Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“A skyhook the record book could not take with it when the scoring crown moved.”
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.
- 1971Bucks title. The new name.
- 1980Showtime Lakers. More rings.
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