***Delonte Bio Courtesy of Pam a Lamb***
Name: Delonte West
Jersey: #13
Nicknames: D-West, Redz, Chief Redz, Brotha Redz
Born: July 26, 1983
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180 lbs.
Shoe size: 13
College: Saint Joseph's
Family: Single, 2 Brothers, 1 Sister
Delonte Maurice West was born and raised in inner-city Washington D.C. and although he played in schoolyards and public parks, did not play organized ball until his sophomore year at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. There he achieved various awards including Prince Georges County All-Metropolitan Player of the Year. (2001) Delonte was also a popular young man off the court and was voted Prom King.
After high school, he attended Saint Joseph's (Philadelphia, PA) where he averaged 18.9 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 41% from the three-point range. Along with current Orlando Magic guard, Jameer Nelson, Delonte's efforts helped the Hawks go undefeated (27-1) during the 2003-2004 season, and earn an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Delonte left St. Joseph's after his junior year and was selected by the Boston Celtics as the 24th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. In his first season He averaged 4.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. He was named the starting point guard at the beginning of the 2005-06 season and went on to average 11.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 4.6 APG for that season. In February of 2006, he was named to represent the Celtics on the Sophomore team for the Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend.
In February, 2008, Delonte was part of a three-team trade which brought him, Joe Smith, Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak to the Cavaliers. In September, 2008 , West signed a three-year $12.7 million contract with the Cavs and was assigned the starting shooting guard job where he has since flourished.
QUOTE:
"I want to win a championship ring. The day I get that ring, I am going to hang it on a shoelace and tie it around my neck. Then I m going to get a pair of the sunglasses that Dwayne Wayne wore in the show "A Different World" and visit every state in the country on a moped wearing nothing but the ring, those sunglasses and a pair of Chuck Taylor's with the inscription "What Would Jesus Do?" written on the sides. I m serious!"
Cavaliers__"One_Goal"__Group
We have "One Goal" -- Win a "Ring for the King" Working TOGETHER, with our collective " Commitment to Excellence" and with our Willingness to do "Whatever It Takes" to Win NOW, we will "Win a Ring for the King" -- the first of multiple NBA Championships for Cleveland, for LeBron and for the Fans. (And, at least another one or two for Shaq.)
NBA Championships will require that this commitment and willingness be shared by Ownership , Management , Coaching Staff , Players and Groups of Fans.
As a member of COGG , you are associated with very vocal and respected fans , sharing your passion for our Cleveland Cavaliers and your commitment to winning a "Ring for the King."
Diverse membership encouraged.
A group for anyone that thinks Shaq will help us win our first ring this season.
Shaquille O'Neal is 37 years old and was born on March 6, 1972 in Newark, Jersey. He is 7 ft. 1 in. and weighs about 325 pounds. He wears a size 23 shoe.
Shaq attended Robert G. Cole HS in San Antonio, Texas. In his two years there, he helped lead his team to a 68-1 record. In his senior year, he helped his team win the state title. His 791 rebounds during the 1989 season remain a state record for any one player in any classification.
Shaq attended Lousiana State University and studied business. At LSU, he was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men's basketball player of the year in 1991. He holds the college records for blocked shots in a game with 17 against Mississippi State on December 3rd, 1990. Shaq was also inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.
O'Neal is a 15-time All-Star, going into his 17th NBA season. He was the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. Shaq was selected by the Orlando Magic. He has played for the Orlando Magic(92-96), Los Angeles Lakers(96-04), Miami Heat(04-08), Phoenix Suns(08-09) and now the Cleveland Cavaliers(09-10). His current contract is worth $21,000,000.
List of achievements:
4-time NBA Champion
2000 NBA MVP
1992-93 Rookie of the Year
3-time NBA Finals MVP
2-time NBA Scoring Champion
3-time All-Star MVP
15-time All-Star
1994 FIBA World Championship MVP
Personal Life:
Off the court, Shaq has pursued rapping, acting, and law enforcement. He released 5 albums, and his debut album "Shaq Diesel" went platinum. Shaq has been in many shows, and has several movies of his own. He also has his own reality show called "Shaq Vs." On December 8, 2005, Shaquille was sworn in as a reserve officer in Miami.
