Born on August 23, 1978, Kobe Bryant is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Lower Merion High School. The son of former NBA player Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, Kobe had no problem in making a name for himself after being voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game during his second season, which made him the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19 years of age.

As with all athletes, Kobe Bryant had a life before becoming an NBA star. Eight years of his childhood, which was spent in Italy, led to Bryant being able to speak fluent Italian. His parents, who also have two daughters, Sharia and Shaya, named Kobe Bryant after a type of steak that they noticed on a restaurant menu. During his high school years, Bryant was recognized as the all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania history. His record, which was 2,883 points, managed to break the marks of both Wilt Chamberlain and Carlin Warley. During his final years as a high school athlete, Kobe Bryant was chosen by USA Today and Parade as the National High School Player of the Year. In addition, he was recognized as the Naismith Player of the Year and the Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year.

During his rookie NBA season, which occurred in 1996-1997, Kobe Bryant played in 71 games and started in six. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and became the youngest player to ever start an NBA game when he was 18 years, five months and five days of age. By the 1997-1998 season, Kobe Bryant was ready for action as the points just kept racking up at each game. During the 1998-1999 season, Bryant was named to the All-NBA Third Team. The following season, which was held from 1999-2000, found Kobe Bryant remaining atop of the mountain on the NBA players list. In addition to being named to the 1999-2000 All-NBA Second Team, he was also honored with the NBA All-Interview Second Team, the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was named the NBA Player of the Week from April 10-16, 2000.

By the time the 2000-2001 season rolled around, Kobe Bryant was a household name. After appearing in 68 games and averaging 28.5 points per game, Kobe ranked among the league leaders in scoring. In 2001-2002, Bryant played in a career-high 80 games, in which he averaged 25.2 points each and was again ranked among the league’s scoring leaders. In 2002, he was named as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game.

During the seasons that followed, Kobe Bryant continued to score points both on the court and in the hearts of NBA fans. With an average of 24 points per game in the 2003 season, Kobe was selected to the 2003-2004 All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team. The 2004-2005 season found Bryant on the All-NBA Third Team. In January 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game, which is the second All-Time in NBA history.

Fans who would like to request a signed photo or simply send Kobe Bryant their best wishes are urged to do so in care of his NBA franchise team. If you are requesting an autograph, be sure to include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) along with your request. Letters and requests should be mailed to:

Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 555 Nash St. El Segundo, CA 90245

Read Kobe Bryant biography or see Kobe Bryant pictures and many other Kobe Bryant news and fun resources on http://www.kobe-bryant.us fan site.

In August I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Adam Haluska, the Big Ten’s leading scorer from last season. Drafted in the second round by the New Orleans Hornets, Adam shared with me some insight into what the pre draft workouts were like.

In hearing him describe the drills and focus of each workout, I reflected on the fundamentals of the game that 6, 8, and 10 years olds are missing out on. If it’s good enough for the NBA and the best players in the world, it surely needs to be a staple in youth basketball in every gym in America.

Adam worked out in for clubs such as New Orleans, Phoenix, and Dallas.

The drills revolved around offense and included:

1. One-on-one competition. All positions and sizes competed together, playing from the wings and the top of the key.

2. Moves off the dribble. Moves such as the crossover, hesitation, double crossover, and the step back move were used.

3. 2-on-2. Can you imagine 2 highly prized draft picks joining together for a game of 2-on-2. This is what I would like to see in every school yard across the country. 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 are great ways to play and learn the game correctly. There must be something to it if NBA General Managers and coaches stand around and watch four guys play two-on-two for a half hour, huh?

4. Shooting. Tons of shooting drills were part of each workout. Shooting open three’s, shooting off the dribble, pull up jumpers, shooting off screens, and shooting with the aid of a dribble move such as the crossover or step back. These drills are competitive, so the pressure is on the player to make shots. One big focus for all clubs is to draft guys that can make shots, and make them consistently.

When asked if any of the drills or techniques taught were new or complicated to him, he said no. In fact each drill was very fundamental in nature. When he played in the Los Angeles NBA summer league, the Hornets staff put them through some rigorous drills and conditioning. The drill and teaching segments of practice during this two month period were very simple and fundamentally based.

It was refreshing to know that the basics of the game are being taught to the great players and draft picks in NBA camps. Somehow over the years we got it backwards! Youth basketball, especially those that coach youth basketball need to pay attention to the message in this post and re-examine their philosophy and emphasis or lack of emphasis on the key elements of the game that are still highly treasured at the game’s highest level, the NBA.

Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com

Collier Brown Jr., AKA P.J. Brown, currently plays for the NBA’s Boston Celtics as a center/power forward. In college Brown played at Louisiana Tech for a period of four years. He left the school as the 2nd all-time leader in blocks with 241 and 5th in rebounds with 1,017. In the 1992 NBA draft he was selected out of Louisiana Tech University by the New Jersey Nets. He opted to play in Greece his first year out of college for the Panionios. His first playing season with the Nets in 1993- he played in 240 regular season games, starting in 198 of those games and averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds in 30 minutes of the game. In the 1994 NBA Playoffs he appeared in 4 playoff games and participated in the 1994 Rookie Challenge during the NBA ALL-Star Weekend.

Brown signed to the Miami Heat in the 1996 season, where he shined receiving the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and also was elected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. P.J. Brown undoubtedly played a key role in pushing the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1997 NBA Playoffs. The Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls that year, but the team did not miss the playoffs in the four seasons that Brown was part of.

In 2000, P.J. Brown was traded to the Chicago Bulls, but did not last past the 2006 season where he signed with the Boston Celtics. Brown had an exceptional breakthrough in Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008 where he scored 10 points and turned 6 rebounds. He also shined in the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in his 15 year career gaining the championship for the Celtics.

About the Author: Eddie Delgado is the owner and writer for http://www.VintageSportsCardMemorabilia.com VSCM is the ultimate NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL sports card and memorabilia site for serious collectors.

The history National basketball association like many other sports has its humble beginnings. It started as a Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. In August 3, 1949 the BAA then merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) and it finally formed the NBA. It enabled to expand its team members with a seventeen franchises. Through the years the basketball game continuously interested a number of sports enthusiasts, increasing its popularity as years went by. It is in the 1960’s that the game was finally being appreciated by most Americans. It is when the time of the Boston Celtic’s dynasty. It even propelled its popularity even more during the 80’s when the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. The epic battle between two heroes namely Larry Bird and Magic Johnson is magnificence in the making. The game has indeed made its mark as one of the most popular game in the United States.

The NBA had indeed been popularized in the US but in the world it is still not that popular. It is only in the 90’s that made the world realized the beauty of basketball. Thanks to Michael Jordan, the game has indeed gained superstar status not only in the country but to the world. The creation of the dream team which showed the US team’s superiority lead by his Airiness’ Michael Jordan gave the Olympics a spectacle to see. Even now the NBA is continuously evolving. It expanded its franchise and added some of the best foreign players into the association.

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Betting on NBA basketball is one of the great ways of enjoying the games. It can give any die hard basketball fan the chance not only to experience the enjoyment that comes with slam dunks, fast break plays and three pointers but also the enjoyment that comes with winning money even without actually participating in the game. This is why more and more people are becoming more interested on knowing how to bet successfully on NBA basketball games. With the use of NBA Basketball history this can be done. What makes knowledge of NBA basketball history important is that it:

• Gives bettors a chance to view the past performances of the teams where they are planning to bet on. This in accordance with the saying that the past is always the best predictor of the future. This is true especially if NBA basketball history shows that the team is currently on a winning streak or winning their last few games. This means that the team has a very high chance of winning their next game.

• Shows the current status and news on all different teams. NBA basketball history helps in determining whether the team is in top playing condition or is has many weaknesses. It can really serve as a guide because anyone would not want to bet on a time that has a very low chance of winning their games.

• Keep bettors posted on conditions of the different players of the different teams. This is important especially in the case of star players and key members of each team. Their current conditions can affect the way they play and this can then affect the outcome of a team’s game. Also, any possible injuries or trades can really make a big difference not only on the team’s next game but on all their games for the season.

• Help oddsmakers in making predictions on the possible results of the different games that will be played during the season. This is in relation to the first three importance of NBA basketball history that is stated above as those can really influence the odds that are given for every game. This determines the number of points that will be needed in betting for totals as well as the number of point spread that will be included in the bet.

• Lets the bettors determine their status at the start of every game. This really helps a lot especially if the bettor really knows the team and is very sure of the team will do on the next game. Bettors can place small bets or avoid betting at all if they think that they are going to lose and bet big if they think that they have a very high chance of winning. NBA basketball history can really be useful in determining the various odds for winning or losing in any NBA game. However, every bettor should also note that NBA basketball history is just one of the many factors that can help in making winning bets and avoiding losing ones.

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