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, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, is an American former professional basketball player renowned for his 20 seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, and his prior success at UCLA. He holds a record six NBA MVP awards and was a 19-time NBA All-Star. Abdul-Jabbar earned 15 All-NBA Team selections and 11 NBA All-Defensive Team selections. A six-time NBA champion as a player and two-time champion as an assistant coach, he also earned two NBA Finals MVP awards. Recognized as one of basketball's all-time greats, Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA's career scoring record from 1984 until 2023.

Sections (6)

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

1966: Varsity Debut and National Coverage

In 1966, Alcindor made his varsity debut as a sophomore, receiving national coverage. He scored 56 points in his first game, which remains an NCAA record for a player in their debut.

1967: National Player of the Year and NCAA Champion

In 1967, Alcindor was named national player of the year and played on one of the NCAA basketball champion teams.

1968: NCAA Champion

In 1968, Alcindor played on one of the NCAA basketball champion teams.

1968: Celtics' Consecutive Title Record

In 1988, Pat Riley guaranteed that the Los Angeles Lakers would be the first NBA team to win consecutive titles since the 1968-69 Celtics.

1969: Naismith College Player of the Year and NCAA Champion

In 1969, Alcindor was named the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year, and played on one of the NCAA basketball champion teams.

1971: NBA Championship with the Bucks and Name Change

In 1971, Alcindor led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship at the age of 24. Following this victory, he adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

1971: NBA Championship and MVP Award

In 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award and led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA title, earning the Finals MVP award. The Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the 1971 NBA Finals.

1973: Defensive Rebound Stats

The 1975-76 NBA season was the first time defensive rebounds were recorded since 1973. During the 1975-76 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 1,111 defensive rebounds which is still the NBA single-season record.

1974: MVP Award and Finals Appearance

In 1974, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Milwaukee Bucks to their fourth consecutive Midwest Division title. He also won his third MVP Award in four years. The Bucks advanced to the 1974 NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

1974: Blocks Became Official Statistic

In 1974, the NBA began recording blocks as an official statistic, which is notable because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ended up with the third-most blocks in NBA history (3,189) despite the statistic not being recorded for the first four years of his career.

1976: Lakers' Top Record and MVP Award

In the 1976-77 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the NBA at 53-29 and won his fifth MVP award.

1980: NBA Championship and MVP Award

In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his record sixth MVP award and led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship.

1980: Won Sixth MVP Award

In 1980, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his sixth and final MVP award, continuing to average above 20 points in the following six seasons.

1981: NBA Championship

In 1981–82 season, the Los Angeles Lakers won another NBA championship against the Philadelphia 76ers.

April 5, 1984: NBA Scoring Record

On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for most career points in the NBA during a game against Utah. He scored from 15 feet on his patent skyhook over Mark Eaton.

1984: Broke NBA's Career Scoring Record

In 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record. At the time, this was a significant milestone in his career, solidifying his status as a dominant player.

1985: Finals MVP and Championship

In 1985, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his second Finals MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a championship victory over the Boston Celtics, ending the Celtics' streak of eight consecutive championships against the Lakers.

1985: Riley Praised Abdul-Jabbar

In 1985, Riley praised Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest player ever, citing his broken records, championships, and endurance of tremendous criticism and responsibility.

1986: Breaking NBA Record for Seasons Played

In 1985–86 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in his 17th season, breaking the previous NBA record for seasons played of 16.

1987: NBA Championship

In 1987, the Los Angeles Lakers won a championship over Boston.

1988: NBA Championship

In 1988, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons for the NBA championship.

1989: Retirement from the NBA

In 1989, at the age of 42, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired from the NBA as the league's all-time leader in points, games played, and several other statistical categories.

2002: Coaching Oklahoma Storm

In 2002, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar coached the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League, leading them 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, recognizing his exceptional skills and impact on the sport.

2007: Voted Best Center by ESPN

In 2007, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was voted the best center of all time by ESPN, ahead of Wilt Chamberlain.

2008: Named Greatest Player in College Basketball History by ESPN

In 2008, ESPN recognized Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest player in college basketball history, highlighting his outstanding achievements during his time at UCLA.

February 2011: Announced Leukemia 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: Awarded Double Helix Medal and Honorary Degree

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

January 2012: Appointed as Cultural Ambassador for the United States

In January 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was appointed as a cultural ambassador for the United States by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He also traveled to Brazil to promote education for local youths as part of this role.

2013: Julius Erving called Abdul-Jabbar Number 1

In 2013, Julius Erving said that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is still the number one player of all time and the player you'd start a franchise with.

2015: ESPN named Abdul-Jabbar the best center

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.

2016: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Ranked Second Best Player in NBA History by ESPN

In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and ESPN ranked him the second-best player in NBA history, solidifying his legacy as one of the sport's greatest figures.

January 2017: Appointed 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 due to his interest in coin collecting.

2018: NBA Rookie Record Tied

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

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

2019: UCLA Records

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: Executive Producer and Narrator of "Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution"

In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar served as executive producer and narrator of the History channel special "Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution". He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his narration.

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2020: Nominated for Primetime Emmy Award

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

2020: Ranked No. 3 in ESPN's Top 74 NBA Players

In 2020, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ranked No. 3 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, the best center ever ahead of Bill Russell and Chamberlain.

2022: Ranked No. 3 in 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: Career Scoring Record Surpassed

On February 7, 2023, LeBron James of the Lakers surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points, ending his reign as the NBA's career scoring leader, Abdul-Jabbar attended the game and passed the game ball to James during the in-game ceremony.

2023: NBA's Career Scoring Record Surpassed

In 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA career scoring record, ending Abdul-Jabbar's long-held position as the league's all-time leading scorer.

2023: Riley Chose Abdul-Jabbar as Greatest Player

In 2023, as James was on the verge of breaking the NBA career scoring record, Abdul-Jabbar remained as Riley's choice as the greatest player due to the unstoppable skyhook.