O'Neal married Shaunie Nelson on December 26, 2006. They had 4 kids (Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, Me'arah). They both had one child from previous relationships, so Shaq is the father of six.
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6, 1972), frequently referred to simply as "Shaq", is an American professional basketball player, rapper, and actor. He is widely perceived as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA and one of the most quotable athletes of all time.[citation needed] Currently, he plays at center for the Cleveland Cavaliers. O'Neal has won four NBA Championships, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one most recently in 2006, with the Miami Heat.On June 25, 2009, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000 and a 2010 second round draft pick.[16]
Player profile
O'Neal's free throw shooting is regarded as one of his major weaknesses.Throughout his career, O'Neal established himself as a formidable low post presence, putting up career averages of 25.2 points on .581 field goal accuracy, 11.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game (as of May 2008).
At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), 325 lb (147 kg; 23.2 st)[17] and U.S. shoe size 23,[18] he is famous for his physical stature. His physical frame gives him a power advantage over most opponents, and for a man of that size, he is quick and explosive.
O'Neal's "drop step", (called the "Black Tornado" by O'Neal) in which he posts up a defender, turns around and, using his elbows for leverage, powers past him for a very high-percentage slam dunk, has proven an extremely effective offensive weapon, though it has been limited in recent years. In addition, O'Neal frequently uses a right-handed jump hook shot to score near the basket. The ability to dunk frequently contributes to his career field goal accuracy of .582; he is the second most accurate shooter of all time.[19]
Opposing teams often use up many fouls on O'Neal, limiting the playing time of their own big men. O'Neal's physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career. Trying to defend O'Neal, teams put two, or sometimes even three defenders on him, resulting in uncontested shot opportunities for his teammates.[citation needed]
O'Neal's primary weakness is his free-throw shooting. His career average is 52.4%. He once missed all 11 free throws in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000, a record.[20] In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq". O'Neal is the fourth-ranked player all-time in free throws taken,[21] having shot 10895 in 1117 games through the 08-09 season. On December 25, 2008, O'Neal missed his 5,000th free throw, becoming the second player in NBA history to do so along with Wilt Chamberlain.[22]
O'Neal has been able to step up his performance in big games, having been voted three-times NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. However, because of his poor free-throw shooting (see below), often he is either placed on the bench, or not called upon to take shots, in the closing moments of games, when free throws become important.[citation needed]
On his own half of the hardwood, O'Neal is considered[weasel words] to be a capable defender, and he was named three times to the All-NBA Second Defensive Team. His presence serves to intimidate opposing players shooting near the basket, and he has averaged 2.4 blocked shots per game over the course of his career. He is a less effective defender at the perimeter, sometimes targeted for pick-and-roll plays by opposing teams.[citation needed]
As a teammate, O'Neal is also noted for his ability[weasel words] to form symbiotic relationships with young, talented guards. Playing alongside O'Neal, talents like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade blossomed into legitimate superstars. Eventually, his relationships with Hardaway and Bryant soured, but O'Neal has embraced his relationship with Wade, and the two have shown to be fully supportive of each other in their three years together. He has since reconciled with both Bryant and Hardaway.[citation needed]
Family life
Parker was born in Naperville, Illinois.[1] His father played college basketball at the University of Iowa, while his mother was a cheerleader.[2] Parker's younger siblings also played basketball; his brother Marcus played basketball in high school, while his sister Candace plays in the WNBA and was the number one pick of the 2008 draft.[2][3] Early in his professional basketball career, Parker married Tamy, and they had their first child named Alonso in 2002.[4] Parker is a Christian.[5]
Early basketball career
Parker started out playing high school basketball at Naperville Central High School.[6] He then played college basketball at Bradley University where he established himself as a top player, averaging 18.9 points per game (ppg) and shooting 42% from the three point line in his third season,[7] earning the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Most Valuable Player and All-MVC first team honors in the same season.[8] His outstanding performances for the Braves ensured that he became one of 15 players honored in Bradley's All-Century basketball team named in 2003.[9] AcademAnthony Parker
