Kevin Durant

After just a few years, Kevin Durant has become one of the top players in the NBA. He plays small forward, but is versatile enough to play many other positions. He is one of the best pure scorers and shooters in the game

Where did Kevin grow up?

Kevin Durant was born in Washington D.C. on September 19, 1988. He grew up just outside of DC in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. His mother, Wanda Pratt, raised him together with his grandmother.

At the age of 10 Kevin decided he was going to be a basketball player. His mother said she would help him and kept on him his whole career about working extra hard and keeping in shape. Kevin attributes much of his success to his mother.

Where did Kevin Durant play college basketball?

Kevin went to college at the University of Texas. He played one year for the Texas Longhorns before going to the NBA. Durant had an amazing freshman year at Texas. He won many of the Player of the Year awards including the prestigious Naismith and Wooden awards. It was a great accomplishment for a freshman and demonstrated that he was ready to become a superstar at the next level.

Kevin Durant in the NBA

Durant was drafted second, behind Greg Oden, in the NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics. He played his first year in Seattle and then the team relocated to Oklahoma City and changed its name to the Thunder. Durant won Rookie of the Year and became just the third NBA rookie to average more than 20 points a game. The other two were LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

By his second year in the NBA Kevin Durant was considered an elite NBA player. He finished second behind LeBron James in the MVP voting, led the league in scoring, and was named to the All-NBA team. He was the youngest player in NBA history to win the league's scoring title.

Fun Facts about Kevin Durant

• Kevin has won the NBA's H-O-R-S-E competition twice.
• Kevin likes to play video games and his favorite food is crab legs.
• He is best friends with fellow NBA player Michael Beasley who he grew up with.
• Durant was the leader on the US 2010 FIBA World Championship team. He led the team to its first gold medal since 1994 and was the MVP.
• He wears the number 35 to honor Charles Craig, one of his AAU coaches, who died at age 35.
• He has long arms and a wingspan of 7 and 1/2 feet!
• When he first entered the NBA he signed a $60 million contract with Nike. He actually turned down a bigger contract offer from Adidas because he had worn Nikes since he was a kid.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in the NBA. His skill, quickness, court vision, and great defense have made him a regular all-star and arguably the top point guard in the game of basketball.

Where did Chris Paul grow up?

Chris Paul was born in Lewisville, North Carolina on May 6, 1985. He grew up in North Carolina where he and his brother would work summers at his grandfather's gas station. He went to high school at West Forsyth High School in North Carolina where he only played varsity basketball for two seasons.

Did Chris Paul go to college?

Chris played for two years at Wake Forest University before going to the NBA.

Chris Paul in the NBA

Paul was drafted as the number 4 pick by the New Orleans Hornets in 2005. He won the Rookie of the Year his rookie season and has been named to the All-Star team several times. He has also been named to the all-defensive team three times.

During the 2009-2010 season Paul injured his knee and was out for 8 weeks after surgery. He came back, however, and finished the season strong.

Chris joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011.

Does Chris Paul hold any NBA records?

Yes, Chris holds many New Orleans Hornets records. He is third on the all time career assists average with 10 per game only behind Magic Johnson and John Stockton. He also is 2nd in NBA history in number of seasons leading the league in steals with 2. He holds the record for most consecutive games with a steal at 108 and also is the only player in NBA history to lead the league in steals and assists for two straight seasons.

Where did the nickname CP3 come from?

The CP in CP three comes from his initials Chris Paul. The 3 is because his dad and his brother, who also have the initials CP, are CP1 and CP2. He also wears the number 3 on his jersey.

Fun Facts about Chris Paul

• He is an excellent bowler and a spokesperson for the Unites States Bowling Conference.
• Chris is small for an NBA player at 6 foot tall 175 pounds.
• When his grandfather died at age 61, Chris scored 61 points in a high school game to honor him. When he reached 61 points, he came out of the game even though he only needed 5 more points to get the all time record.
• He won an Olympic gold medal for basketball in 2008 and 2012.
• Paul played on the McDonalds All-American game with LeBron James.
• He was on the cover of the video game NBA 2k8.
• Chris is good friends with NFL New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.

LeBron James

LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the best players in basketball today. He has an incredible combination of skills, strength, leaping ability, and height that make him one of the best athletes in the world.

 Where did LeBron grow up?

LeBron James was born in Akron, Ohio on December 30, 1984. He grew up in Akron where he had a difficult childhood. His father was an ex-con who wasn't there when he grew up. His family was poor and had a tough time. Fortunately his basketball coach, Frankie Walker, took LeBron under his wing and let him stay with his family where he could get away from the projects and focus on school and basketball.

Where did LeBron go to school?

LeBron went to high school at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. He led his basketball team to three state titles and was named "Mr. Basketball" in Ohio for three straight years. He decided not to go to college and went straight to the NBA where he was the number 1 pick in the draft.

What NBA teams has LeBron played for?

LeBron was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers where he played his first seven seasons. Since he grew up just down the road at Akron, Ohio he was considered a home town superstar and maybe the biggest star ever in Cleveland. However, despite LeBron's excellence on the court, the team was unable to win a championship.

