Greatest player of all time. His success spans from his days as a teen til he retired. In the finals for 50% of his career. Multiple titles in high school and college. Numerous awards. Immediate impact.
Logo should be Russell/Chamberlain silhouette jumping tip off.Their rivalry made the ultimate popularity of the game and they are the two best players ever.
@@tobingallawa3322 Among about a half dozen others, but Wilt probably blocked it more times than anyone else (2 documented, never seen anyone else claim more than once for anyone else to date).
Lawrence Brodsky Uh, Dan of both Wilt and Russell, though Magic and Bird are responsible for the upward trajectory of the NBA worldwide. That’s just math...look at the rating, the money, and we could actually watch playoff games live instead of tape delayed.
Roger Edgerton the point is that he didn’t play in the nba for this 4 year so he missed out on 4 seasons worth of points for his already all-time record
Deja Voodoo Back then you couldn’t play varsity until your sophomore year, so Kareem/Lou Alcindor only played three years of what the NCAA counted toward his scoring records. UCLA was the reigning NCAA Championship team, though Kareem and the freshman never lost to the varsity team.
Very good point. Now people that want to statistically Hold the fact that MJ didn't play for 2-3 yrs or took a break for 2-3 yrs against Kareem, can't, because Kareem had 4 yrs where his points in college didn't count.
Definately. A Speed Reader with a Photographic Memory. When John Wooden recruited him, he did not even talk basketball, he talked academics. Interesting that the two Best College Players, (Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton) were two of the Best Students.....
Brice Fleckenstein You know this as a fact? Everyone you hear and read online support Kareem as the GOAT? Nah! The argument now is always Michael or Lebron. Also, to highlight just how underrated Kareem is to generations of basketball knuckleheads, in the ESPN rankings of greatest college basketball players of all-time he barely made it out of the round of 64. Kareem is the greatest college basketball player of all-time, period! Explain to me how everyone thinks Kareem is the greatest if they’re not aware of his college career? Kareem himself believes he’s underrated to this day and never given his due. Watch and read interviews prior to playing keyboard warrior with someone who knows more about Kareem and basketball in general than you do. I forgot one thing...you’re stupid as fuck.
@@stevewise1656 I said COMMONLY. How the heck do you get "everyone" out of COMMONLY? Your failure to understand English makes YOU the stupid one, not me. There was a poll done about a decade back of PROS and previous PROS about who they thought was the GOAT - Kareem was #2 on that list behind MJ, and was mentioned quite a few times. Kareem is ALSO frequently mentioned by fans as the GOAT, or a contender to be the GOAT. There is NOT a lot of support for Lebron as the GOAT - from what I've seen, he barely has more support for GOAT than KOBE, but I'll grant my sample size there isn't huge. I do not believe Kareem was the greatest player ON HIS OWN TEAM alltime - #2 by a very narrow margin behind Bill Walton - but won't argue that one strongly, both had advantages and disadvantages and BOTH are among the greatest College players ever (Walton is in the Hall BECAUSE of his College career, his Pro career was too short and only 2 years of it were healthy enough for him to be impressive). There is no question Kareem is a Top 10 Pro player all-time. IMO he's arguably in the Top 5 as a pro. Unquestionable greatest all time he is NOT. I also fail to see how ANYONE that is *commonly* mentioned in the GOAT conversation can be "underrated". I don't play "keyboard warrior". I've NEVER bothered playing any computer-based basketball game. I am a HOOSIER, I was WATCHING AND PLAYING Basketball back in the days of the ABA (ever see Billy Keller DUNK? I did, live on TV), and I've been a Basketball Referee as well - not to mention I've SEEN Kareem play more than a few times over most of his career (though not IN PERSON live, quite a bit of it WAS live). BTW - I DID get to see Larry Bird play once - live at Indiana State, 3-4 miles down the road from where I was going to college at the time.
@@bricefleckenstein9666100% bro and i think what is forgotten you could argue kareem stands on top of the mountain as goat of bball as bball is not just nba thats what people forget, theres high school and college to.... he was the best college player all time not even close...
@@mikehunt7810 , just look up stats of Kareem age 37 to 39 h2h vs Hakeem. Kareem outscored him easily. Even all the games combined Kareem outscored him and the last 2 years Kareem was no where near prime.
@@arthurralstonwakeupblackpe5940 He's not even the scoring champ - #12 on the Points Per Game list. He just played LONGER than anyone above him on that list - had Wilt or Jordan played 20 years, they'd BOTH be past 40,000 total points scored and probably past 45,000. Not saying Kareem doesn't have a GOAT case - but GOAT is about a LOT more than just scoring, and Kareem doesn't have a good case as the SCORING leader in actual fact.
@@arthurralstonwakeupblackpe5940 The point is that Kareem is NOT the best scorer of all time - he just benefits from being a GREAT scorer with one of the 8 longest careers in the NBA of all time.
@@90sBasketballBios LOTS of folks put Kareem over Lebron, and MOST folks don't put Kobe in the top 10 and MANY of us don't put him in the Top 20. A few folks put Kareem over Jordan, but not a majority.
@Jack park Wilt stopped or at least slowed down Kareem - but Kareem hadn't hit his prime yet while WIlt was in the twilight of his career at the time. Bill Russell or PRIME Wilt would have made Kareem work a lot harder and at least SOME of the time stopped him. Prime Hakeem vs Prime Kareem, or Prime Kareem vs a HEALTHY Prime Walton would have been some interesting battles. But if you want to look at ABSURD scoring (not "longevity enhanced great stats") you have to look at Early Wilt. The one that scored more points in his ROOKIE year than ANYONE ELSE has managed ever (including Hardin and Jordan's BEST years) - then TOPPED that number for 3 more years in a row?
PERIOD! Basketball accomplishments there's NO comparison's from high school to the pros and hes scored the most points ever to this point in the NBA, now if Bron is serious about passing the keys he will not make it to number one
@NOLAY AUSTIN There's a mild argument that Kobe was better than MJ cause he won a ring with much less than Mike did after Shaq left but better than Kareem, no way.
@@jeffladrillono2313 Pau Gasol WILL be in the hall - not quite up to Shaq's level as a center but not exactly "much less". Kobe also had Ron Artest/Meta World Peace for that last ring, but I'll grant that was a "last legs" Ron not a "DPOY" Ron.
For WINNING, Kareem is high on the list - but NOBODY can argue with Bill Russell. HIS closest competition is John Wooden as coach PLUS player - and I'm not counting Bill's 2 years as "player coach" as COACH championships. If Lebron stays healthy for 20 years like Kareem did, Lebron is EASILY on pace to pass Kareem all-time as the top scorer - Lebron will probably pass Karl for #2 sometime late next year if he keeps up his recent pace, then another year to pass Kareem with about a year to spare.
@@tehutibrim594 Kareem wasn't even the best Center to play for his own college (though he was a very close #2 IMO to Bill "88 straight wins" Walton). ONE OF the greatest of all time, hands down.
@@Blodia1990 The sky hook is the reason Kareem played till he was 40! less wear and tear on the body and put scoring title out of reach! ....Now if Giannis could play till he's 40?...........!!!!
Yup that would probably complete his offensive game more so than a 3 pt shot. But also imagine Dirk, Ewing, Akeem(too late now), Durant, Porzingas, the Lopez's.. I'm going for the more finesse and/or wiry NBA'ers here. Please feel free to add more.
Once upon a time, yes, but when you look at how he got his butt kicked all over the place in the 70s (The WEAKEST NBA era) ... I disagree. Not to mention how he got bamboozled by Bill Walton and a bunch of no-names.
@@Sizdothyx Kareem #1 in Scoring Alltime, #3 in Rebs Ever, #3 Blocks Ever. 10 Finals 6 Nba Titles Most MVPs Ever. Best Player Ever In College & best Player Ever In HS. Best player in the nba. He Has The Greatest Resume In NBA History!! Don't Let Facts Get In Ur Way. Kareem Is The King
@@pjmills4866 Yes, but who did he slay? I can only think of the '71 Bucks taking it all the way. Other than that? In the 4 years he was a Laker prior to Magic's arrival he finished above 50 wins ONCE and NEVER reached the NBA Finals. Not to mention the fact that his vanquishers: 1976: 40-42- Didn't make the play-offs. 1977: 53-29- 49-33 Portland Trailblazers who had Bill Walton and a bunch of no-names, save a very young Maurice Lucas 1978: 45-37- 47-35 Seattle Supersonics who had a very much INFERIOR cast but knocked him out of the FIRST ROUND 1979: 47-35- 52-30 Seattle Supersonics again. Even LeBron at his peak choking years didn't have a span of under-performance this pronounced. No way I'm putting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as my GOAT when he got schooled by a healthy Bill Walton, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams on such a consistent basis. This was meant to be his peak and he flubbed it. If a player at his peak gets schooled at the rate Kareem did, he's definitely not the GOAT. He might be in the conversation as the greatest Center, but the greatest player? No. When Bill Walton runs circles around you and you get your ass handed to you by Marvin Webster in the play-offs, of all people? No way. He doesn't even have the excuse of having a terrible team. In fact, looking at the rosters and throwing W-L records aside? The only time I give him the benefit of the doubt was in 1974 when the stacked Celtics took him to the sword. Other than that? He underperformed in what should have been an era where he grabbed more than ONE Championship.