Anthony Parker during his tenure with the Raptors
Cleveland Cavaliers – No. 18
Guard
Born June 19, 1975 (1975-06-19) (age 34)
Naperville, Illinois
Nationality American
Height 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg)
League NBA
College Bradley
Draft 21st overall, 1997
New Jersey Nets
Pro career 1997–present
Former teams Philadelphia 76ers (1997–99)
Orlando Magic (1999)
Quad City Thunder (2000)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2000–02; 2003–06)
Lottomatica Roma (2002–03)
Toronto Raptors (2006–09)
Awards
* 3-time Euroleague Champion: 2001, 2004, 2005
* 2-time Euroleague MVP: 2005, 2006
* 2-time All-Euroleague: First Team 2005, 2006
* Euroleague Final Four MVP: 2004
* Israeli League MVP : 2004
* Missouri Valley Conference MVP : 1995
ically, Parker also excelled. He majored in chemistry before switching to liberal arts and sciences in his senior year, and earned two Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Scholarships while at Bradley.[10]
Parker entered the 1997 NBA Draft after four years at Bradley and was selected 21st overall by the New Jersey Nets, but he was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a multi-player trade.[11] In his two seasons with the 76ers, Parker was largely plagued by injury and played in only 39 regular season games, averaging just over five minutes a game and totaling 74 points and 26 rebounds.[12] He was subsequently traded together with Harvey Grant to the Orlando Magic for Billy Owens before the 1999–2000 season began.[11] Parker again struggled at Orlando, playing only 16 games with modest averages of 3.6 ppg and 1.7 rebounds per game (rpg) before being released in January 2000.[12] He finished the remainder of the season with the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association where he averaged 11.5 points in 26 games.[10]
Parker led the Israeli league team Maccabi to a number of domestic and European honors in his five years with the club.
European career
Disappointed in his failure to make a breakthrough in the NBA, Parker turned to Europe to resurrect his basketball career, intending to return to the NBA after a good season with a European club.[13] Eventually he moved to Israel in the 2000–01 season, where he was signed by the Israeli Euroleague powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv.[10] Initially, Parker and his wife were intimidated by the occasional bomb attacks in the city, but they soon settled in and Parker was able to focus on his basketball career.[4] Within his first season with his new club, he became one of their most pivotal players. Parker was signed to fill the void left by Doron Sheffer's retirement at the shooting guard position, but ended up featuring as a both scorer and playmaker for Maccabi.[13] He immediately brought to the team his ability to score, rebound, block shots, and even entertain the crowds with slam dunks. In Parker's inaugural season, Maccabi won the Israeli domestic championship and the Israeli National Cup, as well as the Suproleague Cup.[10] He continued his fine form for the club in the 2001–02 season, averaging 16.4 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game[14] as Maccabi again won both domestic titles, and even reached the Euroleague 2001–02 Final Four.[10]
Parker in an interview with the Israeli press
Parker left Israel in 2002, and in January 2003 moved to Italy, where he signed with Virtus Roma, playing in 27 Italian Lega A league games and averaging 14.5 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.[10] However, half a year later Parker longed a return to Israel, a country he had grown to love.[4] Back with Maccabi, he helped his team accomplish two more Triple Crowns by winning the Israeli domestic championship, the Israeli National Cup, and the Euroleague championship in both 2004 and 2005.[15] In the process, he was named the Israeli Super League MVP and the Euroleague Final Four MVP of the Euroleague 2003–04 season, as well as the Euroleague MVP and first team All-Euroleague in the Euroleague 2004–05 season.[10][16] The 2004–05 season also proved to be a watershed season for Parker, as he averaged career-highs of 18.0 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 3.6 assists per game.[17] In his final season with Maccabi, he led Maccabi to another domestic double, but in the Euroleague 2005–06 season's championship game, Maccabi was defeated 73–69 by CSKA Moscow.[10] For his efforts, Parker was named Euroleague MVP and first team All-Euroleague for the second consecutive time.[15] After six years of success in Europe however, Parker dreamt of returning to the NBA.[6] Overall, he averaged 13.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and 1.8 steals per game in his Israeli league career, while averaging 15.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game in the Euroleague.[15]
On his return to the NBA, Parker (far right) became the starting shooting guard for the Raptors.
