"When I started creepin' up on his records"- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar opens up on how Wilt Chamberlain destroyed their friendship
Back when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar first started playing in the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain was one of the veterans who supported the young "Lew". Wilt constantly mentored Kareem to the point that they developed a friendship with each other. However, that all changed when Abdul-Jabbar slowly grew into a superstar in the league.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar opened up about the time when Wilt Chamberlain became distant towards him at one point. When Kareem started reaching the heights Wilt once did in his career, "The Big Dipper" suddenly became very critical of his game. Chamberlain publicly stated that Abdul-Jabbar was only great because he was the only dominant center in the league at the time.
"When I started playing, when I started creepin' up on his records," Abdul-Jabbar opened up. "Prior to that he'd been pretty supportive and then he had a few critical things to say and you know I fired back. It didn't make any sense, but that's what happened."
Wilt believed that Kareem would've never reached his full potential if he was still playing in the league. Chamberlain was confident that he was Abdul-Jabbar's one obstacle that he couldn't overcome.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs Wilt Chamberlain
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain are without a doubt two of the greatest players to ever play in NBA history. However, it can't be helped when fans and basketball enthusiasts begin to compare the two players to each other.
Wilt played in a simpler era of basketball when it was easy to score as long as you knew how to use your height. Kareem, on the other hand, played in an era of transition when the NBA began to implement some rules which limited the players from replicating the stats of Wilt and Bill Russell. Apparently, that didn't matter for Abdul-Jabbar as he was still able to reach unimaginable heights.
Chamberlain is a two-time NBA champion, one-time Finals MVP, and four-time league MVP. He was selected for 13 All-Star Games and won one All-Star MVP. Wilt was also nominated in 10 All-NBA Teams.
As for Kareem, he's a six-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and a six-time league MVP. He has 19 All-Star selections and has won the league's scoring title twice in his career.
It's difficult to compare both players to each other given the differences in eras. What we can say is both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain will forever be the league's greatest players of all time.