YouTube Gold: DeMatha vs. Power

YouTube is great for so many things but it occasionally turns up surprising historical artifacts and that’s the case with this highlight reel from the legendary DeMatha-Power matchup in 1965.

If you don’t know, New York’s Power High featured Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Everyone understood that he was going to be a great player and he wasn't supposed to lose at all, so the upset by DeMatha was a huge surprise.

Jabbar would not lose again until 1968 when Houston upset UCLA. But Jabbar had an eye injury in that game. UCLA destroyed Houston in the 1968 Final Four rematch 101-69, with Jabbar saying the Bruins wanted to “teach Houston some manners.”

You can see the genesis of his greatness at Power. He was a superb talent.