On December 22, 2010,Larry Brown stepped down as theCharlotte Bobcats head coach.Paul Silas took over on an interim basis.[18] On February 16, 2011, Silas was named as full-time Bobcats head coach.[19]
Cleveland Cavaliers – added new logo and new uniforms, replacing wine and darker gold with dark navy blue with remained wine and dark navy blue added lighter gold to their color scheme, removed the side panels to their jerseys and shorts and changed their wordmark to their jerseys.
Golden State Warriors – added new logo and new uniforms, brought back original gold and blue colors replacing dark navy blue, orange and gold, added side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
Los Angeles Clippers – added new logo and new uniforms, remained with red, white and blue to their color scheme and removed the side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
Minnesota Timberwolves – added new black road alternate uniforms with grey side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
Orlando Magic – added new logo, changed their wordmark on their primary logo, added new black road alternate uniforms with pinstripes and blue side panels to their jerseys and shorts and moved into their new arena theAmway Center.
Philadelphia 76ers – added new blue road alternate uniforms with red side panels to their jerseys and shorts. Also, Wachovia Center, their home arena, was renamed theWells Fargo Center due toWachovia's acquisition byWells Fargo.
Utah Jazz – added new logo and uniforms, replacing dark navy blue, light blue, and purple with remained dark navy blue, added green, gold and yellow to their color scheme and added side panels to their jerseys and shorts.
The regular season began on October 26, 2010, and ended on April 13, 2011. The Opening Day schedule onTNT had theMiami Heat face theBoston Celtics, followed by theLos Angeles Lakers' championship ring and banner ceremony and their game against theHouston Rockets. The opener began at 7:30 p.m. ET. OnChristmas Day,ABC andESPN had a five-game set, with ABC broadcasting the game between the Celtics and theOrlando Magic, and the Heat against the Lakers, which started at 2:00 p.m. ET. OnMartin Luther King Day, ESPN aired the game between theChicago Bulls and theMemphis Grizzlies at 1:00 p.m. ET, whileNBA TV aired theSacramento Kings–Atlanta Hawks matchup at 4:00 p.m. ET. TNT capped off the holiday with a doubleheader, beginning with the Magic facing the Celtics, followed by theOklahoma City Thunder facing theLos Angeles Lakers, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The full schedule was released on August 10, 2010.[40]
Los Angeles Lakers clinched #2 seed over Dallas Mavericks upon winning the Pacific Division.
New Orleans Hornets clinched #7 seed over Memphis Grizzlies based on winning percentage in the Southwest Division (the Hornets' 0.563 to the Grizzlies' 0.500).
The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on April 16, with the Conference Finals concluding on May 26. The NBA Finals began on May 31 due to both Conference Finals ending in five games. ESPN began their playoff broadcast on April 16, and continued every Friday and Saturday thereafter, with the Sunday–Thursday schedule reserved for TNT (some Saturday first-round games apply) and NBA TV. ABC continued broadcasting early-round playoff coverage every Sunday afternoon, with select Saturday afternoon broadcasts. The first round playoff coverage was non-exclusive except for ABC-covered games, in which local sports networks (e.g.Fox Sports Net,Comcast SportsNet) still aired the game in their home market. TNT aired the Eastern Conference Finals while ESPN aired the Western Conference Finals. The NBA Finals were shown on ABC. Nationwide radio coverage was on ESPN Radio for select playoff games, the entire Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
Adidas introduced the Revolution 30 technology, to be used on all NBA team uniforms. The uniforms are 30% lighter than before and also enable moisture management.[43]
The fines accounted fortechnical fouls were doubled in an effort to reduce excessive complaining.
A record 84 international players made the opening day rosters for 30 NBA teams, including rookiesGreivis Vásquez ofVenezuela andKevin Seraphin of France. This includes players born ininsular areas of the United States, such asPuerto Rico and theU.S. Virgin Islands (with the most notable example beingTim Duncan, a USVI native), but does not include U.S.-born players who represent other national teams (such asKosta Koufos, born and raised in Ohio but representing his parents' homeland ofGreece).
Yao Ming suffers another season-ending stress fracture injury. He only appeared in 5 games this season.
TheCleveland Cavaliers lost All-Star forwardLeBron James to theMiami Heat viafree agency. After having the league's best record for two straight seasons, they lost an NBA record26 straight games, furthering their turnaround from one of the league's best to one of the league's worst.
2010–11 markedShaquille O'Neal's last pro season, as the 15-time All-Star, who played with the Boston Celtics this season, announced his retirement on June 1, 2011, one day after one of his former coaches,Mike Brown, was introduced by one of his former teams, theLos Angeles Lakers.[51]
TheChicago Bulls earned the top overall seed for the first time since the1996–97 season. The Bulls lost to theMiami Heat 4–1 in the conference finals.
