Early life
Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr on April 16, 1947, and grew up in Manhattan in New York City, the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Sr, a transit police officer and jazz musician. At birth, he weighed 12 pounds, 10 ounces (5.73 kg), and was twenty-two and a half inches (57.2 cm) long. He was raised as a Catholic and attended St. Jude School in the Inwood section of Manhattan, but later converted to Islam. He initially joined the Nation of Islam in 1968, before retaking the Shahada and converting to Sunni Islam that very summer.
From an early age he began his record-breaking basketball accomplishments. In high school, he led Power Memorial Academy to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71-game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record.
College
During his college career, Alcindor was twice named Player of the Year (1967, 1969), was a three-time First Team All-American (1967–69), played on three NCAA basketball champion teams (1967, 1968, 1969), was honored as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament (1967, 1968, 1969), and became the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year in 1969.
In 1967 and 1968 he also won USBWA College Player of the Year which later became the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Alcindor became the only player to win the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award three times. The 1965-1966 UCLA Bruin team was the preseason #1. But on November 27, 1965, the freshman team led by Alcindor defeated the varsity team 75-60 in the first game in the new Pauley Pavilion. This defeat had no effect on the varsity's national ranking. It was still number one the following week. Alcindor scored 51 points in that game.
The dunk was banned in college basketball after the 1967 season, primarily because of Alcindor's dominant use of the shot. It was not allowed again until 1976.
While playing for UCLA, he suffered a scratched left cornea on January 12, 1968, at the Cal game when he was struck by Tom Henderson of Cal in a rebound battle.He would miss the next two games against Stanford and Portland. This happened right before the momentous game against Houston. His cornea later would be scratched again during his pro career, causing him to subsequently wear goggles for protection.
Alcindor boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics by deciding not to join the United States Men's Olympic Basketball team that year, protesting the unequal treatment of African-Americans in the United States.
Game of the Century
Main article: Game of the Century (college basketball)
On January 20, 1968, Alcindor and the UCLA Bruins faced the Houston Cougars in the first-ever nationally televised regular season college basketball game. In front of 52,693 fans at the Houston Astrodome, Elvin Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds—while Alcindor, who suffered from a scratch on his left cornea, was held to just 15 points—as Houston managed to beat UCLA 71-69. The Bruins' 47-game winning streak ended in what has been called the "Game of the Century". Hayes and Alcindor would have a rematch in the 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament where UCLA with a healthy Alcindor, would defeat Houston in the semi-finals 101-69, and go on to win the National Championship.School records
Alcindor had an outstanding career at UCLA. As of the 2008-2009 season, he still holds or shares a number of individual records at UCLA:- Highest career scoring average: 26.4
- Most career field goals: 943 (tied with Don MacLean)
- Most points in a season: 870 (1967)
- Highest season scoring average: 29.0 (1967)
- Most field goals in a season: 346 (1967)
- Most free throw attempts in a season: 274 (1967)
- Most points in a single game: 61
- Most field goals in a single game: 26 (vs. Washington State, 2/25/67)
Professional career
Milwaukee Bucks
The Harlem Globetrotters offered him $1 million to play for them, but he declined, and was picked first in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, only in their second season, who won the coin-toss for first pick over the Phoenix Suns. He was also chosen first overall in the 1969 American Basketball Association draft by the New York Nets. The Nets believed that they had the upper hand in receiving Alcindor's services because he was from New York; however, when Alcindor told both the Bucks and the Nets that he would accept one offer only from each team, the Nets bid too low. Thus, he chose the National Basketball Association over the struggling American Basketball Association.Lew Alcindor's entry into the NBA was timely, as center Bill Russell had just left the Boston Celtics, and Wilt Chamberlain, though still effective, was then 33 years old. Alcindor's presence enabled the 1969–70 Bucks to claim second place in the NBA's Eastern Division with a 56-26 record (up from 27-55 the previous year), and he was an instant star, ranking second in the league in scoring (28.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (14.5 rpg), for which he was awarded the title of NBA Rookie of the Year.
