1.
1996 NBA draft
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The 1996 NBA draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association. It was held on June 26,1996 in East Rutherford, the draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting college basketball players and other eligible players, such as players from high schools. The team with the second highest probability, the Philadelphia 76ers won the lottery, the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies were second and third respectively. Allen Iverson, a sophomore from Georgetown, was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers and it is widely considered to be one of the deepest and most talented NBA drafts in history, with one-third of the first round picks later becoming NBA All-Stars. The draft class produced three players who won NBA MVP awards, seven other drafted players who became All-Stars, and one undrafted All-Star, moreover, eight players from this draft class have been named to at least one All-NBA Team, the most among any draft. The draft class also produced 3 players who have named to the NBAs all-defensive first team, Bryant, Marcus Camby. Camby won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2007, while Wallace earned the award in 2002,2003,2005. Eventual 5-time NBA champion Derek Fisher was also included in the draft, on April 13,2016, Bryant played his final NBA game against the Utah Jazz, scoring 60 points, making him the last player from this draft to play in the NBA. Most experts rate it along with the 1984 NBA draft and 2003 NBA draft as one of the best drafts in history. Sports Illustrated named it the second-best, behind the 1984 draft, which included a class of Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley. The following players went undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft but later played in the NBA, archived from the original on October 26,1996. CS1 maint, BOT, original-url status unknown 1996 NBA Draft at Basketball-reference. com
2.
Point guard
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The point guard, also called the one or point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position, point guards are expected to run the teams offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right players at the right time. A point guard, like other player positions in basketball, specializes in certain skills, a point guards primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for his/her team, or sometimes for themselves. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor and this involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score, and controlling the tempo of the game. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break, point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. A point guard needs always to have in mind the times on the clock and the game clock, the score. Among the taller players who have enjoyed success at the position is Magic Johnson, other point guards who have been named NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Derrick Rose and two-time winners Stephen Curry and Steve Nash. In the NBA, point guards are usually about 65 or shorter, having above-average size is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness, and ball handling skills. Shorter players tend to be better dribblers since they are closer to the floor, after an opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down court to begin an offensive play. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial, speed is important, a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving him/herself room to work. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring, another major evaluation factor is Assist-to-Turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Still, a point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play and this is a necessity because of the point guards many leadership obligations. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers as a coach on the floor or a floor general, in the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player-coaches. This is not so common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized in coaching and are non-players, former Suns head coach Mike DAntoni had often allowed Steve Nash to freelance when leading the Suns offense, even letting him call his own plays at times. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are extensions of their coach on the floor. John Stockton is widely considered to be the point guard. He also used the pick and roll maneuvre with Karl Malone, along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard
3.
Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
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Maccabi Tel Aviv B. C. for sponsorship reasons Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, is a professional basketball club based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli Premier League and internationally in the EuroLeague, the club started in the mid-1930s, as part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Club, which had been founded in 1906. With six European Championships, one Adriatic Championship,51 Israeli Championships,44 Israeli Cups and it is also one of the most successful basketball teams of all time. The Israeli Basketball Super League started in 1954, and Maccabi Tel Aviv was the first champion and it has dominated the championship ever since, winning the title 50 times, including a run of 23 titles in a row between 1970 and 1992. The team has won the Israeli Basketball State Cup 41 times. Maccabi is considered Israels national sporting representative in the world, from 1969 until 2008, Maccabi Tel Aviv was sponsored by Elite, Israels largest food company, and carried its name. Since July 2008, Maccabi has had a new sponsor – Electra, since 1963, the clubs home court has been the Yad Eliyahu Arena in Tel Aviv. Originally an open-air court for 5,000 spectator, it is now an indoor arena with a capacity of 11,000. Most Maccabi head coaches have been former players of the club, yehoshua Rozin was involved with the club for 40 years. Ralph Klein started as an 18-year-old player and later had spells as a coach. Zvi Sherf played for Maccabis second team, and coached the team for three spells, Pini Gershon played in the Youth Section, and as a coach led Maccabi to three European titles, in 2001,2004, and 2005. Maccabi Tel Aviv has always provided the team with a large number of players. Five Maccabi players, headed by Avraham Shneur, were on the team that represented Israel in its first European Championship, Tanhum Cohen-Mintz was one of Europes top centers in the sixties, and was selected for the first European All Star Team which played in Madrid in 1964. Mickey Berkowitz, Motty Aroesti, Lou Silver, and Eric Minkin played a part in winning the silver medal in the European Championship in 1979 in Torino. Doron Jamchy played 16 years for the team, and holds the record for appearances. Maccabi Tel Aviv was the first Israeli club to enter the European Cup for Champions in 1958, since then, it has played over 600 games in European competitions, and was the only Israeli club to play in a Final and to win the Champions Cup on six occasions. Maccabi has played in 15 Champions Cup Finals, in 1994 and 2004, Maccabi organized the European Final Four in Tel Aviv. The first basketball game between an NBA and an FIBA team was held in 1978 in Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv beat the defending NBA champion Washington Bullets, 98–97
4.
