What if Kareem and Wilt had both came out of high school into the NBA.

[coastalmarker99]

In this hypothetical scenario, the two greatest centers of all time are allowed to come from high school straight into the NBA.



For Wilt, this means that he now starts his career with the Warriors in the 1954-1955 season.



For Kareem, this means that he now starts his career with the Knicks in the 1965-1966 season.



Now how do you think both players legacies change as a result of this hypothetical scenario.



Kareem would now be sitting in the 40 thousand point club along with the 20 thousand rebound club as a result of starting his NBA career straight out of high school.



For Wilt, he would also be sitting in the 35 to 40 thousand point club along with the 30 thousand rebound club as a result of starting his NBA career straight out of high school plus he may have also won a couple of more rings with the Warriors from 1954 to 1959.

[coastalmarker99]

Looking at Kareem's legacy in this hypothetical scenario


He would be the all-time scorer by a mile with nobody even Lebron standing a chance of catching him.


He would now be the second greatest rebounder ever on the all-time list only behind Wilt

And the second greatest shot-blocker ever behind only Wilt.


He would have also played against Russell and every other great player in NBA history from 1965 to 1989.

[coastalmarker99]

Looking at Wilt's legacy in this hypothetical scenario


He would now be second on the all-time scoring list only behind Kareem.


He would be first on the all-time rebounding list by a mile.


He would be first on the all-time shot-blocking list by a mile


He may have won 4 to 5 rings for his career instead of 2 as he would have been drafted to a Warriors team with a prime Paul Arizin that won the title without him in 1956.



He also may have added a couple of extra Mvps to his name from 1954 to 1959 if that was the case then he would be tied or second behind Kareem in the most regular-season Mvps an NBA player has in their career.

[000]

Total stats dont really mean anything. Its karl malone/john stockton award.

[coastalmarker99]

Total stats dont really mean anything. Its karl malone/john stockton award.


Total stats mean a ton especially when you have rings under your belt and are a top ten player of all time.




Lebron won't retire until he is the all-time scorer in Nba history as that will be a massive part of his goat case.




If Lebron can win another ring and finish with over 40k points 10k rebounds and 10k assists then that will be a huge thing for him personally in the goat debate.

[000]

Total stats mean a ton especially when you have rings under your belt and are a top ten player of all time.




Lebron won't retire until he is the all-time scorer in Nba history as that will be a massive part of his goat case.




If Lebron can win another ring and finish with over 40k points 10k rebounds and 10k assists then that will be a huge thing for him personally in the goat debate.
Not really. It doesnt prove anything. Its like saying john stockton is the Goat point guard because of his assist record. Or the greatest defender ever because of his steals record

[coastalmarker99]

Not really. It doesnt prove anything. Its like saying john stockton is the Goat point guard because of his assist record. Or the greatest defender ever because of his steals record


If Stockton had beaten Jordan's Bulls in 97 and 98 and had two rings plus a finals Mvp under his belt as he would have won the Finals Mvp award had the Jazz won in 97.



Then many people would be using that along with his all-time stats and longevity to say that he is the goat point guard.

[000]

If Stockton had beaten Jordan's Bulls in 97 and 98 and had two rings plus a finals Mvp under his belt as he would have won the Finals Mvp award had the Jazz won in 97.



Then many people would be using that along with his all-time stats and longevity to say that he is the goat point guard.
No, they really wouldnt have. Unless Espn repeated it every day, then maybe.

[coastalmarker99]

No, they really wouldnt have. Unless Espn repeated it every day, then maybe.


Stockton would have a iron case as a top 3 PG of all time with two rings and a finals Mvp's under his belt plus being the alltime leader in assists and steals by a mile.






When ranking the all-time point guards he would easily be over Curry, oscar and Zeke along with CP3 in this hypothetical scenario with only Magic being ahead of him.

[000]

Stockton would have a iron case as a top 3 PG of all time with two rings and a finals Mvp's under his belt plus being the alltime leader in assists and steals by a mile.






When ranking the all-time point guards he would easily be over Curry, oscar and Zeke along with CP3 in this hypothetical scenario with only Magic being ahead of him.
But winning more rings is completely separate from scoring more points. Kareem is already the scoring leader - why would scoring more elevate him further?

I think its obvious winning more helps a legacy

[8Ball]

Both legacies are against white nba players that wouldn't make a college team today.

Their legacies are capped by playing in the shittiest era of all time.

[coastalmarker99]

Both legacies are against white nba players that wouldn't make a college team today.

Their legacies are capped by playing in the shittiest era of all time.



Kareem won the finals Mvp as a 38-year-old in Jordan's rookie season against a prime Bird's Celtics so you are wrong.

[000]

Wilt might have won one ring with the 56 warriors who won without him. Maybe with the 58 warriors too but they lost to russell and its not clear if Wilt would beat him then IMO. The rest is just cumulative statpadding

[coastalmarker99]

Wilt might have won one ring with the 56 warriors who won without him. Maybe with the 58 warriors too but they lost to russell and its not clear if Wilt would beat him then IMO. The rest is just cumulative statpadding



I would think Wilt would win two rings from 1954 to 1959 with the Warriors as he was easily capable of playing straight out of HS at an All-NBA level same as for Kareem.


When Kareem went to college straight out of high school UCLA had the preseason top team in the country when he was a freshman and his freshman team easily beat it (to be fair, UCLA disappointed that year and didn't finish top 20 AP).

[000]

If they didnt win as older players, clearly they wouldnt win as literal teenagers either

[coastalmarker99]

If they didnt win as older players, clearly they wouldnt win as literal teenagers either


If you had put a teenaged Lebron on the mid-2000's pistons teams instead of Dako then the Pistons three-peat from 2004 to 2006.




Wilt was special and he was averaging over 70 points per game against grown man under a fake name when he was only 16 years old.

[000]

If you had put a teenaged Lebron on the mid-2000's pistons teams instead of Dako then the Pistons three-peat from 2004 to 2006.




Wilt was special and he was averaging over 70 points per game against grown man under a fake name when he was only 16 years old.

The Pistons couldn't have drafted him

Yeah everyone knows Wilt got lots of stats. And with those warriors he might have gotten another ring or two. Not disputing that.

[Chick Stern]

Both legacies are against white nba players that wouldn't make a college team today.

Their legacies are capped by playing in the shittiest era of all time.

This is false.
Everyone knows that the expansion era 90s were the weakest decade of the NBA.