In his 3 years at UCLA Lew Alcindor led the Bruins to an 88-2 record. 3 Championships. He won National Player of The Year all 3 years(1967/68/69). The only other player to come close was Bill Walton. Walton also led The Bruins to an 88-2 regular season record(1972/73/74) the 88 wins were consecutive. Walton also was 3 time National Collegiate Player of The Year. UCLA won 2 Championships with Walton. They were upset in the 1974 semi- finals by eventual Champion the David Thompson led North Carolina State Wolfpack.
I'm glad 'Nique said something about his balance, because his agility and balance were unmatched, his footwork, his quickness were all top notch. His athleticism is seriously underrated.
@@lennarthomas Shaq isn't in the running. Wilt, Bill Russell, HAKEEM, and Tim Duncan are Kareem's competition at center for GOAT. How many HoF players took a team to the Championship with NO OTHER HoF PLAYER ON THE TEAM? Hint - it wasn't Kareem.
Huckleberry Finn Disagree The average Center, Chamberlain played against was 6’9” tall and white Abdul-Jabbar competition was a lot taller and more skilled.
@@georgedunbar2289 There have not been all THAT many 7' players in the league - and very few of them have been high skill level centers (though a LOT of them have been centers). And the tallest the league got was around 2004 or so - but even THEN it was only about a 2" difference on average vs. Wilt's era. The skill level of the league probably AVERAGED a bit higher by the time Kareem came into it - but at the TOP and particularly among starters it hadn't changed all that much - as opposed to today when the average skill level has probably DROPPED some while the raw athletic ability level AIDED by better nutrition and training has definitely gone up. Find me *2* centers today who can post up AT ALL, for example - I've not seen one since Shaq retired, and Shaq wasn't all THAT great at post-up skills (but at least he COULD do so).
It was 1969, Kareem came to Milwaukee and was the talk of the town. On the playgrounds everyone tried to imitate his hook shot. I learned his hook shot. He created allot of energy and excitement.
Most of the Greatest basketball players of all time are big men but big men don’t sell sneakers, tickets and jerseys so the shooting guards and small forwards end up getting most of the praise and attention from the media and fans. Kareem is arguably the GOAT and is right up there with MJ
I see commentators always lament that players don’t add the skyhook to their game. But I think the answer is in the name, with his height and wingspan Kareem shot it from such an elevation that it virtually couldn’t be blocked. There are very few players that existed that can even physically do it, let alone have his finesse.
OfficialPlasticHands I feel you, but players don’t take the shot AT ALL. I think you’re severely selling modern day players short by trying to act like they couldn’t add the Skyhook to their game because they lacked physical attributes. The Skyhook was a shot, not a dunk. It was all technique and finesse. You can’t teach height, you can learn to shoot a hook shot. The problem is players today hardly like playing in the low post, so if they’re not even learning to post up anymore, I would hardly expect them to even have learning the Skyhook on their radar.
@@johnnyblingg You cant learn how to jump high? Explain the videos on youtube of guys who cant touch the bottom of the rim jumping and after a month of practice are full on dunkers. Silliest thing I've ever read lol
@@johnnyblingg No I got your point, I agree with your point, just had to point out a very big error. Its like me seeing someone say ''you cant learn a jumpshot'' and not correcting them
If Kareem was in the league today NO FUCKING WAY the Rockets would ever trade Clint Capela to go complete small ball. Really different how much presence he would have compared to someone like AD and Embiid
I personally love your videos. Late 40yr old guy here and with the Kobe tragedy, makes me appreciate more and more the great players i looked up to back in the day. And ya, why not SKY HOOK! INDEFENSIBLE! I love your videos, watch them all. Thanx you.
@@jonnybalz Wilt did block a few but only blocked when Kareem's sky hook was on the way up and caught by surprise. Later on when Kareem perfected his sky hook even Olajuwon, Ewing couldn't touch the ball.
Kareem abdul jabbar is the greatest player who ever played the game of basketball. From high school, college and pro. As magic said, the NBA they changed the rules because of you , that's greatness.
Imagine if the NBA counted blocks in the 1960's & 70's. Kareem, Wilt and Bill's numbers would be off the charts. But @MarkSheppard said it best: Kareem Abdul Jabbar won multiple championships at ALL levels... Enough said!!
If Blocks were counted going back to the start of the NBA, probably the alltime "most blocks" list would be Wilt, Bill, Kareem, Hakeem at the top - but Kareem would be there more on longevity, blocks PER GAME I'm pretty sure he'd lag Hakeem. Nate Thurmond would be fairly high on the list too, either way - likely Top 10 possibly Top 5. But if you only counted blocks that resulted in TURNOVERS, Bill would be BY FAR the leader either way.
Kareem and Bill Russel both had a better team around them than Wilt. I mean can you can look at championships suppose, but no one gets the ring without the right players around them.
Kareem was not close to the shot blocker and rebounder Russ and Wilt were but I still have him in my top 3 big men ever....Kareem did not come close to winning anything after 74 until magic arrived....Larry Bird celtics were kicking ass his first 9 years until the injurys, same go for Russell celtics, Boston fan
Many people are dismissive of Kareem Abdul Jabbar but in my opinion he is the greatest basketball player of all time who possessed the most unstoppable and potent weapon in basketball history.
A lot of these clips were when KAJ was older. When he entered the league and then was traded to the Lakers, he was an absolute monster. And the league was full of terrific centers at the time (Walton, Reed, Lanier, Cowan, Gilmore, Unseld, Malone, Sikma); and yet, he still dominated. That's why Dr. J said he was the best.
@@danielclark6912 KAJ led the expansion team Milwaukee Bucks to 66-16 record in the regular season then 12-2 in the playoffs and winning a championship in their third year. It's the fastest any expansion team has won a title in any sport. He was utterly dominant. And you are utterly stupid.
@@Kedbuka right one all time great year doesn't make you the best center. Kareem had to ride magic's coat tails to get multiple championships. For that reason I think hes over hyped.
@Victor Wiley Kareem is the most decorated basketball player in history. When you consider how great he was in high school and college he is easily the greatest at those levels. Im just saying id rank some other centers over him because he only won one championship in his prime and then he was the second best player on his other championship teams. I give way more credit for winning a championship while being the best player and there are many centers that won multiple championships while being the best player on the team. I would personally rank them higher
Every team Kareem was on had a chance to get to and win the Finals because of Kareem. No other player could say this. He got to the Finals 10 of his 20 seasons and won 6 times to go along with his 6 regular season MVPs. Kareem is the most underrated GOAT in sports.
If someone is going to be named the GOAT there’s got to be a criteria. Must be in the conversation of greatest Hs player ever Must be in the conversation of greatest college player ever Must be in the conversation of greatest NBA player ever Must have won titles on all three levels Must be stellar on both ends of the court No weakness in his game This all equates to ONE player....KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR!
Bill Walton. Before he broke his foot, he was BETTER than Kareem - though I concede it's an argument. Kareem never had an outside game - Bill DID - giving Kareem a weakness Bill didn't have. Not to say that Kareem isn't one of the all time greatest - I usually have him in my Top 5 overall and definitely Top 5 as a center. As far as the Sky Hook, Kareem developed it in response to the one rule change he caused (dunks banned in NCAA play). Nobody else had that incentive AND the height/reach to pull it off since that ban didn't last all that many years.
Brice Fleckenstein John Wooden said Kareem was the greater. He should know... And again...not considered the greatest Hs or Pro EVER! He is in the conversation of greatest college player ever. Look up Kareems scoring compilation and you might forget about the skyhook. Kareem was a deadly shooter from 18 feet and in.
Ummm.... I wouldn't exactly say underrated... when you're the GOAT... hold almost ALL scoring statistics... champion numerous times over on every level... and the game IS literally changed because you're 2 good and it's unfair to the other players... yeah I wouldn't use the word underrated
Magic developed his own similar version of the Sky Hook. Look for it. There's highlights. I practiced the sky hook every time I shot baskets. My neighbor had a curbside hoop on a low traffic suburban street. I used to hit a respectable percentage from 15-20ft out when I was a teen.
I grew up watching Kareem first as a youngster in Milwaukee, then my family moved to L.A. about a month after he was traded to the Lakers!! I have always marveled at the beauty & effectiveness of the "Skyhook", he was so unstoppable with it!! The way he would swing left shoot right made it unguardable, & to this day I wonder why it's not a part of every big man's arsenal. It should be!!
people forget he was not just a great scorer. Look at the record books. he is also top 3 all time in both rebounds and blocked shots. if he's not the GOAT he certainly deserves to be in that conversation.
Kareem is sophisticated, powerful, intelligent, humble and genuine in pursuing his relationship with life and compassionately gifting humanity with his examples of excellence. May ALLAH be pleased with him and anyone he has inspired to excellence.
There's only a handful of players that are in the conversation of being the GOAT and Kareem is at the top if not the very top. You can say MJ, Wilt, Bird, Russell and you couldn't go wrong starting your franchise with any of them but Kareem had the most unstoppable single shot in the history of the game. When Kareem was winning it all with the Bucks there was nobody stopping him, not even even Wilt.