Panathinaikos B.C.
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Panathinaikos B. C. known for sponsorship reasons as Panathinaikos B. C. Superfoods, and also simply as Panathinaikos, or by its full name. It is owned by the billionaire Giannakopoulos family, the parent athletic club was founded in 1908, while the basketball team was founded in 1919, being one of the oldest in the country of Greece. Alongside Aris, they are the only un-relegated teams with participation in every Greek First Division Championship until today, Panathinaikos has developed into the most successful basketball club in Greek basketballs history, and among the best in Europe, creating its own dynasty. They have won thirty-five Greek Basket League Championships, eighteen Greek Cups, nine Doubles, six EuroLeague Championships, one Intercontinental Cup, the team plays in the Olympic Indoor Hall, which has a capacity of 18,989 for basketball games. Panathinaikos is the team on the European continent to win as many as six EuroLeague titles. They hold a rivalry with Olympiacos, and matches between the two teams are referred to as the Derby of the eternal enemies. Panathinaikos started as a club in 1908. In 1919, basketball was still unknown in Greece, during that period Giorgos Kalafatis with other athletes participated in the Inter-Allied Games in Paris and attended basketball games between the Allies of World War I. When he later returned to Greece with the equipment, he set up the Panathinaikos basketball club. In 1919, PAO played their first match against X. A. N, Thessaloniki, another club also pioneer of basketball in Greece, a match which took place at the Panathenaic Stadium. During the German occupation that followed, Dimitris Giannatos was executed by the Nazis for his resistance action, in 1946 and 1947, Panathinaikos emerged champions, with the help of players like Giannis Lambrou, Missas Pantazopoulos, Stelios Arvanitis and Jack Nicolaidis. In 1950 and 1951, Panathinaikos emerged champions once again with the help of great athletes Faidon Matthaiou, in 1954 the club would repeat the success, however the next five years would prove fruitless and the club, despite its strength, would have to be renewed. In 1961 Panathinaikos won the Greek championship with new leaders Giorgos Vassilakopoulos, Stelios Tavoularis, in 1962 Panathinaikos made the repeat and was again the Greek champion. That was also the year that PAO took part for the first time in a European competition facing Hapoel Tel Aviv for the European Championship. In the 23rd of November 1963, Panathinaikos beat Olympiacos 90-48 for the Mantellos Cup, a tournament that was replaced by the Greek Cup. In 1967, Panathinaikos were crowned champions, with Giorgos Kolokithas in their ranks. In 1969, the conquest of the Championship was followed by the first European success of the club, the entrance in the semi-finals of the Cup Winners Cup, where they were eliminated by Dinamo Tbilisi
5.
