As of today, LeBron is just 158 points away from becoming the All-Time leading scorer in NBA history. Once he achieves this long held record many will shout from the roof tops that he is the greatest player of all time. Others will argue heavily that Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time, a.k.a. the G.O.A.T. Very few will mention the guy who has held the scoring record for 39 years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
My question is…WHY?
From introducing the world to the "skyhook" to being a social justice luminary, with an impressive resume like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's it is indisputable that he is the best basketball player to ever grace the court.
Kareem was born in New York City as Lew Alcindor, and would later change his name after converting to Islam in college.
For high school Kareem attended Power Memorial Academy, where he made headlines for his remarkable basketball abilities. During his high school career, Kareem was a three-time All-American and won two championships with the Power Memorial Academy team. He also
set several records, including scoring 2,067 points in three years, averaging 26.4 points per game during his senior year, and leading the team to 71 consecutive wins over his high school career. His accomplishments helped him earn a college scholarship to the illustrious UCLA, where he would be coached by John Wooden.
Kareem's freshman season at UCLA was nothing short of remarkable. The 7'2" center set a number of records, including the most points scored in a single season with 1,183 and the most rebounds in a single season with 568. His dominance on the court helped lead UCLA to three consecutive NCAA championships from 1967 to 1969. He was also named an All-American three times during his college career. Kareem's record-setting freshman season at UCLA set the tone for what would be an illustrious career in basketball and beyond.
In 1969, the Milwaukee Bucks chose Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the 1st pick in the NBA Draft. In his second season the Bucks traded for the BIG O, Oscar Robertson. After having his best years with Cincinnati and leading them to a record of 69-13 in 1961-62, he was the centerpiece of what would later become known as "The Greatest Team Ever." That year the Bucks would go on to a 66-16 record and winning the title.
Before the 1975-76 NBA season, Abdul-Jabbar made a request to be traded from Milwaukee. He wished to experience a shift in surroundings, particularly a place he felt cozy and connected with. As he said, “The things I relate to don’t happen to be in this city to any meaningful degree. Culturally, what I’m about and what Milwaukee is about are two different things. The reason I haven’t commented on this before is I don’t want to take a knock at Milwaukee or the people here and have them think they’re unworthy of me. That’s not what it’s all about.”
Wish granted! Milwaukee then traded Kareem to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before Kareem’s arrival in 1975, the team was struggling to find success. However, that would quickly change with his arrival and the addition of the young superstar point guard, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. With this duo, the 1980s era of Lakers basketball would be known as the “showtime” era because every time the Lakers touched the floor they would bring a flair unlike any other team had ever.
From 1979 until Kareem’s retirement in 1989, the Lakers made seven appearances in the finals, winning five championships. His skillful use of the skyhook, his passion for defense and his leadership made him an unstoppable force during this time.
No one has ever been as dominant as Kareem, and maybe never will.
71 straight wins and two championships, make him the most storied high school player ever.
Three National Player of the Year awards and 2 NCAA championships, make him the most decorated collegiate basketball player of all time.
Then once you add Six MVP awards, 19 All-Star selections, 15 All-NBA selections (11 of them First team), 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selections, and 6 NBA championships to his résumé; Kareem stands on an island all alone as the greatest basketball player to ever live.
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