With the addition of Oscar Robertson, known to sports fans as "the Big 'O'," Milwaukee went on to record the second-best record with 66 victories in 1970–71, including a then-record of 20 straight wins. Alcindor was awarded his first of six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, along with his first scoring title (31.7 ppg). In the playoffs, the Bucks went 12-2 (including a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals), won the championship, and Alcindor was named Finals MVP. On May 1, 1971, the day after the Bucks won the NBA championship, he adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remained a dominant force for Milwaukee, repeating as scoring champion (34.8 ppg) and NBA Most Valuable Player the following year, and helping the Bucks to repeat as division leaders for four straight years. In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar won his third MVP Award in five years and was among the top five NBA players in scoring (27.0 ppg, third), rebounding (14.5 rpg, fourth), blocked shots (283, second), and field goal percentage (.539, second).
While remaining relatively injury-free throughout his NBA career, Abdul-Jabbar twice broke his hand. The first time was during a pre-season game in 1974, when he was bumped hard and got his eye scratched, which angered him enough to punch the basket support stanchion. When he returned, after missing the first 16 games of the season, he started to wear protective goggles. The second time he broke his hand was in the opening game of the 1977–78 NBA season. Two minutes into the game, Abdul-Jabbar punched Milwaukee's Kent Benson in retaliation for an overly aggressive elbow. He was out for two months.
Although Abdul-Jabbar always spoke well of Milwaukee and its fans, he said that being in the Midwest did not fit his cultural needs and requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles in October 1974.[11]
Los Angeles Lakers
In 1975, the Lakers acquired Abdul-Jabbar and reserve center Walt Wesley from the Bucks for center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, and rookie "blue chippers" Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. In the 1975-76 season, Abdul-Jabbar's first season with Los Angeles, he had a dominating season, averaging 27.7 points per game and leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and minutes played. His 1,111 defensive rebounds remains the NBA single-season record (defensive rebounds were not recorded prior to the 1973-74 season). Also it marked the last time anyone had 4,000 or more PRA (Points + Rebounds + Assists) in a single NBA season. He earned his fourth MVP award, but missed the post-season for the second straight season.Once he joined the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar began wearing his trademark goggles. Years of battling under NBA backboards, and being hit and scratched in the face in the process, had taken their toll on his eyes and he developed corneal erosion syndrome, where the eyes begin to dry out easily and cease to produce moisture. He once missed a game in the 1986-87 season due to his eyes drying out and swelling as a result.
In the 1976-77 season, Abdul-Jabbar had another strong season. He led the league in field goal percentage, finished second in rebounds and blocked shots, and third in points per game. He helped lead the Lakers to the best record in the NBA, and he won his record-tying fifth MVP award. In the playoffs, the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semi-finals, setting up a confrontation with the Portland Trail Blazers. The result was a memorable matchup, pitting Abdul-Jabbar against a young, injury-free Bill Walton. Although Abdul-Jabbar dominated the series statistically, Walton and the Trail Blazers (who were experiencing their first-ever run in the playoffs) swept the Lakers, behind Walton's skillful passing and leadership.
Abdul-Jabbar's play remained strong during the next two seasons, being named to the All-NBA Second Team twice, the All-Defense First Team once, and the All-Defense Second Team once. The Lakers, however, continued to be stymied in the playoffs, being eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in both 1978 and 1979.
In 1979, the Lakers acquired 1st overall draft pick Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The trade and draft paved the way for a second Abdul-Jabbar dynasty as the Lakers went on to become the most dominant team of the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times and winning five NBA championships. Individually, while Abdul-Jabbar was not the dominant center he was in the 1970s, he experienced a number of highlight moments. Among them were his record sixth MVP award in 1980, four more All-NBA First Team designations, two more All-Defense First Team designations, the 1985 Finals MVP, and on April 5, 1984 breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record for career points. Later in his career, he bulked up to about 265 pounds, to be able to withstand the strain of playing the highly physical center position into his early 40s.
While in L.A., Abdul-Jabbar started doing yoga in 1976 to improve his flexibility, and was notable for his physical fitness regimen.