WIlt blocked the sky hook TWICE ON ONE PLAY while Kareem was at Milwaukee. He dominated Kareem for the first couple years Kareem was in the league, but eventually slowed down enough and Kareem got enough experience that Kareem was the better center by Wilt's last year or two in the NBA. There is no question that Kareem is at the top of the GOAT conversation though, but I don't rank him as #1. Top 5, usually. Top 10, no question.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 I saw all that happen back in the day and if someone wants to call Wilt the GOAT, they'll get no argument from me. Especially if we"re talking about Wilt in the first half of his career with how overwhelmingly athletic he was. With that said, I saw Kareem get the better of an older Wilt on more than one occasion. Even an older Wilt was a better rebounder, defender, and passer than Kareem from what I saw. You could say either/or is the GOAT from what I saw, both were basically unstoppable. Early in Wilt's career he had an unstoppable fadeaway jumper off glass and that Dipper finger roll was sweet. If the refs had allowed Wilt to play with the kind of aggression the refs let Shaq get away with, it just would have been flat out unfair so they called tight offensive fouls to the point of ridiculous.
Imo, Kareem is the best C of all time, primarily because of his accolades. But Wilt is a different beast, even at the end of his career, its safe to say that he game Kareem a hard time. And yes, he blocked his skyhook several times.
Just listened to your Ernie D interview Basketball Time Machine podcast. You ask very insightful questions. Not run of the mill. Nice job. I'll listen to more.
@Iron Bear It's really the mid-range jumper that has died out. The analytics guys favor three pointers and high percentage two pointers. So spreading the floor with three-point shooters and having Kareem down low shooting the skyhook seems like the perfect match.
I was a UCLA fan in the '60's because of Kareem (Lew Alcindor) at the time, and then on to the Lakers where my grandfather was a Minneapolis Lakers fan, and passed down from my mom. Kareem spoiled me, and so I never felt anyone was ever better. Of course, been spoiled because of Magic, Shaq, and Kobe. Waiting for another spark, hope the current Lakers come through.
I've been wondering that same thing as well : WHY has no one learnt how to do a sky-hook properly anymore since Kareem ? It freaking IS totally un-guardable. You have your entire body between the defender and your shooting arm, can even lean a bit on him with your shoulder... How can anyone guard THAT when it's properly done... Granted, it's only 2 pts instead of 3... But still.
No one has even come close to the skyhook in 30 years despite the fact that it was fairly hi pct shot and almost impossible to block unless you were old Wilt from 70 to 73, Celtic fan.
Well not many people are as massive as Kareem. Not just anyone can do it. Bigs with small hands will have a harder time trying to use it because it requires more wrist than arm .
@@leoderosia9279 Kareem was a good rebounder for about his first decade - several years he managed 16+, which FOR THE TIME was quite good. Wilt and Bill had the advantage of higher pace in their era - great rebounders, but in KAREEM'S era both would have been closer to 20 than 25. Moses was better, but not a LOT better most years.
In a 4-0 series sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 Western Conference finals, Walton averaged 19.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 blocks playing against fellow UCLA alum Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This was the closest to a HEALTHY season Walton had in his entire career - and he STILL only managed 65 games during the regular season that year due to foot issues (that plagued him even during high school). It's also the year he led Portland to their championship, after 2 years with lots of injuries. Nope, I don't buy Kareem being "dominant at every level" on a consistent basis.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 Kareem did not have the stamina to play 46 minutes a game for career like Russ and Wilt, another reason they blew him away on boards
You can certainly make a solid argument for Wilt but the only issue one might have IMO is the competition was tougher for KA-J than for Wilt that makes it difficult for me to accept Wilt as goat
@@dirtyoldba__welluknowthere8863 I just don't accept that assumption. It is part of the problem with comparing eras. KAJ built on what Wilt had done. Are the players better now than then? Yes. But it is because they play the game now. And learned the game now. If Wilt was 20 today and had learned todays game and had todays physical training, he would be a bigger, stronger, faster Giannis and would do everything Giannis does but better. And he would probably still have the unstoppable fadeaway bank shot and the reverse finger roll. He might still suck from the line.
I was a teenager in the 70s and I imitated Kareem's sky hook. No one ever could stop it. They just had to hope I missed the shot. However, as much as I practiced that shot,( I would do 100 sky hooks a day) I was not effective moe than 6-7 out from the basket and only If I were in front of the basket in the paint. Kareem would hit that shot 15 ft out from every angle! Simply incredible. He is my center on my all time starting 5 along with Stockton, MJ, Duncan and Bird. Magic is my 6th man because he could rotate in and play any position.
Magic Johnson says " when they have to change the game for you that's greatness." So you are telling me with New backboards and the hack of Shaq rule they dident change the game for shaq too. Kareem is still better tho.
Miriam Stepniak New backboards because no one else was 300+ pounds and hung onto the rim for so long after he dunked. And hack a Shaq wasn’t a rule change, it was a Greg Popovic strategy to force Shaq to shoot free throws since he struggled at that. Kareem had no flaws in his game. He was the perfect center with the only unguardable shot in the history of the game.
@gary corr Love Hakeem. Easily at #4 but in no way he's above Bill (the defensive measuring stick for all centers and the winniest player of all time), Wilt (sheer dominance in every way including a 50 pts average one season), and Kareem (combines the best of Bill and Wilt plus 6 MVPs).
@@j.p.2976 Hakeem > Wilt in the playoffs where it mattered most. The gap between Olajuwon and Russell is larger offensively than defensively. Kareem is the GOAT C. Olajuwon #2.
Ummm shaq is for sure in the top three. Four championships in an extremely competitive era is more impressive than wilt stat padding and Russell winning the finals on a stacked team every year.
I met KAJ once back in the day (1996) and shook his hand . Man is he tall .he’s my favorite player of all time and imo the GOAT . I even named my Cat ( Captain sky ) lol
Shaq is marginal if he makes my Top 5 centers list - but since Tim Duncan played CENTER most of his career, I normally end up with Shaq at 6'th. Kareem I normally put at 4'th, with Bill Wilt and Hakeem ahead of him, but I concede that's debateable on the ORDER.
I never really paid much attention to it till now but Chris Webber hit the nail on the head. Kareem got great follow thru on that shot. Just like a jump shot
Most people think about Kareem as a Laker. But when he was with the Bucks early on, he was UNBELIEVEABLY good. Just look at the old clips of him at that time. Quick, strong in a wirey way, great footwork, great hands...the guy was a monster. By the time he got to the Lakers, his game had dropped a bit and yet....he was STILL dominate for YEARS. A young Kareem and a young Magic together? Holy shit.
@@golfmaniac007 Are you aware of the athletic feats of Wilt? Not sure if MJ refers to Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan but from a pure athletic standpoint, neither could hold a candle to Wilt. Btw, did Jordan score 100 points in a single game or average FIFTY points a game for an entire season? Could Jordan bench press 500 lbs? Was he a world class volleyball player? Was he a track and field champion? Was he the single most dominant force the NBA has ever seen? Wilt was.
@@golfmaniac007 Weight lifting, volleyball, track and field...you name it. The best ways for one to learn about the athletic feats of Wilt are to read about him (look him up on Wikipedia for example) and to listen to testimonials from those who competed with and against him. For that, venture on to RUclips and look up NBA players talk about the greatness of Wilt Chamberlain. There is some excellent footage of a young Wilt running the length of the court on a fast break. For a man who stood 7 ft 1 and weighed around 275 lbs, his speed is incredible. Read, watch, listen...be amazed.
There are a # of players you could make a case for. You have Oscar and Jerry West who were both forces on both ends of the court. Elgin Baylor is probably the most overlooked of them all. Check his first 5 years. Nobody was quite like him. He changed the game, playing over the rim. Wasn't the same after his knee injury but still very good.
Kareem has his own case as the GOAT that is pretty remarkable. First in all time points. Third in both all time blocks and total rebounds. Even though he is a center, he has more career assists than MJ. I understand he played 5 more seasons than MJ but MJ was a guard with the ball in his hands far more than Kareem. Kareem is a 6 time champion. Most regular season MVPs out of any NBA player with 6. Won finals MVP at 23 and 37 years of age. Was the model for longevity in an era that did not have much. The greatest signature move of all time. Nobody other than Magic has even tried to replicate it. Has a strong case to be the greatest high school player and college player ever too. In all honesty, the the thing that MJ has on Kareem is the finals MVPs, style of play, and iconic shoe brand. But if we’re just talking about basketball, you can make the case for either of them.
Kareem was awesome. He'll hit the skyhook when he's 95. I watched him a lot, but my favorite match-up was when Wilt was near the end of his career and he got to play against Kareem. He wanted to show that young whippersnapper whose league it was - and I'll tell you, Wilt, even though overweight (he sat out most of the year) gave Kareem the battle of a lifetime. Kareem wasn't a Lakers player then, so I was cheering for Wilt, who didn't disappoint - he had his hands full though; he had never played against a super center like Alcindor. Wilt was using his pride as fuel, and he had plenty of that - and it was one of my all time favorite games. I always cheer for the cagey aged veteran against the cocky talented youngster. That's why I always enjoyed watching Andre Miller, I guess. The guy couldn't jump over a small town phone directory, yet he knew how to run a team. He was never on my team, but when he was in town, or on TV I watched him; nothing flashy, but a savvy veteran with an old man game using his basketball smarts.
