Joakim “Franchise Player” Noah is a French American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls. He played collegiate basketball for the University of Florida from 2004-2007. Noah was a member of the Gators’ teams that won the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournaments. On June 28, 2007, Noah was selected 9th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.

Noah was born in New York City, of French, Swedish, and Cameroonian descent. He was born February 25, 1985 to French singer and former tennis player Yannick Noah, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden 1978. In addition, his paternal grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional soccer player, winner of the Coupe de France in 1961. Noah calls himself “the African Viking.”

He competed on basketball teams for several high schools, first at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York City. At UNIS he was coached by Alsonso Shockley, Harry Muniz and David Gartrelle. He reached the championships as the only sophomore on the team. He also played in streetball tournaments and his nickname was “The Noble One” because someone heard that his dad was a pro tennis player. He later transferred to Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York, where he was coached by Bill McNally, and then to The Lawrenceville School, outside of Princeton, New Jersey.

Other Information

• No “ 13
• Team : Chicago Bulls
• Position : Power Forward/Center
• Date of birth : February 25, 1985
• Place of birth : New York City, U.S.
• Nationality : American, French
• High school : Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY, The Lawrenceville School,, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
• Listed height : 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
• Listed weight : 232 lb (105 kg)
• College : Florida
• NBA Draft : 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9, Selected by the Chicago Bulls
• Pro career : 2007–present
• Career highlights and awards
  • 2006 Tournament MOP
  • 2006 AP All-SEC
  • 2007 AP All-American 2nd Team

Link

• Sports Portal

Incoming search terms:

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Luol Michael Deng is a Sudanese-British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls and the Great Britain national basketball team. He plays the small forward position.

Deng is a member of the Dinka ethnic group. When he was young, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, moved the family to Egypt to escape the Second Sudanese Civil War. In Egypt, they met former NBA center Manute Bol, another Dinka, who taught Deng’s older brother, Ajou Deng, how to play basketball while also serving as a mentor for Luol himself. When they were granted political asylum, his family emigrated to Brixton, South London. Deng developed an interest in soccer, admiring Tino Asprilla of Newcastle United, but also continued to play basketball, and was invited to join England’s 15-and-under teams in both sports. During this time, he began his career at Brixton Basketball Club. At the age of 13, he played for England’s squad in the European Junior Men’s Qualifying Tournament, averaging 40 points and 14 rebounds. He was named the MVP of the tournament. Next, he led England to the finals of the European Junior National Tournament, where he averaged 34 points and earned another MVP award.

At the age of 14, Luol moved to the United States to play basketball at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where one of his teammates was future NBA player Charlie Villanueva. Deng was also named a Tri-Captain at Blair along with Charlie Villanueva . During his senior year, Deng was considered the second most promising high school senior in America after LeBron James. He was named First Team All-America by Parade Magazine and USA Today, and was selected to play in the McDonald’s High School All-America game, but could not play due to a foot injury. After graduation, he decided to attend Duke University. In one season at Duke, he appeared in 37 games and made 32 starts. He averaged 30.1 minutes and scored 15.1 points per game en route to a berth in the 2004 Final Four. He is only the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead all rookies in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.

Other Information

• Team : Chicago Bulls
• No. : 9
• Position : Small forward
• Date of birth : April 16, 1985
• Place of birth : Wau, Sudan
• Nationality : British
• Listed height : 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
• Listed weight : 220 lb (100 kg)
• College : Duke
• NBA Draft : 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7, Selected by the Phoenix Suns
• Pro career : 2004–present
• Career highlights and awards
  • 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie First Team
  • 2007 NBA Sportsmanship Award

Link

• Sports Portal

Incoming search terms:

• luol deng on rality tv

Taj Jami Gibson is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following the 2010 signing of Carlos Boozer, he is expected to enter the season as the second string power forward. Gibson played three seasons of collegiate basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected 26th overall by the Bulls in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Other Information

• No. : 22
• Team : Chicago Bulls
• Position : Power forward
• Date of birth : June 24, 1985
• Place of birth : Brooklyn, NY
• Nationality : American
• High school : Calvary Christian High School, San Fernando, CA
• Listed height : 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
• Listed weight : 225 lb (102 kg)
• College : Southern California
• Pro career : 2009–present
• Career highlights and awards
  • NBA All-Rookie First Team (2010)

Link

• Sports Portal

SMAP is a Japanese idol group formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori. The group’s name is an acronym standing for Sports Music Assemble People.

SMAP debuted their first CD in 1991 and has since released over forty singles and twenty albums. Approximately half the singles and a third of the albums reached the top of the Japanese Oricon music charts. In recent times, the interval between the band’s single CD releases has become longer, and are now released approximately once a year.

