One is an Hall of Famer and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

The Phoenix Suns would love the other one to come close to having that kind of career with them.

After Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals aired on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel had a “Generation Gap NBA Edition” with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deandre Ayton.

“Kareem was already 51 when his challenger was born,” Kimmel said to start his intro of Ayton.

Ayton gave the peace sign.

Oh you knew this was going to be fun.

Airing after the Miami Heat stunned the Los Angeles Lakers to force a Game 6, Kimmel pitted Abdul-Jabbar against Ayton as he asked the two to identify who was in a photo or by a word from their specific era that’s relatable on some level. 

If one misses a question, the other can steal.

Ten points for each correct answer. Let’s go.

For starters, the look on Ayton’s face when Kimmel asked him who “these tiger kings are” in magicians Siegfried & Roy after Abdul-Jabbar didn’t know Joe Exotic of Netflix’s ‘Tiger King” by name was priceless.

Big Hair. Totally 70s Saturday Night Fever look.

• Kimmel: Deandre, ever heard of Siegfried & Roy?
• Ayton: No I have not (smiling).”

Abdul-Jabbar took a 20-0 lead for identifying photos of Siegfried & Roy and Bela Lugosi, who played the Dracula vampire character from black and white films from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Ayton was born in 1998.

Kimmel gave Ayton 10 points for knowing the first name of the 2008 film Twilight’s character, “Edward Cullen,” a vampire played by actor Robert Pattinson.   

That got quite a laugh out of Abdul-Jabbar. Pretty cool.

Then Abdul-Jabbar stunned Ayton by knowing rapper Cardi B’s song “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. 

“Whaaaat?” Ayton reacted.

Seen that reaction before.

That reaction was almost as good as the one Ayton gave when Kimmel asked him which do wop group sang, “At the Hop.”

Danny & The Juniors back in 1958. Ayton said he didn’t even know about do wop music.

Suggestion. Check out Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers.

Ayton closed the gap to 30-20 by knowing who singer Billie Eilish was. Abdul-Jabbar thought she was the late Amy Winehouse.

Pretty good guess based on looks.

So with a chance to tie, Ayton was shown a photo of the legendary Billie Holiday.

Black and white picture. Glamour shot.

“That looks like Whitney,” Ayton said.

As in the late Whitney Houston. 

Nope.

Abdul-Jabbar knew it was Holiday. He went up, 40-20.

Kimmel then calls game, set, match in favor of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer that left Ayton shaking his head, but the Suns starting center was a good sport about it.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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