Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player widely considered one of the greatest of all time. He played 20 seasons in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, winning six NBA championships and a record six MVP awards. A 19-time All-Star, Abdul-Jabbar was known for his dominant play as a center, particularly his signature skyhook shot. He also played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA's career scoring record from 1984 until LeBron James broke it in 2023. He also contributed as an assistant coach after his playing career ended.
On April 16, 1947, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was born in New York City.
In 1950, at the age of 3, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. moved to the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
In 1964, the Harlem riot, triggered by the shooting of James Powell, sparked Alcindor's interest in racial politics.
On November 27, 1965, Alcindor made his first public performance in UCLA's annual varsity–freshman exhibition game at the Bruins' new Pauley Pavilion, scoring 31 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in the freshman team's 75-60 victory.
In 1966, Alcindor made his varsity debut, scoring 56 points in his first game and leading UCLA to an undefeated 30-0 record and a national championship.
In 1967, Abdul-Jabbar, as the only college athlete, attended the Cleveland Summit, a meeting of prominent black athletes supporting Muhammad Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War.
In 1967, Alcindor was named national player of the year.
On January 12, 1968, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, suffered a scratched left cornea in a game against California (UC Berkeley).
During the summer of 1968, Alcindor converted to Sunni Islam and took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics in protest of the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States.
In 1968, Alcindor played on the NCAA basketball champion team.
In 1969, Alcindor was honored as the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year.
In 1969, Alcindor was picked first overall in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and declined an offer from the Globetrotters.
In 1969, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, completed his studies at UCLA and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history.
In the 1969 NBA draft, Lew Alcindor was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
On February 21, 1970, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 51 points in a 140–127 win over the SuperSonics.
In 1970, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired All-Star guard Oscar Robertson. The Bucks went on to record the best record in the league with 66 victories in the 1970-71 season.
On June 3, 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, during a press conference at the State Department, announced that he wanted to be called by his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which translates to "noble one, servant of the Almighty".
At age 24 in 1971, Alcindor converted to Islam and legally became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
In 1971, Abdul-Jabbar married Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown), and they had three children together.
In 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA title, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the NBA Finals. Abdul-Jabbar was named the Finals MVP after averaging 27 points per game on 60.5% shooting in the series.
In 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began using his adopted Arabic name publicly.
In 1971, after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship, Lew Alcindor took the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
In 1972 freshmen became eligible to play varsity.
In 1972, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared in Bruce Lee's film "Game of Death".
In 1973, Abdul-Jabbar embarked on a pilgrimage to Libya and Saudi Arabia to study the Quran and renew his faith.
In 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 1,111 defensive rebounds, which remains the NBA single-season record (defensive rebounds were not recorded prior to the 1973–74 season).
In September 1974, Oscar Robertson retired after he was unable to agree on a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 1974, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Milwaukee Bucks to their fourth consecutive Midwest Division title and won his third MVP Award in four years. The Bucks advanced to the 1974 NBA Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
In 1974, the blocks basketball statistic was recorded during the fourth year of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began wearing his trademark goggles in 1974 after getting poked in the eye during preseason.
On March 13, 1975, sportscaster Marv Albert reported that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, preferably to the Knicks.
In 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the same bone in his right hand after he punched the backboard support.
In 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played for the final 14 seasons of his career.
In 1976, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record (53–29) in the NBA, and he won his fifth MVP award, tying Bill Russell's record.
In 1976, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar started doing yoga in Los Angeles to improve his flexibility, contributing to his longevity as a player.
In 1976, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired the draft pick from the New Orleans Jazz (later Utah) that would be used to draft Magic Johnson in 1979, when league rules required that they compensate Los Angeles for their signing of free agent Gail Goodrich.
In the 1976-77 season, the ban on dunking in college basketball, also known as the "Alcindor Rule," was rescinded.
