The NBA that we know and love today was a much, much different scene a few decades ago. Today, players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant enjoy the perks of being “employees” of a multi-billion company. They fly to their games on team-owned planes and have the luxury of resting their injuries when they need. However, other stars of the past generations did not have these benefits. In an interview during an NBRPA event during 2023 All-Star Weekend, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared his thoughts on the evolution of the league.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “I didn't even get to ride in (charter) airplanes, you know, we had to get up at six and five o'clock and go take a commercial flight. Man, you know, these guys don't know how well they're treated, you know? It's a big difference now.”
Kareem also said that if the league had adopted these during his playing years, he maybe could've extended his illustrious career more.
“It's just that I know now that I can see since I retired that if we had flown in charter jet, I could have played a couple more years.”
Kareem Adbul-Jabbar was one of the first stars of the NBA, carrying the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers to glory. Of course, back then, the league (and conversely, its teams) were much smaller. It was likely similar to how the WNBA is run nowadays: teams traveled commercially and did not have their private jets. Teams also prioritized playing time more than preserving player health: hence, rest days were unheard of. That grueling grind, according to Kareem, was the biggest challenge of playing back then.
Kareem: “I think that was the toughest thing to deal with, you know, just the grind of the schedule and having to get those early morning flights.”
Watch the full Kareem Abdul-Jabbar interview here:
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