In the fall of 1993, at the peak of his athletic abilities, three-time NBA finals MVP Michael Jordan quit the Chicago Bulls to join a minor league baseball farm team in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Of all the overseas arrivals that have made their mark in the NBA, Wade singled out for special mention Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, who was named NBA finals MVP as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat to the 2011 championship.

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In the end, the Lakers won the NBA Championship and Magic was named the MVP of the NBA Finals.

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He had 15 All-Star Game appearances, 4 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVP awards and a league MVP award (along with several near misses).

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Cedric Maxwell, the MVP of the 1980 NBA Finals, said superstars might be too demanding to make great coaches.

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Fortuitously, the Lakers were in the middle of winning three consecutive NBA titles, with Shaq bagging the Finals MVP during each playoff run.

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Along the way, he was awarded the MVP award for the regular season and the NBA Finals.

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He was awarded the MVP award for both the regular season and the NBA Finals.

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But all credit to Steve Nash and to his teammates, because remember, they lost Amare Stoudemire for the entire season, arguably an NB - I can say MVP candidate in the NBA - Sorry, Steve -and yet here they are back in the conference finals.

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