While Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was rooting for Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, he thoroughly enjoyed the entertaining best-of-7 series. Despite losing 4-1 in the first Finals appearance of his career, Spurs’ Wembanyama joined Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon for averaging 23+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 3+ blocks throughout the playoffs. Amid a busy sports weekend, Kareem also watched the USMNT face Paraguay in the World Cup.
Wembanyama also earned a fan in Abdul-Jabbar, who admitted to seeing flashes of his younger self in the Defensive Player of the Year, he said, per Abdul-Jabbar’s Substack.
“Knicks squad were 2-1 underdogs against the Spurs and their exciting young center Victor Wembanyama, and even though I grew up in Harlem I found myself rooting for Wemby, who reminds me a little of myself at that age,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “Then again, maybe I’ve held a bit of a grudge against the Knicks ever since my rookie year, when they eliminated my Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals.
“Whatever, I’m over it now, after their breathtaking post-season run, led by the undersized but enormous-hearted point guard Jalen Brunson, who scored a team playoff record 45 points in the deciding game, sinking distant threes and amazing high arcs over the longest arms in the league.”
Abdul-Jabbar also wasted no time in applauding Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson, who was named MVP after winning Game 5’s series-clinching victory, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Game 4’s hero, OG Anunoby.
“It came as a surprise to exactly no one when he was named finals MVP. I was also greatly impressed by OG Anunoby, who averaged 21 points per game in the finals, and saved game four at the Garden with his already legendary tip in,” Abdul-Jabbar added. “And I have to give a shout-out to center Karl-Anthony Towns, who won the league’s Social Justice Champion Award named in my honor in 2024 for his work expanding voter rights in Minnesota, where he was playing for the Timberwolves.
“I don’t have the time or space to talk about every player on the team, but they all shared in the glory Saturday night, and special praise has to go out to coach Mike Brown, who helped the underdogs overachieve when it mattered most.”
Although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was cheering on Victor Wembanyama to win his first title, it sounds as if he can admit that Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, and the Knicks undoubtedly earned the right to be champions after a hard-fought Finals series.
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