In 1983, Abdul-Jabbar's house burnt down, incinerating many of his belongings including his beloved jazz LP collection. Many Lakers fans sent and brought him albums, which he found uplifting.
On June 28, 1989, after twenty professional seasons, Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement. On his "retirement tour" he received standing ovations at all the games, home and away. In his biography My Life, Magic Johnson recalls that in Abdul-Jabbar's farewell game, many Lakers and Celtics legends participated. Every player wore Abdul-Jabbar's trademark goggles and had to try a sky hook at least once, which led to comic results. The Lakers made the NBA Finals in each of Abdul-Jabbar's final three seasons, defeating Boston in 1987, and Detroit in 1988. The Lakers lost, however, to the Pistons in a four-game sweep in his final season. In his final season every NBA team gave him presents ranging from a yacht that said "Captain Skyhook" to framed jerseys from his basketball career to an Afghan rug.
At the time of his retirement, Jabbar held the record for most games played by a single player in the NBA; this would later be broken by Robert Parish.
Post-NBA career
Abdul-Jabbar has worked as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics, helping mentor, among others, their young centers, Michael Olowokandi and Jerome James. Abdul-Jabbar was the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League in 2002, leading the team to the league's championship that season, but he failed to land the head coaching position at Columbia University a year later. He then worked as a scout for the New York Knicks. Finally, on September 2, 2005, he returned to the Lakers as a special assistant to Phil Jackson to help the Lakers' centers, and in particular their young draftee Andrew Bynum. Abdul-Jabbar's influence has been credited with Bynum's emergence as a more talented NBA center. Abdul-Jabbar has also served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona in 1998.
Player profile
Abdul-Jabbar played the center position and is regarded as one of the best players of all time. He is the all-time leading NBA scorer with 38,387 points, having collected six titles, six regular season MVP and two Finals MVP awards, fifteen NBA First or Second Teams, a record nineteen NBA All-Star call-ups and averaging 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He is also the third all-time in registered blocks (3,189), which is even more impressive because this stat had not been recorded until the fourth year of his career (1974).On offense, Abdul-Jabbar was an unstoppable low-post threat. In contrast to other low-post dominators like Wilt Chamberlain, Artis Gilmore or Shaquille O'Neal, Abdul-Jabbar was a relatively slender player, standing 7-2 but only weighing 225 lbs (though in his latter years the Lakers listed Abdul-Jabbar's weight as 265). However, he made up for his relative lack of bulk by showing textbook finesse, strength and was famous for his ambidextrous skyhook shot (see below), which defenders found impossible to block. It contributed to his high .559 field goal accuracy, making him the eighth most accurate scorer of all time and a feared clutch shooter. Abdul-Jabbar was also quick enough to run the "Showtime" fast break led by Magic Johnson and was well-conditioned, standing on the hardwood an average 36.8 minutes. In contrast to other big men, Abdul-Jabbar also could reasonably hit his free throws, finishing with a career 72% average.
On defense, Abdul-Jabbar maintained a dominant presence. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team eleven times. He frustrated opponents with his superior shot-blocking ability, denying an average 2.6 shots a game.
As a teammate, Abdul-Jabbar exuded natural leadership and was affectionately called "Cap" or "Captain" by his colleagues. He was also known for his strict fitness regime, which made him one of the most durable players of all time. In the NBA, his 20 seasons and 1,560 games are performances surpassed only by Robert Parish.
Abdul-Jabbar made the NBA's 35th and 50th Anniversary Teams, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time in 1996.