The skyhook is not really a traditional hook shot. There is hardly any arm in the shot. It is simply held above the head and then a flick of wrist. It's almost like a one-handed side way jump shot. People don't even realize how hard the act of palming the ball with one hand and holding it up with your arm fully extended, straight up like that.
As a kid going to Suns games at the Mad House on MCDowell I cant explain how much I hated this dude, he was unstoppable. He wore Alvin Adams out and if we doubled him he always found the hole in the rotation, the fact that he shot that SKY hook from 15 feet and in was crazy. He killed us every night, he was the dude we feared, not Magic damned he was a super man.
When I was young playing basketball at the Roosevelt Park in Roosevelt NY in the '70s, I taught myself the skyhook. At first, it was a running hook, then I watch Kareem over and over until I got it just right. At the time I was only 15 yo and 5' 7". I was so good everyone started calling me Kareem or Supreme. It's all about the wrist!!
Kareem is truly under rated. The shot is not easy, that is why no one does it these days. One needs balance, great tough, judgement and a good takeoff leg/foot. Kareem has 6 rings. Jordan has rings. Kareem is the greatest college player of all time. Kareem lasted the test of time. He must have really loved being a laker to play that many years. Kareem instantly turned around the bucks team. Yet, he could wait to get the heck out of Milwaukee 😊. It was great to see him and Oscar earn a title together.❤.
They stopped players from being able to slam in college when Kareem(Lew Alcindor)Abdul Jabbar played ball.The skyhook is one of the most beautiful shots that ever hit the courts.....Wrist and Shoulder with Strength .If I remember correctly I think John Wooden helped him develop that to take the place of being able to slam. UCLA vs Houston with Elvin Hayes was a mother back in the day!!! My Father wouldnt watch hoop cause he said Maurice Stokes was the man, yet once he saw him play he changed his mind although he never said I was right,plus Kareem was an activist and I was for that to the bone. Sixties sports stars were not selfish as they are today, and that went with the fame or you were overlooked no matter how sweet you were !!!! That is where Kareem was coming from,he was representing the "NEW SERIOUS BLACK MAN"who wasnt going to be doing all that smiling as if he was so happy to be there.NO!!You should be happy to have ME if you want to win, see I was around, I was there and I knew what the sixties was about !!! Real Soul Brothers !! See, Soul Brothers and that STOOD FOR SOMETHING !!!!
2 things a) Skyhook was unstoppable not only because of Kareem's height, but 'cos he had his left forearm/elbow keeping his defender at a distance. b) nobody does the Skyhook anymore because it's a tough low percentage shot, even if you're close to the hoop. Kareem's greatness was that he made it look easy.
The reason Kareem is sometimes left out of the GOAT conversation? "Nobody cheers for Goliath" - Wilt Chamberlain.
Greatest player of all time. His success spans from his days as a teen til he retired. In the finals for 50% of his career. Multiple titles in high school and college. Numerous awards. Immediate impact.
Wilt and Russell averaged almost twice as many rebounds and blocks for career per game....I have kaj in top 3 big men ever after those 2 , Celtic fan
MJ is the greatest but Kareem is definitely top 5.
Leo Derosia blocks werent recorded until after Kareems fourth season. Nobody knows how many blocks any of them really had.
I'm a Jordan die hard put it's hard to argue against Jabbar. The guy was unstoppable force of nature.
jjordan SG , OSCAR PG , LEBRON SF, , DUNCAN PF , WILT CENTER
man kareems "sky hook" would be a great NBA logo.
@greenmean1 and the man who blocked it was Mr Chamberlain
mychal4895 Yes!
Logo should be Russell/Chamberlain silhouette jumping tip off.Their rivalry made the ultimate popularity of the game and they are the two best players ever.
@@tobingallawa3322 Among about a half dozen others, but Wilt probably blocked it more times than anyone else (2 documented, never seen anyone else claim more than once for anyone else to date).
Lawrence Brodsky Uh, Dan of both Wilt and Russell, though Magic and Bird are responsible for the upward trajectory of the NBA worldwide. That’s just math...look at the rating, the money, and we could actually watch playoff games live instead of tape delayed.
He played 4 years of college and still is the all time scorer....
Roger Edgerton the point is that he didn’t play in the nba for this 4 year so he missed out on 4 seasons worth of points for his already all-time record
Deja Voodoo Back then you couldn’t play varsity until your sophomore year, so Kareem/Lou Alcindor only played three years of what the NCAA counted toward his scoring records. UCLA was the reigning NCAA Championship team, though Kareem and the freshman never lost to the varsity team.
Very good point. Now people that want to statistically Hold the fact that MJ didn't play for 2-3 yrs or took a break for 2-3 yrs against Kareem, can't, because Kareem had 4 yrs where his points in college didn't count.
No he didn't play 4 years of college basketball because freshmen couldn't play then
@@stevewise1656
You're right
I always said that Kareem was indeed the greatest NBA player of All Time,,, No Doubt
You could say he had the greatest basketball career from high school to college to the pros.
@Kildare Aleksander not even close it is either wilt or kareem
@Kildare Aleksander not really
Slash bxe or Russell
Jordan
When Wilt Chamberlain is the only guy to block a shot you know it’s a savage move😂
Hahah true😂
More than once, old & knee surgery knees wilt, young wilt would have knock the air out the kareem Abdul-Jabbar skyhook shot
Actually Spencer Haywood blocked him once..ijs.
I've only seen tape of Wilt blocking the Skyhook twice but one was definitely goaltending Kareem is the goat
Young wilt, knock the air out the skyhook
Wow, I just heard it here. Scotti Pippen Called Kareem:"The Great One." Now this from a guy who played with MJ.
The best player on the best team during the best era. Maybe the most educated basketball player ever. Definitely the most complex.
Definately. A Speed Reader with a Photographic Memory. When John Wooden recruited him, he did not even talk basketball, he talked academics. Interesting that the two Best College Players, (Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton) were two of the Best Students.....
That Laker team has to be considered the greatest of all for winning 5 titles in the toughest of NBA history.
to even pretend kareem was better than magic is so laughable i just have to say you're both half as educated as you think you are
@@trumpwatchnow901 Magic was great, but he always had the luxury of having great players around him. But there is no denying he made the team go.
@@trumpwatchnow901 Magic literally called kareem the greatest player of all time. Even magic knows who's better. Stop it.
As great as Kareem was, he’s still the most underrated player in NBA history. The man was clutch.
Kareem is NOT underrated. He's commonly mentioned as the GOAT and is ALWAYS in the conversation.
Brice Fleckenstein You know this as a fact? Everyone you hear and read online support Kareem as the GOAT? Nah! The argument now is always Michael or Lebron. Also, to highlight just how underrated Kareem is to generations of basketball knuckleheads, in the ESPN rankings of greatest college basketball players of all-time he barely made it out of the round of 64. Kareem is the greatest college basketball player of all-time, period! Explain to me how everyone thinks Kareem is the greatest if they’re not aware of his college career? Kareem himself believes he’s underrated to this day and never given his due. Watch and read interviews prior to playing keyboard warrior with someone who knows more about Kareem and basketball in general than you do. I forgot one thing...you’re stupid as fuck.
@@stevewise1656 I said COMMONLY.
How the heck do you get "everyone" out of COMMONLY?
Your failure to understand English makes YOU the stupid one, not me.
There was a poll done about a decade back of PROS and previous PROS about who they thought was the GOAT - Kareem was #2 on that list behind MJ, and was mentioned quite a few times. Kareem is ALSO frequently mentioned by fans as the GOAT, or a contender to be the GOAT.
There is NOT a lot of support for Lebron as the GOAT - from what I've seen, he barely has more support for GOAT than KOBE, but I'll grant my sample size there isn't huge.
I do not believe Kareem was the greatest player ON HIS OWN TEAM alltime - #2 by a very narrow margin behind Bill Walton - but won't argue that one strongly, both had advantages and disadvantages and BOTH are among the greatest College players ever (Walton is in the Hall BECAUSE of his College career, his Pro career was too short and only 2 years of it were healthy enough for him to be impressive).
There is no question Kareem is a Top 10 Pro player all-time.
IMO he's arguably in the Top 5 as a pro.
Unquestionable greatest all time he is NOT.
I also fail to see how ANYONE that is *commonly* mentioned in the GOAT conversation can be "underrated".
I don't play "keyboard warrior". I've NEVER bothered playing any computer-based basketball game.
I am a HOOSIER, I was WATCHING AND PLAYING Basketball back in the days of the ABA (ever see Billy Keller DUNK? I did, live on TV), and I've been a Basketball Referee as well - not to mention I've SEEN Kareem play more than a few times over most of his career (though not IN PERSON live, quite a bit of it WAS live).
BTW - I DID get to see Larry Bird play once - live at Indiana State, 3-4 miles down the road from where I was going to college at the time.
He’s talked about has one of the goats many times
@@bricefleckenstein9666100% bro and i think what is forgotten you could argue kareem stands on top of the mountain as goat of bball as bball is not just nba thats what people forget, theres high school and college to.... he was the best college player all time not even close...
