Portland Observer April 25,1990, Page 5
P O RT S/E VE NTS
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Exclusive Interview:
K areem A bdul -J abbar
HBO Special . . .
Professional hoop “ junkies” should
get a kick out of the April 24 HBO
-Sports highlighting the “ History of the
NBA” (8-9 p.m.-Eastern and Pacific
Time).
“ History of the NBA” will be hosted
by LA Laker Coach Pat Riley, and he’ll
be joined by several past and present
NBA greats serving as co-hosts incud-
ing George Nikan, Bill Russell, Bob
Cousy, Kareen Abdul-Jabbar and Magic
Johnson. The program will be rebroad­
cast on 4/25,4/29,5/2, and 5/11. It will
trace the history of basketball from it
sinvention by Dr. James Naismith in
Springield, Massachusettes in 1891, upto
the 1980s when the NBA exploded in
interest and popularity.
A segment entitled “ Origins of the
Game” takes a look at basketball’s
• • •
After completing the regular season
against the L.A. Lakers last Sunday,
Buck Williams and Jerome Kersey and
center Kevin Duckworth are one o f two
trios to start every game this season.
Buck W illiams
early days, with rare footage of touring
teams from the Roaring Twenties, in­
cluding the Original Celtics and New
York Rens. Two basketball legends,
former Boston Coach Red Auerbach
and Minneapolis Lakers center George
Mikan, then take a look at the NBA’s
birth in 1946 and the early days of the
league in the 1950s.
In “ Dynasties and Rivalries” , Bos­
ton’s Hall of Fame center, Bill Russell,
joins Riley in recalling the Celtics
championship teams from 1959-66.
Jabbar remembers his 20 year career in
the “ Centers of Attention” segment,
which highlights great performances of
the big men of the 1970s. Magic Johnson
then joins his coach in the “ New Era”
segment which examines the NBA rise
in popularity during the eighties . . .
Detroit
Semifinals
(best-ol-7)
59 23
Indiana
Boston
42-40
Akeem Alajuwon, Buck Johnson, and
Otis Thorpe of the Houston Rockets are
the other front court. The two backcourts
that started every game this season are
Chicago’s “ Air” Micheál Jordan and
John Paxson and Reggie “ Thriller”
Miller and Vem Fleming of the Indiana
Pacers.
After the Blazers recent blow out of
the LA Lakers, Magic Johnson sug­
gested that “ Showtime” is about to go
into overdrive and start the mission
towards their sixth NBA title. It was
said that the Houston Rockets were the
last team they wanted to see in the
playoffs.
“ The playoffs is our time,” said
Johnson. “ We will be ready for any­
body we play. We fear no team and
believe me, The Lakers will be ready.”
The Lakers resident philosopher and
team comic, Mychal Thompson, was
very serious for a change. He knows
that Houston will play the Lakers tough
and create some problems inside.
Finals
(best-ot-7)
1990 rs
n
b
a
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PLAYOFFS
“ Well, Houston is a team we have
had problems against. They have some
real physical players,” he said. “ I
think if we just go out there and play our
style of ball, not let them intimidate us,
we will have a good chance . . . “
Should the Lakers get by the Rockets,
there will definitely be some sore bod­
ies against their second round oppo­
nent. When you look at the NBA play­
off brackets, LA will have a tougher
time reaching the Wesem Conference
Finals than the Blazers. Portland has
had great success against Dallas (first
round) and potential second round op­
ponents San Antonio/Denver. Predic­
tion? Originally, the Locker Room
picked the Lakers/Jazz in the Western
finals, but that can not happen. One of
the two teams has to go. Portland and
Los Angeles in the Western Confer­
ence finals. Take your picks in the east!
Keep an eye on the Milwaukee bucks
and The Cleveland Cans, both are ca­
pable of surprising some teams. Wel­
come to NBA madness.
J
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Finals
(best ot 7)
Semifinals
(best ot 7)
63-19
41-41
First Round
(best ot 5)
LA Lakers
H ouston
55-27 U t a h
5230
New York
"Magic" Johnson
And The NBA Playoffs
EASTERN CONFERENCE
First Round
(best-ot-5)
Basketball great Kareem Abdul-
Jabbar was in town Tuesday morning to
promote his new book entitled,
“ KAREEM” , published by Random
House, Inc. and co-authored with Mi­
gnon McCarthy.
Jabbar holds the records for Most
Valuable Player awards and the most
points (38,387) in NBA history. He has
19 All-Star game appearances. He also
holds the NBA record for most (5,762)
playoff points.
In addition to his book signing at
Powells Book store, Jabbar appeared
on KATU-TV’s “ AM Northwest” , with
Jim Bosley and Mary Starrett. It was
his only television appearence in Port­
land. Without the efforts of Nancy
Bolton, Peter Clem, Janice Bangs, and
Paula Estoup, the television program
may not have happened.
54 28
45-37
Phoenix
NBA Finals
(best ot 7)
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Chicago
Milwaukee
42-40
55-27
44-38
E ig h t teams from each conference quality lor Ihe NBA
playoffs. The division team with the better record in each
conference is ranked No t. ihe other division winner is
ranked No 2, and the remaining six teams are ranked Nos
3-8 according to their won-lost records In each round of the
playoffs, the learn with Ihe better regular-season won-lost
record gets the home-court advantage
The creative crew worked the pub­
lisher and KATU salesperson, Gwen
Osaki-Smith, who in turn worked her
husband, Greg Smith, who in turn worked
Jabbar.
