“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the Greatest Player Ever”: James Worthy, Who Beat Michael Jordan for Most Outstanding Player, Once Declared KAJ His GOAT

Despite having the best resume in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scarcely gets mentioned when we discuss the greatest basketball player of all time these days.

The 7ft 2’ UCLA superstar who had won 3 NCAA championships came into the league in 1969 and became the next face of the NBA after Wilt Chamberlain.

Although he wasn’t as dominant as Wilt, the Bucks big man went on to have a much better career than the Warriors legend. In the 20 years he graced the hardwood with his presence, he achieved everything, including 6 Championships, 6 MVPs, and finished as NBA’s highest-ever scorer with 38,387 points.

Also read: LeBron James Scoring Title: How Many Points Does the 6ft 9″ Lakers Star Need to Surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

The Lakers legend still holds the scoring record but barely gets involved in the GOAT talks. But according to Big Game James, the Skyhook legend is the #1 all-time.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is James Worthy’s GOAT

The legends of the game might say that they aren’t affected by how people perceive their career compared to how actually it was, but getting neglected from ‘the Best’ conversation despite having a resume which, if split, would make three-four Hall of Fame Players, might just be maddening.

However, when someone who has played with and against MJ and has proven himself better than ‘His Airness’ at some point in time, might bring Abdul-Jabbar some relief.

James Worthy, who won NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player over Jordan when they won the 1982 title with UNC, while talking to Richard Jefferson about Magic Johnson once said, “Kareem is the greatest player to ever play the game.”

Also read: “I let God bring clients to me.”: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Who Brought a $35,000 Rug, Once Filed a $59 Million Lawsuit on his “God-fearing” Business Manager 

Kareem should never be out of the GOAT conversation

The 74-year-old legend did it all back in the day. He made 19x All-Star appearances (NBA record), 11 All-Defensive teams, and 15 All-NBA teams.

He was literally a cheat code, whom nobody had an answer for in his heyday. The GOAT college athlete of all time also won scoring, blocks, and rebounding titles in the NBA.

His humility to play second fiddle to Magic all those years with Showtime also made him a true team player who never let his ego get the better of him. If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn’t there in a GOAT conversation, it’s invalid.

Also read: “Michael Jordan Dunked While I Grabbed His Face”: 6ft 11’ John Salley Once Thought He Had MJ, but His Airness ‘Moved’ Mid Air

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

Read More