2008–09 NBA season

2008–09 NBA season
League	National Basketball Association
Sport	Basketball
Duration	October 28, 2008 – April 16, 2009 April 18 – May 30, 2009 (Playoffs) June 4 – 14, 2009 (Finals)
Number of games	82
Number of teams	30
TV partner(s)	ABC, TNT, ESPN, NBA TV
Draft
Top draft pick	Derrick Rose
Picked by	Chicago Bulls
Regular season
Top seed	Cleveland Cavaliers
Season MVP	LeBron James (Cleveland)
Top scorer	Dwyane Wade (Miami)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Orlando Magic
Eastern runners-up	Cleveland Cavaliers
Western champions	Los Angeles Lakers
Western runners-up	Denver Nuggets
Finals
Champions	Los Angeles Lakers
Runners-up	Orlando Magic
Finals MVP	Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers)

The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 1,230-game regular season (82 games for each of the 30 teams) began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009. The 2009 NBA Playoffs started on Saturday, April 18, 2009 and ran until Sunday, June 14 when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99–86 to win the 2009 NBA Finals, four games to one.

The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2008, and Derrick Rose was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls and eventually awarded the 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was hosted at the US Airways Center in Phoenix. The Western Conference All-Stars defeated the Eastern Conference All-Stars 146–119. The All-Star Game co-MVPs were Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.^[1]

This was the first NBA season since 1966–67 without a Seattle franchise, as the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in July 2008 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Transactions

Coaching changes

Offseason
Team	2007–08 coach	2008–09 coach
Charlotte Bobcats	Sam Vincent	Larry Brown
Chicago Bulls	Jim Boylan	Vinny Del Negro
Milwaukee Bucks	Larry Krystkowiak	Scott Skiles
Miami Heat	Pat Riley	Erik Spoelstra
New York Knicks	Isiah Thomas	Mike D'Antoni
Dallas Mavericks	Avery Johnson	Rick Carlisle
Detroit Pistons	Flip Saunders	Michael Curry
Phoenix Suns	Mike D'Antoni	Terry Porter
In-season
Team	Outgoing coach	New coach
Oklahoma City Thunder	P. J. Carlesimo	Scott Brooks (interim)
Washington Wizards	Eddie Jordan	Ed Tapscott (interim)
Toronto Raptors	Sam Mitchell	Jay Triano (interim)
Minnesota Timberwolves	Randy Wittman	Kevin McHale (interim)
Philadelphia 76ers	Maurice Cheeks	Tony DiLeo (interim)
Sacramento Kings	Reggie Theus	Kenny Natt (interim)
Memphis Grizzlies	Marc Iavaroni	Lionel Hollins
Phoenix Suns	Terry Porter	Alvin Gentry (interim)

• On November 21, 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder fired head coach P. J. Carlesimo and assistant coach Paul Westhead after a 1–12 start. Scott Brooks was named interim head coach for the rest of the season.^[2]
• On November 24, 2008, the Washington Wizards fired head coach Eddie Jordan after a 1–10 start. Ed Tapscott took over for the remainder of the season.^[3]
• On December 3, 2008, the Toronto Raptors fired head coach Sam Mitchell, one day after the team lost by 39 points against the Denver Nuggets. Jay Triano was named the team's interim head coach.^[4]
• On December 8, 2008, the Minnesota Timberwolves fired head coach Randy Wittman after a 4–15 start to the season. Kevin McHale was announced as his replacement.^[5]
• On December 13, 2008, the Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Maurice Cheeks after a 9–14 start. Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo was appointed interim head coach for the rest of the season.^[6]
• On December 15, 2008, the Sacramento Kings fired head coach Reggie Theus after a 6–18 start to the season. Assistant coach Kenny Natt was appointed interim head coach.^[7]
• On January 22, 2009, the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach Marc Iavaroni. Assistant coach Johnny Davis was appointed interim head coach, and three days later, Lionel Hollins took over as head coach.
• On February 16, 2009, the Phoenix Suns fired head coach Terry Porter. He was replaced by Alvin Gentry.

