Sports
Lakers’ LeBron James Becomes First NBA Player With 40,000 Points
Published
2 months agoon
By
EditorLos Angeles’ Lakers star LeBron James became the first NBA player to reach 40,000 career regular-season points on Saturday, the 39-year-old superstar scoring nine against defending champion Denver to achieve the milestone.
But LeBron James called the historic effort “bittersweet” because it came in a losing cause as Nikola Jokic scored 35 points to rally the Nuggets late for a 124-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league ’cause you just know the history, you know the grace that has come through the league,” James said.
“But the main thing is always the main thing and that’s the win. And I hated that had to happen in a defeat especially versus a team that plays extremely well.
“We played some good basketball but wasn’t able to close it out, so bittersweet, but I enjoyed every moment though, while on the floor.”
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LeBron James scored a team-high 26 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets stretched their win streak to six games.
“I’m glad we’re playing good,” Jokic said. “We’re doing the things we want to do. We don’t have too many breakdowns. I just like how we’re playing the game right now.”
James, who just over a year ago overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring mark, is a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player as well as the league’s oldest active player, now in his 21st campaign.
“Just happy for him. It was a hell of an accomplishment,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Wish we could have got the win to cap it off. But my hat’s off to him. Amazing, amazing run that continues to this day.”
James scored his first basket on a fast break layup 6:20 into the opening quarter to give the Lakers an 18-12 edge, then added a 3-pointer from the left corner 63 seconds later for a 23-14 advantage.
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He sank a layup 14 seconds into the second quarter to pull within two of the milestone, then missed a free throw and on the next Laker possession missed a 3-point shot.
James scored the historic basket with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter, banking in a driving layup from the left side of the basket to give the Lakers a 37-32 lead.
The crowd gave James a standing ovation during a timeout and the ball James used for the milestone hoop was removed from the game.
“Much respect and much loyalty to the Laker fan base for showing me that love during the timeout,” James said.
Asked if he thought another NBA player could crack 40,000, James replied, “I have no idea.”
“You have to play the game quite a while and have some good luck as far as injuries and things of that nature. You have to take care of your body. You have to be present on the floor and then you have to be productive as well.”
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The Nuggets equalized at 89-89 entering the fourth quarter and seized command with a 9-0 run in the final minutes to lead 117-110, Denver hitting 15-of-22 from the floor in the final quarter.
“I just want to be better,” James said. “It’s always over the last few minutes of the game where they make plays, we don’t make plays that can be frustrating.”
Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. went 10-for-10 from the floor and scored 25 points while matching Jokic’s 10 rebounds.
“He was amazing,” Jokic said. “It’s always a good thing when you have a guy on your team that can shoot like that.”
The Lakers, 33-29, rank 10th in the Western Conference while the Nuggets are 42-19, third in the West but only a half-game behind leading Minnesota.
In other games, Mikal Bridges scored 38 points to lead host Brooklyn over Atlanta 114-102 while Jimmy Butler netted 37 points to power the Miami Heat over visiting Utah 126-120.
Anfernee Simons hit 30 points to lead Portland’s 107-100 overtime triumph at Memphis while Jalen Green’s 34 points led Houston over host Phoenix 118-109.
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Sports
Super Eagles Stars, Calvin Bassey And Alex Iwobi Caught On Camera Shopping Together In London
Published
1 day agoon
May 1, 2024By
EditorSuper Eagles stars, Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi were spotted shopping together at a store in London.
The Nigerian internationals play for Fulham FC in the Premier League.
Sports
10 Facts About New Super Eagles Coach, Finidi George
Published
3 days agoon
April 29, 2024By
EditorThe Nigeria Football Federation on Monday announced the appointment of former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The announcement came in a statement, with the NFF Board approving the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
However, takes a look at 10 things about Finidi George as compiled by The PUNCH.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Finidi George Appointed New Super Eagles Head Coach
1. Finidi George was born on April 15, 1971, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
2. He played as a right winger and was known for his pace, accurate crosses, efficient dribbling, and free-kick abilities. He played for three clubs in Nigeria including Calabar Rovers and Sharks of Port Harcourt.
3. George had a successful club career with Ajax, winning 8 major titles including the 1995 Champions League.
4. He also played for Real Betis in Spain, nearly joining Real Madrid before that move fell through.
5. George spent one season with Mallorca and then joined Ipswich Town in the Premier League for £3.1 million in 2002.
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6. He made his international debut for Nigeria in 1991 and earned 62 caps, appearing at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
7. George won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria and helped them reach the round of 16 at the 1994 World Cup.
8. At the 1994 World Cup, he scored against Greece and celebrated with a famous ‘urinating dog’ celebration.
9. He has 11 brothers, two of whom (Igeniwari and Celestine) were also professional footballers.
10. In September 2021, George was appointed head coach of Nigerian club Enyimba F.C. and won the Nigeria Premier League with them in June 2023.
Sports
JUST IN: Finidi George Appointed New Super Eagles Head Coach
Published
3 days agoon
April 29, 2024By
EditorThe Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team.
The announcement came in a statement on Monday, with the NFF Board approving the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward.
Finidi George, who spent 20 months as an assistant to the outgoing José Santos Peseiro, had been serving as the interim coach after the Portuguese tactician’s departure following the Super Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
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During his interim tenure, George oversaw two friendly matches in Morocco last month, where the team ended an 18-year winless streak against Ghana with a 2-1 victory before suffering a 0-2 loss to Mali.
“George, a member of the so-styled ‘Golden Generation’ that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and emerged as the second most entertaining team in Nigeria’s debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in USA the same year, won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals,” the NFF statement read.
Reflecting on his illustrious playing career, the statement highlighted George’s achievements, which include “gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments.”
One of George’s most memorable moments came when he “assisted Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) to score Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994,” the statement noted.
The new Super Eagles boss’s immediate task will be to guide the team to victory in two crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan, respectively, within the next five weeks.
The NFF statement emphasised that “the matches are must-win encounters, with the Super Eagles lagging behind in third place in Group C of the African campaign behind Rwanda and South Africa.”
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