Somebody,
Kareem's last year in Milwaukee the Bucks won only 38 games. The difference between the 59 win and 38 win team was pretty much Oscar retiring. The Bucks who were they were because of Kareem sure, but they didn't become a real contender until they added Oscar to Kareem and Dandridge and they didn't even make the playoffs in the heart of Kareem's prime after Oscar retired. Kareem forced his way out of Milwaukee to go to LA and the Lakers, before Magic, were pretty mediocre winning 40, 53, 45, and 47 missing the playoffs once and only winning 2 playoff series in the 4 seasons. In other words, I'm not sure we should really be crediting Kareem for elevating teams. I mean in the 5 seasons in the heart of his prime (aged 27-31) he missed the playoffs twice and won just 2 playoff series. Now sure the teams around him weren't that talented, but if Kareem is as good as you claim that shouldn't happen.
To me it seems like you elevate certain people and don't hold them to the same standard as you do others. Wilt Chamberlain was a better player than Kareem. There is nothing that Wilt couldn't do on the basketball floor (except hit FT's consistently). He was every bit the defender as well. Wilt was a superb defensive player. He rivaled Russell as the best defensive big man ever. No one is in those two class as a defender (well maybe Rodman but he was a different sort of defender given his much smaller frame). Wilt was a genetic freak. The most physically gifted athlete that has ever played in the league. He was not only the strongest NBA player ever, but also the most well conditioned NBA player ever. He size, speed, strength, and most importantly skill made him unguardable. If the metrics you are using don't show this, then the metrics are bad. I mean that seriously. There are only 3 people you could realistically call the greatest player ever Wilt, MJ, and Lebron. No one else is even in the same stratosphere as player as those 3.