Analysis : Putting Kareem’s Career in Perspective

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s combination of talent and longevity is even more remarkable when put in the perspective of his peers.

Abdul-Jabbar, 41, playing in his 20th and final season, has appeared in at least 500 more games than any other active player. Only Moses Malone, Alex English and Adrian Dantley among active players have scored half as many points as Abdul-Jabbar.

A handful of this season’s NBA rookies were 2 years old when Abdul-Jabbar started his pro career.

He began the season having outscored the entire opening-day rosters of 14 NBA teams, more than half the league. He also has more points than the entire rosters of Indiana and Miami combined.

Another amazing fact about Abdul-Jabbar is his two playoff Most Valuable Player awards -- 14 years apart from 1971 to 1985. That’s longer than the careers of the overwhelming majority of NBA players.

When George Bush assumes office in January, he will become the fifth president to hold office during Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career, joining Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan.

Despite his impressive career, Abdul-Jabbar has remained somewhat aloof, especially in comparison with Julius Erving, who had a similar farewell tour in his final season of of 1986-87.

“The thing that nobody knew is that Kareem always has been the greatest of people, but he was one with a do-not-disturb sign on him,” Lakers Coach Pat Riley said. “Because of his size and presence and stature -- and because of what you read about him -- it made him intimidating. Almost the villain. He even intimidated coaches. It was like, ‘Kareem is it okay to practice today?”’

Some of the fans at Madison Square Garden chanted, “Lew, Lew” during Abdul-Jabbar’s final New York appearance, remembering his former name of Lew Alcindor.

Asked if the reminder bothered him, Abdul-Jabbar said, “My mother doesn’t even call me that anymore.”

Mychal Thompson, backup center on the Lakers spent his offseason on a nationwide tour promoting his native country, the Bahamas.

“I want to enhance the American public’s knowledge of the Bahamas and make people realize how beautiful our islands are and to make people realize how accessible the Bahamas are compared to Europe, Hawaii and the Caribbean islands,” Thompson said. “The water there is about the clearest on Earth. Even the Apollo astronauts said that.”

Thompson has aspirations to run for prime minister after his basketball career. Although he said he is morally opposed to gambling, he would not to abolish what is a major tourist attraction in his country.

“It brings a lot of dollars to my country,” he said. “It’s good for our economy and it really doesn’t hurt our citizens” because gambling is legal only for tourists, not natives.

Thompson left the Bahamas, a half-hour’s plane flight from Miami, at age 17 to play high school basketball before moving on to the University of Minnesota and the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick overall in 1978.

“It’s a great place to just get away from it all,” Thompson said of his native country. “The people are known for being hospitable and they are fanatical about sports. Pro basketball is definitely No. 1 there. NBA players are absolutely revered in the Bahamas. That’s how I’ve convinced so many of them to take their vacations there. It’s an NBA playground. They treat us like kings down there.”