Sky hook
Abdul-Jabbar was well known for his trademark "sky hook", a hook shot in which he bent his entire body (rather than just the arm) like a straw in one fluid motion to raise the ball and then release it at the highest point of his arm's arching motion. Combined with his long arms and great height (7 feet 2 inches), the sky hook was nearly impossible for a defender to block without goaltending. Only a few have blocked his legendary skyhook, including basketball greats Wilt Chamberlain and Hakeem Olajuwon. It was a reliable and feared offensive weapon and contributed to his high lifetime field goal percentage of .559. As a twist, he was adept at shooting the skyhook with either hand, which made him even more difficult to defend against. According to Abdul-Jabbar, he learned the move in fifth grade and soon learned to value it, as it was "the only shot I could use that didn't get smashed back in my face".NBA career and statistics
Teams and years
- 1969–75 Milwaukee Bucks
- 1975–89 Los Angeles Lakers
Statistics
- Games played - 1560 (2nd most in NBA history)
- Field goal % - 55.9 (10th highest in NBA history)
- Free throw % - 72.1
- Three-point % - 05.6
- Rebounds - 17,440 (3rd most in NBA history)
- Rebounds per game - 11.2 (23rd highest in NBA history)
- Assists - 5,660 (34th in NBA history)
- Assist per game - 3.6
- Steals - 1,160
- Steals per game - 0.74
- Blocks - 3,189 (3rd most in NBA history) (Note: blocks were not officially tabulated until the 1973–74 season)
- Blocks per game - 2.57
- Points per game - 24.6 (14th highest in NBA history)
- Holds NBA career record for:
- Most points (38,387)
- Most minutes played (57,446)
- Most field goals made (15,837)
- Most field goals attempted (28,307)
- Most All-Star selections (19)
- Most All-Star games played (18)
Career highs
40 point games
70 times in the regular season55 with Milwaukee Bucks
15 with Los Angeles Lakers
50 point games
All of Kareem's 50 point efforts occurred while he played for the Milwaukee Bucks.His career high as a Laker was 48 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 26, 1975.
| Points | Opponent | Home/Away | Date | FGM | FGA | FTM | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Boston Celtics | Home | December 10, 1971 | 23 | 36 | 9 | |
| 53 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Away | November 4, 1970 | 20 | 32 | 13 | |
| 53 | Boston Celtics | Away | January 27, 1971 | 22 | 31 | 9 | |
| 53 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Away | February 9, 1972 | 23 | 31 | 7 | |
| 53 | Philadelphia 76ers | Home | February 18, 1972 | 18 | 28 | 17 | 22 |
| 52 | Atlanta Hawks | Home | January 2, 1975 | 18 | 29 | 16 | 20 |
| 51 | Seattle SuperSonics | Neutral | February 21, 1970 | 18 | 25 | 15 | 23 |
| 51 | Boston Celtics | Away | February 13, 1972 | 21 | 36 | 9 | |
| 50 | Los Angeles Lakers | Away | March 17, 1972 | 22 | 39 | 6 | |
| 50 | Portland Trail Blazers | Home | January 19, 1975 | 18 | 30 | 14 |
| Blocks | Opponent | Home/Away | Date | Minutes played | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | Away | December 3, 1975 | 46 | 29 | 21 | 2 |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | Home | November 28, 1978 | 43 | 27 | 16 | 4 |
| 11 | Kansas City Kings | Home | November 25, 1979 | 41 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| 10 (OT) | Detroit Pistons | Home | November 3, 1973 | 53 | 19 | 16 | 5 |
| 10 (OT) | Atlanta Hawks | Home | November 2, 1975 | 39 | 23 | ||
| 10 | Atlanta Hawks | Home | January 18, 1980 | 39 | 28 | 15 | 2 |
| 10 | Detroit Pistons | Home | January 22, 1982 | 35 | 19 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | Away | October 12, 1973 | 18 | |||
| 9 | Milwaukee Bucks | Away | October 28, 1975 | 45 | 30 | 20 | 5 |
| 9 | Portland Trail Blazers | Home | December 26, 1975 | 46 | 41 | 20 | 3 |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | Home | March 25, 1977 | 26 | 28 | 12 | 1 |
Regular season
| Stat | High | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 55 | vs. Boston Celtics | December 10, 1971 |
| Field goals made, none missed | 11—11 | vs. Phoenix Suns | December 12, 1985 |
| Field goals made, none missed | 11—11 | vs. Golden State Warriors | December 29, 1985 |
| Field goals made | 24 (2 OT) | vs. Houston Rockets | January 25, 1973 |
| Field goal attempts | 39 | at Los Angeles Lakers | March 17, 1972 |
| Free throws made, none missed | — | ||
| Free throws made | 20 | at Boston Celtics | March 8, 1970 |
| Free throw attempts | 25 | at Boston Celtics | March 8, 1970 |
| Rebounds | 34 | vs. Detroit Pistons | December 14, 1975 |
| Rebounds | 30 | at Boston Celtics | February 28, 1971 |
| Rebounds | 30 (OT) | at New Jersey Nets | February 3, 1978 |
| Offensive rebounds | |||
| Defensive rebounds | 29 | vs. Detroit Pistons | December 14, 1975 |
