title

Yao Ming played for Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011. Born in Shanghai, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in)

==== Memphis Grizzlies ====
Arena – FedEx Forum

Championships – 0

The team was originally established as the Vancouver Grizzlies, an expansion team that joined the NBA in 1995. In 2001, the Grizzlies moved to Memphis

The Grizzlies reached the Conference final in 2013

Spanish brothers Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol have both played for the Grizzlies

==== New Orleans Pelicans ====
Arena – Smoothie King Center

Championships – 0

The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in 2002 when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons officially known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. In 2013, the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans

The Smoothie King Center (originally New Orleans Arena) is adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome 

==== San Antonio Spurs ====
Arena – AT&T Center

Championships – 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)

The San Antonio Spurs started out in 1967 as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the ABA. During the 1970–71 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas". The team moved to San Antonio in 1973 as the Spurs, and following the ABA/NBA merger of 1976 they moved to the NBA

San Antonio Spurs won four NBA titles between 1999 and 2007, and won a fifth title in 2014

Taking over as coach of the Spurs in 1996, Gregg Popovich is the longest tenured active coach in both the NBA and all US major sports leagues

Tony Parker was born in Bruges, but raised in France. He has played for the Spurs since 2001, and helped the Spurs win four NBA championships. Parker was named as the EuroBasket 2013 MVP, and was married to Eva Longoria  

== Awards ==
'''Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy'''

The Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy is the championship trophy awarded annually by the NBA to the winner of the NBA Finals. The name of the trophy was the Walter A. Brown Trophy until 1984, and is now in honor of former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien

The trophy, made of sterling silver and a gold overlay, stands two feet tall. The basketball itself is nine inches in diameter. It is manufactured by the Tiffany & Co. Silver Shop every year

'''Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award'''

The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award was first presented after the 1969 NBA finals

Michael Johnson won the award a record six times. Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan won the award three times

'''NBA Most Valuable Player Award'''

The NBA MVP award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times. Both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times, while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times  

== NBA statistics ==
Most NBA Finals wins – Boston Celtics (17), Los Angeles Lakers (17), Chicago Bulls (6). Golden State Warriors (6)

Leading points scorers (as of 12 February 2023) LeBron James (38,390), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292)

Most rebounds – Wilt Chamberlain

Most assists – John Stockton

Most steals – John Stockton

Most blocks – Hakeem Olajuwon

Baltimore Bullets were established in 1944 and folded in 1954, making the Bullets the last NBA franchise to do so. Out of all defunct NBA teams, the only defunct team to win a championship, in 1948  

== Twenty leading players ==
'''Kareem Abdul-Jabbar'''

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lew Alcindor) was the NBA's all-time leading scorer from 1984 to 2023, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season MVP Awards. Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. Noted for his trademark "skyhook" shot

'''Charles Barkley'''

Charles Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984, moved to the Phoenix Suns in 1992 and the Houston Rockets in 1996. He won the league's MVP Award in 1993 and scored 23,757 points in his career. He also competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' "Dream Team". Nicknamed "The Round Mound of Rebound"

'''Larry Bird'''

Larry Bird played for the Boston Celtics from 1979 to 1992. He won three NBA titles and was named the league's MVP three consecutive times (1984–86). He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. Larry Bird is the only man in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player (Celtics), Coach of the Year (Pacers), and Executive of the Year (Pacers)

'''Kobe Bryant'''

Kobe Bryant has played for the LA Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA championships. He has led the league in scoring twice, and he ranks third on both the league's all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. After beginning his 20th season with the Lakers in 2015–16, which set an NBA record for the most seasons with the same team, Bryant retired. He scored 60 points in his final game. Bryant died aged 41, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California in 2020

'''Wilt Chamberlain'''

Wilt Chamberlain played for the Harlem Globetrotters in 1968. In the NBA, he played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Chamberlain holds numerous NBA records, and is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game, for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169–147 win over the New York Knicks in 1962. Nicknamed "Goliath" and "Wilt the Stilt"

'''Stephen Curry'''

