Arsenal Football Club V2

Arsenal Football Club V2 theme by DFWGooner

Download: ArsenalFootbalClubV2.p3t

Arsenal Football Club V2 Theme
(1 background)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC theme by Jeffro_11

Download: LiverpoolFC.p3t

Liverpool FC Theme
(5 backgrounds)

Redirect to:

Tottenham 2

Tottenham 2 theme by DJBSPURS

Download: Tottenham2.p3t

Tottenham 2 Theme
(5 backgrounds HD, 1 SD)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

UEFA Euro 2008

UEFA Euro 2008 theme by ace1

Download: UEFAEuro2008.p3t

UEFA Euro 2008 Theme
(16 backgrounds)

UEFA Euro 2008
Fußball-Europameisterschaft 2008
(in German)
Championnat d'Europe de football 2008
(in French)
Campionato Europeo di calcio 2008
(in Italian)
Campiunadi d'Europa da ballape 2008
(in Romansh)
Expect Emotions
Tournament details
Host countriesAustria
Switzerland
Dates7–29 June
Teams16
Venue(s)8 (in 8 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Spain (2nd title)
Runners-up Germany
Tournament statistics
Matches played31
Goals scored77 (2.48 per match)
Attendance1,143,990 (36,903 per match)
Top scorer(s)Spain David Villa (4 goals)
Best player(s)Spain Xavi
2004
2012

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations). It took place in Austria and Switzerland (both hosting the tournament for the first time) from 7 to 29 June 2008.

The tournament was won by Spain, who defeated Germany 1–0 in the final. Spain were only the second nation to win all their group stage fixtures and then the European Championship itself, matching France's achievement from 1984. Spain were also the first team since Germany in 1996 to win the tournament undefeated.

Greece were the defending champions going into the tournament, having won UEFA Euro 2004. They recorded the worst finish in Euro 2008, losing their three group fixtures and collecting the least prize money. Throughout 31 matches, the participating nations totalled 77 goals, the same as the previous tournament.

Austria and Switzerland automatically qualified as hosts; the remaining 14 teams were determined through a qualifying tournament, played between August 2006 and November 2007. As European champions, Spain earned the right to compete in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Bid process[edit]

Austria and Switzerland jointly bid to host the games, and facing competition from six other bids: Bosnia and HerzegovinaCroatia, GreeceTurkey, a 4-way Nordic bid (from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), Hungary, Russia and ScotlandRepublic of Ireland.[1] Austria and Hungary had previously bid together to host Euro 2004, losing out to Portugal, while Sweden had hosted Euro 1992.[1]

Austria–Switzerland, Hungary, Greece–Turkey and the Nordic bid were recommended, in that order, before the final vote by UEFA's National Teams Committee.[2]

The final vote by the UEFA executive committee was:[2]

  1. Austria–Switzerland
  2. Hungary
  3. Greece–Turkey
  4. Nordic
  5. Scotland–Ireland
  6. Russia
  7. Bosnia and Herzegovina–Croatia

The Austria–Switzerland bid became the second successful joint bid in the competition's history, following the UEFA Euro 2000 hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The following tournament, held in Poland and Ukraine, became the third jointly hosted tournament.

Summary[edit]

Qualification for Euro 2008 started in August 2006, just over a month after the end of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The qualifying tournament was contested by national teams from each of UEFA's member associations except Austria and Switzerland, who had automatically qualified for the final tournament as hosts, and Montenegro, who came into existence too late to be admitted to UEFA. England was the only seeded team not to qualify for the tournament proper, whereas Russia was the only unseeded one to qualify. The tournament also marked the debuts of Austria and Poland.

The draw for the final tournament took place on 2 December 2007, and saw Group C immediately labelled as the "group of death", with Italy, France, Romania and the Netherlands competing for the two qualifying places. In contrast, Germany and Portugal were deemed to have an easy draw, as the tournament structure meant they could not meet Italy, France, the Netherlands or Spain until the final.