In 2010, LeBron became a free agent. This meant he could go play for any team he wanted. Which team he would choose was big news. ESPN even had a whole show called "The Decision" where LeBron told the world that he was going to play for the Miami Heat next. Since then he has played for the Heat.

Does LeBron hold any records?

Yes, LeBron James holds a number of NBA records and has received a number of awards. Here are just a few of them:

• He was the NBA Finals MVP and Champion in 2012.
• He was the NBA MVP multiple times.
• He is the only player in NBA history to average at least 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists over their career.
• He was the first forward to average more than 8.0 assists per game.
• The youngest player to score 40 points in a game.
• The youngest player to get a triple-double in the playoffs.
• He won the Olympic Gold Medal in 2008 and 2012.

Fun Facts about LeBron James

• He was named to the first team all state football team his sophomore year of high school as a wide receiver.
• His nickname is King James and he has a tattoo saying "Chosen 1".
• He was the youngest player to be drafted by the NBA number 1 at the age of 18.
• LeBron has hosted Saturday Night Live.
• He has two sons, LeBron Jr. and Bryce.
• LeBron is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.
• He shoots mostly with his right-hand even though he is actually left-handed.
• James is a big New York Yankees fans and made Cleveland fans angry when he wore a Yankees hat to a Yankees vs. Indians game.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is famous for being one of the star basketball players in the NBA. He plays guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is known for his tough defense, vertical leap, and ability to score winning baskets at the end of the game. He is widely considered the best basketball player of the decade (2000's) and perhaps one of the best of all time.

Where was Kobe born?

Kobe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978. He has two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya. His dad, Jellybean Joe Bryant was a pro basketball player, too.

Did Kobe Bryant go to college?

Kobe decided not to attend college and to go straight to professional basketball. He said that if he had gone to college, he would have chosen Duke. He was the 13th player taken in the 1996 draft. He was actually drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and then traded to the Lakers immediately for center Vlade Divac. He was only 17 years old when he was drafted and only 18 when his first NBA season started.

Has Kobe won any Championships?

• Yes. While Kobe Bryant has been on the LA Lakers they have won 5 NBA championships. The first 3 championships were early on in his career (2000-2002). All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal was his teammate at the time. After Shaq was traded, it took some time for the Lakers to rebuild, but they won two more championships in 2009 and 2010.
• His high school team won the state championship his senior year.
• He has won two Olympic Gold medals for basketball in 2008 and 2012.
• He was the NBA slam dunk champion in 1997.

Does Kobe hold any records?

• Kobe scored 81 points in an NBA game, which is the second most ever scored in a single game.
• He holds the record for the most career points scored by a Los Angeles Laker.
• He is the youngest player to score 26,000 career points. He actually held a lot of the "youngest" records in the NBA, but LeBron James is catching him in many categories.
• Kobe was the NBA scoring champion in 2006 and 2007.

Fun Facts about Kobe Bryant

• Kobe was the first guard to be drafted by the NBA out of high school.
• Kobe has played for the Los Angeles Lakers his entire professional career.
• He was the youngest player to start an NBA game.
• He has been selected for the All-NBA defensive first team 9 times.
• Kobe's mom's brother, John Cox, also played in the NBA.
• He was named after the Japanese steak "kobe".
• His middle name is Bean.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan may be the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. He was known for his all-around great basketball ability including scoring, passing, and defense. He won 6 NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and won the NBA Finals MVP each time. He also won 5 NBA MVP awards and was consistently on the NBA All-Star Team as well as the all-defense team. Not only was he one of the best players, but he was one of the most exciting to watch. His ability to jump, dunk, and seemingly change directions in the air was spellbinding. Like all great team sports athletes, Michael Jordan also made his teammates better players.

Where was Michael born? 

Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. However, his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was still a young child. Michael grew up and honed his basketball skills at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington where he became a McDonald's All-American by his senior year. Michael also played baseball and football in high school. He grew up with two older sisters, an older brother, and a younger sister. 

Where did Michael Jordan go to college? 

Michael attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). He majored in cultural geography. He played basketball there for three years before going on to the NBA. He would later return and complete his degree. At UNC Michael Jordan made the winning shot for the 1982 NCAA championship. This would be the start of many great winning shots for Michael. He also was awarded the Naismith Award for the best college player in 1984. 

Did Michael Jordan play pro baseball too? 

Yes. Michael Jordan quit basketball for a time to try out baseball. He played minor league baseball for the Chicago White Sox. His performance was mediocre and he never made it to the majors. He later decided to return to basketball. 

What does Michael Jordan do now? 

Today Michal Jordan is part owner and manager of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. He is actively involved in charity work and continues to endorse products. 

Fun Facts about Michael Jordan 

• Michael was cut from the varsity team his sophomore year in high school. Boy did he make a come back!
• Michael was famous for sticking out his tongue when he made moves or dunk.
• Jordan was the NBA leader in scoring for 10 seasons.
• Michael Jordan starred with Bugs Bunny in the movie Space Jam.
• Jordan might be just as famous for his Nike shoe the Air Jordan as for his basketball career.