Tag: Bill Cartwright

The top NBA performances by a rookie player on Christmas Day

From LeBron James to Wilt Chamberlain, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best Christmas Day performances by first-year players.

The 2022-23 season marks the 75th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day with five games set to tip off on Sunday across ABC and ESPN in the United States.

LeBron James is poised to play in his 17th game on Christmas Day, which will surpass Kobe Bryant for the most appearances in history. James is also the all-time leader in points (422), field goals (150) and 3-pointers (28). He is tied with Dwyane Wade for the most wins with 10.

Players have put up some incredible performances over the years in the annual showcase. Several of the best to ever play own various career records on the holiday, including Bill Russell (rebounds), Oscar Robertson (assists), Shaquille O’Neal (blocks) and Russell Westbrook (steals).

Some have even had great efforts in their rookie seasons.

Rookie Wire sifted through the archives and took a look at some of the biggest performances by a rookie player on Christmas Day, several of which would go on to make the Hall of Fame.

Cartwright: “It’s interesting that when …

Cartwright: “It’s interesting that when the play when Pip did not come back in the game, that was Pip’s best year. He had evolved into a leadership role, played great. To me, people make mistakes and then you move on from them. I think Scottie has a big heart. And when I first got to the Bulls he wasn’t a great shooter, skinny, extraordinarily talented, so everything he had he worked for. For me Pip was a great teammate and like I said it was one man’s show and that’s what they saw. But that’s not really reality.”

Grant joined ‘Pardon My Take’ in recent …

Grant joined ‘Pardon My Take’ in recent days, where he talked about his relationship with MJ, all the rumors saying he gave Smith inside information of the Bulls and more. He explained that Smith had quoted several other players in the book, including Bill Cartwright and John Paxson among others. He added that Smith talked with assistant coaches, Phil Jackson and even played golf with Jordan himself. “I don’t know where did they come with that I was the source behind the book. That’s a straight-up lie,” Grant said.