1985 Finals: At 38, Kareem's Sky Hook Crowns the Lakers
The 1985 NBA Finals was the Lakers' redemption against archrival Boston. A year after being embarrassed by the Celtics, Los Angeles returned and won 4-2. The brightest star was the 38-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Across the series Kareem poured in 25.7 points and 9 rebounds, shredding Boston's aging front line. His signature sky hook remained unanswerable — that high-arc one-hand toss no one could block. For steady, efficient dominance he was unanimously named Finals MVP.
The trophy made Kareem the oldest Finals MVP in NBA history (38), washing away the previous year's shame. From his first MVP in 1971 to this 1985 FMVP, his peak spanned decades — still a league legend.
The 1985 title was the moment Showtime truly crossed the Celtic mountain, and Kareem wrote the period of revenge with sky hooks.
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