Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most revered players in NBA history. Abdul-Jabbar owns many NBA records and a lot of that is due to his long time in the league.
Playing 20 seasons in the NBA allowed Abdul-Jabbar to compile some excellent numbers. On February 23, 1986, he broke a record that is the ultimate sign of his longevity in the NBA.
On that day, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar surpassed Elvin Hayes by playing in his 1,304th career game. The Lakers would defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime, 117-111.
Abdul-Jabbar would continue playing for three more years, raising his total to 1,560. A record that would stand until being broken in 1996 by Robert Parish.
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What made Abdul-Jabbar so amazing was that he continued to be effective despite getting older. He averaged 23 points in 1986 at the age of 38.
We all lauded Bryant for his amazing season last year, averaging 27 points at age 34, but what Abdul-Jabbar did was just as impressive. Everyone always wanted to try and push, pound, and tear him down, but Abdul-Jabbar just kept working and became one of the greatest winners in NBA history.
There are times now when people talk about the greatest players of all-time, and for some reason, Abdul-Jabbar is rarely in the discussion. But there are very few players who played at his level, for as long as he did.
This week, we remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for breaking the NBA record for most games played.
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