The Houston Rockets star was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after twice being runner-up John Randle Jersey , beating out four-time winner LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans at the NBA Awards on Monday night.
Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season.
He led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four while helping the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.
”The last four years have been like knocking on the door, knocking on the door. Now the moment is finally here,” Harden said backstage. ”Just every single year you try to come back and be better than you were the year before, and just to be holding that trophy finally, it means a lot.”
James didn’t attend the show in Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport amid frenzied speculation about his future. He has until Friday to tell the Cavaliers if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or opt for free agency.
Harden, who is from Los Angeles, led his mother on stage before he accepted the trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver.
”I’m not going to get emotional,” he said from behind dark sunglasses. ”She’s my backbone in good times and bad times.”
Harden received a total of 965 points and 86 first-place votes. James finished second with 738 points and 15 first-place votes, while Davis was third with 445 points and no first-place votes.
Harden didn’t prepare a speech.
”I felt like last year I should have won as well, so I didn’t see a difference between last year and this year,” he said backstage. ”If I won it, then I was going to go off the top and try to show my appreciation to everybody helping me along the way.”
Harden’s teammate, Chris Paul, popped up among reporters backstage and asked Harden how many bottles of liquor Rockets CEO Tad Brown would have to buy at the next location.
The Rockets had another winner in Daryl Morey, who was honored as Executive of the Year.
In other awards, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers won Rookie of the Year.
The guard averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to post those numbers in a season.
Simmons helped Philadelphia to a 52-30 record, including ending the season with a 16-game winning streak.
He beat out finalists Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Jayson Tatum of Boston.
Guard Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers earned Most Improved Player.
He averaged 23.1 points in his first season with the Pacers while nabbing his first All-Star berth. He also led the league in steals for the first time.
The Defensive Player of the Year went to center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.
He was the leading vote-getter for the league’s All-Defensive first team while anchoring a Jazz defense that ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.
Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers took Sixth Man honors.
The guard became the first player to average at least 20 points for the first time in his 13th season or later. He led the league in fourth-quarter points and scoring average.
Williams kissed his two young daughters on his way to the stage after becoming the Clippers’ third winner in the last five years.
Dwane Casey was chosen Coach of the Year for his work with the Toronto Raptors, who fired him last month. He has since become coach of the Detroit Pistons.
”Can’t look in the rear view mirror,” Casey said backstage. ”Winston Churchill said success is measured by failure, failure, and then come back with enthusiasm, and that’s what I’ve done.”
Casey led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history after winning a team-record 59 games. Casey coached the East in the All-Star Game for the first time.
Casey won over Quin Snyder of Utah and Brad Stevens of Boston.
Robertson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from presenters Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
After Barkley mentioned last year’s recipient Bill Russell, Boston’s Hall of Fame center flipped his middle finger in Barkley’s direction.
Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players, which Robertson said was his most important assist.
Backstage, Robertson commended the activism of today’s players, although he wondered why more white athletes aren’t speaking out.
”The only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said. ”This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It’s all around.”
Robertson went on to say he hopes ”the whites and the blacks get together, even with the football Caleb Sturgis Jersey ,” a reference to NFL players who have taken a knee or sat in silence during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo received the Sager Strong Award, named for the late Turner Sports broadcaster. He donned a garish sports coat similar to what Craig Sager always wore.
The Hustle Award went to Amir Johnson of the 76ers.
—
The Minnesota Vikings found a new offensive coordinator this winter, and they made one of the biggest splashes of the NFL offseason this week by giving quarterback Kirk Cousins a fully guaranteed $84 million contract.
There was one more pressing need: a new defensive tackle to play next to two-time Pro Bowl pick Linval Joseph.
Sheldon Richardson checked the last of those big boxes.
Richardson, the 13th pick in the 2013 draft out of Missouri by the New York Jets who was traded last year to the Seattle Seahawks, signed a one-year contract on Friday after visiting the team’s new training facility and deciding the Vikings gave him the best opportunity to chase a championship.
”They’re trying to win. Period. Point blank,” Richardson said at an introductory news conference, held in the same room roughly 24 hours after Cousins’, though with considerably less fanfare and fewer reporters.
He’s still filling an important role, given head coach Mike Zimmer’s desire for a stronger threat at that spot to both rush the passer and stand up to the run.
”Those guys can affect the quarterback as much as any position, along with our defensive ends, so it obviously takes some double-teams off our guys so they can continue to pressure the quarterback,” Zimmer said.
The deal includes an $8 million base salary and as much as $3 million available in incentives, NFL Media reported. A few hours after Richardson’s contract was finalized, the Vikings released wide receiver Jarius Wright to make more room under the salary cap.
Richardson played up to his first-round status by winning The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Then he recorded a career-high eight sacks and was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2014. He had some trouble off the field, though, serving a four-game suspension in 2015 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He also was suspended for the 2016 season opener for an arrest in his home state of Missouri for driving at high speeds and resisting arrest.
The Vikings, were satisfied with their extensive vetting of his background and character Andrus Peat Jersey , general manager Rick Spielman said.
”Then after spending two days with him we felt very confident that him coming into this culture, this locker room, that he’ll fit right in,” Spielman said.
Richardson had only one sack last year for the Seahawks, his first season in a primarily 4-3 scheme after playing in a 3-4 system with the Jets. Zimmer’s philosophy doesn’t emphasize or maximize individual statistics, focusing more on overall disruption and pressure, so the sack dropoff was not a concern to the Vikings. They saw the high motor he displays and the havoc he can cause on the line during their video review of his performances with the Jets and Seahawks.
”You could see how powerful he is, but you could also see the athletic ability and the speed going from sideline to sideline,” Spielman said. ”I’m excited to see who’s going to get to the ball next year with the athletes we have up front.”
The lack of sacks was enough of a concern to Richardson that he apologized during his opening remarks to his agent, Ben Dogra, for making his job of selling him more difficult.
”I got back there a lot, disrupted as coach Zimmer said. Honestly, just not finishing for me, in my book, to my standards,” Richardson said. ”I’m very effective around the quarterback. I just don’t have the advantage of the numbers that people want to see.”
With Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter at defensive end backed up by Brian Robison and Joseph entrenched at the nose tackle spot, the insertion of Richardson at the under tackle Dwayne Harris Jersey , or 3-techinque, position should indeed improve a defense that led the NFL in several key categories last season.
Tom Johnson took over the position last year, but he became a free agent. Spielman said Richardson’s arrival means Johnson won’t return. Shamar Stephen, who has played both tackle spots, also became a free agent and will likely not be back. The position is open because of the knee injury to 2013 first-round draft pick Sharrif Floyd, whose promising career was likely ended by nerve damage. His contract expired this week.
The spot could be vacant again in a year, given the short-term deal that Richardson preferred, but the Vikings are clearly in win-now mode as evidenced by their commitment to Cousins. Richardson had lunch with his fellow new acquisitionon Thursday.
”Humble guy, laid back,” Richardson said. ”Cool, calm and collected like you want your quarterback.”
The Vikings are banking on the opposite from quarterbacks they’re facing this year, with Zimmer and defensive line coach Andre Patterson confident they’ll be able to maximize Richardson’s ability.
”If you put yourself in the right situation with the right team and the right coaches,” Spielman said, ”there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in the Pro Bowl year in and year out.”
Hundefreunde-Freiburg
Thema drucken
13.09.2018 08:05
Antworten