Kareem's nickname wasn't "The Franchise" for nothing. He's always been the GOAT in my opinion.
kareem is the best center ever. He is very underrated by people in general.
He is underrated bc he rode magic's coat tails in the last part of his career.
Hakeem?
@@mikehunt7810 , just look up stats of Kareem age 37 to 39 h2h vs Hakeem. Kareem outscored him easily. Even all the games combined Kareem outscored him and the last 2 years Kareem was no where near prime.
@@goonthreegtr this is a fair comment, but as an all around player, in primes. Would Kareem beat Hakeem.
I'm not so sure.
Kildare Aleksander no
The greatest basketball player to ever walk the planet..
@@paulsilas9070 No question.
Wilt is >
Booth E
He certainly has an argument... Unlike Jordan..
It’s close between Wilt, and Jabbar.. Real close.. I have no issue with your choice..
Booth E Wilt was a crybaby, never played defense to foul out, left teams when they lost, and got fouls for points
Kildare Aleksander no
Kareem wasn't just one of the greatest scorers in the game he was and still is the greatest scorer in the game !!!
Longevity.
There are several folks with a higher scoring average than Kareem had - (edit) he's 12'th on the all time PPG list.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 until some breaks his scoring record he the goat ...
@@arthurralstonwakeupblackpe5940 He's not even the scoring champ - #12 on the Points Per Game list.
He just played LONGER than anyone above him on that list - had Wilt or Jordan played 20 years, they'd BOTH be past 40,000 total points scored and probably past 45,000.
Not saying Kareem doesn't have a GOAT case - but GOAT is about a LOT more than just scoring, and Kareem doesn't have a good case as the SCORING leader in actual fact.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 if but they didn't...
@@arthurralstonwakeupblackpe5940 The point is that Kareem is NOT the best scorer of all time - he just benefits from being a GREAT scorer with one of the 8 longest careers in the NBA of all time.
Loved him then and love him now!
Eric Vance Bro how old are you?
Leo Pohlkötter
Just turned 50, Leo.
My favorite player of all time, and I even met him when I was 10 at the San Pedro YMCA in 1979
GOAT 🐐
He also left his footprint 👣 on Bruce Lee’s chest.
Big men can’t shoot the hook because they are too bulky and lack the control
No, big men can't shoot the hook because it's not easy to learn, & even harder to master. They aren't willing to do the work.
When the league changed the rules because of him, thats greatness.
Well said Magic!!
A point WIlt made to Michael some years before that - and Wilt had a FEW rules changed against him in the NBA, Kareem had ONE and only in college.
Changes the rules cuz of wilt
I mean by that standard George Mikan should be the greatest.
@@TheIcemanthomas Not sure - one of the 2 along with Wilt, George DID cause some rule changes at the NBA level.
Charles Barkley made some rule changes happen so I guess hes the goat now. Btw the league made the most rule changes because of wilt.
Kareem is so over looked in most peoples top ten let alone the greatest...cant argue his stats, incredible
Odd, I don't know hardly ANYONE that puts Kareem outside the top 10, and many or most in the top 5.
90s NBA Bios
He's not overlooked.
@@vestibulate No one talks about Kareem next to Jordan Kobe Lebron
@@90sBasketballBios LOTS of folks put Kareem over Lebron, and MOST folks don't put Kobe in the top 10 and MANY of us don't put him in the Top 20.
A few folks put Kareem over Jordan, but not a majority.
@Jack park Wilt stopped or at least slowed down Kareem - but Kareem hadn't hit his prime yet while WIlt was in the twilight of his career at the time.
Bill Russell or PRIME Wilt would have made Kareem work a lot harder and at least SOME of the time stopped him.
Prime Hakeem vs Prime Kareem, or Prime Kareem vs a HEALTHY Prime Walton would have been some interesting battles.
But if you want to look at ABSURD scoring (not "longevity enhanced great stats") you have to look at Early Wilt.
The one that scored more points in his ROOKIE year than ANYONE ELSE has managed ever (including Hardin and Jordan's BEST years) - then TOPPED that number for 3 more years in a row?
Kareem was the greatest basketball player that ever lived.
PERIOD! Basketball accomplishments there's NO comparison's from high school to the pros and hes scored the most points ever to this point in the NBA, now if Bron is serious about passing the keys he will not make it to number one
@NOLAY AUSTIN There's a mild argument that Kobe was better than MJ cause he won a ring with much less than Mike did after Shaq left but better than Kareem, no way.
@@jeffladrillono2313 Pau Gasol WILL be in the hall - not quite up to Shaq's level as a center but not exactly "much less".
Kobe also had Ron Artest/Meta World Peace for that last ring, but I'll grant that was a "last legs" Ron not a "DPOY" Ron.
For WINNING, Kareem is high on the list - but NOBODY can argue with Bill Russell.
HIS closest competition is John Wooden as coach PLUS player - and I'm not counting Bill's 2 years as "player coach" as COACH championships.
If Lebron stays healthy for 20 years like Kareem did, Lebron is EASILY on pace to pass Kareem all-time as the top scorer - Lebron will probably pass Karl for #2 sometime late next year if he keeps up his recent pace, then another year to pass Kareem with about a year to spare.
@@tehutibrim594 Kareem wasn't even the best Center to play for his own college (though he was a very close #2 IMO to Bill "88 straight wins" Walton).
ONE OF the greatest of all time, hands down.
Just imagine if Giannis added a true "sky hook" to his game......!
Please bro stop giving me butterflies in my stomach😍😍😍Giannis would average 40 pts a game and win 5 chips
@@Blodia1990 The sky hook is the reason Kareem played till he was 40! less wear and tear on the body and put scoring title out of reach! ....Now if Giannis could play till he's 40?...........!!!!
Yup that would probably complete his offensive game more so than a 3 pt shot. But also imagine Dirk, Ewing, Akeem(too late now), Durant, Porzingas, the Lopez's.. I'm going for the more finesse and/or wiry NBA'ers here. Please feel free to add more.
@@Docfly62 Boban, Bol Bol, Taco......!!! lol (no jump hooks ) a true sky hook may never be seen again or we would have seen one by now.
I said the same thing
Kareem Is The Greatest Basketball Player Ever
maybe top three but def not goat
Once upon a time, yes, but when you look at how he got his butt kicked all over the place in the 70s (The WEAKEST NBA era) ... I disagree. Not to mention how he got bamboozled by Bill Walton and a bunch of no-names.
@@Sizdothyx Kareem #1 in Scoring Alltime, #3 in Rebs Ever, #3 Blocks Ever. 10 Finals 6 Nba Titles Most MVPs Ever. Best Player Ever In College & best Player Ever In HS. Best player in the nba. He Has The Greatest Resume In NBA History!! Don't Let Facts Get In Ur Way. Kareem Is The King
@@pjmills4866 Yes, but who did he slay? I can only think of the '71 Bucks taking it all the way. Other than that? In the 4 years he was a Laker prior to Magic's arrival he finished above 50 wins ONCE and NEVER reached the NBA Finals. Not to mention the fact that his vanquishers:
1976: 40-42- Didn't make the play-offs.
1977: 53-29- 49-33 Portland Trailblazers who had Bill Walton and a bunch of no-names, save a very young Maurice Lucas
1978: 45-37- 47-35 Seattle Supersonics who had a very much INFERIOR cast but knocked him out of the FIRST ROUND
1979: 47-35- 52-30 Seattle Supersonics again.
Even LeBron at his peak choking years didn't have a span of under-performance this pronounced. No way I'm putting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as my GOAT when he got schooled by a healthy Bill Walton, Jack Sikma and Gus Williams on such a consistent basis. This was meant to be his peak and he flubbed it. If a player at his peak gets schooled at the rate Kareem did, he's definitely not the GOAT. He might be in the conversation as the greatest Center, but the greatest player? No. When Bill Walton runs circles around you and you get your ass handed to you by Marvin Webster in the play-offs, of all people? No way. He doesn't even have the excuse of having a terrible team. In fact, looking at the rosters and throwing W-L records aside? The only time I give him the benefit of the doubt was in 1974 when the stacked Celtics took him to the sword. Other than that? He underperformed in what should have been an era where he grabbed more than ONE Championship.
@@Sizdothyx that garbage ...schooled? give me a break he guy scored 32 in the play offs at age 40 lol
In his 3 years at UCLA Lew Alcindor led the Bruins to an 88-2 record. 3 Championships. He won National Player of The Year all 3 years(1967/68/69). The only other player to come close was Bill Walton. Walton also led The Bruins to an 88-2 regular season record(1972/73/74) the 88 wins were consecutive. Walton also was 3 time National Collegiate Player of The Year. UCLA won 2 Championships with Walton. They were upset in the 1974 semi- finals by eventual Champion the David Thompson led North Carolina State Wolfpack.
I'm glad 'Nique said something about his balance, because his agility and balance were unmatched, his footwork, his quickness were all top notch. His athleticism is seriously underrated.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar greatest center of all time no arguing he is the greatest.
George Dunbar Shaq
@@lennarthomas Shaq isn't in the running.
Wilt, Bill Russell, HAKEEM, and Tim Duncan are Kareem's competition at center for GOAT.
