The Legend Of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

NBA fans love to argue about who's the GOAT. And in Chris Broussard’s eyes, there's one legend who doesn't get his fair shake in the conversation. 

So the FOX Sports NBA analyst is here to set the record straight. In the most recent installment of his “You Kids Don’t Know” series, Broussard broke down how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's incredible impact on basketball has become overlooked.

As Broussard points out, the 7-foot-2 center changed the game as we know it — in large part thanks to his unstoppable signature shot:

“Kareem owned the greatest, most immaculate, most unstoppable shot in the history of basketball. The skyhook.”

It's a shot so magical that one can easily put together a 5-minute highlight reel of the skyhook. Literally.

There's a lot more to Abdul-Jabbar's legacy, however. His impact, Broussard noted, began all the way back in Abdul-Jabbar's college days.

In the piece, Broussard implored viewers to Google the “Alcindor Rules.” But we’ll save you that step: In 1967, the NCAA banned the slam dunk.

Under the guise of dunking being deemed “not a skillful shot” and citing injury concerns, the NCAA specifically prohibited players from taking shots directly over the rim. The new law was nicknamed after Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor.

Broussard anointed Abdul-Jabbar the best collegiate basketball player of all time, to boot.

“Better than Bill Russell. Better than Bill Walton. Better than David Thompson. Better than Michael Jordan. Better than Christian Laettner. And yes, young folks, better than Zion (Williamson).”

In his three years with the UCLA Bruins from 1966-69 (freshmen were unable to play varsity back then) Abdul-Jabbar posted an 88-2 record en route to three national titles.

Looking back, his first game set the tone for what was to be a legendary collegiate career. Today, he still holds the NCAA record for most points in a debut with 56.

And those are just his accomplishments before becoming a pro! Broussard then hit on the center’s long list of accolades in his NBA career, which lasted 20 seasons, six with the Milwaukee Bucks and 14 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Abdul-Jabbar holds a number of NBA records, including most All-Star selections (19) and MVP awards collected (6). Oh, he’s also the league’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.

LeBron James, who currently sits third on the list, needs more than 4000 additional points to catch Abdul-Jabbar. Broussard's not alone in his defense of Abdul-Jabbar, either.

Marcellus Wiley elaborated on the genius of Abdul-Jabbar back in April:

If Abdul-Jabbar’s on-court exploits weren’t enough to convince the skeptics, Broussard also lauded the Hall of Famer’s contributions to society.

“He was an advocate for social justice from day one.”

In 2016, President Barack Obama presented Abdul-Jabbar with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

With it, Abdul-Jabbar joined the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, John Wooden and many more as athletes to have the distinction.

In Broussard’s eyes, that’s enough said. So, the next time you're having a conversation about the greatest of all time, don't forget to mention Abdul-Jabbar.

“Champion. Hall of Famer. Pioneer. Deserved member of the GOAT discussion. Now, you kids know how good Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was.”