Jamaal Wilkes is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He won a total of four NBA championships, three with the ShowTime Lakers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and 1 with the Golden State Warriors. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef was born Jackson Keith Wilkes on May 2, 1953, in Berkeley, California. He stands 198 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 86 kg. He shot right and played both small forward and power forward throughout his career.
Wilkes experienced several personal tragedies and life changes during his career. In 1977, he and his first wife lost their daughter, who was born with a heart condition, after four months. This led to their divorce after two years of marriage.
| Position | Power Forward |
| Height / weight | 1.98 m / 86 kg |
| Born | 2 May 1953 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
| Playing Style | Right Handed |
| Nickname | Silk |
| Team History | |
Los Angeles
|
1977 - 1985 |
LA Clippers
|
1985 |
Golden State
|
1974 - 1977 |
In 1980, he married his second wife. They also faced tragedy when their first daughter passed away at eight days old in 1981. They went on to have three more children: two sons and a daughter.
Both sons graduated from UC Berkeley and played basketball there, with Omar becoming a sports agent and Jordan joining the Lakers’ basketball operations.
Their daughter played volleyball at UCLA.
Beyond basketball, Wilkes appeared in the 1975 film “Cornbread, Earl and Me” and made a television appearance on “Trapper John, M.D.” in 1981.
He converted to Islam in 1974 during his rookie year, legally changing his name to Jamaal Abdul-Lateef in 1975, though he continued using Wilkes professionally for public recognition.
High School and College Career
Wilkes attended Ventura High School before transferring to Santa Barbara High School.
He then played college basketball at UCLA from 1971 to 1974, where he won two NCAA championships (1972, 1973) and earned Consensus first-team All-American honors twice (1973, 1974).
Professional Career
Wilkes was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 1974 NBA Draft. He made an immediate impact in his rookie season, winning NBA Rookie of the Year and earning All-Rookie First Team honors while helping the Warriors capture the 1975 NBA championship.
After three successful seasons with the Warriors (1974-1977), including two All-Defensive Second Team selections, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers. During his time with the Lakers (1977-1985), he won three more NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985) and earned three NBA All-Star selections (1976, 1981, 1983).
He concluded his NBA career with a brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1985. In recognition of his contributions to the Lakers’ success, the team retired his jersey number 52.
Career Highlights
- 1975, 1980, 1982, 1985 - NBA Champion
- 1976, 1981, 1983 - NBA All-Star
- 1976, 1977 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- 1975 - NBA Rookie of the Year
- 1975 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
- 1972, 1973 - NCAA Champion
- 1973, 1974 - Consensus first-team All-American
- 1973, 1974 - First-team All-Pac-8
- 1972 - Second-team All-Pac-8
- Jersey Number 52 Retired by Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA Bruins