Notable occurrences

July

• On July 2, 2008, the city of Seattle and the Seattle SuperSonics (owned by the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based Professional Basketball Club LLC) reached a settlement where the defendants agreed to pay $45 million to relocate the team to Oklahoma City, retain the SuperSonics' players, coaches, and contracts, and "share" the SuperSonics' franchise history with a hypothetical future Seattle team. However, the SuperSonics name, colors, and logo will remain reserved for a future Seattle club.^[8] The team was named the Oklahoma City Thunder on September 3, 2008.

• On July 23, 2008, restricted free agent Josh Childress signed with Euroleague club Olympiacos for three years and $20 million net (the biggest signing in Euroleague history), marking the first departure of an American-born player to Europe in the prime of his career.^[9]

October

• On October 11, 2008, the NBA's first outdoor game in more than three decades was held on the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. The game was played between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns, who played the last outdoor game against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972.^[10][11]
• On October 23, 2008, the NBA Board of Governors (owners) approved expanded use of instant replays for this season to determine if made baskets would be worth two or three points, and to award either two or three free throws on shooting fouls.^[12]

December

• On December 10, 2008, Carmelo Anthony scored 33 of his season-high 45 points in the third quarter in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, breaking the franchise record and equaling the league record for most points in a quarter.^[13]
• On December 11, 2008, Cuttino Mobley retired from the NBA because of a severe case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease.^[14]
• On December 25, 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers broke the Boston Celtics' 19-game winning streak in a rematch of the previous season's NBA Finals.^[15]

January

• On January 22, 2009, Alonzo Mourning retired from the NBA after 15 seasons.^[16]

February

• On February 5, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers broke another Celtic winning streak, joining a short list of teams to break two 12+ game win streaks in a season.^[17]
• On February 7, 2009, LeBron James's 52-point triple-double against the New York Knicks on February 4 was negated by subtracting a rebound from his total. The negated rebound was given to Ben Wallace. James would have been the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to have a 50-point triple-double.^[18]
• On February 8, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers broke the Cleveland Cavaliers' 23-game home-winning streak. In doing so, the Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games on the road (Boston and Cleveland) against teams with .800-plus win percentages at least 40 games into the season.^[19]

---

NBA All-Star Break
The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was played at the US Airways Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, on February 15, 2009, with the West winning 146–119 and the Phoenix Suns' Shaquille O'Neal and Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant being named the Co-MVPs. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks won the Sprite Slam Dunk competition; Kevin Durant, who won the Rookie Challenge MVP, also won the inaugural H.O.R.S.E Competition and Miami's Daequan Cook beat Rashard Lewis in a tiebreaker to win the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout.

---

• On February 20, 2009, Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller died from complications of diabetes at the age of 64.^[20]
• On February 20, 2009, the Phoenix Suns became the first team since the 1990 Portland Trail Blazers to have three consecutive games of scoring 140 points or more.^[21]
• On February 22, 2009, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Steve Blake tied an NBA record by recording 14 assists in the first quarter in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.^[22]
• On February 26, 2009, Chicago Bulls legends Norm Van Lier and Johnny "Red" Kerr died at the ages of 61 and 76, respectively.^[23]

March

• On March 3, 2009, in the NBA's third annual Noche Latina event, a program that recognizes the NBA's fans and players from across Latin America and U.S. Hispanic communities, the Los Angeles Lakers wore celebratory jerseys (with the wording Los Lakers) in their 99–89 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.^[24] Noche Latina celebrations took place in eight of the top ten American Hispanic markets in the NBA this season (up from four in 2007–08): Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Houston and New York.
• On March 10, 2009, the Utah Jazz won their 12th game in a row. That was the fourth-longest win streak in franchise history and the longest since 1999. It was later broken by a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.^[25][26]
• On March 13, 2009, Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson died at the age of 86.^[27]
• On March 13, 2009, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Chicago Bulls at their former home, the Wachovia Spectrum, instead of their regular home, the Wachovia Center. The Sixers left the Spectrum following the 1995–96 season to move to the former John F. Kennedy Stadium site.^[28]
• On March 15, 2009, the Phoenix Suns scored the third-highest number of points in a regulation game—without overtime—in a 154–130 win against the Golden State Warriors. They also scored 56 fast-break points, the highest recorded since the league began tracking the stat in 1997.^[29] The win also included two 40+ point quarters, 42 in the first and 46 in the third.
• On March 21, 2009, Shaquille O'Neal moved from sixth all-time leading scorer to fifth, surpassing Moses Malone.^[30]

