When most people hear the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they tend to associate him with the Los Angeles Lakers. That is understandable, as he spent 14 years with the team, winning three multiple MVPs and five championships. However, basketball fans should think twice when remembering the legacy of the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem has a surprisingly low presence in the city of Milwaukee. This is especially true because he is widely considered a top-five player in NBA history and spent six crucial years in Milwaukee.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar Should be Remembered as a Buck, not a Laker
Lack of Connection
Kareem’s lack of connection with Milwaukee started back when he played for the Bucks in the 1970s. Before the 1975-1976 season, Abdul-Jabbar requested to be traded from the Milwaukee Bucks. This was after he won three MVPs, two finals appearances, a championship, a finals MVP, playoff appearances in five of those six seasons, and an outstanding team record of 367-157 with Milwaukee. The Bucks and their fans were obviously not happy with this. Kareem was in his prime, putting up otherworldly numbers, and loved by the city.
Cultural Differences
Kareem has been cited numerous times for saying cultural differences were arguably the biggest reason he wanted to leave Milwaukee. He said what he was into culturally was not in Milwaukee. He also said he wanted to live in a city that was more culturally and ethnically diverse. This is completely understandable. Given that, and the fact that he has been adamant about saying that there was no ill will against Milwaukee or its people, it still must have felt like a bit of a slap in the face to the people of the city.
A Distant Memory
The story of Kareem and Milwaukee pretty much ended then and there. As far as the public is aware, he really has not been back to Milwaukee very often. He has made a few appearances every once in a while but has largely remained unassociated with the city. Kareem was supportive of the Milwaukee Bucks during their championship run in 2021. Aside from that, Milwaukee has not been something fans typically hear him speak about these days. Almost everything laid out so far would indicate that Kareem not being associated with Milwaukee makes total sense. That is until you look at his on-court performance in Milwaukee.
Accolades
In six seasons with Milwaukee, Kareem won Rookie of the Year, three MVPs, a Finals MVP, and two scoring titles. In 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kareem won three MVPs and one Finals MVP. With the Bucks, he was first-team All-NBA four times and second-team All-NBA once. He was first-team All-NBA six times and second-team All-NBA four times during his tenure with the Lakers. He was able to garner somewhat similar accolades in Milwaukee as he did in Los Angeles. This is truly incredible since he spent less than half his career in Milwaukee.
Per Game Numbers
In Milwaukee, he averaged 30.4 points per game, 15.3 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game in the regular season. During his 14 years with the Lakers, he averaged 22.1 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game during the regular season. Looking at this at face value is not fair, as Kareem’s tenure with the Lakers included his twilight years as a much older player. To even it out, it is best to look at his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Unsurprisingly, these are by far his six best seasons with the Lakers. If you take just his first six years in Los Angeles, he averaged 25.8 points per game, 12.8 rebounds per game, and 4.4 assists per game. This is still a big step down from his averages in Milwaukee.
Win Shares
Out of all the advanced NBA metrics, I think the best to evaluate a player’s single season/career performance is win shares. Win Shares are the number of wins a player contributes. It fills a similar role to what WAR does in baseball. Kareem has the first, fifth, and seventh-highest single-season Win Share totals in NBA history. All three of these seasons were with Milwaukee. This is an accomplishment that more people should talk about when mentioning Kareem’s legacy. The highest of these three seasons occurred in the 1971-1972 campaign. One could make a very sound argument that this is the greatest single season an NBA player has ever had. Additionally, the 1971-72 Bucks had a stellar 63-19 record and are considered one of the best teams in league history.
With Milwaukee, he averaged a Win Share total of 19.1 per year. His Win Share numbers are still impressive with the Lakers, although they don’t hold a candle to what he accomplished with the Bucks. In his first six seasons with the Lakers, he averaged a Win Share total of 15.1 per year. Unfortunately, a lot of commonly used advanced metrics are not logged for his entire time in Milwaukee.
The Last Word
Kareem was, of course, still a superstar in Los Angeles. However, the years that make him a top-five player of all time primarily came in Milwaukee. Kareem had arguably the greatest stretch a player has ever had in Milwaukee, and the numbers are there to back it up. He also still managed to win a championship in Milwaukee as the clear number one option, whereas with the Lakers, he played alongside the great Magic Johnson. This is why he should be remembered as a Milwaukee Buck, not a Los Angeles Laker.
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