“That sky hook is not blockable” - Nick Wright says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would’ve kicked "a**" in any era, compares his late career to Michael Jordan’s Wizards days
Analyst Nick Wright said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the ability to dominate the game in any era. On the "What's Wright" show, Wright said that Kareem's legendary sky hook is a move that would still be dominant in today's game.
"Would Kareem have been able to kick ass in any era? Yes," Wright said. "In today's era, is it possible Kareem would have been better because not as many teams have centers? Yes. That sky hook is not ... blockable. Like, there's no blocking it."
After winning three national championships in three seasons at UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar entered the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks as the No. 1 draft pick in 1969. It didn't take long for him to make his presence felt. During his first season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 51.8%.
Kareem eventually went on to join the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming one of the greatest players ever for the historic organization.
Wright also went into depth about how impressive Kareem was at the later stage of his career. Wright compared Jabbar's ability at the end of his career compared to when Michael Jordan played for the Washington Wizards. Wright praised Kareem saying "put some respect on the Captain's name."
"Let's go to the end of the career," Wright said. "Michael Jordan, at 38 years, old came back to basketball and helped the Washington Wizards win 37 games, and he averaged 22 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 38 years old, won finals MVP.
"Michael Jordan, at 40 years old, averaged 20 points per game for a 37-win Washington Wizards team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, at 40 years old, averaged 22.22 points per game in the finals to win the championship. He had the most unstoppable shot in the history of basketball: the sky hook."
Nick Wright praises NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Whenever NBA fans and analysts look back at the game's history, it won't take long before Abdul-Jabbar has his name come up. The legendary big man played for 20 years, retiring as the all-time leading scorer in 1989.
Kareem was a dominant force. Standing at 7-foot-2, 225 pounds, Abdul-Jabbar had the quickness and length to give opposing defenders nightmares. He was a 19-time All-Star, six-time NBA MVP and two-time Finals MVP.
"Put some gd respect on the Captain's name!"
— @getnickwright defends putting Michael Jordan behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & LeBron James on his Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years list: https://t.co/0qOAdYLaT3
Kareem will always be mentioned as one of the most dominant centers ever. He won six championships and was part of the legendary Lakers' Showtime era. The game may never see another big man like Kareem, who was so skilled and dominant on both sides of the floor for such a lengthy amount of time.