Kareem Abdul Jabbar - Superior

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947 as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr) is considered one of the greatest American basketball players of all time. Abdul-Jabbar played basketball professionally for twenty years, from 1969 to 1989. In that time, he scored 38,387 points -- professional basketball's highest career total. He was known for his "Skyhook" shot, which was famously difficult to block because it put his 7 ft-2 in body between the basket and the ball. His on-court success had an early start. In college, he played on three championship teams, and his high school team won 72 consecutive games. As a pro, he won a record six Most Valuable Player Awards.

The Harlem Globetrotters offered him $1 million to play for them, but he declined, and was picked first in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, only in their second season, who won the coin-toss for first pick over the Phoenix Suns. He was also chosen first overall in the 1969 American Basketball Association draft by the New York Nets. The Nets believed that they had the upper hand in receiving Kareem's services because he was from New York; however, when Kareem told both the Bucks and the Nets that he would accept one offer only from each team, the Nets bid too low. Thus, Kareem chose the NBA over the struggling ABA.

Lew Alcindor's entry into the NBA was timely, as center Bill Russell had just left the Boston Celtics, and Wilt Chamberlain, though still effective, was then 33 years old. Alcindor's presence enabled the 1969-70 Bucks to claim second place in the NBA's Eastern Division with a 56-26 record (up from 27-55 the previous year), and he was an instant star, ranking second in the league in scoring (28.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (14.5 rpg), for which he was awarded the title of NBA Rookie of the Year.

With the addition of Oscar Robertson, Milwaukee went on to record a league-best 66 victories in 1970-71, including a then-record of 20 straight wins. Alcindor was awarded his first of six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, along with his first scoring title (31.7 ppg). In the playoffs, the Bucks went 12-2 (including a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals) and Alcindor was named Finals MVP.

On defense, Abdul-Jabbar maintained a dominant presence. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team eleven times. He frustrated opponents with his superior shot-blocking ability, denying an average 2.6 shots a game.

Abdul-Jabbar was well known for his trademark "sky hook", a hook shot in which he bent his entire body (rather than just the arm) like a straw in one fluid motion to raise the ball and then release it at the highest point of his arm's arcing motion. Combined with his long arms and great height in which he stood 7 feet 2 inches tall, the sky hook was nearly impossible for a defender to block without goaltending.

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Sports

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• basketball

[Jiltedin2007]

The Lakers should do the right thing and get started on Kareem's statue at Staples Center. Considering that he has Leukemia, it won't be long until Kareem may pass away. Leukemia is a killer disease. He may be managing it now, but he can die at any time without any form of notice.

Leukemia is nothing to be playing with. Give "The Captain" his due!

[amd77j]

The greatest shot in NBA history, the Sky Hook.

[tonycapt1]

@andrewr62 Wilt was usually outscored because Jabbar was taking 40 shots compared to Wilt's 10. Wilt always out rebounded Kareem, and blocked more shots in head to head games. Wilt dominated Jabbar in the 72 playoffs defensively, even though outscored, Jabbars FG% was lower when playing Wilt. Wilt's Lakers beat kareem Bucks in 6 games, so how can you say Kareem bested him head to head? Imagine Wilt in his prime! Wilt should have been MVP that year, not kareem. The press wasn't always fair!

[daulf1994123]

damn it takes a lot to be able to get that sky hook froma stand still

[tellthetruthg]

greatest, most beautiful shot ever. In his prime it was easily released from 11 to 12 ' up. He was the unstoppable scoring champion ever. He jumped as high as needed. If you didn't see him play in person you can't have perspective. There will never be another like Kareem. Imagine a shot released from 12' up then an arm keeping the defender 2' away. Men like Wilt & Thurmond only hoped to hold him to 30pts. They might have been older but it wouldn't have mattered. Sky Hook ruled

[jindohyung]

G.O.A.T



[Jiltedin2007]

@sportman2536 Really? Then why did make such a stink about it to the Lakers in seeing statues of West, Magic and Chick Hearn? Kareem demanded the Lakers to build a statue of him alongside the other Lakers Legends around the Staples Center.

Kareem believes that the Lakers owe him that much, and I am highly on Kareem's side of this argument. The Captain must be given his due!

[sportman2536]

@Jiltedin2007 Well I think Kareem would not allow Lakers to do it because he's a Muslim and Islam is very protest all the statue stuff.

[Jiltedin2007]

@Fernandocatan You are so right. Even though back in 1980, Kareem felt that the Playoff MVP Award was his. He's not crying Sour Grapes about it now 32 years later. Playoff MVPs are minor things to fight about, because when you play in the Playoffs, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE RINGS!

Magic maybe is Just magic, but Kareem will always be "The Captain" of the Lakers.

[Fernandocatan]

@Jiltedin2007

No doubt that Magic had an incredible performance in game 6 of the 1980 finals. But Kareem dominated the series, and without him The Sixers would have won the championship that year.

[Jiltedin2007]

@Fernandocatan It was because of Magic Johnson's incredible performance in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals that won him the Playoff MVP.

[phektus]

@93Bilna ?v=wBApMFw9b_0