Two minutes into the opening game of the 1977–78 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke his right hand punching Milwaukee's Kent Benson in retaliation to the rookie's elbow to his stomach. Abdul-Jabbar missed 20 games.
In 1978, Abdul-Jabbar and Janice Brown divorced.
In 1978, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the first NBA player to sign a sneaker endorsement deal with Adidas and subsequently the first player with a signature shoe.
In 1978, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not named to the NBA All-Star Game, the only time in his 20-year career he was not selected to an All-Star Game.
In 1978, the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1979, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar abandoned wearing his trademark goggles during the playoffs.
In 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first overall pick of the NBA draft. They had acquired the pick from the New Orleans Jazz (later Utah) in 1976.
In 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in the semifinals of the playoffs.
Prior to the 1979-80 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gained 10 pounds (4.5 kg) from 240 to 250 pounds (110 kg) after switching from free weights to Nautilus equipment, and he also switched that offseason from tai chi to yoga.
The Jazz played a game at the Thomas & Mack Center, one of 11 home games for the Jazz in the Las Vegas Valley. The contest drew 18,389 fans, the Jazz's largest home crowd since moving from New Orleans before the 1979–80 season.
In October 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar resumed wearing his trademark goggles after being accidentally poked in the right eye by Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich.
For the first time since the 1980–81 season, Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers in both scoring (21.5) and rebounding (7.3) during the season.
In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar claimed his sixth and final NBA MVP award.
In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the role of co-pilot Roger Murdock in the movie Airplane!, where he had a memorable scene with a little boy who recognized him despite his character's denial.
In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his record sixth MVP award and led the Lakers to an NBA Championship. He sprained his ankle in Game 5 of the finals but returned to finish the contest with 40 points.
In 1981, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar responded to criticism that he did not hustle, explaining that he needed to conserve energy due to playing 42 to 45 minutes a night.
On December 22, 1983, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 10 points at Golden State, dropping his season average to 17.7, almost 10 points below his career average.
In 1983, Abdul-Jabbar's autobiography, Giant Steps, co-authored with Peter Knobler, was published.
In 1983, Abdul-Jabbar's house burned down, destroying many of his belongings including his jazz LP collection. Lakers fans sent him albums, which he found uplifting.
In 1983, the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals in a rematch against the 76ers, who had acquired Moses Malone. The 76ers swept the Lakers 4–0, and Malone was named the Finals MVP.
On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most career points in the NBA with a skyhook over Mark Eaton in a game against Utah.
On December 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record.
In 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played a genie in a lamp in an episode of Tales from the Darkside.
On November 12, 1985, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed a one-year extension of his contract at the same $2 million salary, while maintaining the option to retire after the 1985–86 season.
In 1985, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his second Finals MVP award, becoming the oldest player to win the award at 38 years and 54 days old. The Lakers defeated the Celtics to win the championship, ending the Celtics' streak of eight consecutive championships against the Lakers.
In 1985, Pat Riley called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player ever.
In December 1986, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar missed three games due to corneal erosion syndrome, a condition he developed after years of being jabbed in the eyes.
In 1986, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bulked up to 270 lb (120 kg).
Prior to the 1986–87 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gained 13 pounds (5.9 kg), reaching close to 270 pounds (120 kg), to compete against the growing number of 7-footers (2.1 m) in the league.
In 1987, the Los Angeles Lakers won a championship over Boston in each of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final three seasons. Afterwards, he signed a two-year contract with the Lakers.
In 1988, the Los Angeles Lakers, under Pat Riley's guarantee, defeated the Detroit Pistons to win the NBA championship. In Game 6 of the finals, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to extend the series to seven games.
In 1989, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Detroit Pistons in a four-game sweep in the NBA finals.
In 1989, at the age of 42, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired from the NBA.
On February 10, 1994, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played himself on an episode of the sketch comedy television series In Living Color.
In 1994, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the co-executive producer of the TV film "The Vernon Johns Story".