In the group stage, Croatia, Spain and the Netherlands all qualified with maximum points. Austria and Switzerland were not expected to progress, despite the advantage of being the hosts. In Group A, the Swiss lost their captain, Alexander Frei, to injury in their first game and became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, after losing their first two matches. Switzerland managed to beat the group winner Portugal in their last game.

In Group B, Austria managed to set up a decisive final game against Germany, dubbed "Austria's final".[3] However, they lost by one goal, making Euro 2008 the first European Championship not to have one of the host nations present in the knockout stage. In an exciting final game in Group A, an injury- and suspension-hit Turkey came back from 2–0 down to beat the Czech Republic 3–2, after an uncharacteristic handling mistake by Petr Čech, in the last few minutes, left Nihat Kahveci with the simplest of finishes.

In the same game, goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was shown a red card for pushing Czech striker Jan Koller to the ground. The Turks joined Portugal as the qualifiers from Group A. France were the high-profile victims of Group C, recording just one point from a goalless draw against Romania in their opening game. Italy beat the French, on the final day, to finish on four points and join the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Finally, in Group D, Greece failed to reproduce the form of their shock 2004 win, and ended the tournament with no points. Russia qualified at the expense of Sweden, after beating them in a final game decider, joining Spain in the knockout stage.

Torrential rain during the Group A match between Switzerland and Turkey on 11 June resulted in the pitch at St. Jakob-Park in Basel requiring to be re-laid. The new pitch was installed in advance of the quarter-final match between Portugal and Germany on 19 June.[4] In the quarter-finals, the Portuguese team was unable to give their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, a fitting send-off – following the mid-tournament announcement that Scolari would be leaving to join English club Chelsea – losing in an exciting game against Germany. Turkey continued their streak of last-gasp wins, equalising at the end of extra-time against Croatia and advancing on penalties. Coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Russia eliminated the Netherlands with two extra-time goals. The last quarter-final match saw Spain defeat Italy on penalties, after a goalless draw in regular time.

The Spanish football team touring Madrid as champions

Turkey's progress was halted by Germany in the semi-finals. Turkey entered the game with nine of their squad members missing due to injury or suspension, but still scored the first goal. Later, they levelled the score at 2–2, before Germany scored the winning goal in the final minute. The world television feed of the match was intermittently lost during the match, which prevented the broadcast of Germany's second goal.

This was due to a thunderstorm at the broadcasting relay station in Austria, despite the game being played in Switzerland. Swiss Television SRG SSR still had a feed, because of their own broadcasting facilities at the venue. During the lost world feed, German and Austrian television ZDF and ORF started to broadcast the feed of German-speaking Swiss channel SF 1.

This act ensured that the German goal was actually broadcast in Germany although not in Turkey.[5] Spain won the second semi-final against Russia by three goals to nil, through second-half goals from Xavi, Daniel Güiza and David Silva, earning Spain their first appearance in a major final for 24 years.

In the final, held at Vienna's Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres' first-half goal proved enough to defeat Germany. Though Germany had a strong start, Spain started to look more dangerous after they had settled.

After half an hour, Xavi played a pass in behind the Germany back line towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm and clipped the ball over the diving Jens Lehmann and just inside the far post. That goal proved to be the only goal of the game, which Spain dominated despite Germany having the majority of the possession,[6] and Spain were crowned UEFA Euro 2008 champions.

Qualification[edit]

The draw for the qualifying round took place in Montreux, Switzerland on 27 January 2006 at 12:00 CET.

The qualifying process commenced a month after the 2006 World Cup. Austria and Switzerland automatically qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.

The qualifying format was changed compared to previous tournaments. The winners and runners-up from seven groups automatically qualified for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The change means there were no play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups – they qualified directly for the finals. Teams that finished outside the top two positions in their groups failed to qualify. Group A contained eight teams, and the others contained seven.

12 out of 16 teams who qualified for previous tournament also qualified, but the hosts, Austria, and Poland made their debuts at the European Championship. Romania and Turkey returned after missing out the 2004 tournament. For the first time since 1984, no teams from Great Britain or Ireland qualified, including 2006 World Cup quarter-finalists England.[7] Other notable absentees were 2006 World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine, and Denmark, who failed to qualify for the first time since 1980. Bulgaria and Latvia also failed to qualify after playing in Euro 2004.

