The numbers don’t lie: Few scorers were as dominant in their era as George Gervin. “The Iceman” is one of just five players in NBA history to win the scoring title at least four times, as he did for the Spurs in four out of five seasons from 1977-1982.
An NBA or ABA All-Star in 12 of his 14 seasons, Gervin will be on hand when NBA All-Star Weekend comes to the Big Apple next month. As part of the festivities, he’ll be appearing at one of two NBA Houses in Manhattan (from Feb. 10-16 at Skylight at Moynihan Station) and Brooklyn (from Feb. 11-15 at LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre). Tickets, on sale now, start at $10 in Brooklyn and $20 in Manhattan.
Gervin spoke with amNewYork about All-Star Weekend and his Hall of Fame career.
What are you looking forward to doing at the NBA House?
For me, being a part of the legends group, the fan base that comes into the NBA House, I get a chance to meet a lot of them that still remember me. And they bring their kids, and a lot of them say, “This is the man right here.” Their kids don’t know who I am, but their dads and moms know who I am. I like that, man. If the kids want to know anything about me, they have to go on YouTube.
Do you have a favorite All-Star Game memory?
Well, that [game] MVP year was good in ’80. It was good that we played the All-Star Game in [Pontiac, Michigan, in 1979]. Me being from Detroit and being able to go back there as an All-Star, that was a great memory. Everyone comes out of the woodwork when you go back home. That was good.
Who in the NBA has impressed you most this season?
The first guy I think of who entertains me the most is [Stephen] Curry from Golden State. Him and [Klay] Thompson: they’re entertainers. They’re playing well. I think they did a great improvement from last year as far as starting off well.
Who in the league now reminds you the most of yourself?
The first guy you think of is Kevin Durant. Basically, because of his size and he can score. I’ve always been known as a scorer. We score differently, but he can flat out shoot the ball. He can put the ball on the floor. He can shoot with consistency. I shot 51% for my [NBA] career, so I was efficient. And he seems to be. He’s the guy that reminds me of me more than anybody else.
