The Greatest LA Laker of All-Time: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Last night, Haven threw a "pop quiz" to some of us at Main Event Sports (MESports); "who's the greatest Laker of all time"? We all gave a different name. It's my understanding my colleagues are each going to present the case for their fave player for this storied NBA franchise; here's mine: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Personally, Kareem is a no-brainer for me. He's a huge Jazz fan, as am I. He's fought racism and oppression for his conversion to Islam, and did so elegantly and courageously. He's stood for what he believes, often in public forums, and makes intelligent arguments bolstering his beliefs. He's helped the First Americans (Native Americans, as some say) vigorously, generously and for years. He's funny; his cameo in "Airplane" still is a head turner.

Oh yeah, and then there's his game. Once in a while, there are players in all kinds of different sports who just seem to re-write the way the game is played – along with the record books – and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was most certainly such a player. He played with sublimity – with an elegance and style that few other players have ever been able to match, if any.

Lew Alcindor, as he was originally called, was the original building block for John Wooden’s UCLA Dynasty that won 88 consecutive games. For his part, Alcindor averaged 26 points and 16 boards per game, winning three championships in three years  at Westwood. In the NBA, Alcindor won one title with Oscar Robertson and the Bucks in 1971, before converting to Islam, changing his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and leaving Milwaukee for the bright lights of LA.

In Los Angeles, Abdul-Jabbar moved on to join forces with Magic Johnson, as one of the more formidable inside-out combinations in the history of basketball. In all, the pair won five championships, in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988, with Magic ultimately assuming control of the team from the elder statesman Kareem.

As an unstoppable force, Abdul-Jabbar would clear out space on the low block. After receiving a post-entry pass from Magic, Kareem would pound the ball for two dribbles, before rising up and dropping in his famed sky-hook shot into the bottom of the net. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is still the all-time NBA scoring leader – with 38,387 total points—and he’s right up there on the list of ‘greatest ever’ for many NBA fans around the world.

—Mark Bacon