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Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by dream2franchise, Sep 19, 2006.

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  1. dream2franchise

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    This one is really for the fans who have been watching the game for a long long time.

    Jabbars achievements and statistics place him amongst the greatest centers of all time. Fans like me, who really never got to see him play game after game simply know that he was tall and had a devastating sky-hook.

    Based on clips i can see that he could pull that sky-hook from anywhere and that he was an excellent weak-side shotblocker. But thats about all i know.

    Can anyone here describe his game? i'd like to believe he was more than a sky-hook, was he a solid man on man defender? was he mentally strong? Did he lift his game when it mattered or was that Magic's job? Was he quick? Could he hit a 20 footer if left open?

    I was just curious, i've always assumed that his offensive variety isn't as extensive as Hakeems, but i'd like to know for sure.
     
  2. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    I only saw him when he was old. He did not take outside jumpers because he didn't need to - really why would you in an age before 3 point shots. They outlawed the dunk in the NCAA because of him. He was a great post player, and could run the court well too. He was a very good defender, a great leaper and very quick, though not a bruiser/intimidator and teams would frequently try to annoy him by playing him rough. That is why the lakers brought in Kermit Washington leading to the infamous brawl. The big knock on him was that he was too aloof and introverted, did not possess fire or leadership qualities.

    Great highlight clip, including UCLA highlights.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GDJsKzJt8Q
     
    #2 SamFisher, Sep 19, 2006
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2006
  3. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Kareem's first few years he was great. Great! He dominated inside and defensively he was a force. His battles v Wilt were legion. He was #1 player in the league.

    In the late 70s he coasted.

    Magic Johnson revitalized him and he continued to play at a high level, and was a major factor in the 80s dynasty.

    Hakeem was better than he in the 80s but Kareem sustained a high level longer than HO.
     
  4. giddyup

    giddyup Contributing Member

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    He must be a strange man. For a guy with his stature in the league to not get a job in the league-- when he's been trying I believe -- is very odd.

    I saw a bunch of his college games on television. I even saw him at Hofheinz as a Buck against the Rockets....
     
  5. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    'Back in the day' KAJ burnt a lot of bridges. Oddly, he is a very educated and very bright person - with personality 'quirks'.
     
  6. LegendZ3

    LegendZ3 Contributing Member

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    [​IMG]
    "Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. "
     
  7. Behad

    Behad Contributing Member

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    Joey : Wait a minute! I know you. You're Kareem Abdul-Jabar.
    You played basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.
    Murdock : I'm sorry son, but you must have me confused with some-
    one else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot.
    Joey : You are Kareem! I've seen you play. My dad's got
    season tickets.
    Murdock : I think you should go back to your seat now Joey.
    Right Clarence?
    Oever : Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he's not bothering anyone, let him
    stay here.
    Murdock : But just remember, my name is ROGER MURDOCK. I'm an
    airline pilot.
    Joey : I think you're the greatest, but my dad says you don't
    work hard enough on defence. And he says that lots of
    times, you don't even run down court. And that you
    don't really try . . . except during the playoffs.
    Murdock : The hell I don't!! ( grabs joey by collar ) LISTEN KID!
    I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA.
    I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your
    old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the
    court for 48 minutes.
     
  8. Behad

    Behad Contributing Member

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    Dammit Legend, you beat me.... :mad: :p
     
  9. jaredg777

    jaredg777 Contributing Member

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    I think he was an assistant about 5 or 6 years ago with the Warriors or the Wizards, I can't remember which. I saw him at the Galleria b/c his team was playing the Rockets. I went up and told him how much I admired his game. He glared at me and told me to leave him alone and walked off by himself, kinda rude...
     
  10. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    Kareem was a very skilled player. He had more than just the sky hook, but the hook worked so good he milked it to the max. IMO, he was a jerk on the basketball court. I'll never forget the time he was so frustrated he smacked something metallic below the rim (was it a pole?) and broke his hand. I also remember when he sucker punched Kent Benson directly in the face in what stands as one of the worst cheap shots in NBA history (to me). It was terrible and Benny was never the same player after that. I never viewed him the same after that incident. As a person, I have little respect for the guy and am not surprised he got no coaching gigs. To say he was aloof and lacked leadership qualities is a huge understatement. Still, he was one of the all-time greats and accomplished a lot during his long career.

