Before the start of the 2010 – 11 season the NBA had an exciting summer with one of the most anticipated free agent classes of all time.

Before the league was started, there were strong rumors that the NBA would purchase the CBA, and call it its developmental league, as the Continental Basketball Association was its " minor league " affiliate for years.

Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved a deal for the team to move to New Orleans following the season.

Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved the deal.

Before the 2011-12 NBA season, the Hornets were pondering trade offers for Chris Paul.

Before the 1956 NBA Draft, Auerbach had already set his sights on defensive rebounding center Bill Russell.

Before being drafted into the NBA in 2000, Najera received rave reviews from scouts, who boasted on Najera's quick first step and extraordinary rebounding ability.

Before the 2004 NBA Draft, Gordon thought that he would be drafted anywhere from 7th to 12th, but as the draft got closer he claimed to have an inkling that the Bulls might draft him third as they did with Michael Jordan 20 years earlier in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Before the 1991 – 92 NBA and NHL seasons, a new, modern scoreboard was installed, replacing the one that had been in use since the building opened in 1967.

Before the 2001 – 2002 NBA season, he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs.

Before that, while still Knicks head coach Brown was paired with Brent Musburger during the 1985 NBA Playoffs.

Before 1980, the Phillies had appeared in only two other World Series, in and, and the Eagles had won no NFC conference championships since the 1966 agreement that had created the Super Bowl, while the 76ers won NBA titles in both Philadelphia and in their previous incarnation, the Syracuse Nationals.

Before working for Paradox, he was an employee of Funcom where he worked as a programmer on the Sega Mega Drive console with games like Nightmare Circus and NBA Hangtime.

Before the 1983 – 84 season, the Celtics had repeatedly lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Playoffs, mainly because physical Sixers guard Andrew Toney routinely caused problems for their defensively fragile backcourt.

Before joining TNT in 2004, Aldridge reported for ESPN for eight years, primarily covering the NBA while occasionally doing National Football League pieces.

Before joining the NBA, O ' Brien was the United States Postmaster General under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1965 to 1968.

Before going to the United States, Čabarkapa played for KK Beopetrol and KK Budućnost Podgorica ( on a team with fellow NBA player Aleksandar Pavlović ) in the Yugoslavia.

Before the 2005-06 trade deadline, he was traded by the Nets to the New Orleans Hornets and was named to the 2000-2001 NBA All-Rookie team as a member of the Golden State Warriors.

Before playing in the NBA, Ha played for Yonsei University and Samil Commercial School in South Korea.

Before the 2010 – 11 NBA season, it was announced that Gus Johnson was let go by MSG Network, the television flagship station for the New York Knicks.

Before the season even began, Tarpley violated the league's substance abuse policy for the third time and was banned from the NBA for life.

Before and during his political career, Disraeli was well known as a literary and social figure, although his novels are not generally regarded as a part of the Victorian literary canon.

Before, during and after his career as a bureaucrat Karmal was a leading member of the Afghan movement.

Before the end of 1976, Bowie's interest in the burgeoning German music scene, as well as his drug addiction, prompted him to move to West Berlin to clean up and revitalise his career.

Before his appointment to lead the Discovery Expedition, Scott had followed the conventional career of a naval officer in peacetime Victorian Britain, where opportunities for career advancement were both limited and keenly sought after by ambitious officers.

Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine, credits Adams for launching his career as a cartoonist.

Before he dies from a gunshot wound, he tells his ex-wife Siobhan Ryan, the intended victim, about " losing my timing so late in my career ".

" Waits also continued to further his acting career with a supporting role as Rudy the Kraut in Ironweed ( an adaptation of William Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ) alongside Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, in which Waits performed the song " Big Rock Candy Mountain ", as well as a part in Robert Frank's Candy Mountain, in which Waits also performed " Once More Before I Go.

Before and during his career as a writer, he attempted to be a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician ; he failed in all of these efforts.

Before and during their marriage, Crawford worked to promote Tone's Hollywood career but Tone was ultimately not interested in being a movie star and Crawford eventually wearied of the effort.

Before the war Heath had won a scholarship to Gray's Inn and had begun making preparations for a career at the Bar, but after the war he instead passed top into the Civil Service.

Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency.

Before the game, the Mariners honored him with a 15-minute presentation which included a highlight reel of his playing career with the Mariners, a presentation of a " The House that Griffey Built " memorial by Mariners hall-of-famers and former teammates Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez, and a 4 minute standing ovation from the sold-out crowd.

Davis later recalled that it inspired her full commitment to her chosen career, and said, " Before that performance I wanted to be an actress.

Before he began making films, Shelton had a five-year minor league career in the Baltimore Orioles ' organization, which included a stint in the Carolina League.

Before becoming famous, for a couple of years Susana worked as an executive secretary for a large factory, but realizing that she needed a more exciting career at 19 yrs.

While at the Chapel Road studio, in about 1981, Norman, backed by the Barratt Band, recorded songs for Before and After, a tribute album of Bob Dylan covers scheduled to be released in 1982 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dylan's recording career.

Despite their new image and Hendryx's growth as a songwriter ( the song " Hollywood ", or "( Can I Speak to You Before You Go To ) Hollywood ", allegedly dedicated to Cindy Birdsong, was a notable highlight in their career ) and the presence of Stevie Wonder on the single, " Open Your Heart ", Pressure Cookin again failed to attract a commercial audience.

Before Hammer's successful hip-hop career ( with his mainstream popularity lasting approximately between 1988-1995 ) and his " rags-to-riches-to-rags-and-back saga ", Burrell formed the Christian rap music group Holy Ghost Boys.

Before his solo career, Thomas sang in a church choir as a teenager then joined the musical group The Triumphs.

Before starting his own academic career, he worked at his father's chemical business and in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich with Georg Lunge.

Before deciding on the career of theological professor, he had in view that of a missionary in the East.

Before entering the university, he had begun his literary career at Budapest as contributor and dramatic critic for Der Zwischenact.

Before starting his acting career, Baldwin was a fashion model for Calvin Klein.

Before his political career Sorsa worked for UNESCO in Paris 1959 – 1965, and was Secretary-General of Finnish UNESCO board 1965 – 1969, and official in the Ministry of Education 1967 – 1969.