Portal:Basketball

The statue in the "atrium" in 2017)

The statue of Michael Jordan, also known as The Spirit (and sometimes referred to as Michael Jordan's Spirit), is a bronze sculpture by Omri Amrany and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany that is now located inside an extension of the United Center in the Near West Side community area of Chicago since March 1, 2017. Depicting Basketball Hall of Fame member Michael Jordan and unveiled outside the United Center on November 1, 1994, the 12-foot (3.7 m) sculpture stands atop a 5-foot (1.52 m) black granite base. The sculpture was commissioned after Jordan's initial retirement following three consecutive NBA championships and unveiled outdoors prior to the Bulls taking residence in their then new home stadium. Although not critically well received, the statue has established its own legacy as a meeting place for fans at subsequent Bulls championships and as a rallying point for Chicago Blackhawks fans. (Full article...)

Sabonis with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996

Arvydas Romas Sabonis (Lithuanian pronunciation: [ˈaːrviːdaːs ˈsaːboːnʲɪs]; born 19 December 1964) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Sabonis won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.

On 20 August 2010, Sabonis was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of his great play in international competition. On 4 April 2011, Sabonis was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and he was inducted on 12 August 2011. On 24 October 2011, Sabonis was voted as the next President of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, replacing Vladas Garastas, who had led the LBF since 1991. He resigned from the position on 2 October 2013, but he came back to it on 10 October 2013. (Full article...)

• ... that basketball player Trey Lewis transferred to Louisville with hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament, but the team declared itself ineligible for the tournament after he joined?
• ... that during his time in Slovakia to play professional basketball, J. R. Cadot was assaulted and followed to the hospital by a racist mob?
• ... that Matt Mobley set an Atlantic 10 basketball tournament record with nine 3-pointers in a victory over Richmond?
• ... that LaVon Mercer, who was homeless as a teenager, played in the Israeli Basketball Premier League for 14 years and was its 1980–81 season MVP?
• ... that Sekou Doumbouya signed his first professional basketball contract at age 15?