Kareem Abdul Jabbars open letter to Wilt Chumberlame

[kennethgriffin]

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-...final-season/5

Wilt and I go way back. When I was in high school, there were only two men I could be like, Wilt or Bill Russell. I kept a scrapbook of photos of both of them in action. Wilt lived in New York then, and I sought out his company. I'd run down the block just to say hello. But as I grew older, I strongly disagreed with some of the positions he took, like supporting Richard Nixon for President and denigrating black women in his autobiography. But I've never really disliked Wilt, and I've always respected him professionally for what he achieved. He was one of the best centers to have ever played the game. I've decided to take this opportunity to respond to all the aspersions he's cast on me over the years:


An Open Letter to Wilt Chumperlame

It's been several years now, Wilt, that you have been criticizing my career with your friends in the press. Since this pattern does not seem to have any end in sight, I feel that I might as well have my say about the situation.

It would seem that someone who achieved as much as you did would be satisfied with his career. After all, some of the things you did in your time were quite admirable and have given us an enduring set of records for the books. So why all the jealousy and envy?

In trying to figure this out, I started to look for what you would be jealous of, and that's when the picture started to become clear. Many remember how frustrated you were when your team couldn't win the NCAA tournament. Your talent and abilities were so great that everyone assumed the NCAA was all yours. But after a terrific triple-overtime game, Kansas lost. You complained about the officiating, your teammates and other things, and then quit, leaving college early to tour with the Globetrotters. That seemed to set a pattern for you. After any tough test in which you didn't do well, you blamed those around you and quit.

In professional basketball, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics gave you a yearly lesson in real competitive competence and teamwork. All you could say was that your teammates stunk and that you had done all you could, and besides, the refs never gave you a break. Poor Wilt.

In 1967, your team finally broke through. That 76er team established records that are still standing today. But the following year, the Sixers lost and, predictable as ever, you quit. You came out to L.A. and got with a dream team. The only lack that team had was leadership at the center position. Bill and the Celts took one from you in '69, and the Knicks followed suit in '70. People are still trying to figure out where you disappeared to in that series. True to form, after the Knicks beat the Lakers in the world championship in 1973, you quit and haven't been seen on the court since.

Of course, you came out every so often to take a cheap shot at me. During the sixth game of the world championship series in 1988, you stated, "Kareem should have retired five years ago." I can now see why you said that. If I had quit at the time you suggested, it would have been right after a disappointing loss to the 76ers. And it would have been typical of one of your retreats.

But after that loss, I decided that I had more to give. I believed in myself and in the Lakers and stuck with it. We went on to win three out of four world championships between '85 and '88. The two teams you played on that won world championships, in '67 and '72, never repeated. They never showed the consistency that the Lakers of the '80s have shown. And you didn't want me to be part of that.

Given your jealousy, I can understand that. So , now that I have left, one thing will be part of my legacy: People will remember that I worked with my teammates and helped us win. You will be remembered as a whining crybaby and a quitter, stats and all.

found this on another forum

thought it was interesting. seems as though wilts choking, cancerous attitude and jealousy was well known back then. dunno why its been burried for so long until now

he was a serious quitter, ring chaser, spitefull sour small minded beta individual

is wilt the truest form of stats not telling the whole story or what

[Beastmode88]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwHP04TWOps

[LAZERUSS]

In their four years in the league together, they each won one ring, but Wilt went to three Finals, and KAJ to one. And KAJ's title season might very well have been the easiest to road to a championship in NBA history, as well.

[kennethgriffin]

In their four years in the league together, they each won one ring, but Wilt went to three Finals, and KAJ to one. And KAJ's title season might very well have been the easiest to road to a championship in NBA history, as well.

dem laker squads were stacked though. and wilt lost 2 of those 3 finals.



these were his finals teams




atleast kareem was the bucks unquestionable leader

and kareem was a rookie.. regardless of him being the best center in basketball from day one... he was still a rookie


and the bucks werent nearly as deap as LA

[Jameerthefear]

Ethered

[BlkMambaGOAT]

30 years later...

Kevin Durant's open letter to Lebron James...

[LAZERUSS]

dem laker squads were stacked though. and wilt lost 2 of those 3 finals.



these were his finals teams




atleast kareem was the bucks unquestionable leader

and kareem was a rookie.. regardless of him being the best center in basketball from day one... he was still a rookie


and the bucks werent nearly as deap as LA

Notice the games played by Wilt and Baylor in '70. And Chamberlain came back four months after major knee surgery, and at nowhere near 100%.

In '71, West missed the entire post-season (as did Baylor, who was basically done early in the year.) And Wilt still battled a peak KAJ to a statistical draw in the '71 WCF's.

In '72, West shot .376 overall in the playoffs, and .325 in the Finals...and the entire team, aside from Wilt, shot .414 in the post-season. And yet they still went 12-3 in the playoffs, and Wilt led them to a dominating title (including chopping a peak KAJ down in the WCF's), en route to a FMVP.

