NBA: The 30 most unforgettable individual playoff runs: 29. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1983)
One of the greatest to ever grace a basketball court, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has gone on many a meaningful playoff run. By the time 1983 came around, Abdul-Jabbar had already won three championships and was making the push to the NBA Finals. Falling in the Finals to the Philadelphia 76ers (considered one of the greatest single title teams of the era) is no shame. He posted a line of 27.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 2.8 assists over 15 games. The Lakers took care of business against the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs before getting swept out of the championship round by the Sixers. His output in the Finals is what brings this run down.
Abdul-Jabbar only eclipsed 24 points once in the Finals, in the last game when he dropped 28. He has one game of double-figure rebounds as well (15 in Game 3) and even sprinkled in an 8-20 from the field performance.
On the other end of the spectrum, this was just the beginning of the second playoff era for the greatest player to grace the court up until that time. From 1984 to 1989 he would win three more titles and five NBA Finals appearances.