"We got past the image of being pansies" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explained why the 1985 title was the high-point of his NBA career

“We got past the image of being pansies” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explained why the 1985 title was the high-point of his NBA career originally appeared on Basketball Network.

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led his teams to 18 playoff appearances in 20 seasons played. In fourteen of those postseason runs, his teams made it past the first round. Abdul-Jabbar played in 10 NBA Finals and won six times, including five with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s.

Although all six championship runs were equally hard-earned, Abdul-Jabbar revealed during the 1988-89 NBA season that one is closer to his heart because it meant a lot to him and the City of Los Angeles.

“Winning the world championship against the Celtics in 1985 was my personal high point,” said Kareem in 1988.”Obviously, the back-to-back championships for the team (1987 and 1988) was definitely a high point. But personally, the 1985 championship stands out.”

Kareem won Finals MVP honors in 1985

In his six championships, Kareem won Finals MVP honors “only” twice. The first came in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, when he was in his prime and won the first of six regular-season MVP awards. The second one was in 1985, when he was 38 years old, with the Purple and Gold.

In the 1985 NBA Finals, The Cap averaged 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game to lead the Lakers to a 4-2 series win over the Boston Celtics. Additionally, Kareem became the oldest player in league history to win the NBA Finals MVP award.

However, more than his individual performance, there is another reason why KAJ considers that championship to be the best in his NBA career.

“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,” added Abdul-Jabbar.

First win over the Celtics in the Finals

Prior to 1985, the Lakers had never beaten the Celtics in a championship series in eight previous Finals meetings. The Bill Russell-led Celtics beat the Lakers seven times in the championship series from 1959 to 1969. They did not face each other again until 1984, when Larry Bird propelled his squad to a Game 7 win, spoiling Kareem’s 29-point performance.

In 1985, it looked like Boston still had Los Angeles’ number as they walloped the Lakers 148-114 in Game 1 in what many dub as the “Memorial Day massacre” since it took place on said holiday. To make things even worse, The Cap was mocked for being old and unable to help his squad.

Abdul-Jabbar responded with a monster 30-17-8 effort in Game 2 to tie the series at 1-1. After the teams split the next two games, Kareem erupted for 36 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in the all-important Game 5 as the Lake Show took a crucial 3-2 series lead. The Lakers then put the finishing touches in Game 6 with Magic Johnson and James Worthy taking over.

The Celtics took back the bragging rights the following season as the Lakers failed to make the NBA Finals. In 1987, they met for the third time in the decade, and this time around, it was the Lakers who won the series in six games, with Magic winning Finals MVP honors.

Even at age 39, Kareem still put up impressive numbers—21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. The next time these two storied rivals would clash in the Finals came in 2008.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

“We got past the image of being pansies” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explained why the 1985 title was the high-point of his NBA career

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