"The man does it all for us" - Michael Cooper was in disbelief after Kareem's heroics in the regular season

One of the most intriguing things about NBA dynasties is how everyone remembers the big rivalries, MVP battles, epic playoff series and all the folklore that comes with them. During the 1980s, the league experienced meteoric success with the rise of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, fueled by the rivalry that carried over from their NCAA days.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers revived their epic battles from the 1960s, meeting in the Finals three times, and every detail of those actions is well-documented. However, the man who was still the most dominant figure on the court at the start of that rivalry was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

A man who never sought media attention but quietly did his job better than almost anyone in league history. He was never the one chasing the spotlight, and he was one of the biggest reasons the Lakers were so successful. People often forget that before all those epic Finals and game-winners, there is the grind of 82 games in a season, where there is no letting up. And in that environment, "The Cap" might have been the best ever.

"The man does it all for us," Michael Cooper said as "The LA Times" reported. "I'm just glad he's on our team."

Kareem hit a game-winner to continue the Lakers' winning streak

Those were the words of the KAJ's teammate after the Lakers' ninth straight win as the calendar flipped from 1984 to 1985. It was a game against the San Antonio Spurs, in which the fans witnessed the epic center battle.

Magic and Kareem had already powered Dr. Jerry Buss' Lakers to three championships, and sustained success inevitably brings fatigue over a long regular season. History tells us that even great teams can struggle with motivation until the postseason comes around.

But Kareem wasn't one of those players. He approached every game as if it were the NBA Finals, knowing it would benefit the team long-term, securing an easier path to the Finals and building habits opponents would struggle to counter. If the Lakers had slipped after what seemed like Artis Gilmore's game-winning free throws, no one would have cared much, because the "Showtime Lakers" were a young and fun group.

But the 7-foot-2 center had other plans. He drained a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer, his second game-winner in that nine-game stretch. An elite level of dedication and commitment to winning.

And Gilmore, one of the best centers of his generation, who played extremely well that night with 23 points and eight rebounds, once revealed the one big man he simply couldn't slow down.

"On a night-in, night-out basis, Jabbar was the greatest," Gilmore told SLAM Magazine. "The skyhook. If it was all he'd had to go to, it'd have been enough. Unfortunately, it wasn't."

No matter how well Artis played that night against defensive menace like Kareem, it wasn't enough, as the Lakers edged the Spurs 99-98 on the back of KAJ's 28 points and 11 rebounds. What's particularly striking is that Kareem never lost faith in himself, even after missing an earlier shot with an airball.

Kareem approached every game like it was the Finals

While Magic dazzled and destroyed opponents with a smile, Jabbar was the stabilizing pillar the team needed, the quiet leader whose example set the standard of excellence fans demanded every night in the Forum.

The accolades only confirm what the six-time NBA champion gave to the game and its fans through hard work and dedication. But for him, that's just the cherry on top, as Jabbar was never driven by awards. He was the one who held the team together when everyone else slipped, showing why the 1980s Lakers were perhaps the greatest team ever. That is why Jabbar is one of the greatest players of all time, and for many of those who saw him play, THE greatest.

Related: James Harden compares the influence of his stepback to Kareem's skyhook: "Nobody's using the hook shot anymore"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.