The members of SMAP have also pursued careers outside of music, including involvement in television variety shows, dramas, commercials, and movies, making them one of the most popular Johnny’s groups. Largely due to their popularity, Johnny & Associates became the most successful agency in Japan, with earnings of almost three billion Japanese yen in 1995. Their fanbase consists primarily of Japanese women. SMAP is often considered to have gone past the so called “Idol Group” status, and have become the “Top Group” in Japan. SMAP is also well known in many other Asian countries.

Members

• Masahiro Nakai
• Takuya Kimura
• Tsuyoshi Kusanagi
• Goro Inagaki
• Shingo Katori

Other Information

• Origin : Japan
• Genres : Pop, bubblegum music
• Years active : 1988 (1988)—present
• Labels : Victor Entertainment

Links

• johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/smap

Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American actor, writer, and singer  who is perhaps best known for playing the role of Eric Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven.

Collins was born in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Madeleine (née Robertson) and Cyrus S. Collins, an airline executive. Collins is the great-great-grandson of General James Baird Weaver, the 1880 Greenback Party presidential candidate and the 1892 Populist Party (“People’s Party”) candidate for president. Collins was raised with his two older brothers in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York and attended Amherst College, graduating cum laude. He played bass guitar and rhythm guitar in a number of rock and roll bands at Amherst, including Tambourine Charlie & The Four Flat Tires, The Naugahyde Revolution (with Jim Steinman, then a fellow student, on keyboards), and The Flower & Vegetable Show (he has played his guitar on 7th Heaven, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and in the 2007 romantic comedy Because I Said So).

Track Listing

1. Monstar
2. Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)
3. There Goes My Baby
4. Lil Freak (featuring Nicki Minaj)
5. She Don’t Know (featuring Ludacris)
6. OMG (featuring will.i.am)
7. Mars vs. Venus
8. Pro Lover
9. Foolin’ Around
10. Papers
11. So Many Girls (additional vocals by Diddy)
12. Guilty (featuring T.I.)
13. Okay
14. Making Love (Into the Night)

Singles

1. Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home) : Released: December 8, 2009
2. Lil Freak : Released: March 2, 2010
3. OMG : Released: March 22, 2010
4. There Goes My Baby : Released: June 15, 2010

Other Information

• Title : Raymond v. Raymond
• Artist : Usher
• Released : March 29, 2010 (UK); March 30, 2010 (US)
• Recorded : 2008 — 2010
• Genres : R&B, Pop
• Label : LaFace
• Producers : Usher (executive), Jermaine Dupri, Ne-Yo, The Neptunes, Zaytoven, Polow da Don, RedOne, Dre & Vidal, Danja, The Runners, Tricky Stewart, Jazze Pha, Jim Jonsin, T-Pain

During the end of the event, Hov took the stage for a nearly 20-minute concert at the Radio City Music Hall, where he delivered an onslaught of hits from his lengthy catalog .

“I only got 20 minutes, so I can’t wait for you to warm up,” Jay said, as he kicked off his set with “Hovi Baby.”

“Only two resting in heaven / Can be mentioned in the same breath as him / Seven straight summers … ,” he spit, before pausing briefing and then continuing. “Eleven straight summers, critics might not admit it / But nobody in rap did it quite like I did it.”

Dressed in all-black, the superstar rapper gaves folks a taste of past and present, running through tracks like “Run This Town” and “99 Problems” to “Dead Presidents” and “Can I Live” … all while star-studded crowd looked on, including LeBron James, Khloé Kardashian, and Spike Lee.

Rihanna wasn’t able to assist Jay for “Run This Town,” but when he performed “On To The Next One,” Swizz Beatz joined him; and then Memphis Bleek also chimed in for “U Don’t Know.”

Reaching nearly 30 minutes, Jay-Z ended the night with The Black Album’s Public Service Announcement and his first no. 1 hit, “Empire State of Mind.”

source

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America having had a net worth of over $150 million in 2009. He has sold approximately 40 million albums worldwide, while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations.

Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist; they are: “Heartbreaker” with Mariah Carey, “Crazy in Love” with Beyoncé, “Umbrella” with Rihanna and “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.

Along with his financial and musical success, Jay-Z is known for quarreling with other artists in the rap industry, the most famous feud being between him and fellow New York rapper Nas, which was eventually settled in 2005. He married American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008. On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th best overall artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard Magazine. (Ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent).

She has been in jail in Texas on charges of forgery, fraud and breaking her probation, and her trial began on Monday.

But in a shocking new twist, Cristal told a reporter from ‘Dallas Morning News’ in a telephone interview: “I am pregnant.”

