50 Fun Facts About 2006-07 NBA Season

Which player won the 2006–07 NBA MVP award despite his 67-win team losing in the first round of the playoffs?

Dirk Nowitzki became the first European player to win the award, beating his friend Steve Nash, the winner of the previous two. He also became only the fifth member of the 50–40–90 shooting club.

Which player scored his team's final 25 points in a double-overtime win at Detroit in the 2007 NBA playoffs?

LeBron James finished with 48 points and scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 to win Game 5 by two. Cleveland closed out the series at home to reach its first NBA Finals.

Which San Antonio player was named MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals, the first European-born winner of the award?

Tony Parker, born in Belgium and raised in France, scored a series-high 24.5 points a game as San Antonio swept Cleveland. It was the franchise's fourth title in nine seasons.

Which guard scored 50 or more points in four straight games in March 2007, starting with 65 against Portland?

Kobe Bryant became only the second player with four straight 50-point games, after Wilt Chamberlain. He had swapped his jersey number from 8 to 24 before the season began.

Which star guard did Philadelphia trade to Denver in December 2006, during his 11th season with the 76ers?

Allen Iverson went west with Ivan McFarlin for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first-round picks. He landed one day after his new team's top scorer had been suspended for fighting.

Which star, then the NBA's leading scorer, was suspended 15 games after a December 2006 brawl at Madison Square Garden?

Carmelo Anthony punched Mardy Collins as the fighting was dying down, and all ten players on the court were ejected. His ban was the longest of the seven handed out.

What was new about the official game ball the NBA introduced for 2006–07 and withdrew after players complained?

A synthetic cover replaced real leather, but players said the ball turned slick, bounced oddly off the rim and cut their fingers. The league went back to leather on January 1, 2007.

Where was the 2007 NBA All-Star Game held, the first played in a place without an NBA franchise?

Las Vegas staged the game in a college arena on the UNLV campus, and Nevada's sportsbooks were barred from taking bets on it. The West won 153–132.

Which coach guided eighth-seeded Golden State past top seed Dallas in 2007, beating the team he coached until 2005?

Don Nelson had named Avery Johnson as his successor in Dallas two years earlier, then knocked out Johnson's 67-win team in six games. No eighth seed had won a best-of-seven series before.

Which NBA referee, who worked the 2006–07 season, resigned in July 2007 during an FBI probe into betting on games?

Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty a month later to two federal charges, including passing wagering information across state lines. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Which guard, drafted sixth out of the University of Washington, was named the 2006–07 NBA Rookie of the Year?

Brandon Roy took 127 of the 128 first-place votes even though injury held him to 57 games. Minnesota had picked him, then dealt him to Portland the same night.

Which Italian big man did Toronto take first overall in the 2006 NBA draft, the first European chosen number one?

Andrea Bargnani had been playing for Benetton Treviso, and only Yao Ming before him had gone first without attending an American school. He made the All-Rookie First Team.

Which guard nicknamed Agent Zero scored 60 points in an overtime win at the Lakers in December 2006?

Gilbert Arenas broke Earl Monroe's Washington franchise record of 56, which had stood since 1968. The nickname came from the zero on his jersey.

Which reigning Finals MVP left a February 2007 game in Houston in a wheelchair after dislocating his shoulder?

Dwyane Wade put off surgery and rehabbed in time for the playoffs, returning with a black sleeve on the shoulder. Miami's title defense still ended in a first-round sweep.

Which San Antonio forward was suspended two games for body-checking Steve Nash in the 2007 NBA playoffs?

Robert Horry's hit also cost Phoenix two players, each banned one game for leaving the bench to check on Nash. San Antonio won the next game on the road, and then the series.

Which Boston coaching legend, famous for his victory cigars, died days before the 2006–07 NBA season opened?

Red Auerbach was 89 and still the team's president when he died of a heart attack. The Celtics went on to lose a franchise-record 18 straight games that winter.

Where did the New Orleans Hornets play most home games in 2006–07, a second season away after Hurricane Katrina?

