Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is often scanted when the GOAT conversation comes up. Even though he claimed 6 NBA championships and 6 MVPs, and was an All-Star for 19 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar has become a mere footnote to the debate. Both Michael Jordan and LeBron James deserve to be included in any discussion of the greatest of all time, but it is a disservice not to have Abdul-Jabbar in these conversations.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was an unreal scorer, his skyhook remains the most unstoppable shot in the history of the game. And what made him so impressive also was that he managed to play as long as he did in an era before sports science. Kareem set the all-time NBA scoring record that LeBron James will now overtake, but as Pat Riley explained to ESPN, it doesn’t negate his brilliance.
“I always said that Kareem was the greatest player of all time because of his longevity,” Riley recalled.
“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.
“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.”
Pat Riley was the Head Coach of the Showtime Lakers, it’s not surprising that he feels this way about Kareem’s GOAT case. But it’s not just his take on the matter, the facts back it up just as well.
Can Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Be Considered The GOAT Over Michael Jordan And LeBron James
Using Pat Riley’s logic, LeBron James’ insane longevity is something even Kareem never managed, so that would make him the GOAT. But Abdul-Jabbar can claim two more championships than James, giving him the edge. Michael Jordan is tied with him in that aspect, but his 4 more Finals MVPs give him a bit of an edge.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only player other than LeBron James to be in the Top 10 all-time in 3 different stat categories. It’s safe to say that his name should always be mentioned in the conversation about the greatest ever. While everyone has their takes on this matter, no one can claim that Kareem isn’t the GOAT.
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