April

• On April 2, 2009, the NBA teamed up with NRDC for the first-ever NBA Green Week 2009 in an effort to generate awareness and funds for protecting the environment. The week featured special on-court apparel, auctions to support environmental protection organizations, hands-on community service projects and the launch of a PSA featuring Hollywood icon and NRDC Trustee Robert Redford. The Denver Nuggets, the Charlotte Bobcats, and the Chicago Bulls wore green-colored uniforms and socks made from 45 percent organic cotton during select home games throughout the week to raise additional environmental awareness. NBA partner adidas outfitted all players with 100 percent organic cotton adidas shooting shirts featuring the NBA Green logo, which were worn during every game that week.^[31]
• On April 10, 2009, Kobe Bryant moved from the 18th all-time leading scorer to 17th, surpassing Charles Barkley.
• On April 15, 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season with a home record of 39–2, just one game shy of matching the all-time record.^[32]
• On April 15, 2009, Shaquille O'Neal led the league in field goal percentage for an NBA-record tenth time.
• On April 23, 2009, Dikembe Mutombo retired after 18 seasons in the NBA, at age 42.^[33]
• On April 27, 2009, the Denver Nuggets matched the largest margin of victory in an NBA playoff game by beating the New Orleans Hornets 121–63, in Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. The record is shared with the Minneapolis Lakers 133–75 victory over the St. Louis Hawks in 1956.^[34]
• On April 30, 2009, the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics played in a record fourth overtime game in a single playoff series.^[35]

May

• On May 9, 2009, Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Daly died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 78.^[36] For the entire NBA Playoffs, all NBA coaches and commentators wore pins with the initials "CD" on their suits to dedicate the Hall of Fame coach.^[37]
• On May 21, 2009, Sam Cassell retired after 15 seasons in the NBA, at age 39.^[38]
• On May 22, 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment and the Denver Nuggets were involved in a double-booking controversy, where WWE's WWE Raw was supposed to be held at the Pepsi Center on May 25. But Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was also booked in the same venue on the same date. As a result, WWE decided to move the show, ironically, to the Staples Center, the home of the Nuggets' conference finals opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers.^[39][40]

June

• On June 14, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers captured their 15th NBA title in franchise history with a 99–86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. This also marked the tenth NBA Title for head coach Phil Jackson, in which his passed Red Auerbach as the most titles for an NBA head coach.

Records broken

• On December 17, 2008, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets broke the 22-year-old record for consecutive games with a steal (105), previously held by Alvin Robertson, in a game against Robertson's former team, the San Antonio Spurs. The streak reached 108 games before ending on the December 25 against the Orlando Magic.
• On December 23, 2008, the Boston Celtics recorded the best two-loss start in NBA history (27–2), in a 110–91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. They also broke a franchise record for the longest winning streak (18) with their 19th consecutive win. Their winning streak came to an end after a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
• On January 13, 2009, the Orlando Magic made an NBA record 23 three-pointers against the Sacramento Kings. Nine of the twelve Magic players who played in the game made at least one three-pointer.
• On February 2, 2009, Kobe Bryant set a record for most points scored in a game at the modern Madison Square Garden (61), besting the 60 points set by Bernard King. That was until Carmelo Anthony broke the record (62) in January 2014 against the Charlotte Bobcats.
• On March 15, 2009, the Phoenix Suns scored 56 fast-break points against the Golden State Warriors, the highest recorded since the league began tracking the stat in 1997.^[29]
• On April 15, 2009, the Raptors' José Calderón topped the 1980–81 Rockets' Calvin Murphy for the NBA record for free-throw percentage. Calderón made 98.1% of his free throws in the season, missing only 3 of the 154 he took, taking the record from Murphy's mark of 95.8%.
• On April 15, 2009, Rudy Fernández of the Portland Trail Blazers set the rookie record for three-point field goals made in a season with 159.