Phil Jackson announced his retirement as head coach after the defending championLos Angeles Lakers were swept 4–0 by the eventual champion Mavericks in the conference semifinals. This marked the first time that Jackson had been on the wrong side of a playoff sweep.
TheMemphis Grizzlies won the franchise's first playoff game and series in a 4–2 victory over the top-seededSan Antonio Spurs in the first round. They became the fourth team (and second in the seven-game first round era) to topple the top seed in the first round of the playoffs.
Kia replacedToyota as the official automotive partner of the NBA.
November 11:Youngest player to 26,000 points. Los Angeles Lakers guardKobe Bryant became the youngest player to score 26,000 points in a 118–112 loss to theDenver Nuggets. Bryant achieved the mark at the age of 32 years and 80 days, surpassingWilt Chamberlain by 34 days.[54]
November 12:Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record; most rebounds in a game.Minnesota Timberwolves forwardKevin Love scored 31 points and grabbed a franchise record 31 rebounds in the Wolves' 112–103 win over theNew York Knicks. The last player to have a 30–30 game wasMoses Malone on February 11, 1982.[55]
November 12:Second player in history to 11,000 assists.Dallas Mavericks guardJason Kidd reached the 11,000th assist mark in the Mavericks' 99–90 win over thePhiladelphia 76ers. Kidd became only the second player to achieve the mark afterJohn Stockton.[56]
November 19:San Antonio Spurs franchise records; career points and games played.San Antonio Spurs forwardTim Duncan became the Spurs' all-time leading scorer and all-time leader in games played, passing his former "Twin Towers" teammateDavid Robinson in the Spurs' 94–82 win over theUtah Jazz. Duncan played in his 988th game, surpassing Robinson's 987 career games, while also surpassing Robinson's career total of 20,790 points.[57]
November 20:Charlotte Bobcats franchise record; first triple-double.Charlotte Bobcats'sStephen Jackson recorded the franchise's firsttriple-double in a 123–105 victory over thePhoenix Suns. It was also Jackson's second career triple-double.[58]
November 27:Golden State Warriors franchise record; most three-pointers in a game. In a 104–94 road victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves,Golden State Warriors guardDorell Wright set a franchise record with nine three-point field goals made, surpassingJason Richardson's record of eight three-pointers set on March 29, 2007.[59]
November 30:34th player in history to 10,000 rebounds. In a 79–90 loss at the Orlando Magic,Detroit Pistons centerBen Wallace became the 34th player in NBA history to surpass the 10,000 rebound mark for his career.
December 10:Seventh coach in history to 1,000 wins. Denver Nuggets head coachGeorge Karl became the seventh head coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games in the Nuggets' 123–116 road victory over theToronto Raptors.[60]
December 12:94th player in history to 1,000 games. San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan played in the 1,000th regular season game of his career, becoming the 94th player in NBA history to play in one thousand games.
December 12:New York Knicks franchise record; consecutive 30 point games. In a 129–125 home victory against the Denver Nuggets,New York Knicks forwardAmar'e Stoudemire set a franchise record with eight consecutive 30 point games, surpassingWillie Naulls's record of seven set from February 22 to March 4, 1962. He would end up with nine straight 30-point games.
December 22:95th player in history to 1,000 games.Detroit Pistons centerBen Wallace played in the 1,000th regular season game of his career, becoming the 95th player in NBA history to play in one thousand games.
December 22:3rd coach in history to win 1,211 games.Utah Jazz head coachJerry Sloan has won his 1,211 games in his career of coaching after defeating theMinnesota Timberwolves, with the victory Jerry surpassesPat Riley for the third all-time in career wins.
December 29:Los Angeles Clippers franchise record; consecutive double-double games. In a 95–103 home loss against the Utah Jazz,Los Angeles Clippers forwardBlake Griffin set a franchise record with 20 consecutive double-double games, surpassingMichael Cage's record of 19 set from December 10, 1986, to January 16, 1987. He would end up with 27 straight double-double games.
January 16:37th player in history to 20,000 points.Phoenix Suns guardVince Carter scored his 20,000th career points in a win over theNew York Knicks. Carter finished the game with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.[61]
February 8:Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record; consecutive double-double games. In a 112–108 home win against the Houston Rockets,Minnesota Timberwolves forwardKevin Love set a franchise record with 38 consecutive double-double games, surpassingKevin Garnett's record of 37.[62]
February 10:Most three-pointers made in a career. In a 92–86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics guardRay Allen surpassedReggie Miller as the all-time leader in three-point shots made with 2,562. Allen did this in three fewer seasons and with 300 fewer games.[63]
February 15:96th player in history to 1,000 games.Chicago Bulls centerKurt Thomas played in the 1,000th regular season game of his career, becoming the 96th player in NBA history to play in one thousand games.
