Awards
While this may not be counted as an official NBA award, Carmelo Anthony passed LeBron James on Tuesday for the most jersey sales in the league. In fact, the New York Knicks are the top selling team in the NBA this season. Bravo. More from the NBA’s official release: “Anthony, a six-time NBA All-Star, rose from No. 4 to take the No. 1 spot from reigning NBA and Finals MVP LeBron James of the Miami Heat, who slipped to No. 2. While this marks Anthony’s debut in the No.1 spot, James’ jersey has topped the list four times, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (No.4) has held the position seven times. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant slipped one spot to No. 3. Rounding out the top five is the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose (No. 5). The Knicks have maintained their position as the best-selling team since they first topped the Bulls at the start of the 2012-13 season. The reigning champion Heat are at No. 2, followed by the Lakers at No. 3, the Brooklyn Nets at No. 4, and the Bulls at No. 5.”
For a more detailed list, check out this quick piece from Chris Sheridan.
- Top-selling jersey wasn’t the only list Carmelo topped this week. He also overtook Kevin Durant for the league lead in scoring. Durant, the reigning three-time scoring champ, is trying to become only the third player in NBA history to win the award four times in a row. The other two were Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. If Durant can win the award, he will be the only player in NBA history to win the award while being apart of the rare 50-40-9o club. So why did Kevin Durant tell Carmelo Anthony he could have it: ““He can have it,” Durant deadpanned to reporters. “I mean, the stuff he’s doing right now, every time he touches the ball it looks like it’s going to go in. He’s having a nice run right now, and his confidence is high. I’m sure he’s going to take over. If it happens, cool.”
Could this possibly be because only four players in NBA history have won the scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season? The most recent being Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
More from Durant: ““I really wanted my first one. Don’t get me wrong — I never want to take stuff like that for granted. But if it happens, it happens,” Durant said. “I’m just going to play my game. I’m not going to force it too much and think about it too much and try to get it. But if it’s meant to be, then it will happen.”
Need more on Carmelo and Durant? Check out thoughts from the boss himself, Chris Sheridan.
- George Karl and Shane Battier, two of the most notoriously known class acts in this league, were also honored Tuesday. More from Steve Aschburner of NBA.com: “Battier, a veteran role player for the Miami Heat, was selected as the 2013 winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented annually by the Pro Basketball Writers Association to a player who combines excellence on the court with cooperation with the media and fans. Karl, coach of the Denver Nuggets was named winner of the Rudy Tomjanovich Award, the PBWA’s coaching version that recognizes the same traits.”
- How about some recognition for those who worked really, really hard this offseason. The Most Improved Player is often an overlooked award, but there may be one guy on our list here at SheridanHoops that can swing a playoff series or two. According to SheridanHoops’ Kels Dayton, Nikola Vucevic and Greivis Vasquez top the list, but Paul George comes in at number four. And he happens to have gotten pretty good.