German giant Nowitzki (30) is said to be in shock!

According to Taylor, the pregnancy only came to light when she was examined whilst in prison: “”I didn’t even know,” she told the newspaper. “Nobody knew until they tested me in Dallas.”

Now the Dallas Mavericks star finds himself in a tricky situation.

He broke up with Taylor after the accusations were made against her and immediately stopped contact – he even changed his phone number and said he wanted nothing more to do with her. Now he must stand by the woman who let him down.

In the interview, Taylor said: “I didn’t tell him everything about my past, because I was afraid that he might leave me. Now I’m pregnant and alone and broke because he is my only source of income.”

That’s a bit rich! Some are saying that the pregnancy is all a big stunt.

An official confirmation of her statement is still pending. There has been no word from prison management.

Nowitzki’s coach Holger Geschwindner (63) told BILD: “If she is really pregnant, then Dirk will behave accordingly.”

Dirk is staying in the US but is supposed to return to Germany soon, where Crystal will surely follow if she gets the chance…

Cristal Taylor ‘pregnant’ with NBA star’s baby:

Early life

Howard was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard and into a family with strong athletic connections. His father is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, while his mother played on the inaugural women’s basketball team at Morris Brown College. A devout Christian since his youth, Howard became serious about basketball around the age of nine; in eighth grade, he resolved to be selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft one day. Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position. He elected to attend Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school, and in his four years he played mostly as power forward, averaging 16.6 points per game (ppg), 13.4 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.3 blocks per game in 129 appearances. As a senior, Howard led his team to the 2004 state title. He averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3.5 assists per game. That same year, Howard was widely recognized as the best American high school basketball player, and he was awarded the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year and the McDonald’s National High School Player of the Year honor.[4] He was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game that year.

NBA career

Early years

Following his high school successes, Howard chose to forego college and declared for the 2004 NBA Draft—a decision partly inspired by his idol Kevin Garnett who had done the same in 1995—where the Orlando Magic selected him first overall over UConn senior Emeka Okafor. He took the number 12 for his jersey, in part because it was the reverse of Garnett’s 21 when he played for Minnesota. Howard joined a depleted Magic squad that had finished with only 21 victories the previous season; further, the club had just lost perennial NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady. Howard, however, made an immediate impact. He finished his rookie season with an average of 12.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg, setting several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double double in the regular season. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 10.0 rebounds in a season and youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds in a game. Howard’s importance to the Magic was highlighted when he became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season. For his efforts, he was selected to play in the 2005 NBA Got Milk? Rookie Challenge, and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team. He also finished third to fellow center Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and guard Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls for the Rookie of the Year award.

Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season. Orlando coach Brian Hill—responsible for grooming former Magic superstar Shaquille O’Neal—decided that Howard should be converted into a full-fledged center. Hill identified two areas where Howard needed to improve: his post-up game, and his defense. He exerted extra pressure on Howard, saying that the Magic would need him to emerge as a force in the middle before the team had a chance at the playoffs. Even though the big man played tentatively at times, he was able to build on his strong rookie year with an impressive sophomore season. On 15 November 2005, in a home game at against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game. He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break, and on 15 April 2006, he recorded a career-high 26 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers; his 28 points in that game also brought him close to an NBA rarity, a 30-30 game. Overall, he averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds, and double doubles; and sixth in field goal percentage. Despite Howard’s improvement, the Magic finished the season with a 36–46 win-loss record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season since Howard’s arrival.

All-Star

Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 2006–07 season, and for the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games. On 1 February 2007, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors. As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia Sixers on 14 April 2007. Under his leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round. Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.

Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 2007–08 season; with free agent Rashard Lewis added to the ranks alongisde Hedo Türkoğlu to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic’s best season yet. Howard’s strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season’s end). On 16 February 2008, he won the 2008 Slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan’s votes via text messaging or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks. Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs, and in the first-round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, Howard’s dominance (three 20 point/20 rebound games) and point guard Jameer Nelson’s strong play ensured that Orlando prevailed over five games. Howard’s series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt. In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before Howard’s 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win. In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time, and subsequently, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games 4 and 5, but Orlando was unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 4–1 to the veteran playoffs team.

Other Information

• Born: December 8, 1985
• Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia
• Height: 6’11″
• Weight: 265 lbs
• Position: Center
• Number: 12
• 2004 NBA Draft: 1st Pick by Orlando
• 2007, 2008: Selected to NBA All-Star Game
• Helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Links

• Official Site: Dwight Howard
• NBA.com: Dwight Howard
• Wikipedia: Dwight Howard
• SportsPortal : Dwight Howard

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