“I give Kareem Abdul-Jabbar full credit for breaking my all-time scoring record!”: When Wilt Chamberlain emphasized on Lakers legend’s long-time excellence

Nithin Joseph | 10/05/2022
"I give Kareem Abdul-Jabbar full credit for breaking my all-time scoring record!": When Wilt Chamberlain emphasized on Lakers legend's long-time excellence

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the current all-time leading scorer in the NBA. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain in 1984, a feat that Wilt praised.

The Cap, better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best to ever “lace em up”. Born in 1947, Jabbar dominated the sport at all levels.

From high school to college all the way to his two decades in the NBA. Kareem dominated it all. Ending his career in 1989, he would retire averaging close to 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists a game.

Not to mention the fact that he still holds the title as the NBA’s leading scorer of all time, with 38,387 points. He will be wary though, as a certain King James fast approaches his record.

Also Read: “LeBron James has to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the ‘GOAT’”: When Julius Erving claimed James needed to surpass Lakers legend to be in ‘greatest of all time’ conversation

Be that as it may, there is still plenty of other great accomplishment Kareem has. He certainly cannot be displaced as one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received high praise from Wilt Chamberlain for surpassing his record

Back in 1984, the rankings for all-time leading scorers were quite different. A certain Wilt Chamberlain held the record with a career total of 31,419 points.

However, this was surpassed by a then 37-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A moment that solidified him on many peoples’ hypothetical Mount Rushmore of basketball.

He may have taken his time but in 1994, Wilt The Stilt congratulated Kareem on breaking his record.

“I give Kareem full credit for breaking my all-time scoring record,” Chamberlain said in an interview in 1994. “It’s a record of longevity, not a flash in the pan. The important records are the ones that take an athlete many games or years to amass. Anyone can have a great game, but having 1,000 good games has more significance.”

Also Read: “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated for two decades”: When Isiah Thomas snubbed Michael Jordan to claim Lakers legend was the GOAT

It truly was high praise coming from one of the greats. Surely Kareem will be as complimentary when LeBron James inevitably passes him.

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Kareem Abdul Jabbar LeBron James Wilt Chamberlain

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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