THE BEST OF THE BEST:
On June 25, the Hornets drafted Frank Kaminsky with the 9th overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft. Later in the offseason, Charlotte added free agent Tyler Hansbrough. The duo will join Larry Johnson (1990-91) as the only Naismith award winners to play for the Hornets. And there are also two more in the front office.
Hornets Naismith Award Winners
Role
2014-15 Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin Current Player
2007-08 Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina Current Player
1990-91 Larry Johnson, UNLV Former Player
1984-85 Patrick Ewing, Georgetown Current Asst Coach
1983-84 Michael Jordan, North Carolina Current Owner
ADDING VETERAN WINNERS:
This offseason, the Hornets have made several notable additions via trade and free agency. The common thread among these veteran players is winning. Charlotte has added 123 games of NBA postseason experience to the roster, including Tyler Hansbrough’s 42, which is tied with Marvin Williams for most on the team. The other nine players currently on the Hornets have 103 combined games of NBA postseason experience.
Key Additions NBA Postseason Experience (Games Played)
Nicolas Batum 34
Tyler Hansbrough 42
Spencer Hawes 26
Jeremy Lamb 11
Jeremy Lin 10
TOTAL 123
AN NBA PLAYER FROM HARVARD:
Jeremy Lin’s path to the NBA is notable largely because it’s so rare to see a player from Harvard in the NBA. In fact, according to basketball-reference, Lin is only the fourth player from Harvard ever to play in the NBA and he’s already played in twice as many games than the other three players combined.
NBA Players From Harvard
Career Games
1946-48 Wyndol Gray 67
1947-48 Saul Mariaschin 43
1953-54 Ed Smith 12
2011-pres. Jeremy Lin 291
OBAMA WOULD BE JEALOUS:
Lin’s impressive feat doesn’t stop with comparisons to his NBA peers. In fact, the most powerful position in the world – President of the United States – has had twice as many Harvard alums than the NBA.
US Presidents from Harvard
Education Type
John Adams Undergrad
John Quincy Adams Undergrad
George W. Bush Business School
John F. Kennedy Undergrad
Rutherford B. Hayes Law School
Barack Obama Law School
Franklin Roosevelt Undergrad
Theodore Roosevelt Undergrad
AN ADVANCED MODEL OF EFFICIENCY:
Frank Kaminsky was not only the Consensus National Player of the Year, he was also the most efficient player in college basketball. Kaminsky’s 34.4 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) was the highest in the nation, about 2.9% ahead of the rest of the field. Kaminsky’s win shares, a cumulative measure of the number of wins contributed by a player was 9.8, outpacing the field by 14.3%.
Frank Kaminsky
2014-15 at Wisconsin
NCAA Rank
PER 34.4 1st
Win Shares 9.8 1st
Off. Win Shares 6.9 1st
Off. Points Per Play< 1.14 10th
Def. Win Shares 2.9 11th
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THINKING GLOBALLY:
The Hornets added Nicolas Batum this offseason, who was born in France. The Hornets have had 18 foreign-born players from 14 different countries in the franchise’s history. Batum will be the 19th foreign-born player and 4th player born in France to play for the Hornets (Jerome Moiso, Alexis Ajinca, Boris Diaw). That is the most Hornets players from any country outside of the United States.
MJ GOING TO THE HALL (AGAIN):
Michael Jordan will be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in September. Jordan won two Olympic gold medals in FIBA competition. In 1984, he averaged a team-leading 17.1 points per game en route to gold in Los Angeles. Then in 1992, as a member of the Dream Team, Jordan averaged 14.9 points (second to Charles Barkley) as that team went unbeaten, winning by an average of 43.8 points per game.
Michael Jordan
Notable Halls of Fame
Class
FIBA Hall of Fame 2015
Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame 2010 (as member of 1992 US Olympic Team)
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame 2010
Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame 2009 (as individual)
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.peternewmann.com.