Return to the NBA
Toronto Raptors
In October 2005, during a pre-season friendly representing Maccabi against the Toronto Raptors organized by then Israeli Consul-General Cobie Brosh, Parker hit the game-winning shot with less than a second remaining to lead Maccabi to a 105–103 win at the Air Canada Centre.[6] This gave the Raptors fans and management a glimpse of his abilities and in July 2006, Parker was officially signed by Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo as a free agent as part of a massive revamp of the 2006–07 Toronto team.[15] He was signed for approximately $12 million (USD) over three years,[13] joining recent European veteran acquisitions Jorge Garbajosa and José Calderón on the team. Adopting a #18 jersey, Parker quickly established himself as the starting shooting guard for Toronto and a well-respected three-point shooter in the NBA, ranking fourth in the league for three point field goal percentage by the end of the regular season.[18] Overall, in his first season with Toronto, he averaged 12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.1 apg,[12] leading his team in three point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.[6] Parker's defensive and offensive versatility were credited as instrumental in helping the Raptors clinch their first-ever division title, first NBA Playoffs berth in five years, as well as best regular season record in franchise history.[3][13][19]
He didn't make it in the NBA basically and had to go back to Europe to establish himself.
Leon Powe is the latest "trading deadline acquisition" by the Cleveland Cavs. Danny Ferry thinks outside the box and adds a mid-season replacement before the 2009-10 season even starts.
Leon is recovering from successful microfracture surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament during the off-season and will not be available to play until mid season. But that is just in time for the late playoff run.
He joins Shaquille O'Neal, anthony Parker and Jamario Moon as quality additions to a team that led the league in wins in 2009. 66 wins last year, and now we are significantly better.
BACKGROUND:
Leon Powe, Jr. (pronounced |ˈpou(-ə)|) (born January 22 1984 in Oakland, California) is an American professional basketball player. On August 11, 2009, Powe and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association agreed in principle to a two-year deal.
[edit] Personal life
Powe grew up poor in Oakland, California. His father left him when he was two years old. When he was seven years old, the family's house burned down and they were homeless for years. They moved more than twenty times within six years. He and his siblings were taken away from their mother by the state of California and put into foster care. Powe's mother died four days before he played in the state championship.[1] His life was featured by ESPN in a segment during the 2008 NBA Finals.
Powe has a one year old son named Leon Powe III. The son's nickname is LP3.
[edit] High school career
Powe attended Oakland Technical High School, where he averaged 27.4 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 3.1 bpg as a senior. With Powe in the roster, Oakland Tech was able to win the CIF Oakland Section Championship and also reach the CIF State Championships in 2002 and 2003. He was named a first-team Parade All-American and the Gatorade California Player of the Year during his senior year. A highly rated prep star, Powe was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American game and became the first Oakland Tech athlete to have his number retired by the school.[2]
[edit] College career
Powe played his college basketball for the California Golden Bears from 2003–2006. Although he was present for 4 seasons, he did not play in his sophomore year due to a serious knee injury. During his freshman season, he earned the PAC-10 freshman of the year, leading the conference in rebounding.
Questions abounded about whether Powe would be able to return to form following his knee surgery but he worked hard and rehabilitated to become a dominant force on the interior as he continued to improve his game. He produced 20.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG while leading Cal to a 20–11 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Powe was named California's most valuable player during a banquet in April 2006. Powe, who also was selected Cal's MVP as a freshman in 2004, averaged 20.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg to become just the sixth player ever to pace the conference in both categories. Named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, the U.S. Basketball Writers and ESPN.com, he was chosen to the All-Pac-10 team for a second time in 2006.
