Here's a list of NBA's '06 best, worst

Sure, basketball seasons span parts of two calendar years, but with 2006 coming to a close, here are some of the bests and the worsts from the NBA during the past 12 months:

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE: Kobe Bryant's 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22. Like him or hate him, you have to admit that this was incredible. It was the second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in NBA history and is a mark that may never be duplicated.

BEST TRADE (SHORT TERM): Ron Artest, who had worn out his welcome with Indiana Pacers, rejuvenated the Sacramento Kings after a midseason trade. The Kings had fallen eight games below .500, but rebounded by going 25-11 down the stretch — after Artest had joined them — to qualify for the playoffs.

EASIEST PREDICTION: Artest will eventually cause major problems in Sacramento. He's a great basketball player, but he's also trouble.

BIGGEST LITTLE THORN IN L.A.'S SIDE: Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. First the Lakers thought they had their first-round playoff series sewn up when they took a 3-1 lead. But two-time MVP Nash led the Suns to an improbable series win in seven games. Nash then helped the Suns eliminate the upstart Clippers — also in a seven-game series.

BEST PLAYOFF SERIES: The top two teams in the Western Conference last year — the Spurs and Mavericks — were forced to play each other in the second round of the playoffs. It proved to be an epic battle. The Mavericks won three straight games to take a 3-1 lead, but Tim Duncan and the Spurs won two in a row to even the series and send it back to San Antonio. This time, the Mavericks won in overtime. In all, two of the seven games went into overtime with three others being decided by one or two points. It was a classic series and should have been the Western Conference Finals.

WORST TIME TO HAVE LOSING STREAK: Dallas, under Coach of the Year Avery Johnson, had been a model of consistency. In fact, they didn't have a single four-game losing streak all season — until after taking a 2-0 lead over the Heat in the NBA Finals. Miami won the next four.

BEST TEAMMATE: Dwayne Wade — just ask Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq is used to having an outstanding guard playing with him — Penny Hardaway in Orlando and Bryant in L.A. — but he's been most happy with Wade, who led the Heat to the title. For his outstanding performance on and off the court, Wade was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. He's only the sixth NBA player ever to earn that honor — joining the elite company of Bill Russell (1968), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1985), Michael Jordan (1991), Tim Duncan and David Robinson (shared 2003).