Standings

By division

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div y-Boston Celtics 62 20 .756 — 35–6 27–14 15–1 x-Philadelphia 76ers 41 41 .500 21 24–17 17–24 6–10 New Jersey Nets 34 48 .415 28 19–22 15–26 8–8 Toronto Raptors 33 49 .402 29 18–23 15–26 6–10 New York Knicks 32 50 .390 30 20–21 12–29 5–11 Central Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP z-Cleveland Cavaliers 66 16 .805 — 39–2 27–14 13–3 82 x-Chicago Bulls 41 41 .500 25 28–13 13–28 9–7 82 x-Detroit Pistons 39 43 .476 27 21–20 18–23 7–9 82 Indiana Pacers 36 46 .439 30 25–16 11–30 7–9 82 Milwaukee Bucks 34 48 .415 32 22–19 12–29 4–12 82 Southeast Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP y-Orlando Magic 59 23 .720 — 32–9 27–14 14–2 82 x-Atlanta Hawks 47 35 .573 12 31–10 16–25 11–5 82 x-Miami Heat 43 39 .524 16 28–13 15–26 9–7 82 Charlotte Bobcats 35 47 .427 24 23–18 12–29 5–11 82 Washington Wizards 19 63 .232 40 13–28 6–35 1–15 82

Western Conference Northwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP y–Denver Nuggets 54 28 .659 — 33–8 21–20 12–4 82 x–Portland Trail Blazers 54 28 .659 — 34–7 20–21 11–5 82 x–Utah Jazz 48 34 .585 6 33–8 15–26 10–6 82 Minnesota Timberwolves 24 58 .293 30 11–30 13–28 3–13 82 Oklahoma City Thunder 23 59 .280 31 15–26 8–33 4–12 82 Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP c-Los Angeles Lakers 65 17 .793 — 36–5 29–12 14–2 82 Phoenix Suns 46 36 .561 19 28–13 18–23 11–5 82 Golden State Warriors 29 53 .354 36 21–20 8–33 6–10 82 Los Angeles Clippers 19 63 .232 46 11–30 8–33 2–14 82 Sacramento Kings 17 65 .207 48 11–30 6–39 7–9 82 Southwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div y-San Antonio Spurs 54 28 .659 — 28–13 26–15 10–6 x-Houston Rockets 53 29 .646 1 33–8 20–21 9–7 x-Dallas Mavericks 50 32 .610 4 32–9 18–23 7–9 x-New Orleans Hornets 49 33 .598 5 28–13 21–20 9–7 Memphis Grizzlies 24 58 .284 30 16–25 8–33 5–11

By conference

# Eastern Conference Team W L PCT GB 1 z-Cleveland Cavaliers 66 16 .805 — 2 y-Boston Celtics 62 20 .756 4 3 y-Orlando Magic 59 23 .720 7 4 x-Atlanta Hawks 47 35 .573 19 5 x-Miami Heat 43 39 .524 23 6 x-Philadelphia 76ers 41 41 .500 25 7 x-Chicago Bulls 41 41 .500 25 8 x-Detroit Pistons 39 43 .476 27 9 Indiana Pacers 36 46 .439 30 10 Charlotte Bobcats 35 47 .427 31 11 New Jersey Nets 34 48 .415 32 12 Milwaukee Bucks 34 48 .415 32 13 Toronto Raptors 33 49 .402 33 14 New York Knicks 32 50 .390 34 15 Washington Wizards 19 63 .232 47

