Tag: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Magic Johnson: I had a great time this …

NBA ALL-STAR LISTS: Top 10 records and leaderboards

Rookie Wire celebrates NBA All-Star weekend by compiling a list of All-Star record holders.

The NBA All-Star Game has been a dynamic showcase of athletic talent since its inception in 1951.

Over the ensuing seven decades, the biggest names in professional basketball have headlined the event, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Durant.

This year’s NBA All-Star Game will reach 215 countries and be broadcast in 60 different languages. It will be the third time the Cleveland area has hosted the event. The Kobe Bryant Trophy will be awarded to the game’s MVP.

With all that in mind, Rookie Wire presents 10 NBA All-Star Game records and superlatives below. (Statistics are through the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.)

LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time leading scorer combining regular season and playoffs

Even in a rough season team-wise, there’s a silver lining for LeBron James when it comes to individual accolades. The last one is a pretty big deal: during the game vs. the Warriors, he just became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer when combining points in the regular season and playoffs. (If you include play-in tournament scoring, he actually became the top NBA scorer in the Lakers’ loss to Portland). King James still trails Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in regular-season scoring, though he’s on track to pass him there as well next season.

Joel Embiid strengthened his MVP odds, and joined Wilt and Kareem’s company

The Sixers’ big man is locked in, and ready to join legendary company.

There are NBA players who work hard and tirelessly at their craft. They hone their game and, in time, carve themselves out a definitive place in the league. But their ceiling is lower to the ground. They’re role players — which is okay — and don’t do much else on the court. They couldn’t, even if they tried. If you ever wanted to find a classic example of “hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard,” these grinders, these glue guys: They’re Exhibit A.

Then there are the gifted players. The talented studs bestowed with rare, natural ability, who grind and sweat and bleed as much as their less-adept teammates. They are talismans, one of the NBA’s few crown jewels featured in every bit of league marketing, who are discussed, broken down, and seen constantly by every central basketball avenue. Throw in a little physical intimidation and strength, and you have the recipe for an ever-consistent hulkish monster. Talent that works hard and crushes the competition in the process.

Hello, Joel Embiid.

The Sixers’ big man — an All-Star starter for the fifth consecutive year — has been on an absolute tear lately. Now, to be clear, that in itself is not a surprise because the perennial MVP candidate is almost always liable to go off. He claims full ownership of the paint, most often without asking. No, the Embiid of late has been different, even by his high standards. He’s been an unstoppable force grounding every unstoppable object in his path into rubble.

A 40-burger against the Bulls (+4) on Sunday looks to be foreshadowing for this Philadelphia star.

Twenty straight games with at least 25 points. Twenty consecutive games where the opposition knew that Embiid would get the ball at the top of the key or in the low block, and he was going to have his way: More than usual, that is. If Embiid is already notching historic marks of the last Sixer to win an MVP, Allen Iverson, then he probably has the league’s premier individual trophy in the bag.

Tipico Sportsbook currently has the 27-year-old superstar at +220 to win the NBA MVP. At this rate, let’s be candid: That figure seems a low. What also helps Embiid’s case is that amid his high-scoring streak, Philadelphia is 16-4, while ratcheting up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. It’s one thing to score and get yours, but your team finishes with fewer points than the other on a nightly basis. It’s something else entirely when you are undoubtedly the primary catalyst for your team’s scorching last month and a half in the standings.

The exclusive Big Man fraternity that Embiid continues to show he belongs in might be even more impressive than his MVP credentials. With that 20th straight 25+ point game on Sunday, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (25) and Wilt Chamberlain (106) have longer streaks as seven-footers. Wilt is on another planet and from a different era, making it unfair to expect Embiid to ever get close to his stratospheric scoring mark, among his other litany records.

But for Kareem? The Hall of Fame gold standard of efficiency and longevity in centers? Embiid can match Mr. Lew Alcindor by the All-Star break next weekend. An unthinkable thought for any Regular Guy, but not Embiid. Not this living, growing legend by the evening.

Even if Embiid falls short en route to unmatched seven-footer glory with Kareem, his all-time post prowess is undeniable.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: John Stockton’s statements making athletes look like dumb jocks

According to Abdul-Jabbar, such comments damage professional athletes’ reputations. “I think statements like that make the public look upon athletes basically as dumb jocks, for trying to explain away something that is obviously a pandemic.” “It …

According to Abdul-Jabbar, such comments damage professional athletes’ reputations. “I think statements like that make the public look upon athletes basically as dumb jocks, for trying to explain away something that is obviously a pandemic.” “It doesn’t make sense what he’s saying. This is a preventative measure that has been useful in many different circumstances,” the legendary center continued. “I don’t understand anyone saying anything else.”

Source: BasketNews

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Haven’t seen too much mask enforcement in any NBA arena, at any point, since fans returned. So this is an outlier in more ways than one.
John Stockton’s defiance of mask mandate forces Gonzaga to suspend NBA Hall of Famer’s basketball season tickets spokesman.com/stories/2022/j… – 3:51 PM
Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
John Stockton’s tickets have been revoked at Gonzaga after he refused to wear a mask.
Here’s the @sltrib story on @SpokesmanReview‘s interview with the former Jazz PG:
sltrib.com/sports/jazz/20… – 1:58 PM
Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Gonzaga suspends John Stockton’s season tickets because he won’t wear a mask; he tells @TheoLawson_SR of the Spokesman-Review in Spokane in this story that “over 100” professional athletes have died from vaccines on the field of play. spokesman.com/stories/2022/j… – 12:07 PM
Mike Finger @mikefinger
The John Stockton story is another sad reminder that Aaron Rodgers probably is not going to wake up one morning and realize, “Wow, I was wrong.” – 11:48 AM

More on this storyline

“I think John’s reaction to the vaccine is extreme and not based on reality or facts,” Abdul-Jabbar expressed.” If John could just check the facts out he would understand that this vaccine is saving lives and preventing people from having serious reactions to the virus.” -via BasketNews / January 25, 2022
Michael Scotto: Kyrie Irving was asked if anything would change his stance on getting vaccinated. He concluded a long answer by saying “I’ve made my decision already, and I’m standing on it.” He added, “It’s not going to be swayed just because of one thing in this NBA life.” -via Twitter @MikeAScotto / January 18, 2022