Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 4:39 pm  |  226 responses

Kareem Writes Heartfelt Letter To Pippen

by Eldon Khorshidi / @eldonadam

And it don’t stop. Scottie Pippen’s “LeBron may be the greatest ever” comments have boiled over ten-fold, with numerous NBA voices and opinions lashing out either in support, disbelief, or disgust. NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expressed his thoughts Tuesday, with a heartfelt ‘open letter’ reminding Pippen to think before making claims, whether about LeBron James or Michael Jordan. Abdul-Jabbar has a friendly yet angry tone throughout, and perhaps caps off his argument with a subtle message. Obtained by the LA Times:

How Soon They Forget: An Open Letter to Scottie Pippen

Dear Scottie,

I have nothing but respect for you my friend as an athlete and knowledgeable basketball mind. But you are way off in your assessment of who is the greatest player of all time and the greatest scorer of all time. Your comments are off because of your limited perspective. You obviously never saw Wilt Chamberlain play who undoubtedly was the greatest scorer this game has ever known. When did MJ ever average 50.4 points per game plus 25.7 rebounds? (Wilt in the 1962 season when blocked shot statistics were not kept). We will never accurately know how many shots Wilt blocked. Oh, by the way in 1967 and 68, Wilt was a league leader in assists. Did MJ ever score 100 points in a game? How many times did MJ score more than 60 points in a game? MJ led the league in scoring in consecutive seasons for 10 years but he did this in an NBA that eventually expanded into 30 teams vs. when Wilt played and there were only 8 teams.

Every team had the opportunity to amass a solid nucleus. Only the cream of the basketball world got to play then. So MJ has to be appraised in perspective. His incredible athletic ability, charisma and leadership on the court helped to make basketball popular around the world — no question about that. But in terms of greatness, MJ has to take a backseat to The Stilt.

In terms of winning, Michael excelled as both an emotional and scoring leader but Bill Russell’s Celtics won eight consecutive NBA Championships. Bill’s rebounding average per game is over 22.5 lifetime, MJs best rebounding years was eight per game (1989). But we will never know exactly how many shots Bill Russell blocked because again, they never kept that statistic while he played. However, if you ask anybody that played against Russell, they will just roll their eyes and say he blocked all the shots he wanted to block in the crucial moments of a game.

Bill played on a total of 11 championship teams and as you very well know, Scottie, the ring is the thing, and everything else is just statistics. So I would advise you to do a little homework before crowning Michael or LeBron with the title of best ever. As dominant as he is, LeBron has yet to win a championship. I must say that it looks like Miami has finally put the team together that will change that circumstance. Its my hope that today’s players get a better perspective on exactly what has been done in this league in the days of yore.

Affectionately, 
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer

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  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    Jukai that’s not what the conversation is about. Atleast not my part in it. It’s about Jordan. I don’t think there is anyway to know who would’ve dominated which era more or was better between Chamberlain and O’Neal. For all we know O’neal might have been a better fit in The 60′s and Vise Versa for Chamberlain.

  • http://www.facebook.com B-Moore

    Ignoring Kareem cos he’s a whingey bastard

  • http://Slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    It’s not that Wilt was going up against bums, but there was only SEVEN OTHER TEAMS in the NBA at that time and out of those, one team won the championship 9 times and the second best team (the Lakers) played in the Finals 7 times. This went on for a DECADE. So yes, the 60′s were weak and that doesn’t point to a lack of knowledge, but fact. Especially when you say I have no knowledge of that era.

  • http://fkjslf.com Jukai

    Well, that was my argument. No need to have a side argument.
    I think that it doesn’t matter who you think is BETTER between Chamberlain and Jordan… Chamberlain’s lack of championships and unwillingness to be a team player, along with how Jordan helped the game, make Jordan a GREATER basketball player.
    Kareem seems to be talking about pure scorers, something no one seems to be talking about.

  • ruserious

    michael jordan is the greatest. case closed, but wow kobe loses in the playoffs this year and his name is just forgotten; lebron makes it to the finals with d-wade and is now getting called by some as the greatest to ever play

  • jdawg12

    First off, its impossible to compare these different players in different eras accurately. The competition was different, the rules were different, everything was different. Facts: the current era has bigger, stronger, more talented players than ever before, therefore being a superstar in this era requires more talent than ever before. That being said, theres no question that Wilt, Bill and Oscar were truly incredible players, and would have been major forces in todays game. I would argue that lebron has the most skill of any player to ever play in the league. If he died tomorrow, I would still consider him as the most skilled player ever to play in the league. This does not make him the GOAT. Order of greatness (according to Slam in 2003, and they got it right): 1) Mike 2) Wilt 3) Oscar 4) Bill 5) Magic 6) Bird 7) Kareem 8) The Logo Order of talent I’m not going to get into but its tough to argue with lebron at #1, jordan at #2, kobe or magic #3???