# Western Conference Team W L PCT GB 1 c-Los Angeles Lakers 65 17 .793 — 2 y-Denver Nuggets 54 28 .659 11 3 y-San Antonio Spurs 54 28 .659 11 4 x-Portland Trail Blazers 54 28 .659 11 5 x-Houston Rockets 53 29 .646 12 6 x-Dallas Mavericks 50 32 .610 15 7 x-New Orleans Hornets 49 33 .598 16 8 x-Utah Jazz 48 34 .585 17 9 Phoenix Suns 46 36 .561 19 10 Golden State Warriors 29 53 .354 36 11 Minnesota Timberwolves 24 58 .293 41 12 Memphis Grizzlies 24 58 .293 41 13 Oklahoma City Thunder 23 59 .280 42 14 Los Angeles Clippers 19 63 .232 46 15 Sacramento Kings 17 65 .207 48

x- clinched playoff berth
y- clinched division title
c- clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
z- clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs

Tiebreakers

Eastern Conference

• Philadelphia finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record (the 76ers' 25-27 to the Bulls' 24-28).

Western Conference

• Denver finished ahead of San Antonio based on head-to-head record (2-1) and Portland based on divisional record (the Nuggets' 12-4 to the Trail Blazers' 11-5), while San Antonio finished ahead of Portland upon winning the Southwest Division.

Playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.

	First Round					Conference Semifinals					Conference Finals					NBA Finals
	1	Cleveland*	4
	8	Detroit	0
						1	Cleveland	4
						4	Atlanta	0
	4	Atlanta	4
	5	Miami	3
											1	Cleveland	2
	Eastern Conference
											3	Orlando	4
	3	Orlando*	4
	6	Philadelphia	2
						3	Orlando	4
						2	Boston	3
	2	Boston*	4
	7	Chicago	3
																E3	Orlando	1
																W1	L.A. Lakers	4
	1	L.A. Lakers*	4
	8	Utah	1
						1	L.A. Lakers	4
						5	Houston	3
	4	Portland	2
	5	Houston	4
											1	L.A. Lakers	4
	Western Conference
											2	Denver	2
	3	San Antonio*	1
	6	Dallas	4
						6	Dallas	1
						2	Denver	4
	2	Denver*	4
	7	New Orleans	1

Statistics leaders

Category	Player	Team	Stat
Points per game	Dwyane Wade	Miami Heat	30.2
Rebounds per game	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic	13.8
Assists per game	Chris Paul	New Orleans Hornets	11.0
Steals per game	Chris Paul	New Orleans Hornets	2.77
Blocks per game	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic	2.92
Field goal percentage	Shaquille O'Neal	Phoenix Suns	.609
Three-point field goal percentage	Anthony Morrow	Golden State Warriors	.467
Free throw percentage	José Calderón	Toronto Raptors	.981

Awards

Yearly awards

• Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers^[41][42]
• Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic^[43]
• Rookie of the Year: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls^[44]
• Sixth Man of the Year: Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks^[45]
• Most Improved Player: Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers^[46]
• Coach of the Year: Mike Brown, Cleveland Cavaliers^[47]
• Executive of the Year: Mark Warkentien, Denver Nuggets^[48]
• Sportsmanship Award: Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets^[49]
• J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: Dikembe Mutombo, Houston Rockets^[50]

All-NBA First Team:[51] F LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers F Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks C Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic G Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers G Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat NBA All-Defensive First Team:[52] Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics NBA All-Rookie First Team:[53] Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls O. J. Mayo – Memphis Grizzlies Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder Brook Lopez – New Jersey Nets Michael Beasley – Miami Heat

All-NBA Second Team:[51] F Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs F Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics C Yao Ming – Houston Rockets G Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets G Brandon Roy – Portland Trail Blazers NBA All-Defensive Second Team:[52] Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics Shane Battier – Houston Rockets Ron Artest – Houston Rockets NBA All-Rookie Second Team:[53] Eric Gordon – Los Angeles Clippers Kevin Love – Minnesota Timberwolves Mario Chalmers – Miami Heat Marc Gasol – Memphis Grizzlies D. J. Augustin – Charlotte Bobcats (tie) Rudy Fernández – Portland Trail Blazers (tie)

All-NBA Third Team:[51] F Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets F Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal – Phoenix Suns G Tony Parker – San Antonio Spurs G Chauncey Billups – Denver Nuggets

Players of the week

The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week.

