Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He also served as an assistant coach.

Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion. He is a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 2-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 6-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He has also been named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times in his career.

His Jersey Number 33 has been retired by both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2006, he was named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Position	Center
Height / weight	2.18 m / 102 kg
Born	16 Apr 1947
Nationality	United States
Playing Style	Right Handed
Official Site	https://kareemabduljabbar.com/

Team History
Los Angeles	1975 - 1989
Milwaukee	1969 - 1975

In 2022, he was named to ESPN’s NBA 75th Anniversary Team list. He was ranked Number 3 behind Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Before James broke it in 2023, Kareem held the NBA Career Scoring Record.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.) was born on April 16, 1947, in New York City, New York in the United States.

He stands 218 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 102 kg. He is a right-handed player and he played center.

His parents are Cora and Ferdinand. He was born a 5.75 kg baby and he was 57 cm long and has always been tall for his age. By the time he was in eighth grade, he stood 203 cm tall.

When he was 24, he converted to Islam and changed his name from Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

High School and College Career

He played high school basketball for the Power Memorial Academy and was coached by Jack Donohue.

He helped lead the team to New York City Catholic Championships. He earned the nickname, “The Tower from Power”. The relationship with Donohue soured in his final year with the team after the coach called him the N-word.

He would have gone on to play in the NBA right after high school but at the time, the NBA required their players to attend college. He signed with the University of California Los Angeles. He made his first appearance with the Bruins in November 1965.

While in college, he helped lead his team to NCAA Championships. He was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player from 1967 to 1969. The Bruins eventually retired Jersey No.33 in his honor. He holds a number of records with UCLA including having the highest career scoring average.

Professional Career

The Harlem Globetrotters offered him a contract worth US$1 Million. He declined their offer and declared for the NBA.

He became the first overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft and was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks. In the same year, he was also picked first overall by the New York Nets during the American Basketball Association draft. He chose to go with the NBA.

In his first year with the Bucks, he was named the 1970 NBA Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1970 for the first time. He would be named to the team again five more times. Also in 1970, Abdul-Jabbar was named an NBA All-Star. He was also named to the NBA Al-Rookie First Team.

In 1971, he helped the Bucks win the NBA Championship and he was named the NBA Finals MVP as well as the NBA Most Valuable Player. He would be named the NBA MVP two more times while with the Bucks. In 1975, he switched over to playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 1975-1976 season was his first with the Lakers. While with the Lakers, he won 5 NBA Championships and was named the NBA MVP three times. He was also the 1985 NBA Finals MVP. The Laker’s acquisition of Magic Johnson in 1979 helped the Lakers become superstars in the 1980s. Abdul-Jabbar continued to do well with the Lakers around this time although he suffered from migraines that brought his scoring average down.

He retired in 1989. At the time of his retirement, he held the record for the most field goals made, the most points, and the most minutes played.