Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: A Basketball Reference
Contents
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Life
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Career
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Legacy
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Influence
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Impact
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Style
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Skills
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Personality
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Quotes
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Books
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former American professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the NBA’s All-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Life
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., on April 16, 1947, in New York City The son of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Sr., a transit police officer and jazz pianist, he was the youngest of seven children. Alcindor began playing organized basketball at the age of nine for his grammar school team. When he was just twelve years old and already six feet tall, he entered Power Memorial High School in New York City As a high school freshman he started on the varsity basketball team He led Power Memorial to three consecutive New York Catholic League championships and to 71 straight victories during his final three high school seasons. In his senior year he was named Most Valuable Player of the 1966 National Invitation Tournament after leading Power Memorial to the Tournament Championship That year Alcindor was also named Parade Magazine’s high school basketball player of the Year, won the Naismith Award as the nation’s outstanding college basketball player, and was named United Press International’s (UPI) Athlete of the Year—the first time that any high school athlete had been so honored by UPI.
Alcindor continued his winning ways as a freshman at UCLA in 1967. He led UCLA to a 30-0 record and its first NCAA championship with a win over Dayton in the finals. In that game he scored 29 points and had 15 rebounds; for his efforts he was again named UPI Athlete of the Year—the only college freshman ever to receive that honor. The following year Alcindor once again led UCLA to an undefeated season (28-0) and an NCAA championship victory over North Carolina in the finals. In 1969 he guided UCLA to its third straight NCAA championship with yet another undefeated season (27-0) and another win over Purdue in the finals. It would be another ten years before any other team could duplicate UCLA’s achievement of three consecutive NCAA titles
Alcindor finished his collegiate career with 3,183 points (an average of 26.4 points per game), 1,367 rebounds (11 per game), and 514 blocked shots (4 per game). He remains the all-time leading scorer in UCLA history as well as their leader in career blocked shots; his average of 26.4 points per game is still second only to Jerry West’s 27 ppg average for their career scoring leaders At retirement Kareem Abdul Jabbar held NBA records for most points scored (38,387), most minutes played (57,446), most field goals made (15,837), most field goals attempted (28,307), most seasons played (20), Most All-Star Appearances (19), Most All-Star MVP Awards(3 – tied with Lebron James & Bob Pettit) Most regular season MVP Awards(6 – tied with Michael Jordan & Bill Russell) Most Defensive Player of The Year Awards(2) Most seasons leading league in scoring(2) Most blocks in a season(341) Highest Player Efficiency Rating in a season(31 – tied with Anthony Davis & Russell Westbrook).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Career
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most decorated players in NBA history He played for 20 seasons, winning six NBA championships and being named MVP a record six times. He is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points.
Abdul-Jabbar began his career with the Milwaukee Bucks who drafted him in 1969. He quickly became one of the dominant players in the league, winning Rookie of the Year and helping the Bucks to an NBA title in 1971. He was named MVP of the Finals that year.
In 1975, Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would play for the remainder of his career. He would go on to win five more NBA Championships with the Lakers, as well as two more MVP titles. He retired from basketball in 1989 as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Legacy
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most decorated basketball players of all time. He played in the NBA for 20 seasons, winning six championships with the Los Angeles Lakers He is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points.
Abdul-Jabbar was born in New York City in 1947. HisSentence case, punctuationoriginal name was Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., but he later changed it to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he converted to Islam He began his college basketball career at UCLA, where he won three consecutive NCAA Championships from 1967 to 1969. He was then drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA draft
During his time with the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar won two NBA championships (1971 and 1974). In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, where he would spend the rest of his career. With the Lakers, he won five more NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988). He also won two more MVP Awards (1976 and 1987), giving him a total of six for his career. He retired from basketball in 1989 as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
In 1996, Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame His impact on the game of basketball cannot be overstated; he is widely considered one of the greatest players in history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Influence
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished basketball players of all time. He is a six-Ime Nba champion, a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He is also the all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 38,387 points. In 2012, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Abdul-Jabbar’s impact on the game of basketball is undeniable. He popularized the skyhook shot and was one of the first players to utilize the dunk as a weapon. He also changed the way big men were utilized in the game, as he was one of the first to showcase their versatility by playing them at multiple positions. Abdul-Jabbar’s success on the court has helped inspire numerous future generations of basketball players
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Impact
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most influential basketball players of all time. He is a six-time NBA Champion a six-time NBA MVP and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. In addition, Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA All-Star team 19 times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
During his 20-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant force on both Offense and defense He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points, and is also the league’s all-time leader in blocks, with 3,189. In addition, Abdul-Jabbar was an excellent rebounder and passer, averaging 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game during his career.