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    Chamberlain averaged 39ppg his first 7 years. And 20.1 his second 7. Supposedly in the name of winning. and rebounding numbers from back then are crazy i don’t think they show much except that teams played at extremely fast paces and shot tons of shots.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    Greg Oden is the only guy to have played against all these players – he would have the best understanding of who is the GOAT.

  • http://fkjslf.com Jukai

    I mean,if CHamberlain still kept putting up insane rebounding numbers while everyone elses’ dropped, that should say something

  • AD

    157 comments for a guy who does not care about you, KUDOS…… plus MJ the greatest all time defender, man i swee why Scottie said what he said, he still aint recognized….. iF HE WASNT ON THE BULLS, MJ WOULDNT HAV NO RINGS!!!!!!!!! Please hop off MJ and watch Lebron

  • http://Slamonline.com Nbk

    dacre ftw

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    No, most of us haven’t seen that much of Wilt, but even going by stats he was an absolute BEAST on EVERY facet of the game.
    Wilt has 78 career triple doubles not even counting blocks (which weren’t recorded back then)–with blocks who knows how many QUADRUPLE doubles he would have had. 78 triple-doubles ranks fourth all time behind Jason Kidd, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, three of the best point guards to play this game. GUARDS for crying out loud.
    He once led the league in total assists for a season, not to mention his insane scoring and rebounding figures. Not to mention his insane athletic background as a high jumper. Not to mention his “mere” 2 rings.
    As someone who actually played in both eras of Wilt and Mike, I think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a pretty good perspective on things…

  • BostonBaller

    Why is it that when a former player speaks out they are labeled as bitter and if a younger player speaks it’s hating? Cap has some points but we do not know what woulds coulda happened or would happen.

  • http://sohh.com teamplayer65

    MJ currently IS the greatest. Lebron will be the greatest when he retires 7 years from now.

  • jdye

    Lebron will never be the greatest of all time because he went to miami to be part of loaded team he took the easy way. And i am not hating at all its a fact. If Miami win this finals or others you can’t not compare those titles those rings to MJ’s or even kobe’s last two its as simple as that. MJ was the man for the bulls when they won 6 titles kobe was the man for his last two until lebron is the man on championship team not just a part of it then saying he is the GOAT is a joke.
    Is Lebron the most physically gifted player ever probably will he be one of the top ten players of all time most likely but he will never the greatest so SLAM and others need to get over it i think lebron is over it he knew when he went to miami he will never be compare to jordan

  • jdye

    personally i don’t see how you can say lebron is better than rick barry. Rick took a team of bums “besides a rookie jamaal wilkes” and defeated a loaded washington bullets team in 1975 to win a championship.

  • kabelion

    Hey. Sean Bankston.
    “Find another guy in the history of the league that won multiple NBA Championships without some post presence. Whether it be a low-post offensive nightmare, or a shot blocking defensive anchor, every NBA Champ before MJ had a solid big man.”

    Isiah Thomas. And mike and scottie leased Rodman (DPOY) for the post.

  • http://fkjslf.com Jukai

    jdye: Because for all of Rick Barry’s immense skill, he made Kobe, Iverson, Chamberlain and Maravich look like the most coachable people on the planet.

  • Hugh Jass

    …but MJ has a statue

  • HAMMER

    Ouch! I luv Pip and it hurts me 2 say this, but Scottie deserved this. Pip has said, n my opinion, the most dumbest comment of the year so far. That being said, MJ IS THE G.O.A.T.!

  • kabelion

    I said this in another thread but it more applies here to this “discussion”. If michael jordan had played during wilts era, or any era before his own, he would have been hacked to oblivion. Far worse than he was during the bad boys era. After his second dunk, he’d have been fouled into the stands. There would not have been any like mike commercials. He would have been like David Thompson. Wilt, in any era, was better than any big man who played. In any era. And he won two rings. He averaged 40 against Bill Russell. He scored 100 after partying for 24 hours. Let that “flu game” go. Lets see how many points michael scores on no sleep after a night of boozing, screwing 5 to 6 chicks and showing up to the game 15 to 20 minutes before it starts. Wilt Chamberlain is the greatest to ever play. Anyone who argues differently, probably has nike gear on or in their apartment/moms basement/moms garage/moms attic.

