Month: February 2023

On Tuesday, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James set the record for most career points in NBA history, passing fellow Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James had scored 27 points on Saturday against New Orleans to pull within 36 points of the record; and during the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, James scored his 36th point of the night late in the third quarter, bringing his career total to 38,388 points.

Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance at the Lakers’ game to see James surpass his record. Abdul-Jabbar previously set the record April 5, 1984, passing Wilt Chamberlain; and then went on to increased the record total to 38,387 points by the time he retired in 1989. The record had stood since Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement in 1989; and since James doesn’t appear likely to retire in the next few years, he could potentially top 40,000 points before his NBA career comes to an end

Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone now holds third place, but is still nearly 1,500 points shy of Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe Bryant, with nearly 5,000 points fewer than James, stands fourth all-time, with Michael Jordan rounding out the top 5.  All but Jordan played for the Los Angeles Lakers at one point in their careers.

James entered the NBA in 2003; in his rookie season, he averaged 20.9 points per game, and has since averaged at least 27 points per game 12 times, including this season. His highest single-season total was 31.4 points per game in his third season. James scored 23,119 points in 11 seasons in Cleveland, scored 7,919 points in Miami; and now has just over 7,300 points in his time with Los Angeles. James has also made the playoffs in 15 of 19 seasons, and holds the record for most points in NBA history combining the regular season and the playoffs.

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The San Francisco 49ers have hired former Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks as the team’s defensive coordinator.  Wilks replaces DeMeco Ryans, who accepted the Houston Texans’ head-coaching job.

Carolina promoted Wilks last season from defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach to interim head coach after firing Matt Rhule.  The 53-year-old impressed when he took over as head coach, with the Panthers going 6–6 with Wilks at the helm after inheriting a 1-4 Carolina team under Rhule’s leadership.  The Panthers nearly managed to win the NFC South before a late-season loss to the Buccaneers.

Wilks served as the Cardinals’ head coach in 2018, and followed as defensive coordinator at Missouri in 2021 and with the Browns in 2019. Prior to his time in Arizona, he spent 2012 to 2017 with Carolina, filling the roles of defensive backs coach, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. While Wilks received some interest for the full-time position with the Panthers, Carolina opted to hire former Colts coach Frank Reich. After the Panthers announced the decision, Wilks said he was “disappointed but not defeated” about not getting the chance to continue as head coach of the franchise.

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England’s Justin Rose earned his first victory in four years with a three-shot triumph at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. Rose had held a two-stroke lead at 15 under par on Sunday, having played nine holes of his final round and made an eagle and two birdies before play was suspended due to darkness,

The tournament resumed on Monday, which then saw the 42-year-old add further birdies on the 11th, 13th and 14th en route to a 66 as he moved to 18 under to take the victory for the first time since winning the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open. Rose’s closest challengers were Americans Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu on 15 under.

Rose said at a press conference: “I feel like I have been fortunate enough to win at some great venues, but Pebble’s right up there. Just that walk up 18, to sort of be able to build a bit of a lead to kind of enjoy it, was a very special moment. I think obviously when you’re a bit starved for a win as well, the fact that it came today on a weather day like we had and at a venue that we had today was just worth waiting for. (I was) strong out of the gate (on Monday), for sure. I was in the middle of the (10th) fairway last night. I felt like that (hole) was a big momentum maker, I suppose. To miss from short range early would have been kind of just a frustrating start. But to make that putt was awesome. Then to bury a 30-footer on the next hole I felt like was exactly the type of start I needed today.”

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