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SPORTS Thursday 9 February 2023
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Who has next for James’ scoring record: Luka? Tatum? Anyone?

By BRIAN MAHONEY before coming to the U.S.
AP Basketball Writer had him ready to make a
James Harden averaged quick splash in the NBA, and
36 points a few seasons he’s averaged better than
ago. Devin Booker once 27 points in four of his five
scored 70 in one game. seasons. Doncic already
There are many more play- has racked up more than
ers doing much more scor- 8,500 points and he won’t
ing now than when LeBron even turn 24 until the end
James began his NBA ca- of this month. He’s far more
reer in 2003-04. Tracy Mc- than just a scorer, perhaps
Grady led the league with more likely to surpass Russell
28 points per game that Westbrook’s career record
season, a mark that nine for triple-doubles.
players would currently be Devin Booker, Phoenix.
surpassing. Booker can get as hot as
With the faster pace of anybody in the league, as
play and the plethora of he showed when he scored
3-pointers, there are plen- 70 points in Boston in 2017
ty of chances for players at 20 years old, or when he
to pile up the points. But a had three straight with 40
look at Harden shows how or more in December. The
hard it will be for even an guard just turned 26 a few
elite scorer to keep doing it Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker shoots a three-point basket during the second half of an NBA months ago and already
long enough to challenge basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in New York. The Suns won has 12,000 points. Do a little
wherever the scoring mark 116-112. Associated Press better than his 27.1 points
is when James finally retires. per game this season for 12
He averaged 36.1 points and a severe hamstring a chance. Maybe it’s Luka James in the 2018 Eastern more years and he could
in 2019-20 and 34.3 the injury robbed Harden of Doncic, who like James has Conference finals, when he make things interesting.
next season. Maintain much of his explosiveness. lived up to the hype that finished with more points Giannis Antetokounmpo,
those kinds of numbers for He hasn’t even averaged followed him into the NBA. in a postseason than any Milwaukee. Perhaps he
75 games a season and a 25 points since and now Or maybe it’s Victor Wem- rookie other than Abdul- never really had a chance
player would be flirting with doesn’t get much past 20. banyama, who will try to Jabbar. The All-NBA for- at the career scoring re-
40,000 points in a mere 15 Count Booker among those do the same starting next ward averaged better cord after managing just
years though that still prob- who think James will never season. than 26 points the last two 525 points (6.8 per game)
ably wouldn’t be enough be caught. Maybe it’s a player who seasons, is at nearly 31 per as a rookie. But few play-
to reach where James will “You might be able to do it hasn’t even been born yet, game this one and doesn’t ers work harder to improve
put the record that’s now for five seasons or 10, but 20 just as James wasn’t when turn 25 until next month. than the Greek Freak, who
38,390. seasons at what he’s done, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set Keep up this season’s aver- may have replaced James
But then circumstances I don’t think it will ever be the previous record in 1984. age for the next 13 and he as the NBA’s most unstop-
changed. A trade first to done again,” the Phoenix Here’s a look at some of could be toe-to-toe with pable athletic force. He just
Brooklyn and then Philadel- Suns star said. the possibilities: James again. turned 28 and is in his fourth
phia meant having to share Still, perhaps there are Jayson Tatum, Boston: Ta- Luka Doncic, Dallas. Play- straight season averaging
shots with fellow All-Stars, some players who will have tum went toe-to-toe with ing professionally in Spain better than 28 points. q

Brittney Griner absent from USA camp, but keeping in touch

By DOUG FEINBERG regularly now that Griner chat and text each other together working out. one,” Taurasi said. “And we
AP Basketball Writer is home in Phoenix. They often. We’ve sat down and talk- knew, at the same time,
Brittney Griner texted her workout together as well as “We’ve been on the court ed for hours,” Taurasi said. the minute she got into that
good friend Diana Taurasi “It’s been really nice to re- plane and we got to Phoe-
on Tuesday morning ask- connect. It’s good to see nix, there was going to be a
ing how the USA Basketball her smile. Good to give her whole new set of challeng-
training camp was going. a hug. Know she was alive es, a whole new reality, a
Griner was back in Arizona, and still had the ability to whole new way of living life
choosing to skip the camp be thankful and happy.” for BG.”
in Minnesota so she can be There was a time during Griner has said she’ll play
with her wife and recover Griner’s 10-month ordeal in for Phoenix again this sea-
from her time in a Russian Russia that the 40-year-old son although she’s still an
jail. She returned to the U.S. Taurasi wasn’t sure she’d unsigned free agent. She
in December after a dra- ever see her friend again. hasn’t talked about her in-
matic prisoner swap. “Every single day we suf- ternational future and po-
“She wants to be a part of fered and hoped she’d be tentially playing for the U.S.
this like no one else,” Taur- back and not until I saw at the Olympics next year
asi said. “So, she’ll get there her, did I really believe it. in Paris.
eventually. She’ll find her United States’ Diana Taurasi, left, and Brittney Griner tale part in And just to see her smile, She’s helped the U.S. win
footing.” a women’s basketball practice at the 2020 Summer Olympics, just to see her free, was two gold medals at the
Taurasi said the two talk July 24, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. really emotional for every- Olympics already.q
Associated Press