“The Jordan folks are gonna get mad… Jordan played far, far shorter than the other guys” - Nick Wright says the GOAT discussion is a 3-person discussion, cites Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s longevity
When discussing the greatest players of all time, many have considered the race to come down to Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may also be in that tier.
On "The Colin Cowherd Podcast," analyst Nick Wright said Abdul-Jabbar deserves to be in the conversation as the GOAT. Wright said Abdul-Jabbar has the resume to back that contention and said that "Jordan folks" might get mad at him.
"Kareem's got the most points, most MVPs, the same rings as Jordan, the same finals appearances as LeBron," Wright said. "He's got to be in the discussion. And so, once you agree that it's a three-person discussion ... someone's gotta come in third, and that's where the Jordan folks are gonna get mad at me.
"But when we're talking about the greatest ever, every little bit matters. Jordan played far, far shorter than the other guys. You can argue (he) reached a higher peak if you want, but when he played really seven years less than Kareem or LeBron did, that has to matter."
Abdul-Jabbar was one of the most dominant players to ever step on an NBA court. The legendary LA Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and UCLA big man transformed how the game was played. His artistic sky hook was one of the most unstoppable moves in league history. He won six NBA championships and was named the MVP six times as well.
Abdul-Jabbar, playing when freshmen couldn't play on the varsity team, won NCAA titles in all three seasons at UCLA. He was also the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four and the national player of the year each season.
Nick Wright praises the resume of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Nick Wright argued for legendary big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be squarely in the tier of greatest of all time with Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
"It should not be just considered a Michael vs. LeBron thing"
—@GetNickWright demands respect for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar https://t.co/cLNwIQkK3b
Abdul-Jabbar was one of the most dominant players in basketball history. He set the NBA's all-time scoring record, retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points.
In his 20 NBA seasons, Kareem averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 55.9%.
Jordan won six titles and was a five-time MVP.
James has won four titles and is a four-time MVP. He has 37,062 points and is on pace to surpass Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record this season.