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UCLA Basketball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the Greatest Of All Time

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to the fans from center court during a commemoration ceremony at halftime of the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to the fans from center court during a commemoration ceremony at halftime of the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES – 1987: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the ball in the post during an NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, California in 1987. (Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – 1987: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 of the Los Angeles Lakers holds the ball in the post during an NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles, California in 1987. (Photo by: Mike Powell/Getty Images) /

NBA – Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers

When talking about G.O.A.T.s, folks usually limit it to production in the NBA. Alcindor, who was now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (he changed his name in 1968 for religious purposes), ranks among the best in professional basketball. Let us quickly take a look at some of his accomplishments.

Abdul-Jabbar won six total titles with two teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1971), Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). He was a 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 6-time NBA MVP, 19-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team member, and a 5-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member.

These are astonishing achievements, but how do his stats compare to some of the all time greats? Let us just say that he holds his own compared to the likes of LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain.

Career Stats of 5 NBA Legends

Stats Kareem LeBron* Jordan Big O Wilt
Seasons  20 15 15 14 15
Total Pts 38,387 31,038 32,292 26,716 31,419
FG% .559 .504 .497 .485 .540
 Pts/Gm 24.6 27.2 30.1 25.7 30.1
 Rebs/Gm 11.7 7.4 6.2 7.5 22.9
 Blks/Gm 2.6 0.8 0.8 — —
Asts/Gm 3.6 7.2 5.3 9.5 4.4

*still active

It is truly impressive, especially for a career that lasted 20 years (TWENTY YEARS!). On top of that, he is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with a staggering 38,387 points. That will never be matched.

So right about now, some of you might be saying, “well of course he had the most points, he played 20 years.” Let me stop you right there. Playing pro basketball is extremely difficult, so to make a living off of it for two decades is something only the best can achieve. His stats started to fade towards the end of his career, but he continued to compete. Every. Single. Game.

Kareem was great in the pros. He was great in college and in high school. So by definition, he is the Greatest OF ALL TIME. Not just in high school. Not just in college. Not just in the pros… OF ALL TIME! No one else can claim that.

Next: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team

So the next time some tries to convince you that King James, Air Jordan and any other basketball player is the G.O.A.T., just smile and educate them on the Captain.