How many HoF players took a team to the Championship with NO OTHER HoF PLAYER ON THE TEAM?
Hint - it wasn't Kareem.
Wilt was better
Huckleberry Finn Disagree The average Center, Chamberlain played against was 6’9” tall and white Abdul-Jabbar competition was a lot taller and more skilled.
@@georgedunbar2289 There have not been all THAT many 7' players in the league - and very few of them have been high skill level centers (though a LOT of them have been centers).
And the tallest the league got was around 2004 or so - but even THEN it was only about a 2" difference on average vs. Wilt's era.
The skill level of the league probably AVERAGED a bit higher by the time Kareem came into it - but at the TOP and particularly among starters it hadn't changed all that much - as opposed to today when the average skill level has probably DROPPED some while the raw athletic ability level AIDED by better nutrition and training has definitely gone up.
Find me *2* centers today who can post up AT ALL, for example - I've not seen one since Shaq retired, and Shaq wasn't all THAT great at post-up skills (but at least he COULD do so).
It was 1969, Kareem came to Milwaukee and was the talk of the town. On the playgrounds everyone tried to imitate his hook shot. I learned his hook shot. He created allot of energy and excitement.
That sky hook literally a thing of fucking beauty!!!!!!!!!!
Most of the Greatest basketball players of all time are big men but big men don’t sell sneakers, tickets and jerseys so the shooting guards and small forwards end up getting most of the praise and attention from the media and fans. Kareem is arguably the GOAT and is right up there with MJ
Best answer
I see commentators always lament that players don’t add the skyhook to their game.
But I think the answer is in the name, with his height and wingspan Kareem shot it from such an elevation that it virtually couldn’t be blocked.
There are very few players that existed that can even physically do it, let alone have his finesse.
OfficialPlasticHands I feel you, but players don’t take the shot AT ALL. I think you’re severely selling modern day players short by trying to act like they couldn’t add the Skyhook to their game because they lacked physical attributes.
The Skyhook was a shot, not a dunk. It was all technique and finesse. You can’t teach height, you can learn to shoot a hook shot. The problem is players today hardly like playing in the low post, so if they’re not even learning to post up anymore, I would hardly expect them to even have learning the Skyhook on their radar.
@@johnnyblingg You cant learn how to jump high? Explain the videos on youtube of guys who cant touch the bottom of the rim jumping and after a month of practice are full on dunkers. Silliest thing I've ever read lol
safe I changed it to height since you got caught up on the 3rd sentence and missed my point.
@@johnnyblingg No I got your point, I agree with your point, just had to point out a very big error. Its like me seeing someone say ''you cant learn a jumpshot'' and not correcting them
Its not a hard shot to learn at all. I use it playing horse all the time. Like any other shot it just takes practice.
This guy Kareem Guy is growing on me. I am starting to become a Kareem fan.
I love this guy. He also trained with Bruce Lee, starred in one of his movies, and gave him due credit.
A prime Kareem in today's NBA would still dominate and be a top 5 guy especially with all the spacing and the lack of bodies in the paint
If Kareem was in the league today
NO FUCKING WAY the Rockets would ever trade Clint Capela to go complete small ball.
Really different how much presence he would have compared to someone like AD and Embiid
You can't have a discussion without mentioning Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt is the GOAT!
Except for the fact that the QUESTION IS HOW GOOD WAS KAREEN ABDUL JABBAR?
The QUESTION wasn't compare and contrast Wilt and Kareem....
@Dhdhdh sksj 50 PPG for a season, little boy lol
Kareem is the greatest ever 🏀
I personally love your videos. Late 40yr old guy here and with the Kobe tragedy, makes me appreciate more and more the great players i looked up to back in the day. And ya, why not SKY HOOK! INDEFENSIBLE! I love your videos, watch them all. Thanx you.
Because they outlawed dunking when Kareem was college, so he developed the sky hook.
Nope. He started training it from the moment he started playing basketball. It's all in his documentary.
They dunked with 2 hands with the palms up.
Even King Kong on a lađer couldn't block Kareem's sky hook.
Chick Hearns
To many videos of Wilt blocking the sky hook.
@@jonnybalz Wilt did block a few but only blocked when Kareem's sky hook was on the way up and caught by surprise. Later on when Kareem perfected his sky hook even Olajuwon, Ewing couldn't touch the ball.
I never saw parish do it but Wilt did it more than once....old Wilt also held kaj to 42pct shooting in 72 playoffs , what a legend
@@cnn787-i9e
ruclips.net/video/uJGCySdvlPo/видео.html
But Wilt could.
Kareem Abdul jabbar was the most unappreciated superstar in the history of sports! His body of work speaks for itself.
Then WTF ain’t no one saying that about WNC?
Kareem abdul jabbar is the greatest player who ever played the game of basketball. From high school, college and pro.
As magic said, the NBA they changed the rules because of you , that's greatness.
Imagine if the NBA counted blocks in the 1960's & 70's. Kareem, Wilt and Bill's numbers would be off the charts. But @MarkSheppard said it best: Kareem Abdul Jabbar won multiple championships at ALL levels... Enough said!!
If Blocks were counted going back to the start of the NBA, probably the alltime "most blocks" list would be Wilt, Bill, Kareem, Hakeem at the top - but Kareem would be there more on longevity, blocks PER GAME I'm pretty sure he'd lag Hakeem.
Nate Thurmond would be fairly high on the list too, either way - likely Top 10 possibly Top 5.
But if you only counted blocks that resulted in TURNOVERS, Bill would be BY FAR the leader either way.
Kareem and Bill Russel both had a better team around them than Wilt. I mean can you can look at championships suppose, but no one gets the ring without the right players around them.
Kareem was not close to the shot blocker and rebounder Russ and Wilt were but I still have him in my top 3 big men ever....Kareem did not come close to winning anything after 74 until magic arrived....Larry Bird celtics were kicking ass his first 9 years until the injurys, same go for Russell celtics, Boston fan
Don’t forget Nate Thurmond as well
slip satch u realize Kareem has 6 titles right? That’s more than alot
Many people are dismissive of Kareem Abdul Jabbar but in my opinion he is the greatest basketball player of all time who possessed the most unstoppable and potent weapon in basketball history.
A lot of these clips were when KAJ was older. When he entered the league and then was traded to the Lakers, he was an absolute monster. And the league was full of terrific centers at the time (Walton, Reed, Lanier, Cowan, Gilmore, Unseld, Malone, Sikma); and yet, he still dominated. That's why Dr. J said he was the best.
1 championship is not dominant. He won one championship without magic.
@@danielclark6912 KAJ led the expansion team Milwaukee Bucks to 66-16 record in the regular season then 12-2 in the playoffs and winning a championship in their third year. It's the fastest any expansion team has won a title in any sport. He was utterly dominant. And you are utterly stupid.
@@Kedbuka right one all time great year doesn't make you the best center. Kareem had to ride magic's coat tails to get multiple championships. For that reason I think hes over hyped.
@@danielclark6912 We disagree. Later
@Victor Wiley Kareem is the most decorated basketball player in history. When you consider how great he was in high school and college he is easily the greatest at those levels. Im just saying id rank some other centers over him because he only won one championship in his prime and then he was the second best player on his other championship teams. I give way more credit for winning a championship while being the best player and there are many centers that won multiple championships while being the best player on the team. I would personally rank them higher
Every team Kareem was on had a chance to get to and win the Finals because of Kareem. No other player could say this. He got to the Finals 10 of his 20 seasons and won 6 times to go along with his 6 regular season MVPs. Kareem is the most underrated GOAT in sports.
If someone is going to be named the GOAT there’s got to be a criteria.
Must be in the conversation of greatest Hs player ever
Must be in the conversation of greatest college player ever
Must be in the conversation of greatest NBA player ever
Must have won titles on all three levels
Must be stellar on both ends of the court
No weakness in his game
This all equates to ONE player....KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR!
With that criteria being said... no doubt.... end of conversation.
Bill Walton.
Before he broke his foot, he was BETTER than Kareem - though I concede it's an argument.
Kareem never had an outside game - Bill DID - giving Kareem a weakness Bill didn't have.
Not to say that Kareem isn't one of the all time greatest - I usually have him in my Top 5 overall and definitely Top 5 as a center.
As far as the Sky Hook, Kareem developed it in response to the one rule change he caused (dunks banned in NCAA play).
Nobody else had that incentive AND the height/reach to pull it off since that ban didn't last all that many years.
Enough Said!!
gary corr
Magic is not in the conversation of being the best HS player EVER...or COLLEGE
Now throw in MVP’s and records...bye , bye Magic!
Brice Fleckenstein
John Wooden said Kareem was the greater. He should know...
And again...not considered the greatest Hs or Pro EVER!
He is in the conversation of greatest college player ever.
Look up Kareems scoring compilation and you might forget about the skyhook. Kareem was a deadly shooter from 18 feet and in.
Kareem jabbar was the greatest center that played game.
Yep a underrated center who can shoot free throws.
macewbee underrated? Good one!