Week	Eastern Conference	Western Conference	Ref.
01Oct. 28 – Nov. 2	Bosh, ChrisChris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) (1/1)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (1/4)
02Nov. 3 – Nov. 9	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (1/7)	Stoudemire, Amar'eAmar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) (1/1)
03Nov. 10 – Nov. 16	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (2/7)	Billups, ChaunceyChauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets) (1/1)
04Nov. 17 – Nov. 23	Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade (Miami Heat) (1/3)	Nowitzki, DirkDirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) (1/2)
05Nov. 24 – Nov. 30	Harris, DevinDevin Harris (New Jersey Nets) (1/2)	Roy, BrandonBrandon Roy (Portland Trail Blazers) (1/2)
06Dec. 1 – Dec. 7	Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade (Miami Heat) (2/3)	Nowitzki, DirkDirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) (2/2)
07Dec. 8 – Dec. 14	Harrington, AlAl Harrington (New York Knicks) (1/1)	Duncan, TimTim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) (1/1)
08Dec. 15 – Dec. 21	Nelson, JameerJameer Nelson (Orlando Magic) (1/2)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (2/4)
09Dec. 22 – Dec. 28	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (3/7)	Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/3)
10Dec. 29 – Jan. 4	Stuckey, RodneyRodney Stuckey (Detroit Pistons) (1/1)	Jefferson, AlAl Jefferson (Minnesota Timberwolves) (1/1)
11Jan. 5 – Jan. 11	Howard, DwightDwight Howard (Orlando Magic) (1/4)	Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/3)
12Jan. 12 – Jan. 18	Nelson, JameerJameer Nelson (Orlando Magic) (2/2)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (3/4)
13Jan. 19 – Jan. 25	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (4/7)	Bynum, AndrewAndrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/1)
14Jan. 26 – Feb. 1	Lee, DavidDavid Lee (New York Knicks) (1/1)	Parker, TonyTony Parker (San Antonio Spurs) (1/2)
15Feb. 2 – Feb. 8	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (5/7)	Gasol, PauPau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/2)
16Feb. 18 – Feb. 23	Howard, DwightDwight Howard (Orlando Magic) (2/4)	Gasol, PauPau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/2)
17Feb. 24 – Mar. 1	Harris, DevinDevin Harris (New Jersey Nets) (2/2)	West, DavidDavid West (New Orleans Hornets) (1/1)
18Mar. 2 – Mar. 8	Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade (Miami Heat) (3/3)	Williams, DeronDeron Williams (Utah Jazz) (1/1)
19Mar. 9 – Mar. 15	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (6/7)	Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (3/3)
20Mar. 16 – Mar. 22	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (7/7)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (4/4)
21Mar. 23 – Mar. 29	Howard, DwightDwight Howard (Orlando Magic) (3/4)	Parker, TonyTony Parker (San Antonio Spurs) (2/2)
22Mar. 30 – Apr. 5	Howard, DwightDwight Howard (Orlando Magic) (4/4)	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) (1/1)
23Apr. 6 – Apr. 12	Gordon, BenBen Gordon (Chicago Bulls) (1/1)	Roy, BrandonBrandon Roy (Portland Trail Blazers) (2/2)

Players of the month

The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month.

Month	Eastern Conference	Western Conference	Ref.
01October – November	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (1/4)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (1/2)
02December	Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade (Miami Heat) (1/2)	Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/2)
03January	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (2/4)	Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/2)
04February	Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade (Miami Heat) (2/2)	Gasol, PauPau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/1)
05March	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (3/4)	Paul, ChrisChris Paul (New Orleans Hornets) (2/2)
06April	James, LeBronLeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) (4/4)	Nowitzki, DirkDirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) (1/1)

Rookies of the month

The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.

