Riley believes that the only way to make a team out of isolated players is “to get them to do what they don’t want to do.” Yet he knows, too, that there are things certain players can never do.
Tag Archives: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It’s Murder Under the Basket, 1976
No officiating changes are going to eliminate rough play from professional basketball. It has become part of the game, every aspect of it.
Earvin Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How the Magic Really Works, 1981
When the Lakers boarded the plane for the flight to Philadelphia, Magic sat in the front row, left aisle—the seat usually occupied by Abdul-Jabbar. Magic looked back at Westhead and said, “Guess you have a new Big Fella, Coach.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Busting Out the Goggles, 1974
Kareem got off the bench, and the boos began. He was booed every time he put an elbow near Gianelli’s throat in the pivot, did anything the fans didn’t like, and when he entered and left the game
Willis Reed: The Art & Agony of a Gentle Giant, 1973
Willis Reed was past 30 now, and in the compressed lifespan of athletics that is to be past middle-age. It is a time when the body begins to betray its promises of youth, a time when the infinite resilience and boundless energy start to become less dependable certainties.
Abdul-Jabbar Remains Kareem of the Crop, 1983
“His skyhook is still the cruise missile of the NBA. But we need to shore up in the areas where we’re weakest, and they happen to be in areas where he can also dominate.”
Bobby Jones: Computer’s Choice, 1977
Bobby Jones of the Denver Nuggets, whose common name and unassuming personality stamp him as “Mr. Anonymous” to many fans around the country, was judged to be the “most consistent and most productive” player in the NBA.
The Quiet Rebellion of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1972
His new name translates from the Arabic into the generous servant of the all-powerful—Kareem (generous), Abdul (the servant), Jabbar (all-powerful or subduer).
The Truth Behind the Chamberlain-Jabbar Feud, 1973
Friendship was only skin deep. But competition was their lives and does not wipe away the driving force of one’s existence simply because some young man comes along and you like him.
Norm Nixon: He Works His Own Magic, 1981
And they were a winning team, because Norm Nixon sacrificed himself to make the backcourt work.
From Way Downtown 