Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) First UCLA Game. Drops 32 in the first half.
At UCLA, Kareem went 88–2, winning 3 NCAA championships and 3 tournament MVPs in 3 seasons played there. In the NBA, he won 6 championship rings and a record 6 regular-season MVP awards. He retired with 38,387 career points. AKA the most dominant center ever.
Back then freshmen couldn’t play varsity basketball in college. The UCLA freshmen team with Kareem was better than the varsity team. Two of the varsity team’s best (drafted) players were suspended and redshirted in Kareem’s debut season. UCLA went 30-0 with players almost entirely from that freshmen team.
The NCAA also banned dunking from 1967-1976 to nerf Kareem. It was called the “Lew Alcindor rule” at the time. This led Kareem to develop the skyhook.
Without a doubt the greatest college basketball player of all time
After Kareem left, UCLA then had Bill Walton who only went 86-4 and won 2 NCAA titles.
Slacker
How does 86-4 seem diminished in comparison.
More dominant than 11 championships in 13 years?
Yes.
Bill Russell also “led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories, and a 26-point, 27-rebound, 20-block performance in one game,” according to Wikipedia.
I’d say they’re comparable. Both dominated their era.
against what 8 teams? half the league is cab drivers and plumbers. Yes.
Dominance does not compare eras, it compares between contemporaries.
according to whom? you? sounds good man.
and yeah Russell’s “contemporaries” were part time 6’1 basketball players. I’ll take the actual superior basketball player over the guy who won more against inferior talent.
This narrative is ignorant and needs to die. The average height (by season) of NBA centers during Russell’s career ranged from 6’9” to 6’10.3” (similar to today).
Not to mention that Russell played against a lot of guys who played against Kareem.
Guys like Nate Thurmond, who Kareem said was the toughest centre he had to play against. And Wilt, who is on video blocking Kareem’s sky hook.
Or guards like Oscar Robertson. Kareem said, ““LeBron is awesome, MJ was awesome — but I think Oscar Robertson would have kicked them both in the behind.“
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/kareem-says-oscar-robertson-better-than-jordan-or-lebron
And Kareem played against Jordan, so he can directly compare.
There were plenty of great players in Russell’s day.
Big O doesnt get the respect he deserves by today’s fans.
Bill Russell played against guys who held their own against Kareem.
And Kareem’s coach, Wooden, said Russell was the best defender he ever saw.
that’s cool. Kareem was the better overall player
That may be so, but your argument above is simply dishonest (or at least inaccurate).
the dictionary
Imagine being some 19-year-old center thinking you’re nice, then Alcindor drops 32 on you by halftime.
In high school Lisa Leslie once scored 100 points in the first half. The other team quit the second half and walked off.
Sounds unbelievable.
It was actually 101.
I would have quit too honestly
“Theres little that can be done to defend Alcindor”…
Doesn’t look like they even tried tbh
the league tried though. shortly after this, they decided dunks should be illegal. true story
i was shocked the final score was relatively close at 105-90
Can’t get that far ahead if you’re giving up 90. Maybe stop with the full court press Wooden if it’s doing that poorly
Sounding off coaching tips to John Wooden is wild lol
Yes, that was kind of the joke
Lew Alcindor is a bad ass name, he might be the GOAT if he kept it
To be fair both his names were (are) awesome.
Muhammad Ali similarly.
Cassius Marcellus Clay is a hell of a name.
Agreed.
Dunking was banned in college because Kareem was too op at basketball
Film was amazing, this quality is insane
Meanwhile footage of Kobe from the early 2000s looks like Roblox
If 1975-1979 does not happen. This man has the most bullet-proof basketball GOAT case.
Should’ve just retired to play baseball.
What do you mean by this? Aren’t 75-80 some of Kareem’s most successful seasons for personal awards?
He missed the playoffs back to back in 75-76 (last MVP to miss the playoffs in 1976).
Got swept in 77 by Walton.
First round and 2nd round finishes in 78-79.
Same “what the fuck are we supposed to do about this” energy as Wemby today.
Just by watching about four of these possessions, I can say without a shred of exaggeration that he could have had 100 easily.
Played against plumbers lol
Played against Renaissance men you mean.
Plumbers went to university back then? TIL
Of course they did. On scholarship.
Played against mechanical engineering students.