Qualified teams[edit]

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament[A]
 Austria Co-host 12 December 2002 0 (debut)
  Switzerland 2 (1996, 2004)
 Germany[B] Group D runner-up 13 October 2007 9 (1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Greece Group C winner 17 October 2007 2 (1980, 2004)
 Czech Republic[C] Group D winner 17 October 2007 6 (1960, 1976, 1980, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Romania Group G winner 17 October 2007 3 (1984, 1996, 2000)
 Poland Group A winner 17 November 2007 0 (debut)
 Italy Group B winner 17 November 2007 6 (1968, 1980, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 France Group B runner-up 17 November 2007 6 (1960, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Croatia Group E winner 17 November 2007 2 (1996, 2004)
 Spain Group F winner 17 November 2007 7 (1964, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Netherlands Group G runner-up 17 November 2007 7 (1976, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Portugal Group A runner-up 21 November 2007 4 (1984, 1996, 2000, 2004)
 Turkey Group C runner-up 21 November 2007 2 (1996, 2000)
 Russia[D] Group E runner-up 21 November 2007 8 (1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2004)
 Sweden Group F runner-up 21 November 2007 3 (1992, 2000, 2004)
  1. ^ Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year.
  2. ^ From 1972 to 1988, Germany competed as West Germany.
  3. ^ From 1960 to 1980, the Czech Republic competed as Czechoslovakia.
  4. ^ From 1960 to 1988, Russia competed as the Soviet Union, and in 1992 as CIS.

Final draw[edit]

The draw for the final tournament took place on 2 December 2007 at the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre in Switzerland.[8]

As was the case at the 2000 and 2004 finals, the finalists were divided into four seeding pots, based on the 2007 edition of the UEFA national team coefficient ranking, which measured performance of teams in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying and Euro 2008 qualifying,[9] with each group having one team drawn from each pot. In a return to the format used at Euro 1992 and Euro 1996 the games in each group were held at just two stadia, with the seeded team playing all three matches in the same city. Switzerland and Austria, as co-hosts, were automatically assigned to positions A1 and B1, respectively. The remaining 14 teams were split into four pots, with title-holders Greece seeded alongside the Netherlands in Pot 1.[10]

UEFA came under heavy criticism from Raymond Domenech, manager of France, who was not satisfied with his team's position in the draw,[11] and was also in favour of having 2006 FIFA World Cup winners Italy as top seed.[12] On 22 November 2007, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA's professional football director, announced that a review of the coefficient ranking system was under way for future European Championships.[8]

Pot 1[a]
Team Coeff Rank[9]
 Greece (holders)[b] 2.167 11

Gators

Gators theme by wis.gator

Download: Gators.p3t

Gators Theme
(3 backgrounds)

Redirect to:

  • From the plural form: This is a redirect from a plural noun to its singular form.
    • This redirect link is used for convenience; it is often preferable to add the plural directly after the link (for example, [[link]]s). However, do not replace these redirected links with a simpler link unless the page is updated for another reason (see WP:NOTBROKEN).
    • Use this rcat to tag only mainspace redirects; when plural forms are found in other namespaces, use {{R from modification}} instead.
  • From an ambiguous term: This is a redirect from an ambiguous page name to a page or list that disambiguates it. These redirects are pointed to by links that should always be disambiguated. Therefore, this template should never appear on a page that has "(disambiguation)" in its title – in that case use {{R to disambiguation page}} instead.

Lakers

Lakers theme by RIPLEX203

Download: Lakers.p3t

Lakers Theme
(3 backgrounds)

Redirect to:

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant theme by Frank Skalka

Download: KobeBryant.p3t

Kobe Bryant Theme
(12 backgrounds)

Kobe Bryant
Bryant handling the basketball
Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014
Personal information
Born(1978-08-23)August 23, 1978
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 2020(2020-01-26) (aged 41)
Calabasas, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[a]
Listed weight212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High schoolLower Merion
(Ardmore, Pennsylvania)
NBA draft1996: 1st round, 13th overall pick
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Playing career1996–2016
PositionShooting guard / small forward
Number8, 24
Career history
19962016Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points33,643 (25.0 ppg)
Rebounds7,047 (5.2 rpg)
Assists6,306 (4.7 apg)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place 2007 Las Vegas Team

Kobe Bean Bryant (/ˈkbi/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. He also led the NBA in scoring twice and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, Bryant was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. Recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Philadelphia suburb Lower Merion, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and was named an All-Star by his second season. Despite a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.

