Kareem Abdul-Jabar on GOAT conversation: “This isn’t Highlander. There can be more than one.”

[Street Knowledge]

Kareem is my GOAT basketball player

 

[Samson]

He's right. I've always looked at it as there being 5 GOATs for each position (Magic, MJ, Bron, Duncan, and Kareem) and rank them individually from there.
MJ is #1

 

[KingJay]

Kareem isn't put in the convo enough

 

[Sauce Dab]

@bolded are u fkn serious

been in more chips? really so now we giving him props for even the finals he lost in. smh

More NCAA? NCAA shyt is irrelevent, GOAT convos regard NBA. Otherwise convo regarding Stephen curry vs Isaih Thomas would mention how the latter has a NCAA ring. This only comes up with MJ vs Kareem and I think everyone knows why

More MVPs? the nikka only got one more, plus he won one which he prolly should not have won as he missed the playoffs. Whereas Jordan was not given a repeat MVP after leading his team to a near another 70 win record in 97(69-13). instead, it was given to Karl Malone

All time scorer? Jordan shortened his career, plus this criteria even this game can be played in reverse. as Kareem doesnt have the scoring champs as Jordans

nor does he have the finals mvp amount Jordan has

or a DPOY

In basketball your entire resume does count. It's not the NBA hall of fame. It's the Naismith HOF. Out of everybody in the Naismith HOF. Kareem probably has the best resume

 

[Professor Emeritus]

This is a GOAT resume: Six championship rings, six MVPs, 15-time All-NBA, two-time Finals MVP, 19 All-Star appearances, 11-time All-Defensive team including twice leading the league in blocked shots. Oh, and he also scored more points than any player in the league’s history, much of it with one of the most iconic shots the game has ever seen.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar too often gets left out of the “Greatest of All Time” talk. He HAS to be included.

Abdul-Jabbar also had a reasonable, logical take on something too many people get irrational about — the GOAT conversation. From a fascinating, must-read interview with Marc Spears of The Undefeated (that touches on race and politics and more):

“These GOAT discussions are fun distractions while sitting around waiting for the pizza to be served,” Abdul-Jabbar told The Undefeated. “But they’re on a par with ‘Which superpower would you want most: flight or invisibility?’ Whether I’m included or not in anyone’s list doesn’t matter. I played my hardest and I helped my teammates. That’s the most important thing I walked away with.

“The reason there is no such thing as the GOAT is because every player plays under unique circumstances. We played different positions, under different rules, with different teammates, with different coaches. Every player has to adapt to their circumstances and find a way to excel. This isn’t Highlander. There can be more than one.”

That second paragraph emphasizes a key point — it is hard to compare basketball (or any sport) across eras. We get this most recently with the “could today’s Warriors beat the 90s-era Jordan Bulls?” debate. Well, are you playing 1990s defensive rules or 2018? Jordan and Scottie Pippen are unquestionably great defenders, but if you take away the hand-checking (which has come back, a little) and tighter calls on physical play on the perimeter, and those two will have the same problems stopping Stephen Curry everyone else does.

Personally, I’m partial to a tier system for ranking players. To me, Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar are both on that very top tier (along with Magic Johnson and a couple of others). We can debate the fine line of whether a player belongs on that upper tier, or the second one, or wherever, but I don’t see a point in a “Jordan vs. Kareem” or whoever debate. As KAJ noted, it may make a fun time killer on sports talk radio, but in the grand scheme it’s moot.

No lies were told.

 

[Cadillac]

I didnt put a single eraser to MJ’s career. YOU were forced to do that to Kareem in order to put MJs career at his level.

And YES....I am going to give props for finals appearances. Especially when he faced comp better than anything MJ faced.

Putting some context on the shyt u listed, isn't eraser. . And if that counts. Than so does ur remark in that last post.

 

[Cadillac]

In basketball your entire resume does count. It's not the NBA hall of fame. It's the Naismith HOF. Out of everybody in the Naismith HOF. Kareem probably has the best resume

Ur talking HOF, but this is comparison vltalk. And no one mentions and brings in NCAA in these discussions.

 

[NYC Rebel]

Putting some context on the shyt u listed, isn't eraser. . And if that counts. Than so does ur remark in that last post.

You erased finals appearances. You tried to completely remove his NCAA play. You did that....i did no such thing regarding MJ.

 

[010101]

i been saying the same thing

kap is right

& more qualified to speak on it than all the.coli combined

*

 

[McPiff]

Jordans stans polluting yet another great thread

 

[YoungMoneyCashMoneyBoy]

The nba was formed the year kareem was born. People were barely playing basketball when kareem was dominating but only Jordan played against plumbers. People lose their senses when arguing against mj and pull out all sorts of nonsense to discredit him.

Wasnt no great talent in the 70s when the league was dead. Kareem should've won multiple rings then but was quiet as a church mouse after oscar left him and before magic saved him.

How many finals mvps does he have?

His playoff scoring, rebounding and blocks average is the same or worse as his regular season average. Dude literally didn't raise his game on average in the playoffs like mj did. Thank god for magic.

6 fmvps >>> 2
10 scoring titles >>> 2
Dominating the game as a shooting guard (never before seen or done and not done since) >>>> dominating as a center (expected)


@ the high school/college resume. Kenny anderson and christian laettner are goats brehs.

 

[Cadillac]

You erased finals appearances. You tried to completely remove his NCAA play. You did that....i did no such thing regarding MJ.

Final app.- maybe so. But this criteria don't mean much as Jordan could have had more under his belt. But we know what happened.


NCAA- it's not about me erasing. More as it's about how this criteria is never brought up in other discussion only in this.

Y'all Kareem fans r just grasping for straws hence always bringing NCAA up

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

Kareem been in more chips, has more NCAA chips, more MVPs and is the leagues all time scorer.

Whats your point again?

So this is the catalyst now? Cause y’all tell me in Lebron vs Kobe or any other thread that finals MVPs are important and rarely is NCAA brought up when discussing players who went to college. Kareem was only the best player twice. Jordan was 6 times. Jordan also didn’t have magic either. Neither pippen or Rodman rank ahead of Magic and Worthy all time, Pippen never won 3 FMVPs during Jordan’s time either, like Magic did with Kareem.

 

[NYC Rebel]

Final app.- maybe so. But this criteria don't mean much as Jordan could have had more under his belt. But we know what happened.


NCAA- it's not about me erasing. More as it's about how this criteria is never brought up in other discussion only in this.

Y'all Kareem fans r just grasping for straws hence always bringing NCAA up

It is erasing. Being the GOAt didnt start in thr NBA. And yes...finals apps count. Youre just labeling things in the manner that you are ti disgard points (ie kareem fans grasping...)

Aint no straws here exepct the ones you decided to make.

 

[NYC Rebel]

So this is the catalyst now? Cause y’all tell me in Lebron vs Kobe or any other thread that finals MVPs are important and rarely is NCAA brought up when discussing players who went to college. Kareem was only the best player twice. Jordan was 6 times. Jordan also didn’t have magic either. Neither pippen or Rodman rank ahead of Magic and Worthy all time, Pippen never won 3 FMVPs during Jordan’s time either, like Magic did with Kareem.

I dont do Bron Kobe debates, so who are you quoting?