CLIPPERS HOPE KAREEM CAN HELP TEAM HIRES ABDUL-JABBAR AS ASSISTANT.Byline: Randy Hill Staff Writer In an effort to upgrade their bench staff, the Clippers on Friday hired Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar For the football player, see . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. on April 16, 1947) is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach. as an assistant coach. He'll join former Boston Celtics great Dennis Johnson Persondata NAME Dennis Wayne Johnson ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dennis Johnson SHORT DESCRIPTION NBA basketball player DATE OF BIRTH September 18, 1954 PLACE OF BIRTH Compton, California DATE OF DEATH February 22, 2007 PLACE OF DEATH Austin, Texas Dennis Wayne Johnson as big-name sideline spotters for interim coach Jim Todd For the baseball player, see . Jim Todd is a professional basketball coach. He was the coach at Salem State College for nearly ten years, and coached the Los Angeles Clippers for half a season in 2000, replacing Chris Ford. His focus was power forwards and centers. , who took over the team after Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (born January 11, 1949 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA) is a former professional basketball player and head coach. A 6' 5" (1.96 m) guard from Villanova University, he played ten seasons (1972-1982) in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons and Boston was fired Feb. 3. Abdul-Jabbar will be in Chicago tonight Chicago Tonight is an evening television news program broadcast s on WTTW in Chicago. Chicago Tonight reports primarily on local news and presents features showcasing local arts and events. Monday through Thursday night, the program is hosted primarily by Phil Ponce. , weather permitting, where the Clippers play the Bulls. ``The Clippers are close,'' Abdul-Jabbar said of the young team that is 11-40 and 17 games behind In sports, the phrase games behind, often abbreviated as GB in tables, is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. Minnesota for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. ``Basically, what they're lacking is leadership. It will be up to coach Todd and the rest of us to change the whole dynamic.'' For the past few years, Abdul-Jabbar, the top scorer in NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= history, hasn't made a secret of his desire to coach. In fact, the historically low-profile ex-Laker recently has been on a promotional tour for his book, ``A Season On the Reservation,'' which chronicles Abdul-Jabbar's experiences coaching Native-Americans at the high school level. He doesn't doubt his expertise can translate to higher education in the pros. ``They've got some talent,'' said Abdul-Jabbar, whose Clippers assessment is based on TV observations. ``Maurice Taylor and Lamar Odom are first-rate. They probably could start for any team in the league.'' But one player the Clippers are hoping Abdul-Jabbar's considerable wisdom can influence is second-year center Michael Olowokandi, who was tutored by the Hall of Famer his rookie year. Olowokandi, the first pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, is averaging eight rebounds and nine points, making just 44 percent of his field-goal attempts. ``He gets into a lot of foul trouble, so he's not spending that much time on the court,'' Abdul-Jabbar said. ``He's got a lot of potential. I've seen what he can do. He's very intelligent and very athletic.'' But no match for his new teacher. Abdul-Jabbar's experience was accrued during 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers. A three-time All-American and NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association champion at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , Abdul-Jabbar ranks first in league history for field goals attempted and made and minutes played. He also is second on the all-time list for blocked shots, third in rebounding and first in fouls. Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time NBA All-Star, two-time scoring champion, six-time Most Valuable Player and played on six championship teams, five with the Lakers. ``I am ecstatic that the organization has moved to support what we are trying to accomplish in developing our young players,'' Todd said. ''I don't feel that there can be anybody more qualified to work with our big men.'' That was the calling card Abdul-Jabbar presented to team owner Donald T. Sterling. ``I talked to Mr. Sterling two or three years ago,'' Abdul-Jabbar said of his bid to expedite a coaching career. ``In the interim, I had told (vice president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor) that I was very interested in coaching.'' |
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