In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault, the alleged victim being a 19-year-old hotel employee. Criminal charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing a public apology and admitting to a sexual encounter he maintained was consensual. The accusation tarnished his reputation, resulting in the loss of several of Bryant’s endorsement contracts.[3][contradictory]

After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the franchise. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons and was named league MVP in 2008. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points, the second most points scored in a single NBA game behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions. He continued to be among the premier players in the league through the 2012–13 season when he suffered a torn achilles tendon at age 34. Bryant’s next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his Nos. 8 and 24, making Bryant the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise.

The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the third most all time, and Bryant has the second most consecutive appearances as a starter. His four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. Bryant gave himself the nickname Black Mamba in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. He won gold medals on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball (2017).[4]

In 2020, Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.[5] A number of tributes and memorials were issued, and the All-Star MVP Award was renamed in Bryant's honor.[6]

Early life[edit]

Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia,[7] the youngest of three children and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryant. He was also the maternal nephew of NBA player John "Chubby" Cox.[8] Bryant’s parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.[9][10] His middle name, Bean, was derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean."[11] Bryant's family was Catholic and he was brought up with this faith.[12][13][14]

Bryant started playing basketball at the age of three,[15] and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up.[16] When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball.[17][18] After two years, they moved first to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia. Kobe became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian.[19] He was especially fond of Reggio Emilia, which Kobe considered a loving place and where some of his best childhood memories were made.[20][21] Kobe began to play basketball seriously while living in Reggio Emilia.[22][23] His grandfather mailed him videos of NBA games for him to study.[24] Another source of inspiration was animated European films about sports, from which Kobe learned more about basketball.[25] From 1987 to 1989, his father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia where he paired with former Detroit Pistons player Leon Douglas. Kobe worked at the games as a ball and mop boy and practiced shooting at halftime. Douglas said, "At every one of our games at halftime, it was the Kobe show. He'd get out there and get his shot up. We'd come out of the locker room at halftime and have to chase him off the court".[26]

Bryant also learned to play soccer, and his favorite soccer team was A.C. Milan.[27][28] During summers, Bryant returned to the United States to play in a basketball summer league.[29] When he was 13, Bryant and his family moved back to Philadelphia, where he enrolled in the eighth grade at Bala Cynwyd Middle School.[19][30]

High school (1992–1996)[edit]

Bryant's retired No. 33 jersey and banner at the Lower Merion High School gym in Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high-school career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. He played on the varsity basketball team as a freshman.[31] Bryant became the first freshman in decades to start for Lower Merion's varsity team, but the team finished with a 4–20 record.[31][32] The following three years, the Aces compiled a 77–13 record, with Bryant playing all five positions.[31] During his junior year, Bryant averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals[33] and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year while also earning a fourth-team Parade All-American nomination,[34][35] attracting attention from college recruiters in the process.[34] Duke, Michigan, North Carolina and Villanova were at the top of his list. However, after high schooler Kevin Garnett went in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft, Bryant also began contemplating going directly to the pros.[34]

At Adidas ABCD Camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award[36] while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom.[37] While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the team, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse.[38] As a senior, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals, and 3.8 blocked shots in leading the Aces to a 31–3 record.[39] Bryant finished his high-school career as Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points, surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons.[40]