In '73, KAJ's 60-22 Bucks were shocked by Thurmond's 47-35 Warriors in the first round. Wilt manhandled Nate in the WCF's, and they crushed the Warriors, 4-1. They did lose, 4-1, to the HOF-laden Knicks in the Finals (SIX HOFers), but the four loses were by margins of 4, 4, 5, and 9 points, and all were decided in the last minute. And, West was just shell. Oh, and look at Hairston's GP in '73. He was injured early on, and while he did return for the playoffs, he was nowhere near 100%.

[kennethgriffin]

In their four years in the league together, they each won one ring, but Wilt went to three Finals, and KAJ to one. And KAJ's title season might very well have been the easiest to road to a championship in NBA history, as well.

dude.. wilt wasnt better than kareem abdul jabbar from 1970-1973

are you ****ing mental?


i mean im not a firm believer in mvps voted by the media

but back then it was voted by the players ( WHEN IT COUNTS )


and this is the 1970 mvp voting kareems rookie year





WHERE THE HELL IS CHUMBERLAME?

then kareem won mvp in 71 and 72, in his 2nd year in the league he destroyed the stacked west/goodrich/wilt lakers in the western confrence finals and went on to win the title

then finished it up finishing 2nd in mvp voting in 73



kareem was by far the best player on his team during those 4 years. wilt was never the best player on his team while he was on the lakers.


when wilt won finals mvp.. he averaged 14ppg in the playoffs, 19 in the finals

gail goodrich was robbed of finals mvp. he averaged 24ppg in the playoffs and 26ppg in the finals



**** outa here

[LAZERUSS]

dude.. wilt wasnt better than kareem abdul jabbar from 1970-1973

are you ****ing mental?


i mean im not a firm believer in mvps voted by the media

but back then it was voted by the players ( WHEN IT COUNTS )


and this is the 1970 mvp voting kareems rookie year





WHERE THE HELL IS CHUMBERLAME?

then kareem won mvp in 71 and 72, in his 2nd year in the league he destroyed the stacked west/goodrich/wilt lakers in the western confrence finals and went on to win the title

then finished it up finishing 2nd in mvp voting in 73



kareem was by far the best player on his team during those 4 years. wilt was never the best player on his team while he was on the lakers.


when wilt won finals mvp.. he averaged 14ppg in the playoffs, 19 in the finals

gail goodrich was robbed of finals mvp. he averaged 24ppg in the playoffs and 26ppg in the finals



**** outa here

Damn, you mean a Chamberlain that played in 12 games in '70, wasn't in the MVP voting?

BTW, when Wilt shredded his knee in the ninth game of that season, he was LEADING the league in SCORING at 32.2 ppg (on a .579 FG%, to go along with 20 rpg.) West would finish the league -leader at 31.2 ppg (he was at 30.8 ppg when Wilt went down BTW)...and KAJ came in at 28.8 ppg, on a .518 FG%, and with 14.5 rpg.

[kennethgriffin]

Damn, you mean a Chamberlain that played in 12 games in '70, wasn't in the MVP voting?

BTW, when Wilt shredded his knee in the ninth game of that season, he was LEADING the league in SCORING at 32.2 ppg (on a .579 FG%, to go along with 20 rpg.) West would finish the league -leader at 31.2 ppg (he was at 30.8 ppg when Wilt went down BTW)...and KAJ came in at 28.8 ppg, on a .518 FG%, and with 14.5 rpg.

why is it anywhere near or close to a knock on kareem in 1970 because wilt missed the whole year

doesnt that mean kareem in 1970 had by mother ****ing far the better year?

[LAZERUSS]

Kareem in 2011...

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakers...t-player-.html

[QUOTE]

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

[kennethgriffin]

Kareem in 2011...

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakers...t-player-.html



Looks like KAJ came to his senses a few years later...

yeah and allen iverson is one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen too


is he one of the top 30 players of all time?

**** no

[LAZERUSS]

yeah and allen iverson is one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen too


is he one of the top 30 players of all time?

**** no

Hmmm...and yet KAJ also said "But in terms of greatness, MJ has to take a backseat to The Stilt."

[Asukal]

This is already common knowledge. Wilt had all the stats but not the heart of a true champion. Who the **** drops from 30 to 18 in the finals? Only Wilt.

He shouldn't be top 5 imo, those spots are reserved for the best most competitive players ever. Wilt was a mental midget who never blamed himself for his failures. He was always insecure he had to make tall tale after tall tale to prop himself up.

[LAZERUSS]

This is already common knowledge. Wilt had all the stats but not the heart of a true champion. Who the **** drops from 30 to 18 in the finals? Only Wilt.

He shouldn't be top 5 imo, those spots are reserved for the best most competitive players ever. Wilt was a mental midget who never blamed himself for his failures. He was always insecure he had to make tall tale after tall tale to prop himself up.

And yet the great Kareem was CLEARLY claiming that Wilt was greater than MJ.