Ummm.... I wouldn't exactly say underrated... when you're the GOAT... hold almost ALL scoring statistics... champion numerous times over on every level... and the game IS literally changed because you're 2 good and it's unfair to the other players... yeah I wouldn't use the word underrated
Thanks for showing this bit about Kareem. I always thought he didn't get the recognition he deserves.
Magic developed his own similar version of the Sky Hook. Look for it. There's highlights. I practiced the sky hook every time I shot baskets. My neighbor had a curbside hoop on a low traffic suburban street. I used to hit a respectable percentage from 15-20ft out when I was a teen.
Magic did indeed develop what he called the baby hook, used it throughout his career.
I grew up watching Kareem first as a youngster in Milwaukee, then my family moved to L.A. about a month after he was traded to the Lakers!! I have always marveled at the beauty & effectiveness of the "Skyhook", he was so unstoppable with it!! The way he would swing left shoot right made it unguardable, & to this day I wonder why it's not a part of every big man's arsenal. It should be!!
Kareem played in NY not far from where I was living. He was a legend back then, I agree greatest of all time.
*one of the greatest of all time
@@syncmonism - There are a few more at the top. Kareem was unstoppable on the court.
Kareem worked very hard perfecting that hook shot. Hours of practice everyday. He wasn't born with it.
Joel embid should work on the sky hock
people forget he was not just a great scorer. Look at the record books. he is also top 3 all time in both rebounds and blocked shots. if he's not the GOAT he certainly deserves to be in that conversation.
The GOAT. Yes, even ahead of the incredible MJ. Just my opinion.
That statement you made is based on pure unadulterated fact.
Kareem is sophisticated, powerful, intelligent, humble and genuine in pursuing his relationship with life and compassionately gifting humanity with his examples of excellence. May ALLAH be pleased with him and anyone he has inspired to excellence.
There's only a handful of players that are in the conversation of being the GOAT and Kareem is at the top if not the very top. You can say MJ, Wilt, Bird, Russell and you couldn't go wrong starting your franchise with any of them but Kareem had the most unstoppable single shot in the history of the game. When Kareem was winning it all with the Bucks there was nobody stopping him, not even even Wilt.
WIlt blocked the sky hook TWICE ON ONE PLAY while Kareem was at Milwaukee.
He dominated Kareem for the first couple years Kareem was in the league, but eventually slowed down enough and Kareem got enough experience that Kareem was the better center by Wilt's last year or two in the NBA.
There is no question that Kareem is at the top of the GOAT conversation though, but I don't rank him as #1. Top 5, usually. Top 10, no question.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 I saw all that happen back in the day and if someone wants to call Wilt the GOAT, they'll get no argument from me. Especially if we"re talking about Wilt in the first half of his career with how overwhelmingly athletic he was. With that said, I saw Kareem get the better of an older Wilt on more than one occasion. Even an older Wilt was a better rebounder, defender, and passer than Kareem from what I saw. You could say either/or is the GOAT from what I saw, both were basically unstoppable. Early in Wilt's career he had an unstoppable fadeaway jumper off glass and that Dipper finger roll was sweet. If the refs had allowed Wilt to play with the kind of aggression the refs let Shaq get away with, it just would have been flat out unfair so they called tight offensive fouls to the point of ridiculous.
Imo, Kareem is the best C of all time, primarily because of his accolades. But Wilt is a different beast, even at the end of his career, its safe to say that he game Kareem a hard time. And yes, he blocked his skyhook several times.
To many videos of Wilt blocking the sky hook.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 wilt did not dominate Kareem. Blocking the odd skyhook while being outscored h2h in bunches does not count
kareems hook was done with the wrist, which nobody else does, everyone does with their arm..kareem had the most incredible touch..awesome player
Prime kareem is the best center of all time. That skyhook is just too good
Just listened to your Ernie D interview Basketball Time Machine podcast. You ask very insightful questions. Not run of the mill. Nice job. I'll listen to more.
He was simply the best among the greatests.
I'm from Algeria ,and for me Kareem abdu el jabare is a legend and the most elegant for me was Clyde Drexler !
Why nobody has tried the sky hook? Nobody else can do it.
Nobody else had the greatest basketball coach of all time [John Wooden] teaching them how to do it for 4 straight years.
@@tunanorth not a good excuse. Kareem said If anyone ever asks I'll teach them.
@Iron Bear It's really the mid-range jumper that has died out. The analytics guys favor three pointers and high percentage two pointers. So spreading the floor with three-point shooters and having Kareem down low shooting the skyhook seems like the perfect match.
I was a UCLA fan in the '60's because of Kareem (Lew Alcindor) at the time, and then on to the Lakers where my grandfather was a Minneapolis Lakers fan, and passed down from my mom. Kareem spoiled me, and so I never felt anyone was ever better. Of course, been spoiled because of Magic, Shaq, and Kobe. Waiting for another spark, hope the current Lakers come through.
WILT Blocked the sky hook a few times - its on TAPE!
Why would people fall for the move to the left? He's going right!
So. And Einstein was even wrong once :-)
yeah of course. Wilt is the GOAT
@@Docfly62 you have never seen Wilt play! LOL
@@ronbonora7872 Of course I have. But what does that have to do with my comment?
I salute Kareem I love his sky hook. Wonderful Basketball player
I've been wondering that same thing as well : WHY has no one learnt how to do a sky-hook properly anymore since Kareem ? It freaking IS totally un-guardable. You have your entire body between the defender and your shooting arm, can even lean a bit on him with your shoulder... How can anyone guard THAT when it's properly done...
Granted, it's only 2 pts instead of 3... But still.
No one has even come close to the skyhook in 30 years despite the fact that it was fairly hi pct shot and almost impossible to block unless you were old Wilt from 70 to 73, Celtic fan.
Well not many people are as massive as Kareem. Not just anyone can do it. Bigs with small hands will have a harder time trying to use it because it requires more wrist than arm .
Yvan Azastrasz because Jordan’s turn around was easier to learn and just as effective 🤷♂️
One of the the few basketball legends that elevated the off court play. An amazing man
Scored more points than anyone ever, and didn't shoot 3's. Not 1 weakness, clutch and dominant at every level.
No long range game.
Could have been stronger under the hoop.
Not BIG weaknesses though.
Mediocre rebounder....Wilt, Russell and Moses were much better on boards
@@leoderosia9279 Kareem was a good rebounder for about his first decade - several years he managed 16+, which FOR THE TIME was quite good.
Wilt and Bill had the advantage of higher pace in their era - great rebounders, but in KAREEM'S era both would have been closer to 20 than 25.
Moses was better, but not a LOT better most years.
In a 4-0 series sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 Western Conference finals, Walton averaged 19.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.3 blocks playing against fellow UCLA alum Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
This was the closest to a HEALTHY season Walton had in his entire career - and he STILL only managed 65 games during the regular season that year due to foot issues (that plagued him even during high school).
It's also the year he led Portland to their championship, after 2 years with lots of injuries.
Nope, I don't buy Kareem being "dominant at every level" on a consistent basis.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 Kareem did not have the stamina to play 46 minutes a game for career like Russ and Wilt, another reason they blew him away on boards
The things Kareem did in his Era was unbelievable his Accomplishment is ridiculous Greatest Center Of All Time
Wilt blocked that shot many times as an old man. I love me some Kareem Abdul Jabbar, but Wilt is the GOAT.
I agree!
You can certainly make a solid argument for Wilt but the only issue one might have IMO is the competition was tougher for KA-J than for Wilt that makes it difficult for me to accept Wilt as goat
@@dirtyoldba__welluknowthere8863 I just don't accept that assumption. It is part of the problem with comparing eras. KAJ built on what Wilt had done. Are the players better now than then? Yes. But it is because they play the game now. And learned the game now. If Wilt was 20 today and had learned todays game and had todays physical training, he would be a bigger, stronger, faster Giannis and would do everything Giannis does but better. And he would probably still have the unstoppable fadeaway bank shot and the reverse finger roll. He might still suck from the line.
I was a teenager in the 70s and I imitated Kareem's sky hook. No one ever could stop it. They just had to hope I missed the shot. However, as much as I practiced that shot,( I would do 100 sky hooks a day) I was not effective moe than 6-7 out from the basket and only If I were in front of the basket in the paint. Kareem would hit that shot 15 ft out from every angle! Simply incredible. He is my center on my all time starting 5 along with Stockton, MJ, Duncan and Bird. Magic is my 6th man because he could rotate in and play any position.
Wilt stopped the sky hook multiple times! LOL
Magic Johnson says " when they have to change the game for you that's greatness." So you are telling me with New backboards and the hack of Shaq rule they dident change the game for shaq too. Kareem is still better tho.
Miriam Stepniak New backboards because no one else was 300+ pounds and hung onto the rim for so long after he dunked. And hack a Shaq wasn’t a rule change, it was a Greg Popovic strategy to force Shaq to shoot free throws since he struggled at that. Kareem had no flaws in his game. He was the perfect center with the only unguardable shot in the history of the game.
They changed the rules for Shaq cuz he was bad in FT but changed the rules for Kareem cuz he was too good 😂 big difference
Kareem is the true GOAT
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Top 3 centers bottom line!!!!
@gary corr Love Hakeem. Easily at #4 but in no way he's above Bill (the defensive measuring stick for all centers and the winniest player of all time), Wilt (sheer dominance in every way including a 50 pts average one season), and Kareem (combines the best of Bill and Wilt plus 6 MVPs).
