Cap is special, always has been, just seems like a real, true, gem of a person. I grew watching the Showtime Lakers. I remember when he got the record and t

Cap is special, always has been, just seems like a real, true, gem of a person. I grew watching the Showtime Lakers. I remember when he got the record and then I remember the farewell tour when he said he was going to retire. The game is so incredibly different now. I think you first have to recognize that Kareem was "The Guy," teams were built around him and then I'm sure there were bumps and stuff but he was pretty gracious when Magic came in and clearly became the super star. In that first championship Magic won, Cap sat out with an injury and Magic, the greatest playmaker of all time, shifted over and played center and played like Kareem; albeit with a "baby" skyhook... That's hard for a lot of guys to be gracious when a "young buck" starts coming up. That's another thing, the dude was synonymous with a particular shot, you think "sky hook," you think Kareem. There are a few guys, Reggie Mullen in 3point land, maybe. Steph Curry from way out, Jordan in the lane, if they get the ball, there is a feeling that it's predestined and they will score points. Kareem would get the ball out on the baseline, slowly back in and he had an undefendable shot in the sky hook and when it was on he could do that over and over and over and his team would win. As a short white dude watching it all, I can remember a few times in the early to mid-1980s when the local sports reporter on TV referred to "brother ball" being played. There were definitely racial aspects to the Lakers vs the Celtics. I remember some people in the media kind of down playing it, "he's just a big guy with one move... he can't shoot like Bird can." And to see that record last as long as it has, it's amazing.