Latest news with #KareemAbdul-Jabbar
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"It makes me see that people don't have a very good perspective" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on why not being mentioned in GOAT debate makes him cringe
"It makes me see that people don't have a very good perspective" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on why not being mentioned in GOAT debate makes him cringe originally appeared on Basketball Network. The NBA's greatest player of all time conversation has long been a barbershop classic and a never-ending debate that fuels sports radio and lights up social media. But somewhere along the way, the narrative tightened its scope, trimming off the first few golden decades of basketball. The GOAT conversation, it seems, has become a post-1990s affair, dominated by highlights of Michael Jordan, debates over LeBron James' longevity and flashes of Kobe Bryant's killer instinct. What gets lost in modern memory is the era that laid the very foundation. Abdul-Jabbar's distaste One of those names that has been overlooked is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time NBA champion and six-time league MVP. For someone like that, being routinely excluded from the GOAT debate is an oversight. "It makes me see that people don't have a very good perspective," Abdul-Jabbar said flatly. "I saw Wilt Chamberlain play. Nobody that's talking all that GOAT stuff now probably even saw him play. I saw Bill Russell play … They [the fans] have no idea." At 7-foot-2, Abdul-Jabbar was a force that defined consistency and brilliance for two decades. He retired in 1989 as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, a record that stood unchallenged for nearly four decades until James surpassed it in 2023. But stats alone don't capture his impact. He won titles with both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, revolutionized the center position with his unstoppable skyhook and delivered under pressure in an era crowded with Hall of Fame talent. But the passage of time has diluted public memory. In the digital era, greatness is too often measured in algorithmic popularity, not historical substance. Wilt Chamberlain recorded NBA2K-like numbers and set almost every record that has been the standard in the league. Bill Russell, the ultimate winner with 11 titles in 13 seasons, anchored the Boston Celtics dynasty and redefined what it meant to lead on and off the court. Related: "Only two guys on that team could fight" - Charles Barkley says "Bad Boy" label for Detroit was highly exaggerated The televised era Abdul-Jabbar's frustration doesn't stem solely from personal exclusion. It's the larger erasure of basketball's pre-1990s greatness from popular discourse. The NBA's archive of televised games from the 1960s and 70s is sparse and social media rarely revisits those early battles in black-and-white or grainy film. Without the highlights, the constant media reinforcement or the perception of greatness becomes skewed. "Because it was long ago, they don't see him play on TV," Abdul-Jabbar said of Chamberlain. "That affects their perspective on who's great and who's the greatest." Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a game, but no video footage of that game is present. What hurts is not just being left out of the debate, but seeing entire eras and players — like Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West — get reduced to trivia answers rather than living pillars of the sport. For Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons, averaged over 24 points and 11 rebounds per game during his peak and led the Lakers through the Showtime era, the silence is louder than the praise. Even the narrative around GOAT status has shifted. Rings are emphasized, but Russell's 11 titles are glossed over. Longevity is admired, but Abdul-Jabbar's two-decade dominance is undervalued. His activism, standing alongside Muhammad Ali and speaking against injustice, adds another layer to his legacy, making him a cultural figure as well as a basketball icon. And yet, despite all this, his name often floats just outside the heated center of the GOAT debate. Related: "Everybody say he is the greatest of all time. I always say what criteria are you using" - George Gervin on why he questions Michael Jordan's status as the GOAT This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama says he's been cleared to return following blood clot
Wembanyama was the league's Advertisement He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.7 assists when he was shut down; the only other player in NBA history to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. Wembanyama has traveled extensively recently and spent time last month at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China. The temple is a place that welcomes visitors who wish to study Chan meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. Related :
Edmonton Journal
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
SIMMONS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins GOAT conversation with Wayne Gretzky and Guy Lafleur
Article content The names atop the list are legends, all of them: Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. And now another name: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, born in Toronto, raised in Hamilton, the fourth player of the 4,800 or so who have suited up in the NBA to win a championship, a league MVP award, a scoring title and a Finals MVP all in the very same season.
Edmonton Journal
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caps historic season with NBA title, Finals MVP honours
Article content He becomes the fourth player in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, a scoring title and play for a champion in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it once, Michael Jordan then did it four times, and Shaquille O'Neal was the last entrant into that fraternity — until now. 'A lot of hard work, a lot of hours in the gym,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'This isn't just a win for me. This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world.'
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Nine rare moments in NBA history when the finals ended without a fight
NBA Finals sweeps are rare events. Only nine teams have achieved this feat. The Boston Celtics first swept the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959. Later, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Bucks, Rick Barry's Warriors, and Moses Malone's 76ers also swept their rivals. The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant's Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Kevin Durant's Warriors completed the list. A clean sweep in the NBA Finals doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it sticks in fans' minds for years. Just nine times in the league's history has a team won the championship without dropping a single game in the series. With big names like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Rick Barry, and Kevin Durant at the center, every one of those moments tells a tale of power, unity, and full control on the sport's biggest platform. It's rare, yet powerful. These moments show top-level skill, but they also make people wonder, was the other side weak? Let's go back and see who made a sweep, and how! Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Rick Barry made it look easy Only nine times in NBA history has a team won in the Finals in four games. This is known as a "sweep." It has happened in just 11.6% of the 77 total NBA Finals. Led by Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics defeated the Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 in April 1959, in the first sweep. Russell pulled an average of 29.5 rebounds per game. Boston's eight-year championship started with this win. In April 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson helped the Milwaukee Bucks sweep the Baltimore Bullets. It was quick and powerful. But things changed after that. For a very long period, the Bucks would not sample another championship. Not until 2021. Led by Rick Barry, the Golden State Warriors stunned everyone in May 1975 by sweeping the Washington Bullets. The Bullets' season record was significantly better. Still, the Warriors won two of the games by just one point. With Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and Andrew Toney, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four straight in June 1983. Predicting sweeps in every round, Malone had said before the playoffs, "Fo', Fo', Fo'," Almost right he was; they lost only one game during the whole playoffs. The tables turned in June 1989, as the Detroit Pistons won every game in the previous rounds, crushing the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 2, however, Magic Johnson damaged his hamstring, further complicating the Los Angeles Lakers' circumstances. Nine rare moments in NBA history when the finals ended without a fight (Image Source : Getty Images) Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant , and Kevin Durant finished it fast In June 1995, the Houston Rockets vanquished the Orlando Magic. Hakeem Olajuwon scored more than 30 points in every game. Certainly. Playing in his first NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O'Neal was given the Finals MVP honors. Shaq returned in 2002 along with Kobe Bryant. Together, they steered the Los Angeles Lakers to sweep over the New Jersey Nets. That triumph provided the Lakers with their third straight championship. In 2007, LeBron James carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals. Still, the Spurs were just too strong. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili kept them from breathing. San Antonio triumphed in every four games. LeBron saw a sweep one last time here. Led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors closed down the Cavaliers once again in 2018. Before he headed to Los Angeles, LeBron played Cleveland for the last time. Moses Malone stood in L.A. in 1983 following a commanding Finals and remarked, "We were too strong." The squad had swept the series just now. "We played by heart," he remarked, "We knew we could take all four." Also Read: Ernakulam schools hold sessions on life skills, wellness sessions
