Thursday, November 20, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
Work ethic earns Dallas player NBA consecutive-games record
The Associated Press
DALLAS — As a youngster, A.C. Green had an afternoon ritual. He would sit on the porch of his home in Portland, Ore., and wait for his father to come home from his job at a car dealership.
From those afternoons, a work ethic was born.
"I remember him being a little fatigued, but I thought that's how you're supposed to feel coming home from work," he said.
Now 34, Green hasn't missed a day of work as an NBA power forward for 11 straight years, playing through fatigue, food poisoning, torn ligaments and cracked teeth.
Green will be in the lineup again tonight when his Dallas Mavericks play the Golden State Warriors. It will be his 907th straight game, breaking an NBA record that has stood for 14 years.
"I work hard, but I make sure I have fun at my job," he said. "It's easy to see. That's the persona and synergy I want to give off."
Green's parents, A.C. Sr. and Leola,
will be courtside for the game, as will
about 150 friends and relatives from
around the country. Former teammate Magic Johnson is expected, as is NBA vice president Rod Thorn.
The game will be stopped shortly after tipoff and Green will be given the game ball. At halftime, a "907" banner will be raised to the Reunion Arena rafters, a $10,000 check will be presented to the A.C. Green Youth Foundation and videotaped tributes from former coaches and teammates will be played.
Afterward, Green is throwing a bash at Planet Hollywood.Invitations went out to an eclectic group, including Evander Holyfield, Johnie Cochran, Hammer, Alice Cooper and former Harlem Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon.
So are baseball's Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr., who drew worldwide acclaim for breaking Lou Gehrig's seemingly unbreakable streak of 2,130 games in 1995, and Randy Smith, whose NBA record Green is breaking.
Some say the celebration is premature because while Green will be going to No. 1 on the NBA list, he has more than a season to go before
NBA leaders
Through Tuesday:
| Scoring | G | FG | FT | PTS | AVG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Robinson, S.A. | 9 | 81 | 76 | 238 | 26.4 |
| Jordan, Chi. | 10 | 93 | 58 | 248 | 24.8 |
| O'Neal, LAL | 7 | 67 | 36 | 170 | 24.3 |
| Malone, Utah | 10 | 82 | 70 | 234 | 23.4 |
| Webber, Wash. | 8 | 80 | 16 | 184 | 23.0 |
| Robinson, Mil. | 10 | 93 | 36 | 227 | 22.7 |
| Iverson, Phil. | 7 | 65 | 20 | 158 | 22.6 |
| Gugliotta, Minn. | 9 | 73 | 57 | 203 | 22.6 |
| Miller, Ind. | 9 | 65 | 59 | 203 | 22.6 |
| Abdur-Rahim, Van. | 11 | 88 | 68 | 244 | 22.2 |
Rebounds G OFF DEF TOT AVG
Williams, N.J. 8 63 56 119 14.9
Barkley, Hauk. 8 39 65 104 13.0
Robinson, S.A. 9 42 72 114 12.7
Mutombo, Atl. 11 41 94 135 12.3
Duncan, S.A. 9 25 81 106 11.8
Rodman, Chi. 10 42 75 117 11.7
O'Neal, LAL 7 25 56 81 11.6
Grant, Port. 9 49 55 104 11.6
Sabonis, Port. 9 20 83 103 11.4
Green, Dall. 10 38 74 112 11.2
Assists G AST AVG
Strickland, Wash. 10 99 9.9
Kidd, Phoe. 8 77 9.6
Marbury, Minn. 9 84 9.3
Payton, Sea. 10 93 9.3
Stoudamire, Tor. 10 87 8.7
Hill, Det. 10 84 8.4
Hardaway, Mia. 9 75 8.3
Jackson, Ind. 9 73 8.1
breaking the professional basketball record. Ron Boone played in 1,041 straight games from 1968-61, but his mark is not recognized by the NBA because the first 662 were in the ABA.
The only three games Green has missed in his 13-year career were because of benchings early in his second season. Had he played those, tonight would be his 996th straight game.
Green played eight seasons with the Lakers and three-plus with Phoenix before being traded to Dallas last December. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds and raised a position that demands constant banging, he routinely is matched against players who outweigh him by 30 to 50 pounds.
"I've had to wear thigh pads like a football player because I kept getting
knee. "he said. "Every time it would heal, boom, I'd get hit again."
The closest Green came to missing a game was in February 1995 when J.R. Reid of the New York Knicks elbowed him in the mouth, knocking out two bottom front teeth and fracturing the sockets.
In defiance of a perceived cheap shot, Green played 68 seconds the next night and wore a plastic mask for a dozen games.
"That's the one that got a lot of attention," Green said. "But most of the other things I don't talk about. That's the key—I play a lot of it off."
Green also relies on faith. He doesn't smoke, drink or curse, and he's still a virgin. He says the same resolve that has kept him true to those principles has kept him on the court.
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African Images: 'The Colors, Sounds, Sights and Tastes of Africa'
Cultural Show and Dinner
Cultural Show and Dinner Come and join us for delicious cuisine from many parts of the continent of Africa; music and dance; fashion show and more!
Date: Saturday, November 22,1997
Time: 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Place: Ecumenical Christian Ministries (ECM) 1205 OreadFee: $7 (half-price for children, under 3 free)
For more information, tickets contact:
African Affairs Student Association members
or SUA ticket office in Kansas Union or
African & African-American Studies Dept.
864-3054
Sponsored by University of Kansas Student Senate and African & African-American Studies Department