Frustrated Kareem Still Waits

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has not been called for any of the rash of coaching vacancies in the NBA this season despite his oft-stated hopes of landing a job.

“It’s kind of frustrating at times,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I know I can do a good job out there. I have to get an opportunity.”

His aloof nature in the past might have alienated people, but he clearly is in good graces with the fans. During his stops around the league as part of the NBA’s “Love It Live Tour,” he has been greeted as warmly as any of the other NBA legends, even in cities where his Lakers were hated enemies.

He received another nice ovation at Continental Airlines Arena Wednesday when he was introduced along with Bill Russell, Bill Bradley and Willis Reed.

“Sometimes absence makes the heart fonder or something,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It’s kind of hard to understand. Even when I’ve gone up to Boston, the people up there have let me know all is forgiven.”

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It’s not nice to fool with Dikembe Mutombo, according to Mutombo.

The Nets’ backup center, bristling at the Spurs’ celebration of Malik Rose’s dunk over him in Game 3, came back with one of his awkwardly effective nights in Game 4, coming off the bench to block three shots and getting a key offensive rebound.

“It was very important after all this trash talking and all this harping the past three days about Mutombo getting dunked on by Malik Rose,” he said.

“I was looking who was going to come in the paint and dunk on me again. I don’t think I really appreciated everything they were saying about me. And I came out today and fired myself up. You guys [press] helped me fire myself up. Hopefully, you can all write more about me so I can be fired up again.”

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It’s not always easy to be a point guard from Paris in modern times.

“On the road [people boo] a little bit, but at home not a lot,” said the Spurs’ Tony Parker. “Fans at San Antonio, they are great. They never say nothing, because I’m French....

“On the road a little bit when they call your name, they say, ‘Tony Parker from France,’ they kind of boo but that is OK. They forget that I’m 50% American. I’m 50/50. My father is from Chicago, my parents, uncle, auntie, everybody, is American.”