Kareem wants a statue ...NOW!

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6563112

I agree with him. De La Hoya has a statue and not the NBA's all-time leading scorer? I don't get it. Kareem is a top-10 NBA player in history and deserves to be recognized as such.

 

As far as I am concerned they should put a statue up in Milwaukee as well.

 

This

 

1. Yeah, Milwaukee. The Bucks franchise would not exist if not for Kareem (it would have moved/folded in the early 70s).

2. Wayne Gretzky? What. The. Fuck.

3. Baylor and Wilt say WTF, too -- their statues should have gone up before a broadcaster's.

 

Um, why wouldn't Gretzky get one?

 

Kings never won a championship or even came close during his tenure (they made the Finals once and got blown off the ice). I don't feel like adding up the overall records but it appears LA was barely over .500 (maybe under) with Gretzky on the roster.

To get a statue, you should win a LOT of games.

 

or be the best player to ever play the game

 

Probably because they felt they needed at least one token hockey player.

Part of the problem is you've got a building with three major teague tenants, and several other lesser tenants (WNBA, AFL, etc.). And you've already constructed three statues representing the Lakers, only one for the Kings, and zero for the Clippers or other tenants.

There's already a perception that the other teams ae just renting out the Lakers' house. Increasing the statue disproportion only increases that perception.

That said, Kareem obviously is very deserving. But the idea of a man who's been deluged with honors his whole life being upset about an unbuilt statue strikes me as kind of petty.

 

Kareem is the most under-appreciated basketball player of all-time. It's really unfortunate.

 

Probably true, but he has contributed greatly to this perception with his erratic post-retirement relationship with the media. For the most part he's been very standoffish, avoided media exposure, except when he has some particular project he wants to promote.

He's a good speaker and at times can project a friendly public image -- there's no reason he shouldn't have been able to have a Bill Walton-like career as a commentator.

 

To be fair, we should at least post the original story/interview.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-05-18/kareem-abdul-jabbar-feels-slighted-without-statue-at-staples-center

 

What he did on the court was amazing...a big man with moves...unstoppable. Definitely should be honored...just wish he didn't feel the need to request it.