In 1995, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began expressing an interest in coaching and imparting knowledge from his playing days, though his opportunities were limited due to his reputation for being introverted and unfriendly with the media.
In 1998, Abdul-Jabbar reached a settlement after suing Miami Dolphins running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar (now Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar), who agreed to change his jersey nameplate to "Abdul".
In 1998, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona.
In 2002, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar served as the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League, leading the team to the league's championship that season.
In 2005, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar returned to the Los Angeles Lakers as a special assistant coach to Phil Jackson for six seasons, mentoring their young center, Andrew Bynum.
In 2006, Abdul-Jabbar made an appearance on The Colbert Report in a skit called "HipHopKetball II: The ReJazzebration Remix '06".
In 2007, ESPN named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest center of all time.
In December 2008, Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.
In 2008, Abdul-Jabbar appeared as a stage manager in a skit where he was sent out on a mission to find Nazi gold.
In 2008, ESPN named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player in college basketball history.
In November 2009, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he was suffering from leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, which had been diagnosed in December 2008.
On February 10, 2011, Abdul-Jabbar debuted his film On the Shoulders of Giants, documenting the New York Renaissance professional basketball team.
In February 2011, Abdul-Jabbar announced via Twitter that his leukemia was gone, later clarifying that his cancer was at an absolute minimum.
In 2011, Abdul-Jabbar voiced himself in an episode of The Simpsons titled "Love Is a Many Strangled Thing".
In 2011, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Double Helix Medal for cancer awareness and received an honorary degree from New York Institute of Technology.
In 2011, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's six-season tenure as a special assistant coach to Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers concluded.
In January 2012, Abdul-Jabbar accepted a position as a cultural ambassador for the United States, announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
From 2012 to 2013, Abdul-Jabbar had a recurring role as himself on the NBC series Guys with Kids.
In 2012, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador.
From 2012 to 2013, Abdul-Jabbar had a recurring role as himself on the NBC series Guys with Kids.
In 2013, Abdul-Jabbar participated in the ABC reality series Splash, a celebrity diving competition.
In 2013, Julius Erving stated that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still the number one player of all time and the player to start a franchise with.
In 2013, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar moved on from coaching after unsuccessfully lobbying for open head coach positions with UCLA and the Milwaukee Bucks.
In November 2014, Abdul-Jabbar published an essay in Jacobin calling for just compensation for college athletes.
In 2014, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Airplane! co-star Robert Hays reprised their roles in a parody commercial promoting Wisconsin tourism.
In 2014, the UCLA Bruins wore "The Blueprint" Crazy 8 Adidas shoes against Colorado on Feb. 13, and the shoes were sold online and at an Adidas store in New Orleans—during NBA All-Star weekend—starting on Feb. 14.
On January 25, 2015, Abdul-Jabbar appeared on Meet the Press to discuss his column on Islam and violent extremism.
In April 2015, Abdul-Jabbar was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery at the UCLA Medical Center on his 68th birthday.
In 2015, Abdul-Jabbar appeared in Kareem: Minority of One, an HBO documentary about his life.
In 2015, Abdul-Jabbar made his adult fiction writing debut with the Victorian mystery novel Mycroft Holmes, based around the titular character from the Sherlock Holmes stories.
In 2015, ESPN named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the best center in NBA history, and ranked him No. 2 behind Michael Jordan among the greatest NBA players ever.
In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar performed a tribute to his friend Muhammad Ali along with Chance the Rapper.
In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
In 2016, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's only recognized rookie card became the most expensive basketball card ever sold at the time, going for $501,900 at auction.
In January 2017, Abdul-Jabbar was appointed to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee by United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
In 2017, Abdul-Jabbar appeared in the music video for "Good Goodbye" by Linkin Park, playing a warlord in a dunk contest.
In 2017, Abdul-Jabbar condemned Donald Trump's travel ban, citing the absence of reason and compassion.
