Childhood and Education Journey of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a Hall of Fame center, is considered one of basketball's all-time greatest players. He dominated the NBA for 20 seasons, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, after a stellar college career at UCLA. He won a record six NBA MVP awards and was a 19-time All-Star. Abdul-Jabbar earned 6 NBA championships as a player and 2 as an assistant coach. Known for his signature 'skyhook' shot, he held the NBA's all-time scoring record from 1984 until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023. His accolades include multiple All-NBA and All-Defensive Team selections and two NBA Finals MVP awards.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

April 16, 1947: Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. Born

On April 16, 1947, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was born in New York City.

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1950: Moved to Dyckman Street projects

In 1950, at the age of 3, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. moved with his family to the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.

1957: Release of Zero Hour!

In 1957, the film Zero Hour! was released, featuring football star Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch as an airplane pilot, which later served as the inspiration for Abdul-Jabbar's role in Airplane!.

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1964: Inspired by Harlem Riot of 1964

In 1964, the Harlem riot, triggered by the fatal shooting of James Powell, sparked Alcindor's interest in racial politics and shaped his identity.

November 27, 1965: First public performance at UCLA

On November 27, 1965, Alcindor made his first public performance in UCLA's annual varsity–freshman exhibition game, scoring 31 points and 21 rebounds in the freshman team's 75-60 victory over the varsity team at Pauley Pavilion.

1967: Attended the Cleveland Summit

In 1967, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the only college athlete to attend the Cleveland Summit, a meeting of prominent black athletes who convened in support of Muhammad Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War.

1968: Conversion to Sunni Islam and Olympics Boycott

In 1968, Alcindor converted to Sunni Islam from Catholicism and boycotted the Summer Olympics to protest the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States.

1969: Earned Bachelor of Arts Degree

In 1969, Alcindor completed his studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history, marking the end of his college education.

June 3, 1971: Name Change Announcement

On June 3, 1971, during a press conference at the State Department, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced that he wanted to be called by his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which translates to "noble one, servant of the Almighty".

1971: Conversion to Islam

At age 24 in 1971, Lew Alcindor converted to Islam and legally became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, meaning "noble one, servant of the Almighty".

1971: Publicly Adopts Name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

In 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began using his adopted Arabic name publicly, after converting to Sunni Islam in 1968.

1971: Married Janice Brown

In 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar married Janice Brown (later Habiba Abdul-Jabbar), whom he met at a Lakers game during his senior year at UCLA. They had three children together.

1971: Bucks win NBA Championship and name change

In 1971, at the age of 24, Lew Alcindor led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship and subsequently adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

1972: Appeared in "Game of Death"

In 1972, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared in Bruce Lee's film "Game of Death", showcasing his martial arts skills.

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1972: Freshmen Eligibility

Until 1972, Freshmen were not eligible to play varsity.

1973: Pilgrimage to Libya and Saudi Arabia

In 1973, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar embarked on a pilgrimage to Libya and Saudi Arabia to learn Arabic and study the Quran.

1974: Began Wearing Goggles

In 1974, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began wearing his trademark goggles after getting poked in the eye during a preseason game.

March 13, 1975: Trade Request Publicized

On March 13, 1975, sportscaster Marv Albert reported that Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, preferably to the Knicks.

1976: Starts Yoga

In 1976, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began practicing yoga to improve his flexibility, contributing to his longevity as a player.

1976: Dunking ban rescinded

In 1976, the ban on dunking in college basketball, initially implemented to limit Alcindor's dominance, was rescinded.

1978: Divorced Janice Brown

In 1978, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Janice Brown (Habiba Abdul-Jabbar) divorced.

1979: Stopped Wearing Goggles

In 1979, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stopped wearing his trademark goggles during the playoffs.

1979: Gained Weight with Nautilus Equipment

Prior to the 1979-80 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gained 10 pounds by switching from free weights to Nautilus equipment, and also switched from tai chi to yoga.

October 1980: Resumes Wearing Goggles

In October 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar resumed wearing his trademark goggles after being accidentally poked in the right eye by Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich.

1980: Role in Airplane!

In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played co-pilot Roger Murdock in the movie "Airplane!", featuring in a memorable scene spoofing Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch's appearance as a pilot in the 1957 film "Zero Hour!"

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1983: House fire

In 1983, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's house burned down, destroying many belongings, including his jazz LP collection. Lakers fans sent him albums, which he found uplifting.

1984: Tales from the Darkside episode

In 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a genie in a lamp in an episode of "Tales from the Darkside".

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February 10, 1994: Appearance on In Living Color

On February 10, 1994, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played himself on an episode of the sketch comedy television series "In Living Color".

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1998: Settlement in lawsuit with Karim Abdul-Jabbar

In 1998, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reached a settlement after he sued Miami Dolphins running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar (now Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar) for profiting off his name.

December 2008: Diagnosis of leukemia

In December 2008, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

November 2009: Public announcement of leukemia diagnosis

In November 2009, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar publicly announced that he was suffering from leukemia and that he was taking oral medication daily to manage the condition.

February 2011: Announcement of leukemia remission

In February 2011, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced via Twitter that his leukemia was gone but clarified later that his cancer was at an absolute minimum.

2014: Airplane! Parody Commercial

In 2014, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Hays reprised their roles from "Airplane!" in a parody commercial promoting Wisconsin tourism.

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April 2015: Diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and bypass surgery

In April 2015, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery at the UCLA Medical Center on his 68th birthday.

2016: Tribute to Muhammad Ali

In 2016, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar performed a tribute to his friend Muhammad Ali along with Chance the Rapper.

2017: Spoke at Ramadan event at Israeli consulate

In 2017, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke at an event marking Ramadan at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, emphasizing Muslim-Jewish relations.

2020: Revelation of prostate cancer diagnosis

In 2020, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer eleven years earlier.

February 2023: Spoke out about atrial fibrillation diagnosis

In February 2023, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke out about his atrial fibrillation diagnosis and partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer's "No Time to Wait" to raise awareness of the symptoms.