There has been a mild debate lately about who the greatest point guard in NBA history is.
For many years, most agreed it is Magic Johnson, who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five world championships and made them into basketball’s gold standard in the 1980s. But with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry winning his fourth ring in 2022, some believe he may have a legitimate claim to the honor.
Buy Lakers TicketsKareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played with Johnson on all five of those championship-winning Lakers teams, was asked who he thinks the greatest point guard is. The question came while Abdul-Jabbar was appearing on WPIX, a New York City affiliate of The CW. Surprisingly, he didn’t pick Johnson or even Curry (h/t Lakers Daily).
Who’s the GOAT when it comes to point guards?! Kareem Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t think it’s Magic or Curry. He told me it’s Oscar Robertson. #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/3QL4N8lhMJ
— Justin Walters (@JustinWaltersTV) September 14, 2023
“I don’t think you’re gonna want to hear this,” Abdul-Jabbar said of his top point guard. “Oscar Robertson, the Big O. I only had a chance to play with him at the end of his career, but he was awesome,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “And if people had seen him play in the prime of his career and with the 3-point shot. Oscar had 3-point range, but he never got to play when the 3-point shot was incorporated into the game.
“And people don’t really understand how significant he was in how to play the game. But I played with him for those four years. I know Steph Curry and LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant), Magic, all those guys are superior. But I would have to go with Oscar.”
Abdul-Jabbar teamed with Robertson to win an NBA title during the 1970-71 season when their Milwaukee Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets in the finals. It was only the big fella’s second pro season, yet he won his first of a record six regular season MVPs that year.
Robertson is best known by today’s fans for averaging a triple-double during the 1961-62 season. In fact, he averaged a triple-double for the totality of his first four seasons in the league.
He spent his first 10 years with the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) before heading to Wisconsin to finally get his ring. He retired in 1974 with career averages of 25.7 points, 9.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds a game.
