Latest news with #scoringrecord
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Basketball: Cameron leads Tall Blacks to Asia Cup final eight
Flynn Cameron broke a New Zealand scoring record at the Asia Cup. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Tall Blacks have secured a quarter-final berth at the Asia Cup with their third win of the tournament in Saudi Arabia. New Zealand beat Chinese Taipei 118-78 at King Abdullah Sports City to claim top place in Group D and move on to the knock-out stages. Flynn Cameron's 28 points, including two three-pointers, was the most ever scored by a New Zealander in a FIBA Asia Cup game and he also pulled down nine rebounds and had eight assists. Cameron was assisted by Mojave King 22 points, including four three-pointers, and he also made eight rebounds and four assists. Ben Gold and Taylor Britt both scored 14 points. Every player who took the court for New Zealand got on the scoresheet. In a chaotic first quarter that saw seven lead changes, it was the Tall Blacks who would head into the break with a one-point lead, 19-18. They extended their lead to 49-35 at half-time and did not look back. Chinese Taipei's Long-Mao Hu scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer but New Zealand's defensive intensity started to suffocate the Chinese Taipei offence and they could not keep pace with the New Zealander's scoring as the game progressed. The Hinton Brothers, Robert and Adam, combined for 40 points for Chinese Taipei to lead their scoring effort. The Tall Blacks have a four-day break until their quarter-final match-up and they will be watching to see who they will play in the final eight. New Zealand finished the 2022 Asia Cup in third. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"We all have to shut the hell up" - Shaquille O'Neal believes LeBron passing Kareem makes his G.O.A.T. case untouchable
"We all have to shut the hell up" - Shaquille O'Neal believes LeBron passing Kareem makes his G.O.A.T. case untouchable originally appeared on Basketball Network. When LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record in 2023, the moment came with more than simple celebration. It marked a shift in how his legacy would be judged. For years, the conversation around who was the greatest had stayed in motion. But to some, that moment brought it to a stop. For Shaquille O'Neal, it was supposedly the final piece. "I don't like having this conversation, because I actually know all these guys, but I know LeBron, and I think this is LeBron's plan," O'Neal said. "I think he wants to surpass Kareem cause if he surpasses Kareem in points, we all have to shut the hell up. Think about it, he is going to have four rings, he already passed up Kobe, he already passed up Mike, and now if he passes Kareem, so if that doesn't make him the greatest basketball player, I don't know what we are talking about." It wasn't just the number. It was what it stood for. Abdul Jabbar's record had lasted nearly four decades. He held it through generations of players, across styles, rule changes and eras. James reaching that point meant he had endured long enough, stayed productive long enough and performed at a level no one had before. The weight of the crown Even before the record fell, the debate had always followed the four-time MVP. Every win was a chapter. Every loss was a counterpoint. But on that night in Los Angeles, with the cameras flashing and the game paused for history, there was no noise. There was only the scoreboard and the moment. James asked for the title. He never shied away from it either. "I'm gonna take myself against anybody that's ever played this game," he said after becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer. "I always feel like I'm the best to ever play this game." The words weren't loud. They didn't have to be. The numbers told their own story. Four MVPs and four championships. A scoring total no one had ever reached. That kind of consistency had never been matched. The beauty of basketball is that there is no single measure. Some will still look at Michael Jordan's perfect Finals record. Some will see Kobe Bryant's edge and leadership. Others will point to Bill Russell's rings. But James' career now spans longer than most. And with the Kareem milestone in hand, the list of arguments against him has grown shorter. History doesn't need an answer For O'Neal, the scoring record brought clarity. It was not about liking James more or less than anyone else. It was about what had been done. Abdul Jabbar's name sat alone for so long that no one imagined it would be passed. Once it was, the conversation, in his view, no longer needed to be had. There will always be favorites. There will always be memories that feel bigger. But at some point, the numbers take over. The longevity, production, championships and now the record itself have become part of a case that no longer has room for dismissal. James has always been vocal about how he wants to be remembered in NBA history. And for a player who has always let his game speak first, the moment gave his words more weight than ever story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"He was very, very wrong" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar refuted Magic Johnson's take on LeBron breaking his scoring record