@@j.p.2976 Hakeem's 5 or 6
@@j.p.2976 Hakeem > Wilt in the playoffs where it mattered most.
The gap between Olajuwon and Russell is larger offensively than defensively.
Kareem is the GOAT C. Olajuwon #2.
@@melvynsngltn27 yeah whateva!
Ummm shaq is for sure in the top three. Four championships in an extremely competitive era is more impressive than wilt stat padding and Russell winning the finals on a stacked team every year.
Both greatness in the court..tanx for sharing this video
Wilt chamberlain blocked his sky hook 3 times in a row let that sink in...
First time i saw Kareem was against artis gilmore, saw him do a skyhook and just fell in love with the shoot. Became a Laker fan because of him
Hakeem even admitted it
Dr. J was pure class. Kareem was amazing!
Players are stupid not to adopt the sky hook.
I wonder how easy it actually is to perform consistantly
@@seannborba8416 It's easy.
@@acewilliams7917 It's not THAT easy
@@syncmonism I play basketball and use the hookshot. Its easy. Just like anything you work at it.
@michael lee Giannis, Embiid they'd dominate even more. If shaq played today, he'd destroy everyone.
I met KAJ once back in the day (1996) and shook his hand . Man is he tall .he’s my favorite player of all time and imo the GOAT . I even named my Cat ( Captain sky ) lol
Kareem is better than Shaq.
Shaq is marginal if he makes my Top 5 centers list - but since Tim Duncan played CENTER most of his career, I normally end up with Shaq at 6'th.
Kareem I normally put at 4'th, with Bill Wilt and Hakeem ahead of him, but I concede that's debateable on the ORDER.
Hell he is not the Best player at h iui s own college (LSU) Pete Maravich was.
@@jmweed1861 Now THAT is an interesting pair to try to compare, Pistol Pete vs Shaq....
@@bricefleckenstein9666 Hell, Wilt would have picked up Shaq with on arm, while dunking on him with the other....
@@jmweed1861 Wilt was strong, but not quite THAT strong - Shaq was pretty heavy.
I never really paid much attention to it till now but Chris Webber hit the nail on the head. Kareem got great follow thru on that shot. Just like a jump shot
Kareem the Goat people say Jordan cause whole career was on TV
Most people think about Kareem as a Laker. But when he was with the Bucks early on, he was UNBELIEVEABLY good. Just look at the old clips of him at that time. Quick, strong in a wirey way, great footwork, great hands...the guy was a monster. By the time he got to the Lakers, his game had dropped a bit and yet....he was STILL dominate for YEARS. A young Kareem and a young Magic together? Holy shit.
Wilt was the greatest ATHLETE basketball has ever seen.
Kareem is the greatest PLAYER basketball has ever seen.
i think MJ was the greatest at both
@@golfmaniac007 Are you aware of the athletic feats of Wilt? Not sure if MJ refers to Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan but from a pure athletic standpoint, neither could hold a candle to Wilt.
Btw, did Jordan score 100 points in a single game or average FIFTY points a game for an entire season? Could Jordan bench press 500 lbs? Was he a world class volleyball player? Was he a track and field champion? Was he the single most dominant force the NBA has ever seen? Wilt was.
@@yourroyalhighness7662 how athletic can a 7 footer be? what athletic feats are you talking about?
@@golfmaniac007 Weight lifting, volleyball, track and field...you name it. The best ways for one to learn about the athletic feats of Wilt are to read about him (look him up on Wikipedia for example) and to listen to testimonials from those who competed with and against him. For that, venture on to RUclips and look up NBA players talk about the greatness of Wilt Chamberlain.
There is some excellent footage of a young Wilt running the length of the court on a fast break. For a man who stood 7 ft 1 and weighed around 275 lbs, his speed is incredible.
Read, watch, listen...be amazed.
@@golfmaniac007 you're correct
There are a # of players you could make a case for.
You have Oscar and Jerry West who were both forces on both ends of the court.
Elgin Baylor is probably the most overlooked of them all. Check his first 5 years. Nobody was quite like him. He changed the game, playing over the rim. Wasn't the same after his knee injury but still very good.
How good was Robert Parish the Chief
I'd like to know this
@Jack Meoff hmmm russell wilt kareem shaq olajuwon hes better than them ?
@Jack Meoff he was the best player on a team that won 11 championships
@Jack Meoff but there are only 5 or 6 contenders now .
Plus jerry west oscar Robertson Elgin Baylor walt Frazier were great players back then
@Jack Meoff yes I agree but russell was the best celtic in his time but bird greatest Celtic ever but russell better than parish
Kareem has his own case as the GOAT that is pretty remarkable. First in all time points. Third in both all time blocks and total rebounds. Even though he is a center, he has more career assists than MJ. I understand he played 5 more seasons than MJ but MJ was a guard with the ball in his hands far more than Kareem. Kareem is a 6 time champion. Most regular season MVPs out of any NBA player with 6. Won finals MVP at 23 and 37 years of age. Was the model for longevity in an era that did not have much. The greatest signature move of all time. Nobody other than Magic has even tried to replicate it. Has a strong case to be the greatest high school player and college player ever too. In all honesty, the the thing that MJ has on Kareem is the finals MVPs, style of play, and iconic shoe brand. But if we’re just talking about basketball, you can make the case for either of them.
Kareem was awesome. He'll hit the skyhook when he's 95. I watched him a lot, but my favorite match-up was when Wilt was near the end of his career and he got to play against Kareem. He wanted to show that young whippersnapper whose league it was - and I'll tell you, Wilt, even though overweight (he sat out most of the year) gave Kareem the battle of a lifetime. Kareem wasn't a Lakers player then, so I was cheering for Wilt, who didn't disappoint - he had his hands full though; he had never played against a super center like Alcindor. Wilt was using his pride as fuel, and he had plenty of that - and it was one of my all time favorite games. I always cheer for the cagey aged veteran against the cocky talented youngster. That's why I always enjoyed watching Andre Miller, I guess. The guy couldn't jump over a small town phone directory, yet he knew how to run a team. He was never on my team, but when he was in town, or on TV I watched him; nothing flashy, but a savvy veteran with an old man game using his basketball smarts.
Sorry. It begins with the Doctor!
The skyhook is not really a traditional hook shot. There is hardly any arm in the shot. It is simply held above the head and then a flick of wrist. It's almost like a one-handed side way jump shot. People don't even realize how hard the act of palming the ball with one hand and holding it up with your arm fully extended, straight up like that.
As a kid going to Suns games at the Mad House on MCDowell I cant explain how much I hated this dude, he was unstoppable. He wore Alvin Adams out and if we doubled him he always found the hole in the rotation, the fact that he shot that SKY hook from 15 feet and in was crazy. He killed us every night, he was the dude we feared, not Magic damned he was a super man.
When I was young playing basketball at the Roosevelt Park in Roosevelt NY in the '70s, I taught myself the skyhook. At first, it was a running hook, then I watch Kareem over and over until I got it just right. At the time I was only 15 yo and 5' 7". I was so good everyone started calling me Kareem or Supreme. It's all about the wrist!!
He is my all time favorite player. I even shoot the skyhook in games. Had to practice it constantly. Even though I'm only 5' 9".😊
Kareem is truly under rated. The shot is not easy, that is why no one does it these days. One needs balance, great tough, judgement and a good takeoff leg/foot. Kareem has 6 rings. Jordan has rings. Kareem is the greatest college player of all time. Kareem lasted the test of time. He must have really loved being a laker to play that many years. Kareem instantly turned around the bucks team. Yet, he could wait to get the heck out of Milwaukee 😊. It was great to see him and Oscar earn a title together.❤.
They stopped players from being able to slam in college when Kareem(Lew Alcindor)Abdul Jabbar played ball.The skyhook is one of the most beautiful shots that ever hit the courts.....Wrist and Shoulder with Strength .If I remember correctly I think John Wooden helped him develop that to take the place of being able to slam. UCLA vs Houston with Elvin Hayes was a mother back in the day!!! My Father wouldnt watch hoop cause he said Maurice Stokes was the man, yet once he saw him play he changed his mind although he never said I was right,plus Kareem was an activist and I was for that to the bone. Sixties sports stars were not selfish as they are today, and that went with the fame or you were overlooked no matter how sweet you were !!!! That is where Kareem was coming from,he was representing the "NEW SERIOUS BLACK MAN"who wasnt going to be doing all that smiling as if he was so happy to be there.NO!!You should be happy to have ME if you want to win, see I was around, I was there and I knew what the sixties was about !!! Real Soul Brothers !! See, Soul Brothers and that STOOD FOR SOMETHING !!!!
2 things a) Skyhook was unstoppable not only because of Kareem's height, but 'cos he had his left forearm/elbow keeping his defender at a distance. b) nobody does the Skyhook anymore because it's a tough low percentage shot, even if you're close to the hoop. Kareem's greatness was that he made it look easy.
Kareem is the GOAT , no contest!
He changed The Game - I was lucky to have seen Him play as a Rookie for the Bucks , He was so graceful, and could jump high when He was young !
Damn how old are you?
Your voice and delivery are incredible!