Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
After a dominant college career at UCLA under John Wooden, Lew Alcindor was the top NBA draft pick in 1969 and won Rookie of the Year. By 1971 he led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship and won the MVP. He became a superstar in 1971, the season he won his first title and changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
UCLA Dominance
As Lew Alcindor, he led John Wooden's UCLA Bruins to three straight NCAA championships from 1967 to 1969. So unstoppable was his dunking that the NCAA temporarily banned the shot, prompting him to perfect the skyhook.
The Skyhook Era
Drafted first overall in 1969, he won Rookie of the Year and led the Milwaukee Bucks to a title in 1971. After joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, he formed a dynasty with Magic Johnson and collected six championships and six MVP awards.
Scoring King and Author
Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989 as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, a record that stood until 2023. In retirement he became a best-selling author, cultural commentator and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Career Timeline
- 1947Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. in New York City
- 1967Leads UCLA to first of three NCAA titles
- 1969Drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks
- 1971Wins first NBA title and MVP with Milwaukee
- 1971Changes name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- 1975Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
- 1980Wins first championship with the Lakers
- 1984Becomes NBA's all-time leading scorer
- 1988Wins sixth and final NBA championship
- 1989Retires after a record 20 NBA seasons
- 1995Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Biggest Hits
- His signature 'skyhook' shot grew out of his college days, partly a response to the NCAA temporarily banning the dunk.
- He converted to Islam and changed his name from Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
Portrait: Steve Lipofsky (Basketballphoto.com) · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons