Brent Robert Barry, also known by the nickname "Bones", is an American basketball coach, executive, broadcaster and former player. He is currently an Assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. The shooting guard played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning two league championships with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007, and also won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1996. He is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry.
Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He won two NBA Championships with the Houston Rockets and coached Team USA to the gold medal in men's basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Eric Todd Piatkowski is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He is the son of former ABA player Walt Piatkowski.
Donald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for winning two championships as a player on the Boston Celtics, and winning NBA Coach of The Year while leading the Houston Rockets.
Spencer Haywood is an American former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist. Haywood is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2015.
Reggie Williams is an American retired professional basketball player who played ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an All-American college player at Georgetown University and was a member of their 1983–84 National Championship team.
Scott William Brooks is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the top assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1994.
Eugene Scape Littles was an American basketball player and coach. He played six seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the Carolina Cougars and Kentucky Colonels between 1969 and 1975. Littles won an ABA championship with the Colonels in 1975. He later coached in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and Denver Nuggets.
Mack Calvin is an American former basketball player. A five-time ABA All-Star, Calvin recorded the second most assists in ABA history, and was later named to the ABA All-Time Team.
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings. All teams, except the Suns, are based in California. Along with the American League West of Major League Baseball, they are one of two North American major league divisions with no animal themed nicknames.
The 1971 NBA draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 29 and 30, 1971, before the 1971–72 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Portland Trail Blazers were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Prior to the start of the season, the San Diego Rockets and the San Francisco Warriors relocated to Houston, Texas, and Oakland, California, and became the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors respectively. The draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising the selection of 237 players. The league also hosted a supplemental hardship draft on September 20, 1971, for college underclassmen who wished to join the league.
Tyrone Lamont Nesby is an American retired professional basketball player and coach. During his pro club career, he spent four seasons playing in the NBA. He also played professionally in Europe.
Stanley Corvet Roberts is an American former professional basketball player who played center. He was said to have the potential to be the best center of all time. He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU) before being drafted 23rd overall by the Orlando Magic in the 1991 NBA draft.
John Russell Fairchild is a retired American basketball player.
Kim Galen Hughes is an American former basketball player and coach. He played professional basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New York / New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, and Milwaukee Bucks between 1975 and 1981. Hughes served as the interim head coach for the Los Angeles Clippers for 33 games in 2010. On July 4, 2015, he was fired from his position as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Clippers' 30th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 16th season in Los Angeles. The Clippers began playing in their new arena, the Staples Center, and are co-tenants with their crosstown rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 1999 NBA draft, the Clippers selected Lamar Odom from the University of Rhode Island with the fourth overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Derek Anderson from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and acquired Eric Murdock from the New Jersey Nets.
The 2002–03 NBA season was the Clippers' 33rd season in the National Basketball Association, and their 19th season in Los Angeles. The Clippers had the eighth pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected Chris Wilcox from the University of Maryland. During the offseason, the team acquired Andre Miller from the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a 12–16 start to the season, the Clippers lost six straight games, then posted an eight-game losing streak between February and March. Head coach Alvin Gentry was fired after a 19–39 start, and was replaced with former Boston Celtics legend Dennis Johnson. With players like Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Lamar Odom, Michael Olowokandi, and Quentin Richardson all missing large parts of the season due to injuries, the team fell apart and sank back to the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 27–55 record.
The 1992–93 NBA season was the Rockets' 26th season in the National Basketball Association, and 22nd season in Houston. After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Rockets selected Robert Horry from the University of Alabama with the eleventh overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired Scott Brooks from the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the season opener, the Rockets traveled overseas to Yokohama, Japan to play their first two games against the Seattle SuperSonics.
The National Basketball Association has undergone several rounds of expansion in the league's history, since it began play in 1946, to reach 30 teams. The most recent examples are the additions of the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in 1988; the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic in 1989; the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995 ; and the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. In September 2024, Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the NBA would have discussions about a potential expansion of the league sometime during the 2024–25 season though not during the league's 2024 fall meetings, with an ESPN article stating that a number of factors including the potential sale of the Boston Celtics has led the league to go slower with the expansion process. In addition, the article stated that the potential expansion teams may begin play in the 2027–28 season should one occur.
