By admin 
Before LeBron James reached a level unimaginable to many NBA fans, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar comfortably had the NBA’s scoring record to himself with 38,387 points.
Read more Ranking All 36 Teams After Champions League Matchday 1
That record was only one of the things that made Kareem’s 20-season career so remarkable, as he also won six NBA titles, six MVPs, made 19 All-Star appearances, and averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
At 7-foot-2, the NBA legend could score from the post, use his length to create space, and make defenders pay with the signature skyhook. But even one of the greatest players in NBA history had matchups that made him rethink his game plan.
Among those players, one center topped the list.
Nate Thurmond kept Kareem on his toes
Recently, Kareem revealed the five hardest players he faced during his career, and when it came to the toughest defensive matchup, he mentioned two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selectee, Nate Thurmond.
“If you’re asking me who made my job hardest, I always come back to Nate Thurmond. Nate was different because he didn’t need to do anything dramatic,” Kareem
. “He was strong, long, disciplined, and he understood exactly where the battle really started. It didn’t start when I took the shot. It started before I caught the ball. That’s what people sometimes miss when they talk about great defenders.”
Thurmond made life on the court difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers legend because he used to study the game even before the ball came into Kareem’s hands.
The six-time NBA champion revealed that if he wanted to get to a certain spot, Thurmond was already there. If he wanted to receive the ball at a comfortable distance, the center made efforts to push him farther away. Those small adjustments mattered because Kareem’s offensive game depended heavily on rhythm and positioning.
In fact, Kareem further shared that once he had the ball, Nate stayed balanced, held his ground, and waited patiently for him to make the first move, which is why he ended up being the best defensive center The Captain ever faced.
“I’ve said before – he was the best defensive center I faced, and I meant it. That doesn’t mean he stopped me every time. Nobody did. But there is a difference between scoring and scoring comfortably. Against Nate, very little came comfortably,” Kareem added.
Read more Ranking the Top 5 Athlete Fits at the U.S. Open
But it is not just Kareem who had to rethink his approach – even Thurmond knew how difficult it became to guard the six-time MVP if he was given the space.
Related: “I thought he was just trying to get me off my game” – Delonte West recalls LeBron James recruiting him in the middle of a game
Thurmond knew Kareem’s shyhook had to be taken away
The iconic shyhook gave Kareem a release point that was impossible to contest. The best way to defend it was not to put pressure on the former all-time scoring leader, but to prevent him from getting into a position to score it.
Thurmond once detailed how he tried to take the same approach with the Lakers legend.
“Kareem was so versatile on offense, but you had to keep him away from his hook,” Thurmond said. “The key here was to deny him position and prevent him to going into his shooting motion . . . force him farther out and not let him get into position for it (hook). Of course, that’s easier said than done.”
Nate also shared that he often shaded Kareem to his right, trying to force him into a fallaway or bank shot instead of allowing him to turn back toward the left.
NBA fans who saw Kareem knew he preferred that direction because it opened up the path to his hook.
Related: “The biggest dork you will ever meet” – Sophie Cunningham reveals what Caitlin Clark is really like behind closed doors
Read more Red Bandanna Game: Why Boston College vs. Rutgers Is About Far More Than Football
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 4:53 AM.