Abdul-Jabbar’s impact on the game of basketball cannot be overstated. He changed the way the game was played both offensively and defensively, and his influence can still be seen in today’s NBA. Players such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant have cited Abdul-Jabbar as an inspiration, and he remains one of the most respected players in the history of the game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Style
Although Abdul-Jabbar was not the most naturally gifted athlete, his work ethic and style of play made him one of the Greatest Basketball Players of all time. He was known for his patience and methodical approach to the game, as well as his fierce competitiveness.
Abdul-Jabbar was a master of theskyhook shot, a high-arcing shot that he perfected during his college years. This shot became his trademark and helped him score more points than any other player in history. He also possessed an excellent post game and was an expert at using his large frame to create space for himself on the court.
Defensively, Abdul-Jabbar was a towering presence in the paint. His long arms and quickness allowed him to block shots and alter the shots of opposing players. He is widely considered one of the best Defensive Players in NBA history
In addition to his individual accomplishments, Abdul-Jabbar played a key role on some of the greatest teams in NBA history He won six NBA Championships five with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Milwaukee Bucks He was also named MVP of the Finals on three occasions.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Skills
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the most led basketball players of his time. He was a gifted scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. He is also the league’s all-time leading rebounder, with 17,440 rebounds. Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA MVP and a 19-time All-Star. He won six NBA Championships with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Personality
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. in New York City on April 16, 1947. Growing up, Kareem was a tall and skinny kid who played a lot of basketball. In high school he was so dominant that the state of California changed its rules regarding dunking (it had been banned). Kareem went on to play College Basketball at UCLA, where he won three NCAA championships and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player each time. He also set several NCAA records.
Kareem was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and quickly became one of the best players in the league. He won his first NBA Championship with the Bucks in 1971 and was named the NBA Finals MVP. He went on to win five more NBA titles (two with the Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Lakers) and was named Finals MVP on two more occasions. Kareem also won a record six NBA MVP Awards and was selected to play in a record 19 NBA All-Star Games. He is the all-time leader in points scored (38,387) and games played (1,560).
Kareem surprised many people when he retired from basketball in 1989 because he still had some good years left in him. He had become increasingly involved in social activism during his later years in the NBA and felt that he could make a greater impact off the court than on it. Abdul-Jabbar has been an outspoken advocate for social justice issues throughout his post-NBA Career
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Quotes
“I think what I do best is share the stress.”
“I’ve had some great times and made lifelong friends playing basketball I love the game, but you have to move on at some point.”
“Los Angeles is my home now. I came here when I was 21, and it’s been very good to me.”
“You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go… When you can do that, then you can play in a clear and relaxed manner.”
“I knew that if I devoted myself to my education, I could get into college and make something of myself.”
“My parents’ faith guided me through a lot of difficult times during my childhood and adolescence.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: His Books
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not only one of the greatest Basketball Players of all time, but he is also an author. He has written several books, on various topics. Below is a list of some of his more notable titles.
-Giant Steps (1983): A memoir about Abdul-Jabbar’s early life and basketball career
-Black Profiles in Courage (1996): A collection of essays about African Americans who have made significant contributions to society
-Brothers in Arms (2000): A novel about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American pilots who served during World War II
-Mycroft Holmes (2015): A mystery novel featuring the older brother of Sherlock Holmes