March 9:NBA record; consecutive double-double games.Minnesota Timberwolves power forwardKevin Love set the NBA record for most consecutive games with a double-double since the NBA-ABA merger, besting Moses Malone's record of 51. He recorded his 52nd consecutive double-double in a 101–75 win over the Indiana Pacers.[64]
April 6:Golden State Warriors franchise record; most three-pointers in a season Golden State Warriors guard Dorell Wright made a Warriors franchise record of 3 pt shots made in a season with 184 in a home win versus theLos Angeles Lakers, beatingJason Richardson with the previous record of 183 in the 2005–06 season.
May 17:NBA record; Most free throws made in a gameDirk Nowitzki made 24 free throws without misses.
November 3:Orlando Magic franchise record: most points in first half. In a 128–86 victory against theMinnesota Timberwolves, theOrlando Magic set a franchise record for most points in the first half with 78. On the other hand, the Timberwolves suffered their worst loss in franchise history.[65]
November 9:Indiana Pacers franchise record: most points in a quarter. TheIndiana Pacers scored 54 points in the third quarter against theDenver Nuggets, the most points scored by a team in a quarter since the Phoenix Suns scored 57 in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets on November 10, 1990. The team was also one field goal short of recording a perfect third quarter (the Pacers shot 20–21).[66]
November 14:Phoenix Suns franchise record: most three-pointers in a game. In a 121–116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns set a franchise record with 22 made three-point field goals in a game, one shy of the NBA record 23 in a game by theOrlando Magic on January 13, 2009.[67]
December 12:New Orleans Hornets franchise record: fewest assists in a game. In a 70–88 loss at the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Orleans Hornets set a franchise record low with four assists, one shy of the NBA record of three.
NBA record: consecutive road wins in a calendar month,Miami Heat franchise record: most wins in a calendar month. TheMiami Heat set a league record when they recorded 10 straight road wins in the month of December. The Heat also set a franchise record for most wins in a calendar month with 15.
January 7:Second team to win 3,000 games. The Boston Celtics became only the second team after the Los Angeles Lakers to win 3,000 games in a 122–102 win over the Toronto Raptors.[68]
January 30:Cleveland Cavaliers single-season franchise record. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their 20th straight game in the same season, breaking their old record of 19 straight within the same season in 1981–82.[69] Their streak would end after 26 straight losses.
February 5:NBA record:longest single-season losing streak. With a 111–105 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Cleveland Cavaliers now hold the longest single-season losing streak with its 24th consecutive loss (streak ended at 26).
February 7:NBA record:longest losing streak. With a 99–96 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Cleveland Cavaliers now hold the longest losing streak with its 25th consecutive loss (streak ended at 26).
March 11:NBA record: Most combined three-pointers in a game; Golden State Warriors franchise record: Most three-pointers in a game. The game between theGolden State Warriors and theOrlando Magic, a 123–120 overtime win by the Warriors, saw a combined 36 three-point shots made in an NBA game. The Warriors also set a franchise record by connecting 21 three-point shots.
The2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011, atStaples Center in Los Angeles. This game was the 61st edition of theNational Basketball Association (NBA)'s annual basketball festivities, and was also the fifth All-Star Game held in Los Angeles; the city previously hosted in1963,1972,1983 and2004. As with the 2004 event, it was jointly hosted by theLakers and theClippers. The Western Conference All-Stars defeated the Eastern Conference 148–143, with the Lakers'Kobe Bryant named asMVP for the fourth time, tying the record ofBob Pettit.
On July 7, theNBA announced that thesalary cap for the 2010–11 season would be $58.044 million, an increase of $0.344 million fromprevious season's $57.70 million, and would go into effect on July 8 as the league's "moratorium period" had ended and teams could begin signingfree agents and making trades. The increase came as a surprise as the league initially predicted a decrease in the salary cap. On March, before the playoffs, the league projected that the salary cap would be around $56.1 million. Thetax level for the season was set at $70.307 million, with each team paying a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $70.307 million. Themid-level exception was $5.765 million for the season and the minimum team salary, which was set at 75% of the salary cap, was $43.533 million. The maximum salaries for players are set at $13.604 million for players with zero to six years of experience, $16.324 million for players with seven to nine years of experience, and $19.045 million for players with more than 10 years of experience.[123][124]
^"Boston re-signs Paul Pierce".NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 15, 2010.Archived from the original on July 18, 2010. RetrievedJuly 16, 2010.
^"Celtics re-sign Ray Allen".NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 13, 2010.Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. RetrievedJuly 16, 2010.
^"Celtics Sign Shaquille O'Neal".NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. August 4, 2010.Archived from the original on August 14, 2010. RetrievedAugust 12, 2010.