Israel national basketball team
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The Israeli national basketball team is the basketball team that represents Israel in international competition and managed by the Israeli Basketball Association. Israel is currently ranked 37th in the world by FIBA and 14th in Europe, until now, Israel has participated in 34 international competitions and won a silver medal in EuroBasket 1979. Israel made their European championship tournament debut in the EuroBasket 1953 in Moscow, in the preliminary round, the Israeli squad won their group by tie-breaker after being one of three teams to finish with a 3–1 record. They advanced to the round, managing to defeat perennial power Czechoslovakia. Their record in the round was 4–3, putting them in a 4-way tie for second place behind the undefeated Soviet Union. Israel came out on the bottom of that tie-breaker, finishing in 5th place of the 17 teams, israels overall record of 7 wins and 4 losses included two wins by forfeit over Lebanon and Egypt, each of which had refused to play against Israel. In the following years, the squad emerged as a competitor that, at times. Its major accomplishments remain its silver medal at the EuroBasket 1979 and its qualifications to the Basketball World Cup, israels basketball program was especially honored when FIBA awarded the country hosting rights for preliminary round games of the official EuroBasket 2017. Roster for the EuroBasket 2015. com Israel v Russia - Group A - Game Highlights - EuroBasket 2015 YouTube. com video
6.
Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.
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Hapoel has won several titles, including the ULEB Cup in 2004, and the Israeli League championship in 2015. In 2013, a new group headed by Ori Allon, took over. The team began playing in the Jerusalem Arena in 2014, Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club was founded in 1935 and incorporated in 1943 in Jerusalem. It had its first appearance in the Premier League in 1955, Hapoel played in the first division most of the 1950s and 1960s, with notable players, such as David Kaminsky and Amir Berlinsky. The following two decades had ups and downs, as Hapoel toggled between the first and second divisions, in 1986, led by coach Simi Riger the team advanced to the Premier League, after five consecutive years in the second division. Since then, Hapoel has remained in the Premier league and became an important factor in the Israeli Basketball, in 1996 and 1997, Hapoel won the State Cup, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the finals, at the Yad Eliyahu Arena. The team was led by Adi Gordon, widely considered the teams symbol, in 2004, Hapoel Jerusalem won its first European title, the ULEB Cup, defeating Real Madrid in the final in Charleroi, Belgium. In 2005, Israeli-Russian billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak purchased a stake in the club. As a result, the team got stronger and signed four American players with an NBA record – Tamar Slay, Horace Jenkins, Roger Mason, the team also signed Israeli star Meir Tapiro. In 2007, Hapoel won its third Israel State Cup, defeating Bnei HaSharon 103–85 at Nokia Arena, in early 2008 Hapoel came back from being 22 points down, in the 4th quarter to win its fourth State Cup, beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 93–89. In late 2008 Hapoel won its first Israeli Basketball League Cup, in September 2009, oil tycoon Guma Aguiar joined Hapoel Jerusalem as the teams sponsor and helped clear the debts left by Mr. Gaydamak. This ensured Hapoel would be able to yet again at the highest levels. On October 8,2009 Hapoel beat Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Winner Cup finals 86–80, one year after the mysterious disappearance of Guma Aguiar, a new ownership group headed by entrepreneur Ori Allon took over, and Guy Harel succeeded Dani Klein as general manager. Once he decided to retire from the NBA in July 2016, on June 20,2014 the club signed coach Danny Franco who led Maccabi Haifa to the 2014 finals against current EuroLeague title-holder Maccabi Tel Aviv. That same day, the club also signed season MVP Donta Smith, on June 25,2014, the Executive Board of Euroleague Commercial Assets unanimously agreed to hand Hapoel a wild-card to compete for a spot in the EuroLeague qualifications. The move came in light of Hapoel positioning herself as a club with a new ownership group with great stability. On June 25,2015, Hapoel won the Israeli Championship for the first time in their history, 90% – An ownership group, headed by majority owner Ori Allon, including Eyal Chomsky, Shalom Menora, David Kleinhandler and Howard Wietschner. In Malha Arena, the Brigade was located behind the south side basket, at the Jerusalem Arena, the Brigade is located in stands #1 and #12
7.
