During his 20-year NBA career, Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a name for himself as one of the league’s most dominant and consistent superstars. But for as much as the league’s No. 2 all-time scorer stood out for his career highlights, perhaps his best trait was his longevity and availability.
Had Abdul-Jabbar played in today’s game, though, he thinks his run in the league could have lasted even longer.
Speaking to fellow Hall of Famer and Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal on NBA on TNT, Abdul-Jabbar speculated that his career could have lasted even longer than the 20 seasons it did.
“I could have played 25 to 30 years with load management,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I sit home and think about that. I made a commitment to stay in shape. [After] the season was over, I took off two weeks … I worked on my stamina, worked on my footwork. It was just a challenge every year to try to be the best guy at my position.”
Abdul-Jabbar’s final year in the league was in 1989, when he turned 42 years old. He missed just 80 regular season games over the course of his career, a remarkable feat for someone who routinely played deep into the playoffs and stood at 7'2".
It might be dubious to think that Abdul-Jabbar could have played into his fifties, but it seems certain that no matter what era he played in, the six-time MVP would have been a force to be reckoned with.
