2012 - A Year in Review

As we enter 2013, I think it’s only right to do the cliché thing and reflect on some of my favorite NBA stories from 2012.  No need for any further introduction, here we go.

The Lockout is Over

It’s probably not the best idea to begin a look back at 2012 with something that actually happened in 2011.  The reason I do put it on the list though is because most teams only played about two or three games at the end of 2011.  Last season was surely one to remember, and it almost didn’t happen.  In the end though, negotiations between the players and owners were worked out just in time for us to get some NBA basketball for 2012.

Linsanity

Jeremy Lin had come-and-gone a couple times in the NBA.  The Harvard grad played for the Warriors, as well as being moved in and out of the D-League, before being picked up by the Knicks.  He didn't truly shine though until a slew of injuries and losses made coach Mike D’Antoni decided to give Lin some quality court time.  Immediately, he showed everybody that he belonged in the NBA.  He led New York to seven straight wins in his first games starting, averaging 24.4 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.5 steals during that streak.

Linsanity had arrived, and it was impossible for anybody in the sports world to avoid.  The point guard was the main story on every sports program for about a month and a half.  He was a very likeable athlete and a cool underdog story, in addition to being the first Chinese-American in the NBA.  The excitement quickly died off when Lin was injured toward the end of March.  He missed the final seventeen games of the season, as well as the Knicks first round loss in the playoffs.

The Rockets, a team that had a strong following with the Chinese community for their years with Yao Ming, became the team to sign Lin during the offseason.  Although he has achieved moderate success this year, it doesn’t look like Linsanity will be making a return anytime soon.

The King Gets a Ring

LeBron got a championship.  There you go.  All the Kobe lovers and Cavs fans had to shut their mouth and stop dogging the guy with their “no ring,” jokes.  Let’s be honest, we all knew it had to happen eventually.  I'm just glad all of his haters have been silenced.

London Calling

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games took place in London.  After a return to gold medal status in 2008, the USA men’s basketball team returned to full-out Dream Team status in 2012.  With an unbelievable roster that included LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony (playing better than ever), Chris Paul and Kevin Love, the United States proved that nobody had a shot at keeping up with them this summer.

A highlight of the games came when USA broke several Olympic records en route to an 83-point victory over Nigeria.  Debates sparked over if this team could be better than the ’92 Dream Team, but that’s an argument that we will never be able to bring to a close.  And yes, I did cheer for Kobe during the Olympic games.  Don’t expect it to happen again.

The Soap Opera in Orlando

In 2012, Dwight Howard made it known that he was the best center since Shaq.  He also made it known that he was the biggest drama queen since, well, who-knows when.  After several complaints and demands made to the front office, Dwight made matters worse by agreeing to stay with Orlando through 2013.

Then he complained some more, demanded a trade to Brooklyn, GM Otis Smith was fired, head coach Stan Van Gundy (one of the best head coaches of recent years) was fired and Dwight still wasn’t happy.  The Magic ended the fiasco by shipping Dwight to Los Angeles, and he’s been struggling ever since.

The Best Team in Los Angeles

This season’s not over yet, but 2012 is.  With a roster full of young stars, old vets and one of the deepest rosters the league has ever seen, the Clippers are proving to be the better of the two teams that call the Staples Center home.  They end this year on a 17 game win streak, going a perfect 16-0 for the month of December.  The team shows no signs of slowing up and is still awaiting the return of Grant Hill and Chauncey Billups.  If they can keep this up, consider 2012 to be just the tip of the iceberg for a new age of "the other team," in Los Angeles.

The Return(s)

So far, this has been my favorite part of the current NBA season.  Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko and Jeff Green all made their return to the NBA this year. 

Roy has spent years suffering knee injuries, which caused him to call it quits on basketball in 2011.  This year, he decided he wasn’t quite ready to give up the game yet.  He signed with Minnesota, the team that traded him on draft day in 2006.  More injuries have limited Roy to only 5 games this year, as well as more talks of retirement.  The former Trail Blazer said that he is seeking further treatment though, keeping hope alive that his basketball career isn't over.

Kirilenko left the NBA in 2011 to return to his native Russia.  He went on to become the Euroleague MVP for 2012.  He had a great summer, leading the way for Russia to help the team earn bronze at the Olympics.  He then signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July and has been a key part of the team's rotation ever since.

The end of 2011 brought disappointing news for Jeff Green.  He found out that he would need season-ending surgery related to a complication with his heart.  During that time away from basketball, Green returned to school at Georgetown and earned his degree in English.  The start of the 2012-13 season saw Green healthy again, and he returned to play with the Boston Celtics.  Although each player has varied in success, I'm very happy each of them is back in the NBA.

So there you have it, folks; my favorite moments in basketball from 2012.  Hopefully 2013 will bring us all more great NBA memories, more Lakers losses and the return of a healthy Greg Oden.  Happy New Year to you and yours!