2012-2013 All-NBA

NEW YORK -- The Miami Heat's LeBron James, the 2012-13 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player and winner of four of the previous five MVP awards, highlights the 2012-13 All-NBA First Team. James was the only player to receive all 119 First Team votes.

Joining James on the First Team are Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. For Bryant, his 11th First Team nod ties him with Hall of Famer Karl Malone for the most such selections. Bryant had been tied at 10 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit and Jerry West.

Pacing the Heat to a league-best and franchise-record 66-16 mark, James was the only player in the NBA to lead his team in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg). He shot a career high from the field (.565) and from three-point range (.406). Additionally, James led the NBA in score differential (+9.5) and player impact estimate (22.1 percent), according to NBA.com/Stats, in the process becoming the youngest player in NBA history to post eight different 2,000-point seasons, and the youngest player to reach the 20,000-point plateau.

Bryant, an All-NBA First Team selection for the eighth straight season, scored 2,133 points, averaging 27.3 points. This season, he moved past Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Additionally, Bryant eclipsed the 2,000-point mark in a single season for the eighth time in his 17-year NBA career, in the process becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in a season at age 34 or older, joining Alex English, Jordan and Malone, each of whom did so twice.

Duncan earns his 10th First Team selection and first since 2006-07. In his 16th NBA campaign, Duncan averaged 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.65 blocks, ranking third overall in the latter. He shot .502 from the floor and a career-best .817 from the free throw line.

In earning his fourth All-NBA First Team selection, Durant averaged 28.1 points while shooting .510 from the field, .416 from distance and .905 from the free throw line. With those percentages, Durant became just the second player in NBA history (Larry Bird; 1986-87) to average 28-plus points while going .500/.400/.900 during the year. Additionally, Durant's field goal and free throw percentages represented career bests.

Paul, an All-NBA First Team selection for the third time, had a league-best 4.26 assist-to-turnover ratio; he had 13 games in which he dished at least 11 assists while committing no more than one turnover. The 2013 All-Star Game MVP, Paul averaged 16.9 points, ranked second in assists with 9.7 apg and paced the league in steals with 2.41 spg.

The All-NBA Second Team consists of guards Tony Parker of the Spurs and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder, forwards Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Blake Griffin of the Clippers, and center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The All-NBA Third Team includes the Houston Rockets' James Harden and the Heat's Dwyane Wade at guard, the Indiana Pacers' Paul George and the Golden State Warriors' David Lee at forward, and the Lakers' Dwight Howard at center.

The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

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and here's the real All-Star team..

the latest (and greatest?) dynamic duo

They were dubbed the Dynamic Duo, and that they were. Anthony Carter and Alika Smith established themselves as the most recognizable tandem in the history of University of Hawaii sports. The starting backcourt in 1996-97 and '97-98 led UH to the NIT both years, with wins over Indiana and Kansas highlighting the overall 42-17 ledger.

Carter went on to a long NBA career, and Smith coached his alma mater, Kalaheo High, to a state championship this year.

Now, 15 years after, there's another UH athletic pairing in a different sport putting the finishing touches on careers even more impressive than those of Carter and Smith.

I say more impressive because softball center fielder Kelly Majam and shortstop Jessica Iwata have produced excellence consistently for four seasons, from the time they were freshmen in 2010 and led the Wahine to the College World Series. Carter and Smith combined for just two seasons.

Some will still consider Carter and Smith the better duo because men's basketball is a revenue sport and higher profile than women's softball. Maybe there's room at the very top for both. But I give the Wahine the nod because of their incredible durability despite some serious physical challenges.

MAJAM HAS STARTED in all 225 UH softball games since the beginning of the 2010 season after a knee injury forced her to redshirt in 2009. And 159 of those games came after she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer prior to her sophomore season of 2011.

Iwata missed just two games early in her freshman season. She has played in every game since, with a 223 total despite dealing with a painful shoulder injury this year that requires surgery.

During their four years, UH has posted a 171-54 record for a .760 winning percentage.

Both are at the top or near it in numerous career batting statistics, both are over .300 in career batting average and are outstanding defensively. Majam has 72 career homers and Iwata 55. Their regular season concludes with a three-game series at Pacific starting with a doubleheader today.

