2006 NBA

  1. Dwyane Wade: Was the Finals MVP leading the Heat to their first NBA title.

He led Miami from down 2-0 to four straight wins over Dallas to capture the championship.

D-Wade averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 steals a game in the series and an amazing 39-8 and 2.5 steals in the final four wins.

With his team down 2-0 in the series and 13 in the Game 3 with fewer than seven minutes to play, Wade ripped off 12 points to help force overtime in the Heat’s 98-96 victory.

He scored 36 in Game 4, and 43 in 50 minutes in Game 5, including 21-25 free throws.

In Game 6 Wade filled the stat sheet with 36 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks in the clincher.

Overall in the playoffs, Wade was 4^th in playoff scoring (28.4) and 2^nd in steals (2.2).

Flash was second team All-NBA and the player of the month in February (30-6-6 for the month.)

 

The 24 year old shooting guard started for the East All Stars.

He was 5^th in the league in scoring (27.2), 6^th in steals (1.9), and averaged over six assists and five rebounds a game, while shooting just under 50% from the field.

Wade had 16 double doubles and 2 triple doubles for the 52 win Heat, champions of the Southeast division and 2^nd seed in the East.

He averaged 24-7 in a six game series win over his hometown team Chicago in round one.

In the 2^nd round he put up 27-6-6 and 2.4 steals in five games to get past the Nets.

In a rematch in the East Finals Wade dropped 35-8 in a Game 3 win, and had 31-6-5 in Game 4. Miami would take the series in six to knock out the two time conference champions Pistons.

2. Dirk Nowitzki: Led Dallas to its first NBA Finals in franchise history in its 27 year of existence.

      

      He was first team All-NBA, All-Star and finished 3^rd in the MVP voting. Dallas finished with 60 wins, 2^nd most in the West.

      Nowitzki was 7^th in the NBA with a career high 26.6 points per game, and 4^th in free throw % at 90.1.

      He also averaged 9 rebounds a game and shot over 40% on three pointers.

      Dallas swept Memphis behind an 31-8 average from the German forward.

      Dirk had his signature game with 37-15. He hit 11-20 shots and 15-16 FTs in 50 minutes of Game Seven over San Antonio.

  It was his game tying 3 point play with less than 25 seconds to play, around Bruce Bowen, that helped Dallas get past the defending champion Spurs.

      He lit up Phoenix for 30 in a Game 2 win and 50 in Game 5 to put the Mavs up 3-2 in a series they would take in six.

      During the playoff run, the Mavericks sharp shooter averaged 27 points and 11.7 rebounds a game (2^nd in the playoffs).

3. Kobe Bryant:  Scored the most 2^nd most points in a game         in  NBA history with 81, the most ever by a guard.

He led the NBA scoring with 35.4 per game, the highest total since Michael Jordan averaged 37 per game in 1987 and second highest since Rick Berry in 1967.

The Black Mamba had 27 games scoring at least 40. 

He scored over 50 in six games, including when he went for 62 vs. the Mavericks in just 33 minutes.

Kobe was the Western Conference Player of the Month in December, January (averaged 43-5-4 for the month), and April (41-5).

He was first team All-NBA and first team All-Defense, an All-Star and 4^th in the MVP voting.

Bryant was 5^th in minutes (41) and 9^th in steals (1.8). 

The Lakers finished the season with a 45-37 record and the 7^th seed in the West.

He helped LA to a 3-1 lead against the Suns with a vintage Game 4 performance including the game winning shot. 

The Lakers fell in seven games despite 50 from Kobe in Game 6 and 28-6-5 in the series.