EuroLeague
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Introduced in 2000, the competition replaced the FIBA EuroLeague, which had been run by FIBA since 1958. For Euroleague Basketball records purposes, the FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague are considered to be the same competition, with the change of name being simply a re-branding. EuroLeague is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 8,184. The EuroLeague title has been won by 20 different clubs,13 of which have won the more than once. The FIBA European Champions Cup was originally established by FIBA and it operated under its umbrella from 1958 until the summer of 2000 and that was when Euroleague Basketball was created. FIBA had never trademarked the EuroLeague name, even though it had used that name for the competition since 1996. Euroleague Basketball simply appropriated the name, and since FIBA had no recourse to do anything about it, it was forced to find a new name for its championship series. Thus, the following 2000–2001 season started with 2 separate top European professional club competitions, the FIBA SuproLeague. The rift in European professional club basketball initially showed no signs of letting up, in May 2001, Europe had two continental champions, Maccabi of the FIBA SuproLeague and Kinder Bologna of the Euroleague. The leaders of both organizations realized the need to come up with a unified competition, although only a year old, Euroleague Basketball negotiated from a position of strength and dictated proceedings. FIBA essentially had no choice but to agree to Euroleague Basketballs terms, as a result, European club competition was fully integrated under Euroleague Basketballs umbrella and teams that competed in the FIBA SuproLeague during the 2000–01 season joined it as well. In essence, the authority in European professional basketball was divided over club-country lines, FIBA stayed in charge of national team competitions, while Euroleague Basketball took over the European professional club competitions. From that point on, FIBAs Korać Cup and Saporta Cup competitions lasted only one season before folding. In November 2015, Euroleague Basketball and IMG agreed on 10-year joint venture, both Euroleague Basketball and IMG will manage the commercial operation, and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing. The deal was worth €630 million euros guaranteed, with projected revenues reaching €900 million euros, FIBA era, FIBA European Champions Cup, FIBA European League, FIBA EuroLeague, FIBA SuproLeague, Euroleague Basketball era, Euroleague. *There were two separate competitions during the 2000–01 season, the SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball. On 26 July 2010, Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball announced a €15 million strategic agreement to sponsor the top European basketball competition across the globe, according to the agreement, starting with the 2010–11 season, the top European competition would be named Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball. Similarly, the EuroLeague Final Four would be named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four and this title partnership was set to run for five seasons, with the option of extending it to an additional five
8.
Greek Basket League
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The Greek Basket League, often referred to as the Greek Basketball League, Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship, is the first tier professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA, under the authority of the Hellenic Basketball Federation. The league is known as the Stoiximan. gr Greek Basket League for sponsorship reasons. It consists of 14 teams and runs from October to June, with teams playing 26 games each during the season. The first official Greek Basketball Championship was held in the 1927–28 season, the league first held a playoff round in the 1986–87 season. The league has always ranked as one of the top 3-5 level national domestic leagues in European basketball. For further information, see historical European national basketball league rankings, Basketball first came to Greece in the year 1910. By the 1927–28 season, the first official Greek basketball championship began, the league was originally organized by the Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association. There have been four different official championship eras, the first era was the Panhellenic Championship, which lasted from the 1927–28 to 1962–63 seasons, when the champions of every regional district played each other to decide the Greek Champion. The second era started in the 1963–64 season, when the A National Category, in 1969, the Hellenic Basketball Federation took over the duties of overseeing the competition, and did so until the year 1992. The 1988–89 season, marked the first time that Greek Basket League teams were allowed to have foreign players on their rosters. The fourth era of the began in the 1992–93 season. The league was renamed to Greek Basket League, starting with the 2010–11 season. It currently ranks among the best national domestic leagues in the world, such as Liga ACB in Spain, VTB United League, and BSL in Turkey. It has always considered one of the top 3-5 European national domestic leagues under the historical European national basketball league rankings. Also, Aris Thessaloniki, led by Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Giannakis, and Slobodan Lefteris Subotić, was the dominant Greek club, the first five aforementioned clubs, are also the most widely supported by fans in Greece. Despite the championship having been contested 76 times, only nine different clubs have won it so far, the dominating club has always been Panathinaikos, having claimed the championship 34 times. Since the foundation of the Alpha National Category in the 1963–64 season, the main elements of the logo were changed in 2013
9.
Basketball
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Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s
10.
