Kareem's career was so long that it lets us draw a line that's pretty direct from Wilt to Shaq. Statistical adjustment across eras is not all that drastic, even when you shift the gaudy numbers of Wilt and Oscar, they play out to be very strong in later eras as well.

I would agree with your statement in baseball or hockey or even American football where there have been major shifts in style and numbers as well as much longer histories of the top pro leagues.