SportsApril 22, 2002
Abdul-Jabbar loses in debut
DODGE CITY, Kan. -- Far removed from the glamor of the NBA, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made his professional head coaching debut Sunday night in the southwest Kansas town made famous by the television series "Gunsmoke." "No jitters, no jitters at all," Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and an 18-time All-Star, said before his Oklahoma Storm played the Dodge City Legend in a United States Basketball League game...
The Associated Press
DODGE CITY, Kan. -- Far removed from the glamor of the NBA, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made his professional head coaching debut Sunday night in the southwest Kansas town made famous by the television series "Gunsmoke."
"No jitters, no jitters at all," Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's career scoring leader and an 18-time All-Star, said before his Oklahoma Storm played the Dodge City Legend in a United States Basketball League game.
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No wins yet, either.
Abdul-Jabbar's team blew a 14-point second-half advantage, then rallied for a late lead before losing 98-97 on Tim Pledger's two free throws with 7.5 seconds left.
With the 2,300-seat Dodge City Civic Center sold out, fans lined up hours before the game for standing-room-only tickets. The announced attendance was 2,659, breaking the previous Civic Center basketball record of 2,514.
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