Month	Eastern Conference	Western Conference	Ref.
01October – November	Rose, DerrickDerrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) (1/3)	Mayo, O. J.O. J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) (1/2)	[54]
02December	Rose, DerrickDerrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) (2/3)	Westbrook, RussellRussell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) (1/2)	[55]
03January	Lopez, BrookBrook Lopez (New Jersey Nets) (1/2)	Gordon, EricEric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers) (1/1)	[56]
04February	Lopez, BrookBrook Lopez (New Jersey Nets) (2/2)	Westbrook, RussellRussell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) (2/2)	[57]
05March	Rose, DerrickDerrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) (3/3)	Love, KevinKevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) (1/1)	[58]
06April	Beasley, MichaelMichael Beasley (Miami Heat) (1/1)	Mayo, O. J.O. J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) (2/2)	[59][60]

Coaches of the month

The following coaches were named the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month.

Month	Eastern Conference	Western Conference	Ref.
01October – November	Rivers, DocDoc Rivers (Boston Celtics) (1/2)	Jackson, PhilPhil Jackson (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/1)
02December	Brown, MikeMike Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers) (1/3)	Scott, ByronByron Scott (New Orleans Hornets) (1/1)
03January	Van Gundy, StanStan Van Gundy (Orlando Magic) (1/1)	McHale, KevinKevin McHale (Minnesota Timberwolves) (1/1)
04February	Brown, MikeMike Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers) (2/3)	Sloan, JerryJerry Sloan (Utah Jazz) (1/1)
05March	Brown, MikeMike Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers) (3/3)	Adelman, RickRick Adelman (Houston Rockets) (1/1)
06April	Rivers, DocDoc Rivers (Boston Celtics) (2/2)	McMillan, NateNate McMillan (Portland Trail Blazers) (1/1)

Salary cap

The NBA announced that the salary cap for the season would be $58.680 million, immediately going into effect on July 9 as the league's "moratorium period" had ended and teams could begin signing free agents and making trades.^[61]

The tax level for the season was set at $71.150 million, with each team paying a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million. The mid-level exception was $5.585 million for the season and the minimum team salary, which was set at 75% of the salary cap, was $44.010 million.^[61]

For the 2007–08 season, the salary cap was set at $55.630 million ($3.05 million), the tax level was $67.865 million ($3.285 million) and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million ($229,000).^[61]

