Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently revealed his opinion on the modern NBA game, suggesting that the 3-point shot has hugely affected his favored center position, as per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe:
“Most young people don’t care about playing with their back to the basket in close, they want to shoot 3-pointers,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It’s changed the game. It’s made the game more popular. I think the game is evolving. In 1985, the Los Angeles Lakers won the world championship. That whole season we made 90 3-point shots. The Golden State Warriors made 1,077 3-point shots [last season]. I think that’s an indication how the 3-point shot has affected the game and the mentality of the young people playing the game. They want to go out there for all that money.”
Abdul-Jabbar believes that it’s not a lost cause for big men however, he feels as though centers just need to be able to adapt to the modern style:
“When you can post up and shoot 3-pointers, you have that versatility that enables you to win games. I remember playing with teammates like James Worthy who had that type of versatility, could shoot and jump shoot and post up. I think that a little something is being lost there as we go away from a lot of post-up moves. But post-up players take high-percentage shots, high-percentage shots win games. You saw what happened to Golden State when they stopped making the 3-pointers. They lost three games in a row and lost the world championship. So the 3-pointer isn’t the answer to everything.”
It's hard to question someone who boasts of a resume such as the six-time MVP, but it's also refreshing to learn how he acknowledges the game's evolution dating back from his playing years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should also be pleased with emergence of young centers today with a penchant for playing very well with their back to the baskets. Who knows, maybe some of them can also incorporate his legendary sky-hook into their games.
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