In 2017, Abdul-Jabbar spoke at an event marking Ramadan organized by the Israeli consul in Los Angeles, emphasizing Muslim-Jewish relations.
In April 2018, Abdul-Jabbar competed in season 26 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Lindsay Arnold.
In September 2018, Abdul-Jabbar was announced as one of the writers for the July 2019 revival of Veronica Mars.
In 2018, Abdul-Jabbar resigned from the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee due to "increasing personal obligations".
In 2018, Jayson Tatum tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA rookie record with 10 or more games of 20+ points scored during the playoffs.
In 2018, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ranked No. 4 in Slam's "Top 100 Players Of All-Time".
In 2018, the sequel to his first fiction novel "Mycroft Holmes", titled "Mycroft and Sherlock" co-written with Anna Waterhouse was published.
In February 2019, Abdul-Jabbar appeared in season 12 episode 16 of The Big Bang Theory, titled "The D&D Vortex".
In September 2018, Abdul-Jabbar was announced as one of the writers for the July 2019 revival of Veronica Mars.
As of the 2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still holds or shares a number of individual records at UCLA.
In 2019, the third novel in the series "Mycroft and Sherlock", titled "Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage" co-written with Anna Waterhouse was published.
In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer eleven years earlier.
In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his work on Black Patriots: Heroes of The Revolution.
In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar was the executive producer and narrator of the History channel special Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for his narration.
In 2020, ESPN ranked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar No. 3 in its list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, recognizing him as the best center ever ahead of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
In June 2021, Abdul-Jabbar published an essay in Jacobin on the negative impact of refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, criticizing Kyrie Irving.
In 2021, Abdul-Jabbar made a guest appearance as himself in a season 2 episode of Dave, which was also named after him.
In 2022, Abdul-Jabbar made a cameo appearance as himself in the Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
In 2022, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ranked No. 3 (first in his position) in ESPN's NBA 75th Anniversary Team list, and No. 3 (behind Jordan and James) in a similar list by The Athletic.
On February 7, 2023, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points to become the NBA's career scoring record holder. Abdul-Jabbar attended the game and passed the game ball to James during the in-game ceremony after the record was broken.
In February 2023, Abdul-Jabbar spoke out about his atrial fibrillation diagnosis and partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer's "No Time to Wait" campaign.
In December 2023, Abdul-Jabbar was hospitalized after he fell and broke his hip while attending a concert.
In 2023, Abdul-Jabbar appeared as himself in season 7, episode 3 of the Showtime series Billions.
In 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA career scoring record.
In 2023, as LeBron James was on the verge of breaking the NBA career scoring record, Pat Riley remained steadfast in his opinion that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the greatest player in NBA history, citing his unstoppable skyhook shot.
In 2024, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 19 All-Star team selections.
In 2025, Abdul-Jabbar was named Havard College Class Day speaker after receiving an honorary degree from the same.
Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...
Adidas AG is a German multinational corporation the largest sportswear...
LeBron James nicknamed King James is an American professional basketball...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is an American businessman...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Home Box Office HBO is an American pay television service...
3 months ago Katherine Legge Expands NASCAR Schedule with Xfinity and Cup Races in 2025
Davis Thompson is a professional golfer from the United States who competes on the PGA Tour He reached the top...
2 months ago S&P 500 Climbs Amid Moody's Downgrade and Treasury Yield Fluctuations: Market Overview
53 minutes ago Four-star TE Brayden Fogle commits to Georgia Bulldogs football program for 2025 season.
25 days ago Trey Hendrickson trade rumors swirl as holdout continues amidst Lions and Commanders interest.
14 days ago Clarke Schmidt's Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Week 14 Two-Start Pitcher and Waiver Wire Options
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
Candace Owens is an American conservative and far-right political commentator...
A blue moon is defined in several ways most commonly...
Thom Tillis is the senior U S Senator from North...
KPop Demon Hunters is a animated musical fantasy action comedy...
Starbucks is an American multinational coffeehouse chain established in Seattle...