Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the current all-time leading scorer in the NBA. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain in 1984, a feat that Wilt praised.
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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.
LeBron gets a standing ovation after becoming the No. 2 all-time scorer in NBA history 🙏 pic.twitter.com/VjmSgPZ4ab
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2022
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.”
On this date 37 years ago, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reached 31,421 points, passing Wilt Chamberlain for the most points in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/1YcbvNh3Pv
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 6, 2021
It truly was high praise coming from one of the greats. Surely Kareem will be as complimentary when LeBron James inevitably passes him.