The legend of Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Christopher D. Pike | October 3, 2009
To listen to Kareem speak is like imagining yourself on campus with your favorite guest speaker. He is a very articulated man with a wealth of knowledge about not only basketball but life. Lou Alcindor was a great man and a great basketball player. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the same man who's character could not be defeated. The name may have changed over the years but this man will always be known as a legend.
What I will remember the most about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the infamous sky hook that no man could stop. There have been millions of players play the game of basketball, but only one shot will be remembered as unstoppable. A shot that most people called ugly became the most deadliest shot the NBA has ever seen. Their was no player on the court that could contend with Kareem's sky hook, yet still they all tried. That is true competitiveness. As a defender, when you felt Kareem's elbow in your chest, you knew what was coming. But defenders were helpless against the greatest shot of all time.
With his laid back attitude and passive personality many fans and media felt lost. In Milwaukee he won championships and MVPs, but Kareem never felt at home 'til his move to the Lakers. In Milwaukee Kareem had Oscar and in Los Angeles he had Magic. What most people don't know is Lou Alsinder was great before he combined talents with any great legend. I think the ability to express his beliefs with others made the move to the Lakers the right choice for Kareem.
In this entry I will be discussing an NBA legend that can only be described as a noble and powerful servant. Some people know him as Lou Alcindor but if you are anything like my wife you would only know him as Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He was so powerful he dominated the game for 20 seasons. When he retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stats placed him with more points, blocks, and MVP awards than any player before him. Although many did not understand or appreciate this man in his younger years, the world would soon respect the man he had become.
In his last season in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was cheered for in every city he visited. A Kareem Abdul Jabbar jersey was a hot item throughout the country. With a physical routine matched by few, Kareem managed to not only compete with men much younger, but rise above all others. If you are a stats guy then you would have to pick him as the greatest of all time. Besides all the big records and awards he spent his first 12 seasons in the league averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. Can you imagine.