Smith, the national Sales
Manager at KGON, was a teammate of
Jabbar at Milwaukee in 1971 when the
Bucks won the NBA title. Jabbar, who
affectionately called Smith “ Killer” ,
was pleased to see his old friend. Smith
was part of the packed audience and is
also a former Portland Trailblazer.
Jabbar, a native of New York and a
UCLA graduate, talked about sports­
manship, enjoying free time, and trav­
eling without the stress of playing pro­
fessional basketball. Other topics in­
cluded:
Wilt Chamberlain, who he criticized
aeavily in his book and made public
some ill feelings. Why does Wilt dis­
like you?
“ I don’t know. He resents me and
has taken every opportunity to take
cheap shots or snipes at me from the
sidelines while he’s not playing.
56-26
5329
"He resents me and
has taken every opportu
nity to take cheap shots
or snipes at me from the
sidelines while he’s not
playing. . . "
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
on Wilt Chamberlain
didn’t really respond to it while I was
playing because I had better things to
do. We were about the business of
trying to win world championships.”
Jabbar said that Chamberlain was a cry
baby, a whiner, a quitter, and all the
other claims he made (read it) in the
book.
Jabbar went onto criticize “ Chumper-
lame” , as he is called in the book, as
being jealous and accused him of using
the media to discredit his glorious ca­
reer. Jabbar said that he was very angry
when he addressed the letter to Cham­
berlain.
“ The tone of the letter is definitely
hostile,” said Jabbar. “ Iw antedittobe
that way, but I had fun with it. It was
fun to write th a t. . “
Mignon McCarthy, co-author of the
book, did not want to get in a “ mud-
slinging” contest with Chamberlain,
but Jabbar persisted.
‘ ‘ He deserved all of it,’ ’ said Jabbar.
It was my chance to speak back. I’ve
never said a word about it. I should
have a choice (referring to the mud
slinging) now that I’m covered from
head to toe with mud. I should be able
to get my licks in. I figured that now
that I’m retired, got a little time. I’d
write him a le tte r. . . “
Kareem also talks about his last year
with the Lakers, various teammates,
and growing up in the urban jungle. Get
the b o o k . . .
Next Week: Another Exclusive with
former LA Laker/Clipper great Norm
Nixon.
San Antonio
43-39
Denver
59-23
Portland
47-35
I
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who holds the record for Most Valuable
Player awards and points, in action. Kareem was in Portland
Tuesday to promote his new book KAREEM.
Teen Talk Show New
Outlet For Indiana's
Reggie Miller
Dallas
Reggie Miller
EW Y O R K - Friends gathered to pay tribute to the broadcasting industry giant Percy Sutton (left) chairman, InncrCity
adcasting Corp at a reception hosted by Coca-Cola USA following the annual Jackie Robinson dinner at New York’s
Idorf Astoria Hotel Mr. Sutton was the recipient of the famed “ Robic Award.” presented by the Jackie Robinson
ndation for his many years of successful business and entrepreneurship in the New York area. During the reception Sutton
congratulated by Rachel Robinson (center), chairperson and founder of the foundation, and his friends (left to right) Jim
loncy, chairman and CEO, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York; Eugene McCullcrs, manager. Community Affairs,
:a-Cola USA, and Chuck Morrison, vice president, Black and Hispanic MarkcLs, Coca-Cola USA.
Indiana guard Reggie Miller has been
hosting Teen Talk, a locally-produced
cable show dealing with topics of inter­
est ot teenagers with a studio audience
of about 40 teens. Miller’s guests have
included Magic Johnson, New Kids On
The Block, and Florence Griffith Joyner.
“ The teens are really what makes the
show work,” said Miller. “ My job is
easy. The kids ask good questions and
I try to make them feel like they can say
anything. The hardest thing for me is
ad libbing the 45 second monologue."
Some NBA players might find it
hard to believe that Miller has a prob­
lem coming up with words to say. In
addition to his jumper, he is known as a
“ trash talker” on the court. Maybe the
kids helped him to clean up his mouth.
KGW-TV Brings
WrestleMania to Portland
America has a chronic case of
WrestleMania, and KGW-TV has the
cure. Beginning Saturday, April 28 at 4
p.m. viewers will get all the exciting
action they crave on channel eighL
Every Saturday at 4 p.m.,
KGW-TV and The World Wrestling
Federation will bring viewers star-
studded match-ups, with non-stop
action from sold out arenas coast-to-
coast. The show will feature new
matches with some of the hotttest in
wrestling like Hulk Hogan, Jake "The
Snake" Roberts and Superfly Jimmy
Snuka, plus ex clusive interview
segments.
Gone are the days when
wrestling was a second class sport
Wrestling has become a hot property,
both as a live event and television
programming.
KGW-TV's Program Director
is Brenda Buratli.
Earth Year l ’9«9«0
Be Friendly to Thi9 Planet. . . . It's the Only
One We Have
Conserve • Recycle
Plant A Tree for the Ozone Layer
For Future Generations . . . .
Remember Only You Can Make A Difference!
Brought to You as a public service announcement from the Portland Observer