Israel
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Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. The country contains geographically diverse features within its small area. Israels economy and technology center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, in 1947, the United Nations adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, next year, the Jewish Agency declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and it extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories is the worlds longest military occupation in modern times, efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in peace. However, peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have successfully been signed, the population of Israel, as defined by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, was estimated in 2017 to be 8,671,100 people. It is the worlds only Jewish-majority state, with 74. 8% being designated as Jewish, the countrys second largest group of citizens are Arabs, at 20. 8%. The great majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims, including significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins, other minorities include Arameans, Armenians, Assyrians, Black Hebrew Israelites, Circassians, Maronites and Samaritans. Israel also hosts a significant population of foreign workers and asylum seekers from Africa and Asia, including illegal migrants from Sudan, Eritrea. In its Basic Laws, Israel defines itself as a Jewish, Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature, Israel is a developed country and an OECD member, with the 35th-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product as of 2016. The country benefits from a skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree. The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the third highest in Asia, in the early weeks of independence, the government chose the term Israeli to denote a citizen of Israel, with the formal announcement made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett. The names Land of Israel and Children of Israel have historically used to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The name Israel in these phrases refers to the patriarch Jacob who, jacobs twelve sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel or Children of Israel. The earliest known artifact to mention the word Israel as a collective is the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt. The area is known as the Holy Land, being holy for all Abrahamic religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam
11.
New York Knicks
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The New York Knickerbockers, commonly referred to as the Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in New York City. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other is the Brooklyn Nets, along with the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of only two original NBA teams still located in its original city. The Knicks were successful during their years and were constant playoff contenders under the franchises first head coach Joe Lapchick. Beginning in 1950, the Knicks made three appearances in the NBA Finals, all of which were losing efforts. Lapchick resigned in 1956 and the team began to falter. It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance, Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973. The Knicks of the 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances, however, the playoff-level Knicks of the 1990s were led by future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, this era was marked by passionate rivalries with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. During this time, they were known for playing tough defense under head coaches Pat Riley, during this era, the Knicks made two appearances in the NBA Finals, in 1994 and 1999, though they were unable to win an NBA championship. Since 2000, the Knicks have struggled to regain their former glory, in 2012–13, the franchise won its first division title in 19 years, but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. According to a 2016 Forbes report, the Knicks were the most-valuable NBA franchise, in 1946, basketball, particularly college basketball, was a growing and increasingly profitable sport in New York City. Hockey was another sport at the time and generated considerable profits, however. Max Kase, a New York sportswriter, became the editor at the Boston American in the 1930s. Kase developed the idea of a professional league to showcase college players upon their graduation. Brown, intrigued by the opportunity to attain additional income when the teams were not playing or on the road. Ned Irish, a college basketball promoter, retired sportswriter and then president of Madison Square Garden, was in attendance, Kase originally planned to own and operate the New York franchise himself and approached Irish with a proposal to lease the Garden. Irish explained that the rules of the Arena Managers Association of America stated that Madison Square Garden was required to own any professional teams played in the arena
12.
EuroBasket 1997
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It was held in Spain between 24 June and 6 July 1997. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the cities of Badalona, Barcelona and Girona hosted the tournament. FR Yugoslavia won its seventh FIBA European title by defeating Italy with a 61–49 score in the final, yugoslavias Aleksandar Đorđević was voted the tournaments MVP. The teams were split in four groups of four teams each where they played a round robin, the top three teams from each group advance to the second stage. In the second stage, two groups of six teams were formed and played a round robin, the results between teams that faced during the preliminary round are carried over. The top four teams each group in the second stage advance to the knockout quarterfinals to compete for the Championship. The winners in the semifinals compete for the European Championship, while the losers from the play a consolation game for the third place. The losers in the quarterfinals compete in a bracket to define 5th through 8th place in the final standings. The four teams eliminated in the second stage compete in another bracket to define 9th through 12th place in the final standings, the four teams eliminated in the preliminary round compete in another bracket to define 13th through 16th place in the final standings. Times given below are in Central European Summer Time,1997 European Championship for Men, FIBA. com
