About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an American former professional basketball player, was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947. His estimated net worth is $25 million. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a behemoth on the court at 7 feet 2 in height. Kareem was famous from the day he was born on April 16, 1947, as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor in Harlem. At birth, he allegedly weighed 12 pounds, 10 ounces. He grew up in a Catholic home in New York City. During his stay at Power Memorial Academy, the team won 79 games while suffering just 2 defeats, and he guided the team to three city titles.
Kareem’s UCLA College Career
John Wooden, the famed UCLA coach, sought out Kareem, or Lew Alcindor as he was called at the time, to play basketball at UCLA. With Alcindor on the varsity team, the Bruins only dropped two contests. He was a three-time First Team All-American, twice selected the NCAA’s National Player of the Year, and the first recipient of the Naismith Award, presented to the top collegiate basketball player. He still maintains multiple UCLA records for both lifetime and individual seasons.
Milwaukee Bucks select Kareem first overall in the draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Alcindor with the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. He continued the lineage of NBA big players, which also includes Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, among others. His arrival in Milwaukee was instantaneous, and he immediately began to turn around the team, leading it to a second-place division finish in his rookie season and earning the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
The Bucks added guard Oscar Robertson the following year, and the two worked together to win the NBA Championship in May 1971.
Alcindor converted to Islam and took on a new name the next day. That person is Kareem Abdul Jabbar, whose name translates to “noble servant of God.” in Arabic.
He stayed in Milwaukee until 1974, leading the Bucks to consistently high finishes, but towards the close of the 1974 campaign he asked for a trade to New York or Los Angeles, expressing a desire to be on the coasts rather than in the heart of America.
Service with the Los Angeles Laker
He was a mainstay on one of the most successful NBA teams ever for the following 14 years in Los Angeles, thanks in part to the presence of Earvin Magic Johnson, another NBA Hall of Famer. Together, the two participated in eight NBA finals in the 1980s, earning five NBA titles.
Playing Technique and History
Not the least of Jabbar’s many accomplishments was his commanding presence in the lane. However, his patented “Sky Hook” may have altered the NBA game while he was playing. A player who was 7 feet 2 inches tall unleashed a hook shot that was practically unblockable.
Jabbar retired in 1989 after a 20-year career, but he has continued to follow the sport. And that’s a look at Kareem Abdul Jabbar, one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
