There is no question that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an amazing player when he was getting close to his 40s. One reason behind this was his self-discipline, maintaining his body through diet and regular workouts.
Many players witnessed Kareem’s journey, marveling at how the 19-time All-Star maintained his dominance. One of them was another legendary player, Isiah Thomas, who admitted that it was a milestone that he will never get to.
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“Thirty-eight years old and playing like that? I just hope I’m alive when I’m 38,” Thomas said after witnessing Abdul-Jabbar’s legendary performance in the 1985 Finals via NYT.
Zeke made those remarks after watching Abdul-Jabbar’s 36-point explosion in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-111 Game 5 win over the Boston Celtics during the 1985 Finals. Except for his quiet 12-point performance in Game 1 of that series, Kareem was great the whole Finals.
With Kareem leading the way, the Lakers won it in six games.
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KAJ was rewarded for his timeless performance by being named the Finals MVP, marking the second time in his career that he had won the award. The first came in 1971 when he was still playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Abdul-Jabbar admitted the 1985 title was the sweetest
Having led the Lakers to 10 NBA Finals appearances, Abdul-Jabbar admitted that the 1985 championship was something he coveted the most. One reason was that L.A. had finally broken through against Boston after losing to the C’s in their last eight Finals meetings.
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“We got past the image of being pansies and always losing to the Celtics when it counted. That was uplifting and gratifying, for myself, the team and the city of Los Angeles,” Abdul-Jabbar stated.
Secondly, Kareem also pointed out that the 1985 title at the Boston Garden was meaningful. The Lakers are the only team to win the title at the Garden, something that Abdul-Jabbar stressed the Celtics would have to live with forever.
The Celtics motivated Kareem with disrespectful comments
Already 38 years old during those Finals, the Celtics felt it would be best to focus on other Lakers players rather than Kareem. They said that KAJ wasn’t someone worth guarding because of his age and Kareem took that remark personally.
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He admitted that the disrespectful comment motivated him to play harder. He used that slight to fuel his drive, getting the extra push to prove his doubters wrong. His performance defied expectations, proving that age was just a number.
Abdul-Jabbar went on to win two more titles with the Lakers, the back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988. Although his numbers showed a notable decline, he remained the Lakers’ reliable man in the middle.
Kareem officially wrapped up his career in 1989, acknowledging that it was time to pass the torch to younger big men. Considering he had already accomplished so much in his 20 NBA seasons, he had nothing left to prove.
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To his credit, he has six championships to his name, six Most Valuable Player awards, two Finals MVP awards and was a 19-time All-Star. With that resume, Abdul-Jabbar not only proved he was one of the greatest to play the game. He also set the standard for longevity and excellence.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.