Abdul-jabbar faces three months recovery after fall
By The Associated Press
Kareem Abdul-jabbar is recovering from surgery for a broken hip after he fell at a concert in Los Angeles.
The NBA Hall of Famer had surgery Sunday “with no complications,” his business partner and spokeswoman, Deborah Morales, told The Associated Press on Monday.
“He will be in recovery for the next three months,” she wrote via text.
Abdul-jabbar was attending a show Friday night when he was injured. Paramedics at the undisclosed venue responded and the 76-year-old was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
He was a key player on the Los Angeles Lakers’ teams during their “Showtime” era in the 1980s, leading them to five NBA championships.
“I’m wishing my Showtime teammate Kareem Abdul-jabbar a speedy recovery after falling and breaking his hip! Praying for the Captain!” Magic Johnson posted on social media over the weekend.
The 7-foot-2 center was the NBA’S career scoring leader until being passed by current Laker Lebron James in February. Abduljabbar owned the mark for 39 years.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 rebounds in a win Sunday night to overtake Abdul-jabbar as the Milwaukee Bucks’ career rebounding leader. Abduljabbar won the first of his six NBA MVP awards during his years there before being traded to the Lakers in 1975.
He starred at UCLA, where he was known as Lew Alcindor and was a three-time national player of the year under coach John Wooden.
Abdul-jabbar disclosed in 2020 that he had prostate cancer. In 2009, he said he had been diagnosed the previous year with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer.
Former North Carolina star Montross dies
Eric Montross, a former North Carolina and NBA big man, has died after a cancer fight, his family said. He was 52.
The school released the family’s announcement Monday morning, saying Montross died Sunday surrounded by loved ones at his Chapel Hill home. He had been diagnosed with cancer in March, leading to him stepping away from his duties as a radio analyst for UNC game broadcasts.
“To know Eric was to be his friend, and the family knows that the ripples from the generous, thoughtful way that he lived his life will continue in the lives of the many people he touched with his deep and sincere kindness,” the announcement said.
Montross played for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith from 1990-94 and was a two-time Associated Press second-team All-american. He started on Smith’s second NCAA championship team in 1993 before being the No. 9 overall pick by the Boston Celtics a year later and playing in the NBA until 2002.
In addition to his broadcast duties, he worked as senior major gifts director at the Rams Club, the fundraising arm of UNC’S athletics department. He was also known for charitable efforts, such as helping launch a father-child basketball camp for Father’s Day weekend to support the UNC Children’s Hospital.
Curry’s record 3-point streak snapped
Stephen Curry’s Nbarecord 3-pointer streak ended at 268 games Sunday night in the Golden State Warriors’ 118-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Curry was 0 for 8 from 3-point range, 2 for 12 overall and scored seven points. He began the streak Dec. 1, 2018, at Detroit.
Curry, the NBA career leader who recently made his 3,500th 3-pointer, last went without one in a regular-season game on Nov. 8, 2018, when he was 0 for 4 against Milwaukee. He also owns the second-longest NBA streak at 157 games.
■ The WNBA’S 28th season will begin May 14 with teams playing 40 games through Sept. 19 with a month-long break for the Olympics, the league annunced Monday. There will be no regular season contests from July 18-Aug. 14 because of the Paris Games.
Purdue back on top after beating Arizona
Purdue’s slide from No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll turned out to be brief.
The Boilermakers headlined Monday’s latest poll for the second time this season after beating former No. 1 Arizona over the weekend. The Wildcats had spent two weeks at No. 1 after Purdue’s loss to Northwestern ended the Boilermakers’ stint at the top after one week.
Purdue received 48 of 62 first-place votes in the latest poll to jump from third with the Arizona win, the program’s first against a No. 1 team in 23 years. Preseason No. 1 Kansas stayed at No. 2 with six firstplace votes, while Houston moved up one spot to No. 3 and had the other eight votes. Arizona fell to fourth.
■ South Carolina remained the unanimous No. 1 in The AP women’s basketball poll on Monday, while Washington was ranked for the first time since 2017. The Gamecocks received all 36 votes from a national media panel after winning their only game last week in a rout. Many teams were on break for exams and there wasn’t much movement.
UCLA, North Carolina State, Iowa and Texas followed South Carolina. USC remained No. 6.
Ottawa shakeup: Martin replaces Smith
The Ottawa Senators fired coach D.J. Smith, replacing him on an interim basis with Jacques Martin. Martin returns after coaching the Senators for nine seasons from 1995-96 through 2003-04. It’s the latest shakeup for the team in Canada’s capital city. after new owner Michael Andlauer fired general manager Pierre Dorion earlier this season and made president Steve Staios interim GM. Staios fired Smith 12 days after hiring Martin as senior adviser.