References

1. http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/allstargame_recaps.html
2. "Thunder fire Carlesimo; Brooks named interim coach". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
3. "Wizards Relieve Eddie Jordan of Head Coaching Duties". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
4. "Mitchell Relieved Of Duties, Jay Triano Takes Over On Interim Basis. Triano becomes the first coach in the NBA to be born in Canada.". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
5. "Wolves Relieve Head Coach Randy Wittman". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
6. "76ers fire Maurice Cheeks; Tony DiLeo named interim coach". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
7. "Kings fire coach Theus". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
8. "Local News | Sonics, city reach settlement | Seattle Times Newspaper". The Seattle Times. July 2, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
9. ESPN – Ex-Hawk Childress signs with Greek club team – NBA
10. "Nuggets to PlayOutdoor Preseason Game in Indian Wells, CA". NBA.com/Nuggets. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 19, 2008. Archived from the original on 10 October 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
11. "Nuggets 77, Suns 72". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
12. "NBA to allow expanded use of instant replay". USA Today. October 23, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
13. "Anthony scores Nuggets team-record 33 in quarter". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-10.
14. "Mobley forced to retire". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-12.
15. "Lakers break Celtics' streak". CBC Sports. December 25, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
16. "Mourning runs out of NBA comebacks". ESPN.com. January 23, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
17. "Lakers Snap Celtics' 12-Game Win Streak". NBC Sports. February 6, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
18. "James's triple-double stripped by NBA after review". Reuters. February 7, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
19. "Odom's dominance covers for sickly Kobe as Lakers sweep Cavs". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
20. "Jazz owner Miller dies at 64". ESPN.com. February 21, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
21. "Barbosa’s 41 lead Suns past Thunder, 140–118". Yahoo! Sports. February 21, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
22. "Portland's Steve Blake ties assists record in win over Clippers". Los Angeles Times. February 23, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
23. "Van Lier found dead at home". ESPN.com. February 27, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
24. https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Los-Lakers-Los-Spurs-and-other-Noche-Latina-jer?urn=nba,145723
25. "Jazz streak longest since '99 / Utah makes it 12 straight wins, beats Pacers – Standard.NET – Standard-Examiner". Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
26. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11892755
27. "Pistons owner Davidson dies at 86". ESPN.com. March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
28. "Bulls game at Wachovia Spectrum highlights Sixers 2008–09 schedule". NBA.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
29. "Suns explode against Warriors". Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2009-03-22.
30. "Shaq surpasses Moses Malone on all-time scoring list as Suns burn Wiz". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
31. NBA Green week 2009
32. "Cavs fall in OT, fail to tie Celts' home-win record as regulars rest". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
33. "Dikembe Mutombo Retires After Injury: 'For Me, Basketball Is Over'". AOL News. April 22, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
34. "Nuggets match most lopsided win in NBA playoff history to take 3–1 lead". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
35. "Bulls push series to seventh game after latest OT thriller". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
36. "Former Pistons, U.S. Olympic coach Chuck Daly dies at 78". USA Today. May 9, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
37. "Daly was 'deeply moved' by "CD' pins". USA Today. May 5, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
38. "Cassell retires, joins Wizards coaching staff". NBA.com. May 21, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
39. "WWE losing Pepsi Center on May 25". ESPN.com. May 19, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
40. "WWE event booted from Denver will be at Staples Center". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
41. Peterson, Rob (May 4, 2009). "King James earns his place as Kia Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
42. "James outdistances Bryant in winning Kia MVP award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 4, 2009. Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
43. "Magic's Dwight Howard earns Defensive Player of Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
44. "Bulls' Rose takes home Rookie of Year Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 22, 2009. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
45. "Mavericks' Terry wins Kia Sixth Man of the Year award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
46. "Pacers' Granger wins Kia Most Improved Player Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 12, 2009. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
47. "Cavs' Brown named Coach of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
48. "Denver's Mark Warkentien named NBA Executive of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 3, 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
49. "Nuggets' Billups named Sportsmanship Award winner". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 28, 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2009.
50. "Mutombo wins J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 23, 2009. Archived from the original on 26 April 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
51. "James a unanimous pick for All-NBA First Team". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 13, 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
52. "Howard, Bryant headline 2008–09 NBA All-Defensive First Team". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 6, 2009. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
53. "Rose, Mayo unanimous picks for All-Rookie team". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 30, 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
54. NBA Press Release (2008-12-01). "Rose, Mayo earn NBA rookie honors". NBA. Retrieved 2009-11-02. External link in |publisher= (help)
55. NBA Press Release (2009-01-02). "Bulls' Rose, Thunder's Westbrook named Rookies of the Month". NBA. Retrieved 2009-11-02. External link in |publisher= (help)
56. "Brook Lopez Named T-Mobile Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month". NBA. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-11-02. External link in |publisher= (help)
57. "Nets' Lopez, Thunder's Westbrook named Rookies of the Month". NBA. 2009-03-02. Retrieved 2009-11-10. External link in |publisher= (help)
58. "Bulls' Rose, Wolves' Love named Rookies of the Month". NBA. 2009-04-02. Retrieved 2009-11-10. External link in |publisher= (help)
59. "Michael Beasley Named T-Mobile NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month". NBA. 2009-05-17. Retrieved 2009-11-10. External link in |publisher= (help)
60. "O.J. Mayo named April’s T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of The Month". NBA. 2009-05-17. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-10. External link in |publisher= (help)
61. NBA Salary Cap for 2008–09 Season, NBA.com, July 9, 2008.