The legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays his final NBA regular-season game against the Seattle SuperSonics, marking the end of one of the greatest basketball careers in history
On April 4, 1989, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played his final career regular-season NBA game in Seattle. There was no dramatic finale—just the end of almost a half-century of hardwood heroics that had long since cemented the Hall of Famer among the greatest the sport has ever seen.
The Lakers won 121–117 at The Forum, but the focus was only on Abdul-Jabbar, who recorded 10 points and six rebounds in his 1,560th regular-season game. For 30 years, he was not only a terrific player, but he was also a champion at every single level he competed in.
From his days as Lew Alcindor dominating New York City high school gyms, to his near-mythical run at UCLA Bruins men’s basketball under John Wooden, Abdul-Jabbar didn’t just win—he defined winning.
Six National Basketball Association championships, six MVP awards, and a scoring record that stood for nearly four decades speak to both his excellence and his longevity. That’s marked by his astonishing 19 All-Star selections in his 20-year pro career.
Yet for all the accolades, he often feels like a quiet giant in the all-time conversation. Perhaps it’s his reserved personality, or the methodical brilliance of the skyhook—unstoppable, yet lacking flash. But that steadiness of hand and sure touch were what defined his greatness.
“Kareem had the most unstoppable weapon in the history of the game,” former Lakers coach Pat Riley said. “You could game-plan for it, practice for it, and still not stop it.”
In an era of noise and highlight reels, Abdul-Jabbar’s legacy is something sturdier: dominance sustained over time.
“When you talk about greatness, you have to start with Kareem,” his longtime Laker teammate and fellow NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson stated about Jabbar. “What he did, not just for a few years, but over 20 years—you’ll never see it again.”
“He was our captain, our leader. When Kareem spoke, everybody listened.”
