Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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.

Sections (6)

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

1966: Varsity debut

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.

1967: National player of the year

In 1967, Alcindor was named national player of the year.

1968: NCAA basketball champion

In 1968, Alcindor played on the NCAA basketball champion team.

1969: Naismith College Player of the Year

In 1969, Alcindor was honored as the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year.

1971: NBA Title

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.

1973: NBA single-season defensive rebounds record

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).

1974: MVP Award and Finals Appearance

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.

1974: Blocks statistic recorded

In 1974, the blocks basketball statistic was recorded during the fourth year of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career.

1976: Fifth MVP Award

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.

1980: Sixth and final MVP award

In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar claimed his sixth and final NBA MVP award.

1980: NBA Championship and MVP Award

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.

1981: NBA Championship

In 1981, the Los Angeles Lakers won another NBA championship.

1983: NBA Finals Loss

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.

April 5, 1984: Breaks Scoring Record

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.

1984: Broke NBA's career scoring record

In 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record.

1985: Finals MVP Award

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.

1985: Riley calls Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player ever

In 1985, Pat Riley called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player ever.

1987: Championship over Boston

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.

1988: Lakers defeat Pistons for the NBA Championship

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.

2002: Head Coach of Oklahoma Storm

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.

2007: Named greatest center of all time by ESPN

In 2007, ESPN named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest center of all time.

2008: Named the greatest player in college basketball history by ESPN

In 2008, ESPN named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player in college basketball history.

February 2011: Announcement of Remission

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

2011: Awards and Honors

In 2011, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Double Helix Medal for cancer awareness and received an honorary degree from New York Institute of Technology.

January 2012: Appointed as Cultural Ambassador

In January 2012, Abdul-Jabbar accepted a position as a cultural ambassador for the United States, announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

2013: Julius Erving calls Abdul-Jabbar the number one player of all-time

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.

2015: ESPN ranked Abdul-Jabbar the best center in NBA history

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.

2016: Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

January 2017: Appointment to Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee

In January 2017, Abdul-Jabbar was appointed to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee by United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.

2018: Rookie record tied by Jayson Tatum

In 2018, Jayson Tatum tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA rookie record with 10 or more games of 20+ points scored during the playoffs.

2018: Ranked No. 4 in Slam's "Top 100 Players Of All-Time"

In 2018, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ranked No. 4 in Slam's "Top 100 Players Of All-Time".

2019: Holds individual records at UCLA

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.

2020: Nomination for Primetime Emmy Award

In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his work on Black Patriots: Heroes of The Revolution.

2020: Executive Producer of Black Patriots

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.

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2020: Ranked No. 3 in ESPN's top 74 NBA players of all time

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.

2022: Ranked No. 3 in ESPN's NBA 75th Anniversary Team list

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.

February 7, 2023: LeBron James Surpasses Abdul-Jabbar's Scoring Record

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.

2023: NBA scoring record surpassed by Lebron James

In 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA career scoring record.

2023: Riley still chooses Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest

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.