Can Malone catch Kareem??

[jod23]

Right now Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the all time leader in scoring with 38,387 points but Malone is closing in slowly but surely. He is of course second all time with 33,932...that is accurate up to his last game in the NBA so in three games time he should cruise by 34,000.

This leaves him 4,387 short...now lets consider how long he will keep playing and if he does when will he go by it? He is currently averaging 24.1ppg and that should be good enough for just under or just on another 1000 points for the rest of the season. That will leave him roughly 3,300 behind. If he goes on for 2 more years he could get it, considering his slow down in scoring he still get almost 2000 points a season, around 1,800 is right on the money.....so all in all he will still have to play 2 more seasons after this one to get real close.

Anybody think he will play on? I know he wants a championship but this years Utah team wont do it so unless he is traded that elusive ring will avoid him. So if i was him i would think, well im enjoying myself and seen as a ring seems out of the question i may aswell bow out as the all time leading scorer in NBA history.

Thoughts??

 

[Booze Hound]

I think he will try and get traded to a contender, maybe for next season. Which one - I haven't really thought about, could he take a pay cut and go to the Lakers?

He keeps himself in such good condition that he could easily play three more years on the physical side but if his game does start to slide it will probably go down the pan very quickly (see Patrick Ewing).

If he gets a ring he'll surely retire.

If pressed I'd say no, he won't beat Kareem's record.

 

[jod23]

If he gets traded to a contender at all i dont think he'll get the record because....

a) his scoring will go down to about 15ppg because if he goes to a Dallas or a Lakers he wont be required to do the scoring....

b) he could win a title and then retire....

However if he stays put and plays on he could very well get it.

 

[X_box_X]

Jod, I think it would be interesting to see how many PPG he is averaging for the 2001-2002 season, because when Utah werent playing well, I reckon there was a chance Malone struggled to play many 30 point games.

But for the record, I think if he goes on to play until 2004, it will be very close to see if he comes near the 38,000 mark because I have noticed him play this year, and he doesnt seem to be moving as well as he used to, so therefore will only get about 30 minutes a game after this year.

IMO I think he will fall just short of the record.
btw, how about Jordan, I know his 3rd Jod, but how many career points has he had?

 

[coxon]

nah.. MJ is fourth on 30,194 points...
behind Wilt who's on 31,419.

re karl malone overtaking kareem's record...
hmmm.. tough one..
malone is in incredible physical condition... durable.. missed something like 7 games in his entire career (3 were injury related, the others through suspension!!!!!)

IF.. he stays at utah for another 2-3 seasons, the record will be his..

 

[jod23]

Xie...Malone is averaging 24.1 ppg this season which is pretty good. Jordan is just about the same, it will go up a little after his 40 point effort.

Jordan wont get it as he gets about 2000 points a season and considering he only has 30,194 he would need to play at least 4 more seasons...very unlikely.