Oklahoma City staged the majority of the schedule at the Ford Center for a second year. The Hornets went home full-time the next season, and Oklahoma City got its own team when the Seattle SuperSonics moved in 2008.

Which sportswear company became the NBA's official uniform supplier for 2006–07, a role it kept until 2017?

Adidas had bought Reebok, the league's previous supplier, and moved the contract over to its own three-stripe brand. The deal was worth more than $400 million.

Which Ohio State center did Portland draft first overall in June 2007 after winning the lottery against long odds?

Greg Oden missed his entire first season after knee surgery and managed only 82 games over the next two. Portland had held just a 5.3 percent chance of winning the lottery.

Which center won the 2006–07 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award while leading the league in blocked shots?

Marcus Camby averaged 3.3 blocks a game for Denver and took the trophy from Ben Wallace, who had won it in four of the previous five seasons.

Which speedy guard won the 2006–07 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 18 points a game off the bench?

Leandro Barbosa, known as the Brazilian Blur for his pace, backed up Steve Nash on a Phoenix team that won 61 games. He later won a title with Golden State.

Which guard, drafted straight from high school in 2005's second round, was the NBA's Most Improved Player for 2006–07?

Monta Ellis raised his scoring by 9.7 points a game from his rookie year, the biggest jump in the league. The 40th pick of his draft, he helped Golden State end a long playoff absence.

Which coach won the 2006–07 NBA Coach of the Year award after leading Toronto to its first division title?

Sam Mitchell had sat through losing seasons while Toronto rebuilt, then delivered the Atlantic Division crown and the team's first playoff trip since 2002.

Which point guard averaged a triple-double across his team's 12 games in the 2007 NBA playoffs?

Jason Kidd put up 14.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 10.9 assists a game for New Jersey. Along the way he passed Larry Bird for second place in career playoff triple-doubles.

Which former Raptors star was booed every time he touched the ball in Toronto during the 2007 NBA playoffs?

Vince Carter had left Toronto in an acrimonious trade in 2004, and his New Jersey team knocked the Raptors out in six games. It was the first playoff meeting between the two clubs.

Which swingman, traded from Indiana in January 2007, hit seven three-pointers as Golden State eliminated Dallas?

Stephen Jackson scored 13 straight points in an 18–0 third-quarter run, and his seven threes set a franchise playoff record. He had arrived in an eight-player deal.

Which guard led the NBA in steals in 2006–07 and threw down a famous playoff dunk over Utah's Andrei Kirilenko?

Baron Davis had knee surgery during the season and still averaged 25.3 points in the playoffs, steering an eighth seed into the second round.

Which young center slapped a sticker of his own face high on the backboard in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest?

Dwight Howard stuck it 12 feet 6 inches up while finishing an alley-oop from an Orlando teammate, yet he still missed out on the final round.

Which high flyer won the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, sealing it with a perfect score for leaping over a table?

Gerald Green beat Nate Robinson in the final before a judging panel of past champions that included Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. He played for a Boston team that lost 58 games.

Which team won a playoff series for the first time since 1998 by sweeping defending champion Miami in 2007?

The Chicago Bulls had not won a series since Michael Jordan's final title run. Miami became the first defending champion in 50 seasons to be swept in the opening round.

Which center was voted an East starter for the 2007 All-Star Game despite playing only four games by then?

Shaquille O'Neal had needed knee surgery in November and missed 35 straight games, yet fans still voted him a starter for the 14th year running.

Which coach beat his own former assistant, Cleveland's Mike Brown, to win the 2007 NBA Finals?

Gregg Popovich had hired Brown onto his San Antonio staff in 2000, and one of his players later said Cleveland ran many of the champions' own plays.

Which team did Michael Jordan buy into in June 2006, taking charge of its basketball operations?

The Charlotte Bobcats were an expansion team entering their third season when Jordan took over the basketball decisions. In 2010 he became the first former player to hold a majority stake in a franchise.