Stephen "Steph" Curry was selected in the 2009 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. Playing at point guard, he is considered by some to be the greatest shooter in NBA history. Curry won the 2015 NBA MVP award and holds the NBA record for most consecutive games with a made three-pointer. In 2016, Curry became the first player to net more than 400 three-pointers in a season. In 2015, he led the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975. He won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2022

'''Tim Duncan'''

Tim Duncan has played for the San Antonio Spurs his entire career, winning five NBA championships. He was born in U.S. Virgin Islands. Widely considered to be the greatest power forward of all-time, he is a two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year

'''Julius Erving'''

Julius Erving won three championships, four MVP Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn Nets) and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He is the sixth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam dunking. Nicknamed "Dr. J"

'''Patrick Ewing'''

Patrick Ewing was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He played most of his career with the New York Knicks and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. Ewing is the Knicks all-time leading scorer, with 23,665 points. He won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 US team

'''LeBron James'''

LeBron James played for Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003 to 2010, before moving to Miami Heat. He returned to the Cavaliers in 2014. With Miami, James won three NBA championships, four NBA MVP Awards, and three NBA Finals MVP Awards. He has also won two Olympic gold medals and an NBA scoring title. James has a career average of 27.2 points per game. In February 2023 James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history

'''Magic Johnson'''

Earvin "Magic" Johnson played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979 to 1991. He won a championship and an NBA Finals MVP Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game. Johnson won three NBA MVP Awards and was a member of the US Olympic team in 1992

'''Michael Jordan'''

Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993, and then retired to play baseball. He returned to the NBA with the Bulls in 1995, and after a second retirement joined the Washington Wizards in 2001. With Chicago, Jordan won six NBA championships (the 1991–93 and 1996–98 three-peats), five NBA MVP Awards, and six NBA Finals MVP Awards. Jordan had a career average of 30.1 points per game, and his total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history. He is now the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan’s number, 23, was retired by the Bulls in 2003

'''Karl Malone'''

Karl Malone spent his first 18 seasons (1985–2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. Malone also played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Malone was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He scored the second most career points in NBA history (36,928), and holds the records for most free throws attempted and made. Nicknamed "The Mailman" as he always delivered

'''Moses Malone'''

Moses Malone was named the NBA MVP three times. He won his only NBA championship in 1983, when he was both the league and Finals MVP with the Philadelphia 76ers, and played for five other teams in his career. Malone led the NBA in rebounding six times, and was nicknamed "Chairman of the Boards" for his rebounding prowess

'''Dirk Nowitski'''

Dirk Nowitski, born in Germany, joined the Dallas Mavericks in 1998. He was the first European player to start in an All-Star Game as well as the first to receive the NBA MVP Award (2007). Nowitzki is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA-history, currently being ranked 6th in all-time scoring. Nowitzki was named the 2011 German Sports Personality of the Year, the first basketball player to receive the award

'''Hakeem Olajuwon'''

Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft. He combined with the 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the "Twin Towers". In 1993–94, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season. He ended his career as the league's all-time leader in blocks. Nicknamed "The Dream", for his grace on and off the court

'''Shaquille O’Neal'''

Shaquille O’Neal was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. O'Neal played for six teams throughout his 19-year NBA career. He led the Lakers to three consecutive titles (2000, 2001, and 2002), and won a fourth title with Miami Heat in 2006. O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and had the highest scoring average for a centre in NBA Finals history. In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, and has appeared in numerous films

'''Scottie Pippen'''

Scottie Pippen was a member of the Chicago Bulls team from 1987–98, where he won six NBA titles. Pippen, along with Michael Jordan, played an important role in transforming the Bulls team into a championship team and for popularizing the NBA around the world during the 1990s. He is the only player to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996) 

'''Bill Russell'''

Bill Russell played center for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA MVP and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning a record eleven NBA championships. In 2009, the NBA announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy would be named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in honor of Russell

'''Dwyane Wade'''

Dwyane Wade has played for Miami Heat since 2003. In his third season, Wade led the Heat to their first NBA championship in franchise history, and he was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wade led the United States men's basketball team, commonly known as the "Redeem Team", in scoring. He won further titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013