    To be specific on offense, he developed a decent shake and bake move that one time almost made Moses Malone fall down. He had decent handles that were used rarely. As a shot blocker and intimidator, he was great. He would have had more blocked shots but I believe many players just didn't bother challenging him because he was 7'4". One thing about Kareem that was deceptive was his physical strength. Looking at him from afar he seemed lanky and weak, and maybe he was his first few years in the NBA. Later on, though, it was obvious when watching games that he was a pretty strong dude.

    It's really too bad he had such a bad disposition because it soured his legacy a lot, IMO. Then again, I don't know what inner demons he may have been fighting or what flak he had in his life from fans or personal issues that made him seem bitter at the world and cranky. Later in his career, I think he was jealous at the attention Magic, Bird and MJ got. He showed his utter hatred for Bird on more than one occassion.
     
  11. dream2franchise

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    I believe Hakeem didn't have too much respect for Larry Birds on court demeanour either, but i don't think he hated him. Hakeem just wasn't crazy about players who disrespected their opponents, only Karl Malone deserves that treatment.
     
  12. A-Train

    A-Train Contributing Member

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    Plus, he was bad ass at kung fu...
     
  13. adoo

    adoo Member

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    not really.

    Kareem entered the NBA in '69; Wilt, in his 12 yr, was already on the decline.

    Benson elbowed KAJ one too many times in the back; he didn't expect that Kareem would retaliate, he was wrong. Benson was never that good before and after the incident.
     
  14. adoo

    adoo Member

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    he has had an anger management issue. that IS the reason that he has not been able to get head-coaching position in the NBA.
    where did you get this idea ?

    Kareem hated all the Celtics, not just Bird. KAJ never wanted the attention.
     
  15. johnkamla

    johnkamla Contributing Member

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    Kareem and the 1980 Lakers was why I became an avid NBA follower. I can't speak for what he was before then but at 33, he was still a dominant player. In addition to the skyhook with either hand along the baseline or into the lane, he had a turnaround jumper, a drop step, and a baseline spin move (just like Yao's). He was also a tremendous passer from the post, hitting cross-court cutters and shooters spotting up. He was no longer a dominant rebounder or defender. He wasn't particularly quick and could get beat up court on the break against running centers. Still, he made it on plenty of all-defensive teams in his time primarily because of his shot-blocking ability. He also seemed to step it up in the big moments. Although Magic won finals MVP in 1980, it was Kareem who carried the team through the first 5 games before spraining his ankle. In my estimation, he's the greatest center that I've ever seen, Hakeem being the second.
     
  16. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Contributing Member

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    Yeah...This was where the legend of Chuck Norris began...
     
  17. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    Really. Wilt and Alcindor played against each other for years during summers. Wilt resented the claim that Lew/Kareem was considered a badder ass than he (in the NBA). Wilt felt L/K wasn't tough enough and Wilt could still bring it late in his career, and as late as early 80s he was in a comeback mode (however he would have lost $$$ doing it!).
     
  18. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    I think Benny elbowed Kareem in the stomach, Kareem doubled over and backed up, then just walked up from behind Benny, turned around and just drilled him in the face.

    Benny didn't develop into the pro player many thought he would be. But after the cheap shot, he had recurring headaches, etc and it ruined his mediocre career.
     
  19. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    I don't recall Kareem hating the other Celtic players like he did Bird. Maybe your memory is better than mine.

    On the attention issue, Kareem wasn't an attention seeker but he struck me as the jealous/bitter strong-ego type who resented others who were praised more than he was.
     
  20. xiki

    xiki Contributing Member

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    I would accept the comment about Bird.

    Re: attention. Another word is 'proud'. Kareem, like all elite players, had pride in excess.
     

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