Other notable duos in UH sports history:

» Pitchers Gerald Ako and Derek Tatsuno intersected for just one season (1977), but the pitchers from Aiea were nearly unhittable.

» Gary Allen and David Toloumu played together four seasons (1978-81) with speed, power and versatility, when running backs were the focal point of the offense.

» Lily Kahumoku (1999-2003) and Kim Willoughby (2000-03) were two of the more talented players in Wahine volleyball history and combined forces for three final four appearances.

» The Timmy Chang (1999-2004) to Chad Owens (2000-04) connection led to all-time passing records for Chang and All-American status for Owens.

» Linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard (2005-08) were the heart of the underrated defense during UH's football glory years. Elimimian finished as the school's career tackles leader.

Reach Dave Reardon at <@Tagline -- email1>dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783 or on Twitter as @dave_reardon.

Top Ten Unrestricted Free Agents

Only eight teams remain in the playoffs, meaning the fans of 22 other teams have turned much of their attention to the offseason and the free-agent summer of 2013 in particular.

We will encounter a familiar name there, one Dwight David Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers, who along with Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, will be at the center of all things come July 1 (when free agency kicks off in all of its usual craziness).

There are a dozen teams, most notably Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Utah, Cleveland, New Orleans, Detroit, Charlotte and Washington, with the cash to spend and the flexibility to significantly tweak, and, in some cases, totally remake their rosters. All these teams need is a free agent willing to give them a chance to make the proper sales pitch.

For the top-level free agents — and this summer that list it two truly elite players deep, Howard and Paul — the list of potential suitors will be exclusive.

MRC Greenwood retiring

University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood announced on Monday that she’s retiring from the presidency in September, two years before her contract expires.

She said the reasons for making her decision are personal and health-related.

She plans to take an unpaid leave upon her retirement, and plans to return to her tenured faculty position after that.

She has a resume that includes being a scientist, a professor, and a college administrator.

In 2009, the UH Board of Regents hired her to lead the UH as its president.

Now, with two years left on her contract, Greenwood says she’s retiring in September.

Here’s what Greenwood said to KHON2′s Kathy Muneno just a few months ago, when she asked if she would stick around when her contract expires in 2015.

“Oh boy, that’s a really hard question to answer but not because of the stress or any of this.  That’s more related to where I am with my family my age, how much energy I still have at that point,” Greenwood said.
Greenwood, who just turned 70, said in a statement she decided to retire to focus more on her health and her family.

Richard Mizusawa is the president of the student body at UH Manoa.

“I was kind of surprised by the timing of her retirement but I feel the reasoning is justified,” Mizusawa said.
Greenwood’s announcement comes only months after the Stevie Wonder concert fiasco, and the Senate investigation into UH.

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim led the Committee on Accountability and said, “It’s the best thing for the university.  I believe it’s what the university needs.  Look at some of these accountability and transparency issues.”

Sen. Sam Slom was also on the committee.

“I’m not surprised.  Some of us thought it would come this summer.  Several months ago, I called for her forced retirement.  I think it’s a good thing for the university,” said Sen. Sam Slom, (R) Hawaii Kai, Kahala, Aina Haina.

In a statement sent to the UH Ohana, Greenwood said, “I have never known a better or more willing group of individuals.  I am proud of what we accomplished under very difficult circumstances.”

In response to the announcement, the UH Board of Regents Chair Eric Martinson said in a statement, “The university’s reputation has advanced nationally and internationally…she helped navigate the university through one of our nation’s and state’s most severe recessions.”

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Hawaii News Now interview with Marcie Greenwood

[5/29/13] Dave Shapiro weighs in on Abercrombie's involvement.

LeBron MVP

MIAMI (AP) -- LeBron James was at his best this season, and the voters tasked with selecting the NBA's Most Valuable Player took notice.

Every voter except one, that is.

The NBA still does not have a unanimous MVP, though no one has come closer than James did this season. The Miami Heat star was presented with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the fourth time in his career on Sunday after collecting 120 of the 121 first-place votes, with Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks picking up the lone remaining top choice.

"It was probably a writer out of New York that didn't give me that vote," James said.