Which former Michigan Fab Five star signed with Detroit in January 2007 after Philadelphia bought out his contract?

Chris Webber, once a schoolboy star at Detroit Country Day, was paid a reported $25 million to leave Philadelphia. He joined the team that finished with the East's best record.

Which point guard nicknamed The Glove played his final NBA game as Miami was swept from the 2007 playoffs?

Gary Payton earned the nickname for his smothering defense, and he bowed out one year after winning his only championship with the same team.

Which Knicks president also took over as head coach for 2006–07 after New York fired Larry Brown?

Isiah Thomas got the job from the team's owner on the condition that he show evident progress or be fired. He lasted two seasons on the bench.

Which Houston coach was fired after a 2007 Game 7 loss to Utah, then called the NBA Finals on television?

Jeff Van Gundy started as an ESPN guest analyst later in the same postseason, and he stayed in the Finals broadcast booth until 2023.

Which Utah guard flew in from his daughter's cancer surgery and entered a 2007 playoff game in the third quarter?

Derek Fisher landed in Utah with Game 2 already under way, then made a late defensive stop that helped force overtime. Utah won, and the night earned an ESPY nomination.

Which big man made the 2006–07 All-NBA First Team one season after microfracture knee surgery?

Amar'e Stoudemire had the operation in October 2005, then came back to average 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds for Phoenix. He swapped his jersey number from 32 to 1 before the season.

Which Gonzaga forward, the top scorer in college basketball that year, went third overall in the 2006 NBA draft?

Adam Morrison had averaged 28.1 points a game in his last college season, then scored 14 in his professional debut that November.

Which Hall of Fame forward beat veteran referee Dick Bavetta in a charity footrace at 2007 All-Star Weekend?

Charles Barkley won narrowly even though he ran the last stretch backwards, while Bavetta finished with a dive that scraped his knee. The race raised $75,000 for charity.

Which Cleveland rookie scored 31 points in Game 6 to send the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals?

Daniel Gibson, a second-round pick known as Boobie, had never scored so many in a professional game. He then led Cleveland in scoring off the bench in the Finals opener.

Which veteran referee was suspended for the rest of 2006–07 after ejecting Tim Duncan as he sat on the bench?

Joey Crawford said Duncan had been laughing at him, while Duncan said the official asked if he wanted to fight. The ban ended the referee's run of 21 straight NBA Finals.

Which veteran center passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second place in career blocked shots in January 2007?

Dikembe Mutombo blocked five shots that night in a rout of the Lakers, leaving only Hakeem Olajuwon ahead of him. He retired with 3,289.

Which second-year forward made all 14 of his shots to win MVP of the 2007 Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend?

David Lee scored 30 points without a miss and added 11 rebounds as the Sophomores won 155–114, their fifth straight victory over the Rookies.

Which Cleveland veteran was the only Cavalier who had played in an NBA Finals before the team's 2007 appearance?

Eric Snow had played all five games of the 2001 Finals for Philadelphia on a fractured ankle. For every other Cavalier, Game 1 in San Antonio was a first.

Which executive won the 2006–07 NBA Executive of the Year award one year after leaving Phoenix for a new team?

Bryan Colangelo brought nine new players to Toronto, and the team improved from 27 wins to 47. He had won the same award with Phoenix two years earlier.

Which team finished 2006–07 with the NBA's worst record, 22–60, yet dropped to the fourth pick in the draft lottery?

The Memphis Grizzlies fired their coach after a 6–24 start, with captain Pau Gasol missing the first 23 games on a broken foot. None of the three worst teams landed a top-three pick.

Which team missed the 2007 playoffs for the first time since 1998, beginning a record 16-season postseason drought?

The Sacramento Kings slipped to 33–49 after eight straight playoff trips, and they did not have another winning season until 2023.

Which Miami coach took a leave of absence in January 2007 for hip and knee problems during a title defense?

Pat Riley handed the team to Ron Rothstein while he recovered. That spring's playoffs proved to be his last as a head coach.