Bryant received several awards for his outstanding performance during his senior year at Lower Merion. These included being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, a first-team Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA First Team player.[41][42] Bryant's varsity coach, Greg Downer, commented that he was "a complete player who dominates" and praised his work ethic, even as the team's top player.[39][43] In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy to her Hollywood High senior prom.[44] Ultimately, the 17-year-old Bryant decided to go directly into the NBA, becoming only the sixth player in NBA history to do so.[31] His news was met with a significant publicity at a time when prep-to-pro NBA players were not very common (Garnett being the only exception in 20 years).[31] His basketball skills and SAT score of 1080 would have ensured admission to any college Bryant chose,[9][45] but he did not officially visit any campuses.[43] In 2012, Bryant was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans for his high school play as well as his later accomplishments.[46]

Professional career[edit]

1996 NBA draft[edit]

"If you closed your eyes and thought a little bit, you might have thought you were watching Michael Jordan. He did everything well – beyond well. He was exceptional in everything that he did. And then we commented, as I recall, on how reminiscent he was of Michael."

— Celtics general manager Jan Volk on Kobe Bryant during a pre-draft workout in 1996.[47]

Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, where he scrimmaged against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper and, according to then-Laker general manager Jerry West, "marched over these people."[48]

The Lakers were looking to trade their starting center Vlade Divac for a player's draft rights to free up salary cap space to make an offer to free-agent center Shaquille O'Neal. Bill Branch, the Charlotte Hornets' head scout at the time, said that the Hornets agreed to trade their No. 13 pick to the Lakers the day before the draft. Before the trade agreement, the Hornets never considered drafting Bryant. During the draft, the Lakers told the Hornets whom to select minutes before the pick was made.[49] Bryant was the first guard drafted directly out of high school. After the draft, the trade was put in jeopardy when Divac threatened to retire rather than be traded from Los Angeles. However, on June 30, Divac relented on his threat and the trade was made final on July 9, 1996, when the league's off-season moratorium ended.[50] Since Bryant was still 17 at the time, his parents had to co-sign his contract with the Lakers until Bryant was able to sign his own when he turned 18 before the season began.[51] Bryant signed a three-year rookie contract totaling $3.5 million.[52]

Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2016)[edit]

Adjusting to the NBA (1996–1999)[edit]

Bryant debuted in the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, California, scoring 25 points in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris.[53] Bryant scored 36 points in the finale and finished with averages of 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in four games.[54] As a rookie in 1996–97, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel.[55] At the time, he was the second-youngest player ever to play in an NBA game (18 years, 72 days) and also became the youngest NBA starter (18 years, 158 days).[56][57] Initially, Bryant played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time.

By the end of the season, Bryant averaged 15.5 minutes a game. During the All-Star weekend, he participated in the Rookie Challenge and won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest dunk champion at the age of 18.[58] Bryant's performance throughout the year earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team with fellow bench teammate Travis Knight.[59]

The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs against the Utah Jazz, when Bryant was pressed into a lead role at the end of Game 5. Byron Scott missed the game with a sprained wrist, Robert Horry was ejected for fighting with Utah's Jeff Hornacek, and Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. Bryant shot four air balls at the end of the game; the Jazz won 98–93 in overtime to eliminate the Lakers 4–1.[60] He first missed a game-winning two-point jump shot in the fourth quarter, and then misfired three three-point field goals in overtime, including two tying shots in the final minute.[61] O'Neal commented that "[Bryant] was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that."[62]

In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. As a result, Bryant's point averages more than doubled, from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game.[63] He would see an increase in minutes when the Lakers "played small", which would feature Bryant playing small forward alongside the guards he would usually back up.[64] Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award,[65] and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history.[66] Bryant was joined by teammates O'Neal, Van Exel, and Jones, making it the first time since 1983 that four players on the same team were selected to play in the same All-Star Game. Bryant's 15.4 points per game was the highest of any non-starter in the season.[67]

The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's emergence as a premier guard in the league. With starting guards Van Exel and Jones traded, Bryant started every game for the lockout-shortened 50-game season.[68] During the season, he signed a six-year contract extension worth $70 million.[67] This kept Bryant with the Lakers until the e

Scotland

Scotland theme by PDSangster

Download: Scotland.p3t

Scotland Theme
(1 background)

Scotland
Scotland (Scots)
Alba (Scottish Gaelic)
Anthem: various,
predominantly "Flower of Scotland"
Location of Scotland (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the United Kingdom (green)
Location of Scotland (dark green)

– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the United Kingdom (green)

StatusCountry
CapitalEdinburgh
55°57′11″N 3°11′20″W / 55.95306°N 3.18889°W / 55.95306; -3.18889
Largest cityGlasgow
55°51′40″N 4°15′00″W / 55.86111°N 4.25000°W / 55.86111; -4.25000
Ethnic groups
List
Religion
(2022)[1]
List
  • 51.1% no religion
  • 2.2% Islam
  • 0.6% Hinduism
  • 0.3% Buddhism
  • 0.2% Sikhism
  • 0.1% Judaism
  • 0.6% other
  • 6.2% not stated
Demonym(s)Scottish • Scots
GovernmentDevolved parliamentary legislature within a constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Charles III
John Swinney
Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Secretary of StateAlister Jack
• House of Commons59 MPs (of 650)
LegislatureScottish Parliament
Formation
9th century (traditionally 843)
17 March 1328
3 October 1357[2]
1 May 1707
19 November 1998
Area
• Total[a]
80,231 km2 (30,977 sq mi)[3]
• Land[b]
77,901 km2 (30,078 sq mi)[3]
Population
• 2022 census
Neutral increase 5,439,842
• Density
70/km2 (181.3/sq mi)[4]
GVA2022 estimate
 • Total£165.7 billion
 • Per capita£30,419[5]
GDP (nominal)2022 estimate
• Total
£211.7 billion
• Per capita
£38,622[6][c]
Gini (2020–23)Negative increase 33[7]
medium
HDI (2021)Increase 0.921[8]
very high
CurrencyPound sterling (GBP£)
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+1 (BST)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy (AD)
Driving sideleft
Calling code+44
ISO 3166 codeGB-SCT
Internet TLD.scot[d]

Scotland (Scots: Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjacent islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. To the south-east, Scotland has its only land border, which is 96 miles (154 km) long and shared with England; the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the north-east and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. The population in 2022 was 5,439,842 and accounts for 8% of the population of the UK.[9] Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is the largest of the cities of Scotland.

The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the 9th century. In 1603, James VI inherited the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Ireland, forming a personal union of the three kingdoms. On 1 May 1707 Scotland and England combined to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain,[10][11] with the Parliament of Scotland subsumed into the Parliament of Great Britain. In 1999 a Scottish Parliament was re-established, and has devolved authority over many areas of domestic policy.[12] The country has a distinct legal system, educational system, and religious history from the rest of the UK, which have all contributed to the continuation of Scottish culture and national identity.[13] Scottish English and Scots are the most widely spoken languages in the country, existing on a dialect continuum with each other.[14] Scottish Gaelic speakers can be found all over Scotland, however the language is largely spoken natively by communities within the Hebrides.[15] The number of Gaelic speakers numbers less than 2% of the total population, though state-sponsored revitalisation attempts have led to a growing community of second language speakers.[16]

The mainland of Scotland is broadly divided into three regions: the Highlands, a mountainous region in the north and north-west; the Lowlands, a flatter plain across the centre of the country; and the Southern Uplands, a hilly region along the southern border. The Highlands are the most mountainous region of the British Isles and contain its highest peak, Ben Nevis, at 4,413 feet (1,345 m).[9] The region also contains many lakes, called lochs; the term is also applied to the many saltwater inlets along the country's deeply indented western coastline. The geography of the many islands is varied. Some, such as Mull and Skye, are noted for their mountainous terrain, while the likes of Tiree and Coll are much flatter.