"He was very, very wrong" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar refuted Magic Johnson's take on LeBron breaking his scoring record originally appeared on Basketball Network. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson were more than just a pair of teammates. They became very good friends, even like brothers, as their careers went on. But even family members don't agree on something at one point. Such was the case when Magic said that it would be a bitter pill to swallow for Kareem once LeBron James broke his all-time scoring record. Not only would The Cap give up the all-time scoring leader crown to The King, but he'd be handing it over to another player who also donned the Los Angeles Lakers' iconic Purple and Gold. "I love Earvin and, after forty years of friendship, he knows me pretty well," Abdul-Jabbar said. "But, in this case, he was very, very wrong. I don't blame him for thinking that I might be bothered because he knows how competitive I used to be. And, if someone had broken my record within ten years of me setting it, he would probably be right. I might have hobbled out of retirement just to add a few more points on my record. But that ain't me today. I'm 75. The only time I ever think of the record is when someone brings it up." Social legacy over basketball legacy Kareem was an aloof guy, but if anyone knew him well, it was Magic, who was his teammate for a decade with the Showtime Lakers and with whom he won five NBA championships. However, although they remained good friends after retirement, Magic stayed in the limelight and focused on his business. Meanwhile, Kareem chose a much quieter and simpler life. Since his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar has occupied himself with social activism and used his college degree from UCLA to the fullest, becoming a best-selling writer on various genres, including social issues, fiction and, of course, history. "Here's the main reason I don't care that much about my record being broken," Kareem went on. "I'm no longer focused on my basketball legacy as much as I am on my social legacy. I'm not trying to build a billion-dollar empire, I write articles in defense of democracy and advocating on behalf of the marginalized."Kareem was in attendance when LeBron broke his record As for LeBron, Kareem admitted that while he had taken a few jabs at him in the past, those were minor, petty matters that weren't worth holding a grudge over, especially when weighed against the significance of James breaking the record that stood for almost four decades. "This is all about LeBron doing something no one else has done, about scoring more points than anyone has been able to in 75 years. There are no "yeah, buts," just praise where it is rightfully and righteously due. Bottom line about LeBron and me: LeBron makes me love the game again. And he makes me proud to be part of an ever-widening group of athletes who actively care about their community," Abdul-Jabbar concluded. Kareem made it clear that there was nothing between him and LeBron despite what people thought because of their lack of a relationship. And even after clearly saying that on paper, he proved he meant what he said by being there when LeBron broke his record. For most players, that might have been, as Magic put it, "a tough pill to swallow." But for someone like Kareem, who always prided himself in being a bigger (quite literally) man, it was simply part of the story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"It's as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars" - Kareem set the record straight after LeBron passed his All-Time scoring mark
"It's as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars" - Kareem set the record straight after LeBron passed his All-Time scoring mark originally appeared on Basketball Network. For close to forty years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record felt like something out of reach for almost any player who set foot in the association. The key word here is almost… That 38,387 wasn't just an ordinary number; it was proof of a guy dominating for so long that it felt like it was going to stay there forever. LeBron James dared to chase it, and on February 7, 2023, inside Arena, Bron hit a smooth fadeaway over Oklahoma City's Kenrich Williams in the third quarter to rewrite the history books. From that moment, the record that once seemed immortal belonged to someone else. And as James went on to celebrate with his family, the biggest supporters of his throughout his career, the man whose name had been at the top of that list for so long stood there in the stands smiling and clapping. No matter how many tried to paint a whole different picture, Kareem looked at peace with what had just transpired. The speculation about KAJ's reaction For months, there had been whispers that Abdul-Jabbar wouldn't take kindly to his record falling. It wasn't just fans speculating on social media either. Even Magic Johnson, Kareem's longtime teammate and close friend, publicly wondered how The Cap would handle seeing someone else pass him. And to be fair, the assumption wasn't far-fetched. After all, the man stood alone at the NBA's mountaintop for so long that it almost felt like that place belonged exclusively to him. It became a piece of his legacy, in a way, just like the