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Hours After Choosing Ex-MVP Over Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Backtracks on Lakers Legend Verdict

Published 09/17/2023, 1:03 AM EDT

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Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were two of the most prominent names in the late 70s and the early 80s. Hand in hand, they delivered excellent results for the Los Angeles Lakers and led them to five championships together. Given that their professional relationship was the talk and envy of all the other players out there, one would assume that the duo would show unconditional loyalty to each other on all matters. That, however, did not turn out to be the case. It was barely some time ago when Kareem ditched Magic in favor of another legendary point guard. Now, the two-time Finals MVP is speaking out to clarify his earlier point.

A few hours ago, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar took to his official Instagram account to share a reel with his 1.1 Million followers. In the caption of the reel, Jabbar highlighted how he had stated his opinion about the best NBA point guard to a reporter a few days ago. Now, the former player wishes to further add to his existing opinion.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shows his love for both Magic Johnson and a Bucks legend

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Kareem kicked the video off by highlighting that he was sitting outside the old residence of two-time NBA champion Wilt Chamberlain. Having visited the place when he was just a teenager, the former Los Angeles Lakers star felt well acquainted with the area.

Touching base on what he stated earlier, the 76-year-old mentioned that Stephen Curry’s name was brought up during the conversation. This was due to the fact that he considered the 35-year-old Golden State Warriors star to be “the best three-point shooter in the NBA these days.”

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Despite the fact that Magic Johnson’s name also popped up, Kareem went ahead to give his vote of confidence to Milwaukee Bucks legend and his former teammate Oscar Robertson. Now, Jabbar clarified that he should have not excluded Magic.

“Magic really should get the priority because I played with him,” said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his video. “We won five world championships together, and he’s my best teammate ever”. The 6x NBA champion clarified that it would be hard for him to place anyone ahead of Johnson for the ‘greatest point guard’ title.

WATCH THIS STORY: Luka Doncic Surpasses Lakers Legend Magic Johnson; Second Only to Oscar Robertson in Iconic NBA Record

“I have to give credit to Oscar for being the complete player that he was and an example for a whole lot of players that come up behind him,” Kareem added.

 

Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s ‘clarification’ video came barely a few hours after the former star’s opinion made a couple of people scratch their heads.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pointed out the ‘game significance’ held by Oscar Robertson

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During an interview with Emmy-nominated sports anchor Justin Walters, Kareem was asked to give his view on the ongoing Magic Johnson vs Stephen Curry debate. The debate has been a source of speculation and entertainment amongst NBA enthusiasts for quite some time now. Even Michael Jordan has come out to give his opinion on the same.

Stating that his answer was not something that the news reporter would want to hear, Kareem snubbed both Johnson and Curry to pick Oscar Robertson. He only got the chance to play with the “Big O” at the end of his career. However, they managed to deliver Milwaukeee its first championship in 1971.

Even with a couple of current examples in his mind, Kareem chose to put them all behind in favor of the Bucks legend. “Well, I played with him for 4 years and I know Steph Curry and LeBron, Kobe, you know Magic, all those guys are superior, but I will have to go with Oscar.”

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Do you agree with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s viewpoint? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Ashmit Kumar

816Articles

One take at a time

Ashmit is an NBA author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, he carries a deep passion for writing and researching about basketball events around the world. Ashmit specializes in bringing captivating stories that provide in-depth coverage of teams, players, and significant events associated with the world of professional basketball.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth