Jabbar was truly bald now.
In 1987 he still had a ring of hair clinging to his scalp, holding the fort.
By 1988, that ring of hair had become unnecessary, so he simply shaved it all off.
Thus, Jabbar could be considered one of the pioneers of the bald look.
As his age increased, not only did his head become balder, but his temper also grew stranger.
The generational gap between him and the rookies who had just entered the league was widening.
When he entered the league in 1969, players born in that year were about to enter the NBA, and Jabbar was still playing.
Retirement for Jabbar was something imminent, even possibly about to happen at any moment.
However, he remained very healthy, wearing wristbands only to wipe sweat, with no protective gear on any of his joints—it was practically a miracle.