Flashback - Kareem calls Dirk a “One trick Pony”

[get these nets]

@JJ Lions

You do know that Kareem's letter was only after Wilt had publicly dogged him for years, right?

 

[CaughtInTWebb]

For those that never read Kareem's Open Letter to Wilt:

"People will remember that I worked with my teammates and helped us win. You will be remembered as a whining crybaby and a quitter, stats and all."

Full letter:

Kareem’s open letter to Wilt “Chumperlame” | Basketball Network

An Open Letter to Wilt Chumperlame
It’s been several years now, Wilt, that you have been criticizing my career with your friends in the press. Since this pattern does not seem to have any end in sight, I feel that I might as well have my say about the situation.

It would seem that someone who achieved as much as you did would be satisfied with his career. After all, some of the things you did in your time were quite admirable and have given us an enduring set of records for the books. So why all the jealousy and envy?

In trying to figure this out, I started to look for what you would be jealous of, and that’s when the picture started to become clear. Many remember how frustrated you were when your team couldn’t win the NCAA tournament. Your talent and abilities were so great that everyone assumed the NCAA was all yours. But after a terrific triple-overtime game, Kansas lost. You complained about the officiating, your teammates and other things, and then quit, leaving college early to tour with the Globetrotters. That seemed to set a pattern for you. After any tough test in which you didn’t do well, you blamed those around you and quit.

In professional basketball, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics gave you a yearly lesson in real competitive competence and teamwork. All you could say was that your teammates stunk and that you had done all you could, and besides, the refs never gave you a break. Poor Wilt.


In 1967, your team finally broke through. That 76er team established records that are still standing today. But the following year, the Sixers lost and, predictable as ever, you quit. You came out to L.A. and got with a dream team. The only lack that team had was leadership at the center position. Bill and the Celts took one from you in ’69, and the Knicks followed suit in ’70. People are still trying to figure out where you disappeared to in that series. True to form, after the Knicks beat the Lakers in the world championship in 1973, you quit and haven’t been seen on the court since.

Of course, you came out every so often to take a cheap shot at me. During the sixth game of the world championship series in 1988, you stated, “Kareem should have retired five years ago.” I can now see why you said that. If I had quit at the time you suggested, it would have been right after a disappointing loss to the 76ers. And it would have been typical of one of your retreats.

But after that loss, I decided that I had more to give. I believed in myself and in the Lakers and stuck with it. We went on to win three out of four world championships between ’85 and ’88. The two teams you played on that won world championships, in ’67 and ’72, never repeated. They never showed the consistency that the Lakers of the ‘80s have shown. And you didn’t want me to be part of that.

Given your jealousy, I can understand that. So, now that I have left, one thing will be part of my legacy: People will remember that I worked with my teammates and helped us win. You will be remembered as a whining crybaby and a quitter, stats and all.

Damn.

 

[GOAT]

You missed the part about leading. How many non dominate players led their team to 2 finals winning 1? I'll wait

Dennis Johnson. Chauncey Billups. Whoever you considered the best player on the 2013-2014 Spurs (none of them were "dominant" at that point in their careers). Hell, I wouldn't even really consider Karl Malone a "dominant" player and he led two Finals teams, one of which was statistically the closest to defeating Jordan's Bulls in the NBA Finals.

 

[get these nets]

Playoffs Cap avg 24 and 10

Playoffs Dirk avg 25 and 10

Fair point, but those numbers are skewed because Cap played 3-4 years longer than he was supposed to. Lakers made deep playoff runs during those years, and KAJ was the 2nd or 3rd option.

Dirk missed the playoffs for the last 3 seasons of his career.

 

[JJ Lions]

@JJ Lions

You do know that Kareem's letter was only after Wilt had publicly dogged him for years, right?

Yeah, it's right in the letter he says that.

I just saw it for the first time this year. Kareem went at him.

 

[Thegospel]

What yesrs did dennos johnson lead a team? And billups didnt lead the pistons and you know that. Disingenuous internet cats are strange forreal. And you made my point about the spurs. Nobody led the team. Dirk was the unquestioned alpha on his teams. I wont even respond to the Malone comment.

Dennis Johnson. Chauncey Billups. Whoever you considered the best player on the 2013-2014 Spurs (none of them were "dominant" at that point in their careers). Hell, I wouldn't even really consider Karl Malone a "dominant" player and he led two Finals teams, one of which was statistically the closest to defeating Jordan's Bulls in the NBA Finals.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Fair point, but those numbers are skewed because Cap played 3-4 years longer than he was supposed to. Lakers made deep playoff runs during those years, and KAJ was the 2nd or 3rd option.

Dirk missed the playoffs for the last 3 seasons of his career.

What do you mean "longer than he was supposed to"?

 

[GOAT]

What yesrs did dennos johnson lead a team? And billups didnt lead the pistons and you know that. Disingenuous internet cats are strange forreal. And you made my point about the spurs. Nobody led the team. Dirk was the unquestioned alpha on his teams. I wont even respond to the Malone comment.

Those guys were the best player on their teams and considered the "leaders". Dirk was the best player on the Mavs. I don't know what "unquestioned alpha" means in this context. He was the best offensive player. But the Mavs had a great team top to bottom, and they don't win shyt without Tyson Chandler anchoring the defense. Hence why they went from a champion, to a first round sweep in one year when they didn't bring him back.

Malone was a cog in the machine. He's not putting up the scoring numbers he did without Stockton spoonfeeding him and the offensive system. How many times you see Malone just take over a game? Just get him the ball and get out of his way? Or anchor/shutdown a team defensively in the middle? You and I have very different definitions of dominant.

 

[UpAndComing]

The GOAT with the shots fired


Love it

 

[Hey_zeus]

You missed the part about leading. How many non dominate players led their team to 2 finals winning 1? I'll wait

No i didn't miss any point. Your failed to prove Cap wrong who I agree with. If that's your definition of dominating then alot of mfs in nba history were dominant. Great players on great teams get to the finals. This is a low bar. Dirk is never thought of as dominant with all due respect to him. It's on you to prove it. I didn't quote you. So no I'll wait...

 

[MJ Truth]

Playoffs Cap avg 24 and 10

Playoffs Dirk avg 25 and 10

It’s that simple for you dummies?

 

[Taadow]

You missed the part about leading. How many non dominate players led their team to 2 finals winning 1? I'll wait

Chauncey Billups, and it only took 2 seconds to think about...

 

[FAH1223]

What do you mean "longer than he was supposed to"?

He was supposed to stop playing basketball at 38 cause just cause

 

[Reggie]

Dirk's numbers usually went up in the postseason and he had some huge games over the years. He was actually close to 10 boards a game in the early part of his career and was usually good for a block and a steal a night. Dirk is a HUGE reason why 7 footers are allowed to roam the perimeter now so i don't think he should have been expected to be a monster in the paint which was never his game

 

[get these nets]

What do you mean "longer than he was supposed to"?

???
Sports fans of that era know that Cap was done dirty by a person he trusted to handle his finances, his business manager or accountant.

He was robbed of millions, and played a few more years than he planned to get his money in order.