Michael Jordan is widely hailed as the best basketball player of all time, but how would His Airness fare in a one-on-one showdown with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his unstoppable sky hook?
"That would be tough for him and tough for me," said Abdul-Jabbar, who will be honored at the Thomas & Mack Center during the NBA's All-Star Weekend for breaking the league's career scoring record there in 1984. "He didn't have the size to play me, and his mobility and quickness would have given me a lot of problems.
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"You have a guard playing a center, so that's not really a good matchup. But this is all speculation. You've got to go out and play the game."
In 1992, Abdul-Jabbar and Julius "Dr. J" Erving did just that in a one-on-one, pay-per-view matchup at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Abdul-Jabbar dominated the 20-minute, half-court duel, 41-23.
"It was an interesting game. It was fun," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I even made two 3-pointers in it."
What if it were possible to bring together the greatest players in NBA history -- all of them in their prime -- to battle it out in a one-on-one contest for the ages?
Who would be crowned king? A big man or a small man? Kareem or Jordan? Wilt or Shaq? Bird or Magic?
Some sports debates can never be settled, but fans can decide this one in the Review-Journal's virtual One-on-One Challenge.
From Jerry West and Oscar Robertson to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, 32 of the NBA's all-time best go head to head in a make-it, take-it game to 15, win by two. Old-school, playground-style rules apply. No three seconds, and call your own fouls.
Go to reviewjournal.com/sports/allstarjam/bracket to decide if "Pistol" Pete Maravich could shake-and-bake his way past Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. Or if Rick Barry could gun his way past Shaquille O'Neal.
"I'd hope to survive it physically and come out alive," Barry said. "The only chance I'd have is if I was shooting the ball well from outside. He could be in trouble if I got hot."
What kind of strategy would Dominique Wilkins, "The Human Highlight Film," use for his first-round matchup against Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain?
"I'm going by Wilt. I'm not shooting any jumpers. I'm taking him off the dribble," Wilkins said. "But he would back it in and he's 7-1 and 300 pounds. There's nothing you could do but try to steal the ball from him.
"The only way to beat a guy like that is, if he does take it inside and misses a shot, you have to make 80 percent of your shots. A guy like that, especially in make-it take-it, would back you down every time and try to punish you that way."
Wilkins, whose 25.3 points per game average is 10th best in NBA history, broke down the field.
"Outside of myself," he said, only half-joking, "Michael (Jordan) would advance, Dr. J, Kareem, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. You would have to go with the bigger guys.
"It's not even possible (to stop Adbul-Jabbar's sky hook). The only thing you can do when he throws that up there is hope and pray. And you look at a guy like Magic (who is 6-9). He's got the best of both worlds. He's a big man and (plays like) a small man. He's a guy who can hurt you at both ends."
Barry, the only player in history to lead the NCAA, American Basketball Association and NBA in scoring, gives the edge to Adbul-Jabbar in a potential final showdown with Jordan.
"I think Kareem could beat him. His sky hook is so good, nobody can stop that," he said. "Michael's not going to hit every jump shot he takes, and Kareem's sky hook is more accurate than Michael's 20-foot jump shot. That would be interesting."
Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich said size is a huge factor in one-on-one games, but he would side with Jordan in a showdown with Adbul-Jabbar.
"It would really depend (upon) who was shooting well that day. You're not going to stop Kareem's shot, but the question is could he get where he wants to be to shoot it?" Goodrich said. "A guy like Jordan has good size and strength and he might not let him get to those positions. He's quick enough to get where he wants. Given a choice between the two, I think I'd take Jordan because he can pretty much get any shot he wants."
Adbul-Jabbar didn't sound concerned about taking care of the ball.
"I knew how to handle the ball," he said.
The bracket will be updated throughout the week as readers decide who is the greatest one-on-one player ever.
