World champions and the Olympic Games, “The most useful players” of NBA, recognized masters – Sport.ru sounds the version of top ten players of the world of the leaving decade, listing basketball players who on the way to victories improved and is irreversible changed an own sport.
In this list there are no many players who very famous now and are worthy to be here. Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Carmelo Antony, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard – behind these stars the present and the future of basketball. But they came to big basketball when decade already was in full blast, and at each of them in a stock the following. Including them, it should throw out someone from those who already spent, but was all ten years the person of world basketball and a place in the list deserved.
1. Kobe Bryant
In 10 years: four-time champion of NBA (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009), Olympic champion (2008), MVP NBA (2008).
All career of Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles consists of parallel layers: basketball and “Hollywood”. Equally steadily the defender of “Lakers” threw balls in a basket and delivered material for journalistic gossips. Kobe competed to the star partner in team. Quarreled with parents and married. Had legal proceedings not to go for many years to prison. All this is useful for newspaper circulations, but distracts from basketball. As the result, will be best of all to look Kobe Bryant’s game in archival records. When the person on the screen simply breaks the next record, wins the championship, and all forgot for a long time as it those days “built the relations”.
To experts it is simpler, than to fans to be discharged from alluvial and to estimate basketball properties of Bryant. The player densely located in the list of the best on game in defense – more habitual for “big” and those who is not enough stars from the sky in attack. Michael Jordan according to nodded: “He scores points, and then in protection wants to sponsor the leader of another team – I so would play”. Any sensible trainer will note as Bryant economically and accurately moves on a platform, his feints hold up as an example on workouts. Kobe is called the owner of the strongest game intelligence in league. In the summer-2009 the champion of NBA was engaged in that learned to play at Hakeem Olajuwon position of the center – ways to improve the skill should be found.
2. Shaquille O’Neal
In 10 years: four-time champion of NBA (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
Last dominating center in the history, itself proclaimed “dinosaur”. Once, very long time ago, basketball was game of giants – at the heart of any decent team “column” which finished with all under a ring needed to be, and small it was necessary to bring cartridges. But the trainer’s thought does not stand still, and for some decades with giants learned to cope. Double and threefold guardianship in protection. Game by the undersized structure where all five players are universal and traditional “big” not to keep up neither in speed nor in skill.
Incredibly high Yao Ming strikes inhabitants, and in NBA him met by the phrase: “If powerfully you does not drive a ball from above – in this league even playing will cover your throw”. That eventually also it happened. It is necessary to be a unique person to play a role traditional center in zero years, and for this purpose it were required to Shaquille: the 160-kilogram weight attacking the arsenal from tens moves under a ring impressing for “big” grazed. Whether we will see the new traditional center? Chances are small – requirements are too high.
3. Tim Duncan
In 10 years: three-time champion of NBA (2003, 2005, 2007)
“The most boring MVP in the history of NBA” in combination acted as a pillar of the most successful team of decade. For a reporting interval of time any club did not win so often as it Spurs” Tim Duncan did “San Antonio – and it includes all American professional clubs. The team did not attract attention staginess, but the main thing that gave to the basketball world – fashion on “teams families” where to character of players pay not smaller attention, than to their skills on a platform. Duncan’s role is great here – having become the leader of “Spurs”, he turned actually into the playing trainer: the conductor of ideas of the mentor and “police officer” in team.
Duncan will become history as the person who revived a throw with a rebound from a board. That is, could enter if at the others well it turned out to imitate it. Many of those things which bring success to Duncan, are not original and are effective thanks to workmanship. Journalists had to break much the head to mark out some feature, and there was nothing more perceptible, than is bright from a board. Duncan also got the nickname “Mr. Fundamentals”, and it excellent: basic skills, reliability, a team basis – all in it.
4. Dirk Nowitzki
Few years ago, Michael Jordan criticized policy of NBA: it is not necessary to impose stars to fans, it is rather simple to show them what they did not see yet. Dirk Nowitzki became familiar from the very beginning of career – the high white player with an excellent distant throw. The image for the first time drew attention to the legionary and will forever be remembered. Over time the feeling of novelty became dull. The German was managed to be compared to his predecessors who though in a small amount, but were. In league, there was a fashion on throwing “big”, and at Nowitzki as to a star began to look narrowly more attentively. However, constantly adding, the German did not disappoint and became not simply noticeable, but also is rather uncontrollable.
It is considered to be that Nowitzki poorly plays in defense. In years in “Dallas” at the coach Don Nelson it played on a position center much and then practically to all opponents conceded in the weight, force and aggressiveness. In such conditions the player had to either break, or stand and inevitably to become better. Nowitzki, coming to German national team, now could play full “big”, and at the European level did not concede to anybody in rigidity any more. In NBA – came to minimum decent level of protection, and then overcame it. In ten years Nowitzki played only for two traditionally modest teams – the national team and “Dallas Mavericks”, and both took a huge step forward. Appetite comes during a meal, now demand the first places from Nowitzki’s teams, and this achievement in itself. However, a stop not in plans of the German, but it already absolutely other decade.
5. Allen Iverson
In 10 years: MVP NBA (2001), leader in most valuable players list.
In the three of the best for all history NBA on average productivity – Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and the player who in 183 centimeters has to be grateful for the official growth to someone’s generosity. Allen Iverson in the best years – continuous threat to receive 50 points in the ring. It is hard to say as responsible people reported to the administration. All of them know, who the most dangerous player at other team. All of them know what exactly he is able. Ten trainers and scouts with serious faces prepare the plan for a match – decisive day comes, and the little guy again gives out big game. Was not in the history of league of the player at the same time so talented and impudent, let not only in the sports plan, unfortunately. It is not accepted to speak about it but to score many points in NBA, the impudence is necessary.
In some sort, Iverson is John Stockton zero years: externally ordinary person what it is possible to face at a bus stop, and in practice – the outstanding basketball player. A lot of things in Iverson’s game kept at an outstanding speed, but one-planned players in league do not survive and the more so do not become the most productive on a ten-year piece.