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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the tallest players in the history of the league. Abdul-Jabbar is also the leading scorer of the NBA.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the game's greatest ever players, and as such during his 20-year career, he went up against a lot of superstar talent. Here, we look at some of the contemporaries he went up against and how he compared to them in height.
#5 - Moses Malone
Moses Malone is one of the greatest centers of the 1980s. The tall, bruising center stood 6-ft-10 tall and dominated games from the middle. Moses Malone was part of the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers team which wrecked havoc during that year's playoff season.
The 76ers went 12-1 during the entire playoffs and defeated Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. That 76ers team is one of the greatest ever teams and it was Moses who led them to glory.
During his illustrious career, Moses Malone won one championship, was a finals MVP, three league MVPs and made 12 All-Star appearances. Fittingly, Moses Malone made the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
#4 - Bob Lanier
If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did not exist in the 1970s, Bob Lanier would have been the best player of the decade. This sentence itself is a testament to Lanier's greatness.
Over his fourteen-season career, Lanier played in 959 games, averaging 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. Bob Lanier was listed at 6-ft-11 and played center for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.
Bob Lanier averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds per game in the playoffs during his career but could not win a ring as the Pistons lacked direction during the 1970s. Lanier made eight All-Star appearances in his career and is also the leading scorer in Detroit Pistons franchise history.
#3 - Julius "Dr J" Erving
Julius "Dr J" Erving is one of the most influential players in the history of the sport. Dr. J, as he is fondly called by basketball lovers, took flight, dunked the basketball and inspired a generation of players to pick up the sport.
Standing at 6-ft-7, Erving had a leaping ability not common during that time. With such a unique skill, he dazzled the crowds and made a huge name for himself. Erving spent a lot of his prime years in the ABA.
When he came to the NBA, he was already an established name in the sport. Erving joined the Philadelphia 76ers and immediately led them to title contention. The 76ers made the NBA finals in 1980 but lost to the ascendant LA Lakers as rookie Magic Johnson came up big in the deciding game 6 of the 1980 NBA finals.
The 76ers eventually added Moses Malone to their roster, and the Malone-Erving duo led the 76ers to the NBA championship in 1982-83. In an illustrious career spanning two leagues, Erving won two ABA championships and one NBA championship. Erving also received 16 All-Star nods, seven All-NBA nods and five All-ABA selections over the course of his career.
Additionally, the 76ers legend is also one of the early style icons of the sport inspring generations of basketball stars to create a brand for themselves.
#2 - Larry Bird
Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics were the arch nemesis of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers. Before LeBron James burst on to the scene, Larry Bird was widely regarded as the greatest forward to ever play the game of basketball.
With a 6-ft-9 height and a shooting skillset not seen in the league till then, Bird immediately became a superstar talent in the league. Bird led the Celtics to the championship in 1981. After that, the Celtics and Bird didn't look back, carving out a highly successful decade.
Larry Bird won three championships, three league MVPs and two finals MVPs during his illustrious career. Moreover, his battles with Magic Johnson put the league on the map and saved the league from going bankrupt in the early 80s.
#1 - Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest centers to have ever played the game. Chamberlain is also the most dominant player to compete with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The duo played against each other 27 times, with Chamberlain's team winning on14 occasions. The 7-ft-1 Chamberlain is arguably the most dominant player to have played in the league.
Chamberlain won two championships, four NBA MVPs, and an NBA Finals MVP (1972). He also made 13 All-Star appearances, 10 All-NBA Teams, and won seven scoring titles. The 7'1" center also took home the Rookie of the Year award in 1960, and led the league in rebounding 11 times.
Fittingly, Chamberlain has been named to the league's 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary teams.