[edit] Professional career
After his junior year, Powe decided to enter his name in the 2006 NBA Draft. Powe was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round as the 49th overall pick. The Nuggets subsequently traded him to the Boston Celtics. After playing for the Celtics summer league team, Powe was signed by the team to a 3 year contract. Although Powe did not reach the sum of 14 in his per game points, rebounds, and assists necessary to guarantee the second year of his contract, that second year became guaranteed when Boston did not waive him by July 1, 2007. Powe has a similar hurdle of 16 for the sum of the three statistics to guarantee the third year of his contract (2008–09).[3][4]
[edit] 2006–07 NBA season
Powe played as a fourth string center behind Kendrick Perkins, Brian Scalabrine, and Michael Olowokandi in his rookie season. After a rash of injuries submarined Boston's playoff chances, Powe received a limited opportunity to showcase his skills. He proved himself a capable defender who can alter shots and provide interior rebounding. On January 12, 2007, Powe made the most out of his 25 minutes and registered a career-high 12 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. On April 10, 2007, he scored 19 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Powe finished the 2006–07 campaign averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.
[edit] 2007–08 NBA season
Powe shoots a free throw in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.On January 29, 2008, Powe had a breakout performance that took place in Miami against the struggling Heat, as he effectively filled in the blank of the absent main contributors Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds en route to a 117–87 blowout victory.[5] He also scored his career-high 27 points in the last game of the season against the New Jersey Nets on April 16, 2008.[6]
One of his most notable performances of the season came in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 8, 2008, as he scored 21 points, which included several dunks, in only 15 minutes of play in front of a crowd chanting his name[7] en route to a 108–102 Celtics victory.[8][9][10]
Powe during the 2008 Boston Celtics championship parade.
[edit] 2008–09 NBA season
On March 13, 2009, Powe started in place of the injured Kevin Garnett, scoring a career-high 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking a career-high 5 shots, in a 102–92 Celtics victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.[11]
Powe spent the end of the season attempting to recover from a right knee strain. He returned in time for the playoffs, only to tear the ACL and meniscus in his left knee in Game 2 of the first round against the Chicago Bulls. Powe continued to play on the torn ACL for three minutes before being taken out. Powe's season ended with the knee injury, and had successful surgery to repair the injury on May 5, 2009.[12] On August 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers offered Powe an offer sheet worth two-year, $1.8 million.[13] On August 11, 2009, Powe and the Cavaliers agreed in principle to the deal with an option on the second year.[14]
[edit] Career transactions
June 28, 2006: Drafted 49th overall by Denver Nuggets in 2006 NBA Draft.
June 28, 2006: Traded by Denver to the Boston Celtics for a future second-round draft pick.[15]
[edit] NBA career statistics
Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field-goal percentage 3P% 3-point field-goal percentage FT% Free-throw percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
[edit] Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Boston 63 2 11.4 .446 .000 .736 3.4 .2 .2 .3 4.2
2007–08 Boston 56 5 14.4 .572 .000 .710 4.1 .3 .3 .3 7.9
2008–09 Boston 70 7 17.5 .524 .000 .689 4.9 .7 .3 .5 7.7
Career 189 14 14.6 .523 .000 .707 4.2 .4 .3 .4 6.6
[edit] Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2007–08 Boston 23 1 11.7 .493 .000 .667 2.7 .2 .0 .1 5.0
2008–09 Boston 2 0 12.0 .429 .000 .667 4.5 .0 .0 .0 5.0
Career 25 1 11.8 .488 .000 .667 2.8 .2 .0 .1 5.0
[edit] References
^ East Bay Express : Print This Story
^ Player Bio: Leon Powe :: Men's Basketball
^ http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/sports/colleges/cal/15071722.htm
^ B
This is the group to join if your tired of those critics like SKIP BAYLESS and THAT FAT CHARLES and ANY OTHER PERSON that says JAMES is going to leave!!!Lets get this straight LEBRON JAMES IS NOT,I REPEAT,IS NOT LEAVING THE WINE AND GOLD...SO IF YOU BELIEVE ME JOIN THIS GROUP AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR CAV FANS EVERYWHERE!!!AND MOST IMPORTANTLY....SHUT THOSE STUPID CRITICS BIG MOUTHS!!!GO CAVS!!!
