Quotes from Kareem's autobiography "Giant Steps"

[SHAQisGOAT]

What does he say about Walton? And Maravich? any mention of Shaq?

[LAZERUSS]

No matter what anyone thinks of Kareem as a person, or player, he was an extremely intelligent, and articulate man.

[Teanett]

Do you have a link to that talk? You'd be surprised how many similar responsibilities a jazz quintet have that a basketball team also has. I'm a jazz musician, so I'd love to read what he says

it's in a doc about a jazz musician. cant remeber which one, maybe trane. it's terrible, carlos santana is also in it and sells himself as a jazz musician because he knows one scale...

anyway, he says stuff like the drummer is the center and the power forward is the bass player or something like that. but isnt the point guard the one keeping the time?

[J Shuttlesworth]

it's in a doc about a jazz musician. cant remeber which one, maybe trane. it's terrible, carlos santana is also in it and sells himself as a jazz musician because he knows one scale...

anyway, he says stuff like the drummer is the center and the power forward is the bass player or something like that. but isnt the point guard the one keeping the time?

lol what an idiot ... I wouldn't go that deep about it normally, but here's my take:

PG: Drummer - you called it. Keeps time by directing the tempo of the game, and the other players look to him for the direction of the play. Magic = Tony Williams
SG: Trumpet - the fire, and the powerful high notes the crowd loves. Jordan = Miles, who is also probably the most legendary jazz musician of all time.
SF: Piano - well rounded game. Ability to shoot, post, drive. Piano players can play chords, melodies, basslines, anything. Also, unselfish and willing to work with other greats. Larry Bird = Bill Evans, LeBron = Herbie Hancock
PF: Tenor Sax/Trombone - Mean sounding growling instruments that are tough, and versatile. Capable of scoring a lot, but very powerful down low as well. Duncan = Wayne Shorter
Center: Bass - Controls the action down low. Nuff said. Wilt = Ron Carter, Shaq = Christian McBride

[Teanett]

lol what an idiot ... I wouldn't go that deep about it normally, but here's my take:

PG: Drummer - you called it. Keeps time by directing the tempo of the game, and the other players look to him for the direction of the play. Magic = Tony Williams
SG: Trumpet - the fire, and the powerful high notes the crowd loves. Jordan = Miles, who is also probably the most legendary jazz musician of all time.
SF: Piano - well rounded game. Ability to shoot, post, drive. Piano players can play chords, melodies, basslines, anything. Also, unselfish and willing to work with other greats. Larry Bird = Bill Evans, LeBron = Herbie Hancock
PF: Tenor Sax/Trombone - Mean sounding growling instruments that are tough, and versatile. Capable of scoring a lot, but very powerful down low as well. Duncan = Wayne Shorter
Center: Bass - Controls the action down low. Nuff said. Wilt = Ron Carter, Shaq = Christian McBride

i think it's more about the individual than the position. i.e. stockton, to me is more like a bass player than a drummer. he's more mingus than art blakey.
rodman is thelonius monk.
shaq is sun ra.

[Black Mamba's B]

Great read

[julizaver]

any mention of Shaq?

The book is from 1983 ...

[Pointguard]

it's in a doc about a jazz musician. cant remeber which one, maybe trane. it's terrible, carlos santana is also in it and sells himself as a jazz musician because he knows one scale...

anyway, he says stuff like the drummer is the center and the power forward is the bass player or something like that. but isnt the point guard the one keeping the time?

Yeah he's careful to make sure people focus on him rather than Magic. He fights that til this day. When Kareem had a chance to solo he couldn't do it when the point guards weren't there (Oscar/Magic). The 'giant steps' between the chords never sounded like much with out the PG.

Good stuff J Shuttlesworth and Teanett.

[julizaver]

At 1983 Kareem was in his 14th season and by then he and Wilt develop an intensely personal antipathy. And as every elite athlete has an enormous ego Kareem used to exaggerate a little bit (as Wilt also did btw). So:

"Wilt Chamberlain hurry his knee at the very start of the season and was out until the playoffs, so I didn’t face him in my rookie year either."

Not true, Wilt and Kareem played against each other in Kareem's rookie season, Wilt has a slight edge and Lakers won the game:
Regular season – 1969-70

Date: Fri 10/24/69
- Chamberlain 25 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, 3 blocks, 9-14 FG/FGA W
-Abdul-Jabbar 23 pts, 20 rebs, 2 as, 2 blocks, 9-21 FG/FGA L

"Toward the end of his career, when he was thirty-six and I was twenty-five, I had it any way I wanted. The Bucks would play his Lakers at the Forum, I’d be getting fifty points against him"

There is only one game in which Kareem scored 50 points, and it was a Lakers win. According to recaps from that game Bucks were never in control of that game (Big O didn't play) and when the Bucks close the gap to two points late in the game Wilt step up defensively and Kareem missed 6 consecutive shots.
Also Kareem had only 8 rebounds in that game, while Wilt had 24 - so not quite dominating as someone could think.

