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Magic Johnson

Earvin Effay Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan), nicknamed Magic, is a retired American National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers. Before joining the NBA, the 6'9" point guard enjoyed success in NCAA college basketball, winning the title in 1979 with Michigan State University.[1] With the Lakers, Johnson established a successful career as he won five NBA championships, played in nine NBA Finals series, and was elected three times for both NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and NBA Most Valuable Player. Johnson also played in 12 All-Star games and was voted into 10 All-NBA First and Second Teams, and led the league in regular season assists four times.

Johnson is acknowledged as one of the most popular NBA basketball players of all time, being well-known for his uncanny passing and dribbling skills, and for his cheerful nature on and off the court. His fierce, but friendly rivalry with Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird rejuvenated the NBA and ushered in the era of million-dollar salaries. He was also member of the Dream Team U. S. basketball team which won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. For his feats, Johnson was honored as one of the NBA 50 Greatest Players in 1996 and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.[2]

Johnson is also well-known for contracting HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus), which he made public in 1991, and which caused him to temporarily retire. After winning over the support of his colleagues, he became the first openly HIV-positive player to play in the NBA. Since then, he has been a crusader for HIV prevention, safe sex, and a philanthropist for social causes.

Micahael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player. Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he became one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA (National Basketball Association) around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

After a standout career at the University of North Carolina, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as one of the stars of the league, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the foul line at Slam Dunk Contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." He also gained a reputation as one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Though Jordan abruptly left the NBA in October 1993 to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998). His 1995–96 Bulls team won an NBA-record 72 regular-season games. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but he returned for two more NBA seasons as a member of the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and three All-Star MVPs, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA record for highest career regular season scoring average with 30.1 points per game, as well as averaging a record 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats, which reside in his home state of North Carolina.

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The legendary Dirk

Dirk Werner Nowitzki (IPA pronuncation: [no'vjtski]) (born June 19, 1978 in Würzburg, West Germany) is a German basketball player for the United States' National Basketball Association's (NBA) Dallas Mavericks. Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Nowitzki is an all-purpose forward, able to play any position in the frontcourt (center, power forward, or small forward).

Nowitzki was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks for their sixth pick, Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Nowitzki is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA today. Although there have been numerous German players in the NBA, in 2006 Nowitzki became just the second German-born player (after Detlef Schrempf) to make it to the Finals.

In May 2007, Nowitzki became the first European-born player in NBA history to receive the league's Most Valuable Player award.


Style of playing...

Nowitzki is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and is capable of shooting a high percentage from both medium range and beyond the three-point line, unusual for a 7-foot forward. His tall frame and fadeaway jump shots pose difficulties for defenders, and in 2006 and 2007 he shot over 90% at the free throw line. Nowitzki also has an effective high post game in the NBA, able receive passes near the top of the key and bring the ball down to the low post to score on a turnaround jump shot or a drive. He was also very effective working the pick and roll with former teammate, Steve Nash.

Nowitzki's defense improved under current Dallas coach Avery Johnson. Nowitzki notched a career high in blocks on January 6, 2006, with 7 against the Denver Nuggets. Nowitzki is the only player in NBA history to register at least 150 three-point field goals and 100 blocks in a season (he had 151 three-point field goals and 101 blocks in the 2000-01 season).

Nowitzki has been compared to Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, both being prolific scorers and admired shooters. Both Bird and Nowitzki are rated as three-point contest champions and excellent free-throw shooters. However, Bird's career high season records exceed Nowitzki's in terms of season average per game assists and rebounds