Etymology[edit]

Scotland comes from Scoti, the Latin name for the Gaels.[17] Philip Freeman has speculated on the likelihood of a group of raiders adopting a name from an Indo-European root, *skot, citing the parallel in Greek skotos (σκότος), meaning "darkness, gloom".[18] The Late Latin word Scotia ("land of the Gaels") was initially used to refer to Ireland,[19] and likewise in early Old English Scotland was used for Ireland.[20] By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to (Gaelic-speaking) Scotland north of the River Forth, alongside Albania or Albany, both derived from the Gaelic Alba.[21] The use of the words Scots and Scotland to encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in the Late Middle Ages.[10]

History[edit]

Prehistory[edit]

Prehistoric Scotland, before the arrival of the Roman Empire, was culturally divergent.[22]

Repeated glaciations, which covered the entire land mass of modern Scotland, destroyed any traces of human habitation that may have existed before the Mesolithic period. It is believed the first post-glacial groups of hunter-gatherers arrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, as the ice sheet retreated after the last glaciation.[23] At the time, Scotland was covered in forests, had more bog-land, and the main form of transport was by water.[24] These settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first villages around 6,000 years ago. The well-preserved village of Skara Brae on the mainland of Orkney dates from this period. Neolithic habitation, burial, and ritual sites are particularly common and well preserved in the Northern Isles and Western Isles, where a lack of trees led to most structures being built of local stone.[25] Evidence of sophisticated pre-Christian belief systems is demonstrated by sites such as the Callanish Stones on Lewis and the Maes Howe on Orkney, which were built in the third millennium BC.[26]: 38 

Early history[edit]

Skara Brae, Europe's most complete Neolithic village, occupied from roughly 3180 BC – 2500 BC
Callanish Stones, erected in the late Neolithic era

The first written reference to Scotland was in 320 BC by Greek sailor Pytheas, who called the northern tip of Britain "Orcas", the source of the name of the Orkney islands.[24]: 10 

Most of modern Scotland was not incorporated into the Roman Empire, and Roman control over parts of the area fluctuated over a rather short period. The first Roman incursion into Scotland was in 79 AD, when Agricola invaded Scotland; he defeated a Caledonian army at the Battle of Mons Graupius in 83 AD.[24]: 12  After the Roman victory, Roman forts were briefly set along the Gask Ridge close to the Highland line, but by three years after the battle, the Roman armies had withdrawn to the Southern Uplands.[27] Remains of Roman forts established in the 1st century have been found as far north as the Moray Firth.[28] By the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan (r. 98–117), Roman control had lapsed to Britain south of a line between the River Tyne and the Solway Firth.[29] Along this line, Trajan's successor Hadrian (r. 117–138) erected Hadrian's Wall in northern England[24]: 12  and the Limes Britannicus became the northern border of the Roman Empire.[30][31] The Roman influence on the southern part of the country was considerable, and they introduced Christianity to Scotland.[24]: 13–14 [26]: 38 

The Antonine Wall was built from 142 at the order of Hadrian's successor Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161), defending the Roman part of Scotland from the unadministered part of the island, north of a line between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth.[32] The Roman invasion of Caledonia 208–210 was undertaken by emperors of the imperial Severan dynasty in response to the breaking of a treaty by the Caledonians in 197,[28] but permanent conquest of the whole of Great Britain was forestalled by Roman forces becoming bogged down in punishing guerrilla warfare and the death of the senior emperor Septimius Severus (r. 193–211) at Eboracum (York) after he was taken ill while on campaign. Although forts erected by the Roman army in the Severan campaign were placed near those established by Agricola and were clustered at the mouths of the glens in the Highlands, the Caledonians were again in revolt in 210–211 and these were overrun.[28]

To the Roman historians Tacitus and Cassius Dio, the Scottish Highlands and the area north of the River Forth was called Caledonia.[28] According to Cassius Dio, the inhabitants of Caledonia were the Caledonians and the Maeatae.[28] Other ancient authors used the adjective "Caledonian" to mean anywhere in northern or inland Britain, often mentioning the region's people and animals, its cold climate, its pearls, and a noteworthy region of wooded hills (Latin: saltus) which the 2nd century AD Roman philosopher Ptolemy, in his Geography, described as being south-west of the Beauly Firth.[28] The name Caledonia is echoed in the place names of Dunkeld, Rohallion, and Schiehallion.[28]

The Great Conspiracy constituted a seemingly coordinated invasion against Roman rule in Britain in the later 4th century, which included the participation of the Gaelic Scoti and the Caledonians, who were then known as Picts by the Romans. This was defeated by the comes Theodosius; but Roman military government was withdrawn from the island altogether by the early 5th century, resulting in the

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