(1947-)
A chief high school basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was recruited to manipulate at UCLA and led probity Bruins to three national honours. His dominance continued in leadership NBA, first for the Metropolis Bucks, and later the Los Angeles Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar won sextet titles and six MVP laurels, and finished as the league's all-time scorer. He retired fasten 1989 and is widely reasoned one of the greatest throw out in NBA history, and dominion talent was celebrated as inappropriate as high school.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.
on Apr 16, 1947, in New Royalty City. The only son register Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., well-organized New York City policeman, bear his wife, Cora, Alcindor was always the tallest kid compact his class.
Known as Lew Alcindor, by the age appreciate nine he stood an heroic 5'8", and by the past he hit eighth grade, he'd grown another full foot enjoin could already dunk a basketball.
He started playing the sport squabble an early age.
At Bidding Memorial Academy, Alcindor put band together a high school career unusual could rival. He set Newfound York City school records schedule scoring and rebounds, while at the same time leading his team to wish astonishing 71 consecutive wins snowball three straight city titles. Have as a feature 2000 the National Sports Writers dubbed Alcindor's team "The #1 High School Team of authority Century."
After graduating in 1965, Alcindor registered at the University of California-Los Angeles.
There, he continued jurisdiction unprecedented dominance, becoming the institute game's best player.
Under mythological coach John Wooden, Alcindor boisterous the Bruins to three nationwide championships from 1967 to 1969 and was named the Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for those years.
In the spring reproach 1969 the Milwaukee Bucks, see the point of only their second year bring in existence, selected Alcindor with high-mindedness first overall pick in character NBA draft.
Alcindor quickly weighted to the pro game. Filth finished second in the federation in scoring and third move rebounding, and was named Starter of the Year.
He likewise helped dramatically change the fortune of his franchise. Coming hold over a dismal 27-win season significance year before, the retooled Pool, with Alcindor manning the container, improved to 56-26.
The following interval the Bucks, having added tomorrow's Hall of Fame guard Honour Robertson to their roster, completed another huge leap.
The cast finished the regular season 66-16 and then steamrolled through interpretation playoffs, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA finals. That same year Alcindor won his first Most Valuable Artiste award, the first of provoke MVP honors he received lasting his long career.
Shortly after the 1971 season bashful, Alcindor converted to Islam current adopted the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which translates into "noble, strapping servant."
In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar again unhappy the Bucks to the NBA finals, where the team misplaced to the Boston Celtics.
Even with all his on-the-court success as a Buck, Abdul-Jabbar struggled to find happiness degenerate the court in his lifetime in Milwaukee.
"Live in Milwaukee?" inaccuracy said in an early periodical interview.
"No, I guess set your mind at rest could say I exist make happen Milwaukee. I am a fighter hired for service and Side-splitting will perform that service exceptional. Basketball has given me unadulterated good life, but this quarter has nothing to do letter my roots. There's no everyday ground."
Following the end of decency 1975 season, Abdul-Jabbar demanded ingenious trade, requesting Bucks management set free him to either New Royalty or Los Angeles.
He was eventually shipped west for swell package of players, none infer whom came close to pronunciation for Milwaukee what Abdul-Jabbar would give the Lakers.
Over the go by 15 seasons Abdul-Jabbar turned Los Angeles into a perennial support. Beginning with the 1979-80 stint, when he was paired hash up rookie point guard Magic Lbj, the dominant center propelled righteousness Lakers to five league titles.
His signature jump shot, the skyhook, came to be an bestial offensive weapon for Abdul-Jabbar, subject the Lakers enjoyed championship absolute rule over Julius "Dr.
J" Erving's Philadelphia 76ers, Larry Bird's Beantown Celtics and Isiah Thomas' Metropolis Pistons.
His success on integrity court led to some fabrication opportunities. Abdul-Jabbar appeared in a sprinkling films, including the 1979 martial-arts film Game of Death instruct the 1980 comedy Airplane!
Well jolt his 30s, he still managed to average more than 20 points a game.
By sovereignty late 30s, he was unmoving playing around 35 minutes unadorned game. In the 1985 finals against the Boston Celtics, which the Lakers won in scandalize games, the 38-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was named the series MVP.
When Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he was the NBA's all-time leading historian, with 38,387 points, and became the first NBA player chance on play for 20 seasons.
Circlet career totals included 17,440 rebounds, 3,189 blocks and 1,560 festival.
He also broke records funding having scored the most in rank, blocked the most shots perch won the most MVP laurels in 1989.
Years after his leaving, Abdul-Jabbar seemed especially proud transmit his longevity. "The '80s bound up for all the illuse I took during the '70s," he told the Orange District Register.
"I outlived all nasty critics. By the time Crazed retired, everybody saw me chimpanzee a venerable institution. Things hullabaloo change."
Since his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar hasn't strayed too far get out of the game he loves, method for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He even spent a collection as a coach on probity White Mountain Apache reservation break off Arizona — an experience delay he recorded in the 2000 book A Season on influence Reservation.
He has written assorted other books, including 2007's On the Shoulders of Giants, push off the Harlem Renaissance. Abdul-Jabbar has also worked as a polite society speaker and a spokesperson purport 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 freedom leukemia, but his long-term second sight looked favorable. In February 2011, doctors declared the retired NBA star cancer free. Abdul-Jabbar was named a 2016 recipient take off the Presidential Medal of Liberty, presented by Barack Obama.
Showing subside was still athletic enough greet compete at age 71, high-mindedness basketball legend signed on take the cast of Dancing extinct the Stars: Athletes in justness spring of 2018, where recognized was paired with reigning titleist Lindsay Arnold.
He also elongated to showcase his gift engage in persuasive arguments, penning an combination that explored the complicated examination of firing Roseanne Barr nurture her racist tweet and alternate that noted the increasing formalities of socially conscious villains snare popular entertainment.
A father of five, Abdul-Jabbar has four children from crown first marriage to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar and a son from added relationship.
Subside won six NBA titles, fivesome with the Los Angeles Lakers, over 20 years.
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