The term “GOAT” gets thrown around a lot in sports, especially in the NBA. Ask any player or fan from any era, and they’ll likely choose the man who defined their generation. Today, most would name LeBron James or Michael Jordan. But Robert Parish, who played during a particularly competitive era, picked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Advertisement
Parish didn’t beat around the bush when explaining his choice. The 71-year-old Celtics legend recently appeared on The Coach JB Show to share why, in his opinion, the master of the sky hook — Kareem’s seemingly unstoppable move — sits at the top of the mountain.
The 1970s and ’80s were incredibly physical eras in the NBA. Many of the OGs believe the game was more difficult back then than it is today, with fewer fouls called and more leniency for contact. In that kind of environment, size, physical dominance, and brute strength were major assets, and Kareem knew exactly how to thrive in it.
“The baddest motherf***er, in my opinion, with all due respect, to all the other greats, is Kareem,” said Parish. In an era that was built on toughness, Parish claimed that no man was tougher than the Lakers legend. He also threw praise at another famous Purple and Gold player, Wilt Chamberlain. Parish recalled that the legendary big, who once (reportedly) scored 100 points in a game, was the only player he saw properly defend Kareem’s sky hook shot.
“Only mother f***er I ever seen disrupt that hook shot, was Chamberlain, and that was temporary. Chamberlain is the only mother f***er to block that sky hook,” he said. “Chamberlain blocked that sky hook and I ain’t ever seen another mother f***er block it.”
It’s not surprising that Wilt held this accolade over Kareem. When he locked in on both ends of the floor, there was truly nobody like him. Offensively, he could drop 50 points like it was nothing. But when he committed to defense as well, it was game over for everyone else.
Chamberlain led the league in assists in 1968 just to prove that he could be the best passer when he focused on it. It’s one of the many reasons he remains on everyone’s Top 10 list, including Shaquille O’Neal’s.
Kareem and Wilt’s complicated relationship
The funny thing is, Chamberlain and Kareem knew each other quite well. Kareem once referred to the late basketball legend as one of his heroes. Unfortunately, the feeling wasn’t exactly mutual. Wilt was never quite as complimentary in return.
After retiring, Chamberlain became somewhat critical of Kareem’s career, despite his five NBA titles and six MVPs. What began as an on-court rivalry eventually turned into a series of verbal jabs in the press. Wilt questioned Kareem’s leadership, while Kareem fired back, accusing Chamberlain of caring only about stats.
It wasn’t until 1999 — the year Chamberlain passed away — that the hatchet finally seemed to be buried. “Wilt was one of the greatest ever, and we will never see another one like him,” said Kareem in a statement after the iconic big man’s passing. It was short and to the point, even though there felt like he had so much more to say.
And that’s one of the sad realities of the OG era. Sometimes, pride outweighed the ability to stay connected. Achievements often took precedence over the relationships and life happening around them. Maybe we’re just looking at this particular relationship under a microscope. But knowing what we do about both men, it’s a shame they were ever critical of each other in the first place.
