NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson speaks during the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Player of the Year press conference prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Photo by Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images) /

NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect: 4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1968-69

Maybe it was because he was the new kid on the block. Or maybe it was because Willis Reed led the New York Knicks to a league-leading 60 wins. Whatever the reason was, it wasn’t a good one.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated everywhere he went. He was a dominant winner in high school, college, and ultimately – the NBA. During his first year in the league, the tall lanky center didn’t need any time to adjust to playing at the highest level. Instead, he simply laced up his sneaks and went to work all season long.

The Milwaukee Bucks trudged through the 1968-69 season and ended the year with 27 total wins. Once Abdul-Jabbar came on board the following year, he increased their win total by 29 games. He was the unquestioned leader right out of the gate, averaging 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 51.8 percent from the field. Reed, on the other hand, was very good as well, pouring in 21.7 points and 13.9 rebounds.

But while Reed was undoubtedly great, Abdul-Jabbar was on another level. Although blocks were not an official stat at the time, the Bucks center would routinely send opposing player’s shots into the third row.

In short, Abdul-Jabbar was great the moment he stepped onto the court. Ultimately, it’s difficult feeling too bad for him, considering he went on to win a record-setting six regular season MVP awards. Still, it should have been seven.