The GOAT debate is a never-ending discussion around the NBA for a couple of years now. This topic has become more popular over the past two or three years, especially after younger fans learned more about Michael Jordan and his mighty Chicago Bulls of the 1990s.
LeBron James appears to be the closest pursuer to MJ for that GOAT title, but others have different candidates for that unofficial honor. Besides His Airness and the King, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is also mentioned in these discussions, and people like Isiah Thomas want fans to know why he thinks KAJ is the greatest of all time.
Charles Barkley recently praised Kareem’s greatness too, which shows how respected and admired the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks legend is among his peers. But they aren’t the only ones showering KAJ with praise, and one of his former coaches gave him his flowers while explaining why he is the greatest to ever do it.
Pat Riley Praises Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And Reveals What Makes Him The GOAT
Pat Riley, who coached the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers during the 80s, always had the utmost respect for Kareem. For the now Miami Heat president, there isn’t nobody better than Kareem thanks to his longevity and all the things he did on the court for a long time.
“I always said that Kareem was the greatest player of all time because of his longevity,” Riley told ESPN.
Riley also mentioned Abdul-Jabbar’s durability, recalling that he could play 80 games a season at the best level, even taking a lot of punishment from rivals, but always staying on top of them.
“Kareem was unique from the standpoint that he could play at a high level, play 80 games a year … get beat up because of double- and triple-teams and guys just taking shots at him. He just developed this mental toughness along with a great physical body to really last forever.”
Riley mentioned Michael Jordan among the greatest too, but still placed Kareem over everybody else since he was able to deliver until he was 40.
“I put Michael [Jordan] in there too,” Riley said. “But Kareem was the greatest at that time because of his longevity and the fact that he continued to perform at a high level when he was in his late 30s and 40s.”
LeBron James is on the verge of breaking Kareem’s all-time scoring record, and the former Los Angeles Lakers center has wished him nothing but great things. Many people like Chandler Parsons and Isiah Thomas (again) think that once LeBron breaks this record, he will become the undisputed NBA GOAT.
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