skyhook. But instead of letting others speak for him or letting the noise grow, Kareem did what he felt was best: he addressed it in his own words. "In the months leading up to LeBron breaking my record, so much was written about how I would feel on the day he sank that record-breaking shot that I had to laugh," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a 2023 piece on his Substack. "I'd already written several times stating exactly how I felt so there really wasn't much to speculate about. It's as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars. How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning."Kareem didn't flinch Those words came not from a man clinging to his past accomplishments but from one fully aware of what his journey meant and proud to see someone else continue building on the game's history. Records eventually fall, that's just how sports work, but legacy is a different story. What Kareem did in his time doesn't get erased just because LeBron moved past him, the same way LeBron's moment doesn't take anything away from the climb Abdul-Jabbar made to get there. The scoring title might have a new name attached to it now, but Kareem's footprint on the game and on the culture of the era he defined is as deep as ever. When that ball hit the bottom of the net to break his record, Abdul-Jabbar didn't flinch. He didn't cling to a title or turn it into some tired debate about legacy. His reaction made it clear — it was never about ego; rather, it was about two legends making their mark on the game we all love. And the crazy part? The King is still adding to that total, fighting off Father Time night after night until one of them finally gives story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"You can't have everything for too long" - Kareem talks about LeBron overtaking him as the NBA's all-time scoring leader
"You can't have everything for too long" - Kareem talks about LeBron overtaking him as the NBA's all-time scoring leader originally appeared on Basketball Network. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlain's all-time scoring record on April 5, 1984, and added to it before retiring in 1989. Abdul-Jabbar was the golden standard for 38 years until LeBron James shattered his mark in 2023. During his recent appearance on "The Jennifer Hudson Show," the all-time great fondly known as The Captain talked about surrendering one of the NBA's most iconic records to the current Lakers superstar. "LeBron has earned it," said Abdul-Jabbar. "He's worked hard for 20 years. I mean, more power to him. I didn't really play to deal with records. I wanted to lead my team to the championship. And I was fortunate enough to be on the winning team six times, and I was MVP twice. I'm satisfied with that." Kareem was just too good, too dominant Aside from six NBA championships, Abdul-Jabbar also led Power Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic League titles and UCLA to three consecutive NCAA men's basketball championships, making him one of the sport's ultimate winners. Because he was the best player on his team, KAJ also took home many individual accolades and was almost always the top scorer. The same thing happened when he was in the NBA. Kareem was the NBA's scoring champion during his second and third years in the league, when he also won his first two MVP awards. Abdul-Jabbar averaged over 26 points per game in each of his first eight NBA seasons and was a 20-point scorer in his first 17 years. So it wasn't because Cap wanted to break Wilt's record; he was just so good, unstoppable, and durable that he was able to break it. "You can't have everything for too long. Records were made to be broken, and more power to LeBron. I hope he enjoys it, does all that he wants to do with during his career and after his career. He's had an incredible career. He does things, incredible things, off the court and on the court. Off the court, he sent a whole school district to college. And then on the court, he's crushed everybody for 20 years now. So he deserves it and I hope he enjoys it," he has pushed the record to 42,184 points In Kareem's case, he played five more years after breaking Wilt's record and padded it from 31,420 to 38,387 when he retired. Meanwhile, since breaking KAJ's record, LBJ has gone from 38,388 to 42,184. And although he is 40 years old, going 41, James is coming off a ridiculous Year 22 season where he averaged 24.4 points per game and made the All-NBA second team. Unless he suddenly suffers a steep decline this year, King James could push the record even farther to a number where no one might ever break it. Last year, Bron became the first player to score 40,000 career points. In March, the Purple & Gold superstar also became the first player to score 50,000 points combined in the regular season and playoffs. However, more than those, the LeBron number that stands out more to Kareem is 1,300. That's the number of students that James' "I Promise School" has served since its inception in 2018. In 2020, all 193 students in its inaugural batch were awarded four years of free college tuition to attend Kent State University, plus one year of board and lodging fully paid for. Last year, Anthony Claytor became the first of those students to finish school and story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