| Assists | 14 | at Seattle SuperSonics | March 21, 1973 |
| Steals | |||
| Minutes played | 60 (4 OT) | at Cleveland Cavaliers | January 29, 1980 |
Playoffs
| Stat | High | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 46 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | April 3, 1970 |
| Field goals made | 20 | at Chicago Bulls | April 18, 1974 |
| Field goals made | 19 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | May 7, 1980 |
| Field goal attempts | 37 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | April 14, 1972 |
| Field goal attempts | 37 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | April 22, 1972 |
| Free throws made | 13 | ||
| Free throw attempts | 18 | ||
| Rebounds | 31 | vs. New York Knicks | April 17, 1970 |
| Defensive rebounds | 18 | vs. Golden State Warriors | May 4, 1977 |
| Assists | 11 | ||
| Steals | 6 | at Portland Trail Blazers | May 5, 1985 |
| Blocked shots | 9 | vs. Golden State Warriors | April 22, 1977 |
| Blocked shots | 8 | at Portland Trail Blazers | May 10, 1977 |
| Blocked shots | 8 | at Portland Trail Blazers | May 1, 1983 |
| Blocked shots | 7 | vs. Denver Nuggets | April 10, 1979 |
| Blocked shots | 7 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | April 18, 1979 |
Athletic honors
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (May 15, 1995)
- College:
- Player of the Year (1967, 1969)
- Three-time First Team All-American (1967–69)
- Three-time NCAA champion (1967, 1968, 1969)
- Most Outstanding Player in NCAA Tournament (1967, 1968, 1969)
- Naismith College Player of the Year (1969)
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2007)
- National Basketball Association:
- Rookie of the Year (1970)
- Six-time NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
- Most Valuable Player (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
- Sporting News NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
- Finals Most Valuable Player (1971, 1985)
- Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" (1985)
- One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)
- First player in NBA history to play 20 seasons
- #7 in SLAM Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of all time in 2009.
Personal life
Abdul-Jabbar was married to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown), and together they had three children: daughters Habiba and Sultana and son Kareem Jr., who also played basketball. They were divorced in 1978. He has another son, Amir, with Cheryl Pistono. Another son, Adam, made an appearance on the TV sitcom Full House with him.Religion and name
Speaking about the thinking behind his change of name when he converted to Islam he said to Playboy that he was "latching on to something that was part of my heritage, because many of the slaves who were brought here were Muslims. My family was brought to America by a French planter named Alcindor, who came here from Trinidad in the 18th century. My people were Yoruba, and their culture survived slavery (...) My father found out about that when I was a kid, and it gave me all I needed to know that, hey, I was somebody, even if nobody else knew about it. When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people. And that's a terrible burden on black people, because they don't have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted."Abdul-Jabbar reached a settlement after suing Miami Dolphins running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar (now Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, born Sharmon Shah) because he felt Karim was sponging off the name he made famous by having the Abdul-Jabbar moniker and number 33 on his Dolphins jersey, even though names are not protectable under U.S. copyright laws. As a result, the younger Abdul-Jabbar had to change his jersey nameplate to simply "Abdul" while playing for the Dolphins. The football player had also been an athlete at UCLA.
Health
Abdul-Jabbar suffers from migraines, and his use of cannabis to reduce the symptoms has had legal ramifications.In November 2009, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he was suffering from a form of leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The disease was diagnosed in December 2008, but Abdul-Jabbar said his condition can be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month and getting his blood analyzed regularly. He expressed in a 2009 press conference that he does not believe that this illness will stop him from leading a normal life
NBA
- List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game
- List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game
- List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season
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