16.Date: Fri 03/17/72
- Chamberlain 18 pts, 25 rebs, 5 as, * blocks, 7-15 FG/FGA W
-Abdul-Jabbar 50 pts, 8 rebs, 2 as, * blocks, 22-39 FG/FGA L

"I worked on a special trajectory shot just for Wilt, I’d start right under the basket, then lean away for a tiny bit, and put the ball at the top of the backboard. Wilt would go after it every time. He was determined. It would go past his reach, and I’d know from his body language he’d be thinking, “That’s not going in, it’s up to high.” The ball would squeak against the top of the backboard above the rim and fall right through. Frustrated the hell out of him."

According to recaps there were games in which Wilt blocked 5 to 6 of Kareem's shots alone. And Kareem was shooting 0.464 FG/FGA against Wilt for all 28 games versus Wilt.

I’m still glad I kicked his ass on the court, and I would have been perfectly pleased to have gone up against him in his prime. In 1971, my second year in the league and my first game against him, he was still playing great. We beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but after the last game, in Milwaukee, the fans gave him a standing ovation for his performance.

In 1971 Wilt was coming after major injury and was nowhere of his prime - there could be a discussion if it was his worst regular season by his standards.
We beat that theme to dead in another thread, but even some of Wilt non-supporters (if I could use that term) admitted that '71 series were at lease draw based on stats and recaps, while for me Wilt outplayed Jabbar individually in that series, having the edge in 3 of the 5 games played.

[Pointguard]

Julizaver, I was always a bit curious about how Magic and Wilt would be treated. Two guys that had the most impact on his legacy - and ironically two guys he went to for financial advice. The sexual reference to Wilt was a bit wild (have him any way I wanted) and a bit out of character. But his frankness otherwise in the book was really good in that book. Kareem is a bit sensitive about his legacy. He seemingly always had people problems and didn't know its extent on others.

[Foster5k]

[quote]An individual

[SHAQisGOAT]

The book is from 1983 ...

Didn't know that really. I've heard about the book before, think I'll buy it, I've read plenty of other basketball-related books but never got my hands on this one, which is a bit "shameful" on my part.

I'll ask it again though, what does he said about Walton and Maravich?

[SHAQisGOAT]

[QUOTE=julizaver]At 1983 Kareem was in his 14th season and by then he and Wilt develop an intensely personal antipathy. And as every elite athlete has an enormous ego Kareem used to exaggerate a little bit (as Wilt also did btw). So:

[B]"Wilt Chamberlain hurry his knee at the very start of the season and was out until the playoffs, so I didn

[julizaver]

Julizaver, I was always a bit curious about how Magic and Wilt would be treated. Two guys that had the most impact on his legacy - and ironically two guys he went to for financial advice. The sexual reference to Wilt was a bit wild (have him any way I wanted) and a bit out of character. But his frankness otherwise in the book was really good in that book. Kareem is a bit sensitive about his legacy. He seemingly always had people problems and didn't know its extent on others.

Wilt was mentoring young Kareem, but in my opinion Magic was the one who help Kareem legacy the most.
I have not questioning his greatness, and he really had great games vs Wilt, no need to discuss it here. If Kareem was writing the book now he would have more balanced views.

[stanlove1111]

Didn't know that really. I've heard about the book before, think I'll buy it, I've read plenty of other basketball-related books but never got my hands on this one, which is a bit "shameful" on my part.

I'll ask it again though, what does he said about Walton and Maravich?

Haven't read it in a while but from what I remember.

He was annoyed at the media hype surrounding Walton. Said it wasn't Walton's fault but thought that because Walton was white the media used Walton to put Jabbar down. Complained that the media almost enjoyed saying Walton was better then himself. Especially was annoyed after playoff series when the media was saying that Walton outplayed him and was happy to say it.

He said that they both played a great series and if someone thought Walton was better he understood it, but thought they went overboard just to knock himself.

Said Walton was a great player and his intensity made him hard to play against. Also mentioned that Walton played ALOT of defense is they way he put it.

About Maravich..Don't remember and I would think there was really no point in spending much time talking about a guy who basically added nothing to a team in terms of value.