  • ai come back

    are u kidding me??? mj wouldnt give up like that……..sides kareem talks about how rings are all that matterse and everythin else is statistics he ends his letter with……nba all time leading scorer…wtf???are u seriously saying that a guy who went up to a guy like shaq cant go up to a guy like wilt….???shaq broke backboards, wilt just broke records haha

  • LeBron de Con

    dont fuc wit me reem, imma fcng giant. reem can jump my stick

  • Dnelly

    Man kareems letter makes me feel like chamberlain deserves a statue before him lol kareem played 20 seasons and mj did not and look at his point total…not to mention he had oscar robertson and magic johnson feeding him the rock hmmm big o and magic > pippen Jordan rules again
    and @ad is right he doesnt care about us I personally met kareem and hes a dick

  • Dnelly

    how did La times get this letter anyways??

  • http://stapledesign.com Spaceship Jay

    “MJ led the league in scoring in consecutive seasons for 10 years but he did this in an NBA that eventually expanded into 30 teams vs. when Wilt played and there were only 8 teams.” I stopped reading right there; that was a totally contradictorily statement. Wouldn’t have been more prepared to attack 8… 8 teams just as well as they would be prepared to stop him?

  • AD

    u GUYS ARE SuCh MJ DI** RIDERS… JORDAN HAD PIPPEN.. WHY CANT LEBRON JOIN WIT DWADE… NOBODY WANTED TO GO TO CLEVLAND……. MJ PLAYED IN A LG WHERE THE GUARDs WERENT AS ATHLETIC and good AS THE GUARDS NOW IN DAYS… HE EVEN SAID HE WANTED TO PLAY IN THIS ERA……HOP OFF MJ HE WAS GREAT BUT its time for MJ to step down

  • ‘B”leh

    Okay, f’real Kareem needs to stfu already, first his little statue tantrum now this man, common -.-

  • http://itsahardwoodlife.blogspot.com omphalos

    One thing that frustrates me is when people talk about Bill and Wilt being better than MJ, but talk about them as if they were a single entity; they say Wilt was a better scorer and Bill was a better winner; sure, but MJ was one of the best (if not the best) scorers and still had six rings. If Wilts and Bills accomplishments were within one person, sure, better than MJ; but really, MJ is the only person to combine that level of individual excellence with winning.

  • flimo

    Finally. Someone has to stop the MJ cult & marketing machine.

  • http://www.slamonline.com blackvictory23

    Kareem’s just likes to keep his name in the papers…Oscar Robertson is the GOAT, followed by Wilt, Lebron, Jordan, Kareem, Russell, Magic then Bird.

  • kabelion

    Actually, the guy who wrote the letter combined that level of individual excellence with winning. And he, as was noted earlier in an earlier post, played games against both. He didn’t even like Wilt, but if he can say it, he means it. And he’s right.

  • KwamePooh

    so if the ring is the thing, and everything else is just statistics =
    Darko Miličić > Barkley, Ewing, Malone, Stockton, etc.

  • MrSuper

    *AHEM*
    Wilt faced Russel in his prime, and then Cap during his twillight years, and got on top, at least statistically. You don’t score 30+ against the Celtics (and grab 25) if you are “an average center” even by today’s standards. Just Because the NBA expanded and basketball became more popular, it dosn’t mean that older players were scrubs. There are pictures: look at them. There are videos: watch them. Have you seen pics of Wilt, Russel, Oscar, videos of them? Do they look non-athletic? By no means was Wilt like Nowitski! He was built like a sh!t brickhouse with shoulders as big truck tires. The man run a marathon at age 40! Come on now… And MJ was just great, a total package. Great athlete, great baller, great insticts, toped with a huge will to win! Was MJ in his prime a better scorer than Wilt in his prime? No. Would today’s centers or even those from the 90s be able to stop Wilt in the post? No. Why? Because he was stronger, faster, smarter and he could last more. Plus, he was a true 7’1″ 300 pounder, not just “listed as”, *ahem : Dwight, Hakeem, etc. I could go on, but does it really matter? It puzzles me how some people would immediately go forth and make statements on historical figures (such as they have become) without doing the proper research.

