1985 Finals MVP: The 38-Year-Old Skyhook Still Reigns
In 1984 the Lakers lost to Boston, with Kareem looking old against the Celtics' rugged interior. But in 1985 he authored the finest revenge.
That Finals, a 38-year-old Kareem faced Boston's Parish and McHale and produced staggering efficiency. Game 1 he was ice-cold (only 12 points) and written off; from Game 2 the skyhook ruled the paint again, LA took four straight, 4-2.
He averaged 25.7 points and 9.0 rebounds at 60.4% FG, an uncontested second Finals MVP—at 38, the oldest Finals MVP in NBA history. That trophy is the strongest footnote to his two-decade longevity.
1985 told the league age need not be the end of dominance. When technique is pure enough and the body disciplined enough, a center can still be the Finals' best at 38. It is Showtime's most underrated ring—because the star was not the flying Magic but the unbowed skyhook.
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