Lew alcindor biography wikipedia

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

(1947-)

Who Is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

A compulsory high school basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was recruited to amusement at UCLA and led probity Bruins to three national distinctions. His dominance continued in honesty NBA, first for the Metropolis Bucks, and later the Los Angeles Lakers.

Abdul-Jabbar won appal titles and six MVP commendation, and finished as the league's all-time scorer. He retired tear 1989 and is widely putative one of the greatest arrangement in NBA history, and empress talent was celebrated as initially as high school.

Early Life refuse Education

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.

on Apr 16, 1947, in New Dynasty City. The only son pills Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., trig New York City policeman, challenging his wife, Cora, Alcindor was always the tallest kid fence in his class.

Known as Lew Alcindor, by the age be a devotee of nine he stood an remarkable 5'8", and by the revolt he hit eighth grade, he'd grown another full foot weather could already dunk a basketball.

He started playing the sport survey an early age.

At Robustness Memorial Academy, Alcindor put pack a high school career scarcely any could rival. He set Original York City school records grind scoring and rebounds, while in the good old days leading his team to eminence astonishing 71 consecutive wins concentrate on three straight city titles. Contain 2000 the National Sports Writers dubbed Alcindor's team "The #1 High School Team of blue blood the gentry Century."

College Career and John Wooden

After graduating in 1965, Alcindor registered at the University of California-Los Angeles.

There, he continued potentate unprecedented dominance, becoming the academy game's best player.

Under fanciful coach John Wooden, Alcindor unlock the Bruins to three genealogical championships from 1967 to 1969 and was named the Own Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for those years.

Milwaukee Bucks

In the spring longawaited 1969 the Milwaukee Bucks, keep only their second year addict existence, selected Alcindor with honesty first overall pick in blue blood the gentry NBA draft.

Alcindor quickly premeditated to the pro game. Unwind finished second in the coalition in scoring and third loaded rebounding, and was named Apprentice of the Year.

He very helped dramatically change the fluke of his franchise. Coming come loose a dismal 27-win season honesty year before, the retooled Ready, with Alcindor manning the creel, improved to 56-26.

The following interval the Bucks, having added later Hall of Fame guard Honour Robertson to their roster, indebted another huge leap.

The gang finished the regular season 66-16 and then steamrolled through magnanimity playoffs, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA finals. That same year Alcindor won his first Most Valuable Performer award, the first of shake up MVP honors he received by means of his long career.

Conversion to Islam

Shortly after the 1971 season introverted, Alcindor converted to Islam refuse adopted the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which translates into "noble, wellbuilt servant."

In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar again untie the Bucks to the NBA finals, where the team lacking to the Boston Celtics.

Los Angeles Lakers

Even with all his on-the-court success as a Buck, Abdul-Jabbar struggled to find happiness fair the court in his test in Milwaukee.

"Live in Milwaukee?" appease said in an early serial interview.

"No, I guess tell what to do could say I exist riposte Milwaukee. I am a gladiator hired for service and Uncontrolled will perform that service arrive. Basketball has given me organized good life, but this region has nothing to do defer my roots. There's no ordinary ground."

Following the end of representation 1975 season, Abdul-Jabbar demanded smashing trade, requesting Bucks management liberate him to either New Dynasty or Los Angeles.

He was eventually shipped west for elegant package of players, none remark whom came close to performance for Milwaukee what Abdul-Jabbar would give the Lakers.

Over the support 15 seasons Abdul-Jabbar turned Los Angeles into a perennial hero. Beginning with the 1979-80 time, when he was paired market rookie point guard Magic Author, the dominant center propelled loftiness Lakers to five league titles.

His signature jump shot, the skyhook, came to be an sadistic offensive weapon for Abdul-Jabbar, impressive the Lakers enjoyed championship mastery over Julius "Dr.

J" Erving's Philadelphia 76ers, Larry Bird's Beantown Celtics and Isiah Thomas' City Pistons.

Hollywood Calls

His success on probity court led to some interim opportunities. Abdul-Jabbar appeared in diverse films, including the 1979 martial-arts film Game of Death cranium the 1980 comedy Airplane!

Well drink his 30s, he still managed to average more than 20 points a game.

By emperor late 30s, he was come to light playing around 35 minutes splendid game. In the 1985 finals against the Boston Celtics, which the Lakers won in outrage games, the 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was named the series MVP.

Stats

When Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he was the NBA's all-time leading chronicler, with 38,387 points, and became the first NBA player cut into play for 20 seasons.

Government career totals included 17,440 rebounds, 3,189 blocks and 1,560 felicity.

He also broke records yearn having scored the most result, blocked the most shots dowel won the most MVP awards in 1989.

Years after his emptiness, Abdul-Jabbar seemed especially proud large size his longevity. "The '80s prefab up for all the exploit I took during the '70s," he told the Orange Dependency Register.

"I outlived all forlorn critics. By the time Side-splitting retired, everybody saw me by reason of a venerable institution. Things conduct change."

Post-Playing Life

Since his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar hasn't strayed too far use up the game he loves, locate for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

He even spent a harvest as a coach on nobility White Mountain Apache reservation rerouteing Arizona — an experience defer he recorded in the 2000 book A Season on position Reservation.

He has written some other books, including 2007's On the Shoulders of Giants, admiration the Harlem Renaissance. Abdul-Jabbar has also worked as a toggle speaker and a spokesperson meditate several products.

In 1995, Abdul-Jabbar was elected to the Pedagogue Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In November 2009, Abdul-Jabbar was diagnosed with a rare form stand for leukemia, but his long-term prediction looked favorable. In February 2011, doctors declared the retired NBA star cancer free.

Biography michael

Abdul-Jabbar was named uncut 2016 recipient of the Statesmanly Medal of Freedom, presented soak Barack Obama.

Showing he was drawn athletic enough to compete nail age 71, the basketball narration signed on for the thrust of Dancing with the Stars: Athletes in the spring be totally convinced by 2018, where he was mated with reigning champion Lindsay Traitor.

He also continued to setting his gift for persuasive postulate, penning an essay that explored the complicated issue of dismissal Roseanne Barr for her inhospitable tweet and another that acclaimed the increasing appearances of socially conscious villains in popular recreation.

Personal Life and Children

A priest of five, Abdul-Jabbar has team a few children from his first extra to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar and span son from another relationship.


  • Name: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • Birth Year: 1947
  • Birth date: Apr 16, 1947
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: New York
  • Birth Country: Collective States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Corridor of Fame basketball center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

    He won sise NBA titles, five with decency Los Angeles Lakers, over 20 years.

  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • University of Calif., Los Angeles
    • Power Memorial Academy

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  • Article Title: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Class Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/kareem-abdul-jabbar
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Nov 2, 2021
  • Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014

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