  • http://www.slamonline.com blackvictory23

    I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Kobe in my all time greats…I rank him ahead of Magic and below Russell.

  • condeus

    Michael Jordan owns the highest playoff scoring average in history, including Wilt. Another big difference is the increased level of scouting and analysis, both statistical and tactical, between the modern game and Wilt’s period.

  • BlackJesus23

    hey kareem didn’t ya kno that mike is a 6’6??? and you comparing him to a 7 footers??

  • condeus

    I don’t really understand why people keep talking about the number of teams in the league as a deciding factor. Two point worth considering are that if you play with 5 other “all-stars” it becomes a lot harder to be doubled, whilst the global explosion of basketball (started by MJ) has led to a talent pool which dwarfs anything that cam before.

  • Dagger

    Oscar’s the GOAT because he averaged a triple double in a much faster-paced game with far more possessions and far less defense?

  • Geek

    dear darla,
    i hate your stinking guts. you make me vomit. you’re the scuuum between my toes. love, alfalfa

  • fernandogarcia

    love the comment he makes about how MJ led the league in scoring for 10 yrs while their are 30 teams and wilt only played when there was 8…. isnt it harder to lead the league in scoring with more competition…. lebron best player ever.. jordan best scorer

  • Buccetz714

    Man this is great. It’s unbelievable how much this has stirred to the average fan. I been down with SLAM since that ZO’ cover back in the day. To the remarks being made by Lew Alcindor. It’s true WILT had INFLATED numbers because of the number of teams at that time. But there is not way that he is a better scorer than GOAT if they played in the same ERA. He would AVG about 25-30 PPG, 12-14 RPG 2-3 BPG but he wouldn’t come remotely close to the numbers he had. HE would of had to compete with THE DREAM, SHAQ!, DROB, EWING33 ETC. MJ dominated his ERA. From the very start he was the best player in the league! no doubt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cIIuS_BvHM HE WAS IN COLLEGE!!!!! VS ALL STARS (magic, isaiah, aguirre, english etc) PLEASE DONT LET ME GO THRU HIS ACTUAL CAREER… Let’s just put this to rest and don’t disrespect GOAT anymore please??

  • hagekg

    with all due respect to kareem, i also thinks that chamberlain maybe the greatest centre or inside force to ever play the game….the sad thing is, in the era of chamberlain’s prime, the media is not yet as hype and people outside the US like myself couldnt even get to be the witness. MJ can play both down low or perimeter for offense. MJ is a daman great perimeter defender. MJ is more complete than Stilt. MJ may beat Stilt in one on one because Stilt will be too slow to keep up with him. so the conclusion is, Stilt may be one hell of an inside presence in the team, but when you are talking about overall ability, i still gotta give my props to the G.O.A.T, MJ.

  • http://www.slamoline.com Max

    Chris BO$H is the GOAT, if he played in any era he would get 50-50 each game if he wanted, he just wants to give Lebron and Dwade a chance to shine right now..

  • Lazarus

    why’s this thread turned into a claiming of the different eras heights?

    however, it’s scary to think the physical speciman wilt could have been if given the facilities and training methods todays players have been given. could have very well been 50lbs heavier and more athletic.

  • http://www.arbys.com LilKDub503

    Didn’t read all the comments yet, but 11 rings is impressive. However, the corollary of there being 8 teams means more opportunity to win games. I knew Kareem, you had your idols, but let us have ours.

  • http://www.arbys.com LilKDub503

    And championships.

  • http://www.slamonline.com blackvictory23

    @dagger…don’t hate Oscar b/c he played in that era. I won an argument with Jukai over this; Oscar played in an era w/o a three-point line and one where hand-checking was allowed. He could have gotten triple-double stats in whatever era he played in; especially at the specific point in the 90′s where guards and forwards like Mark Jackson & Charles Barkley were allowed to use their big bodies to back down opponents on isolation plays….don’t get me started, Oscar is definitely the GOAT but Lebron could pass him today b/c he’s even more versatile which is scary.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    ^ Also, in Big O’s era assists were harder to get.

  • E

    Wilt destroyed physically inferior players, and so did Jordan, but not as bad as wilt. Nobody ever talks about Jordan playing against smaller, less athletic players. Jordan said dumars was the best to ever guard him….. He was 6’3″! Imagine lebron or kobe playing against John Starks or Craig Ehlo year after year in the playoffs….. Jordan benefited from a weak era of shooting guards

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