Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-89)

He played in the NBA for two full decades, and each one represented a distinct chapter of his career. In the 1970s, he was the best player in the league, winning five of his six MVP awards as a dominant center on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the '80s, he was a critical cog in the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty spearheaded by Magic Johnson, winning five of his six titles. Through it all, he unleashed the most devastating shot the NBA has ever seen, using the sky hook to score many of his league-record 38,387 points.