[14] In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador. [22] By the eighth grade (age 1314), he had grown to 6ft 8in (2.03m) and could already slam dunk a basketball. "[7] In 2015, ESPN named Abdul-Jabbar the best center in NBA history,[187] and ranked him No. [151] He moved on from coaching in 2013 after unsuccessfully lobbying for open head coach positions with UCLA and the Milwaukee Bucks. When Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989, he was the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points, and became the first NBA player to play for 20 seasons. The skyhook was unstoppable. "[249] Abdul-Jabbar was also heavily influenced by Malcolm X, a leader of the Nation of Islam. [268] In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama. You be the judge", "The growing pains for seven-footer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar", "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography and Interview", "25 Greatest Players in College Basketball", "Bruce Lee's Game Of Death: Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Really Cameoed", "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar named U.S. global cultural ambassador", "President Obama Names Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom", "Caribbean American Heritage Month Wall of Fame Day 7: Kareem Abdul Jabbar "Big Al", "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes back to his roots", "African American Registry: Mr. Basketball and much more, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! He expressed in a 2009 press conference that he did not believe the illness would stop him from leading a normal life. The Most Influential Contemporary Americans, The 100 Best Songs That Reference Kobe Bryant, Famous Men You'd Want To Have A Beer With, The Greatest LSU Basketball Players of All Time, The Best Los Angeles Lakers Point Guards of All Time, The Best Los Angeles Lakers Power Forwards of All Time, 18 Unbelievable But True Stories from the Buckwild Life of Wilt Chamberlain, Athletes Who Spark the Most Fan Arguments, US Mens Olympic Basketball All-Time Dream Team. [149][150] Abdul-Jabbar also served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona, in 1998. ballan absurd 47.4 percent for his careerand retired after the 1974 season ranked in the top 5 in points scored, points per game, free . [118] On the road against Utah on April 5, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar broke Chamberlain's record for most career points in the NBA. List Eleven players ( Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton) were active in the 1996-97 season, during which the list was announced. Bill Russell. 1. Magic Johnson - Son, Stats & Wife - Biography [175], Abdul-Jabbar won a record six MVP awards. [187][192] Riley said in 1985: "Why judge anymore? [74], During the offseason, Alcindor and Robertson joined Bucks head coach Larry Costello on a three-week basketball tour of Africa on behalf of the State Department. [171] After years of being jabbed in the eyes, Abdul-Jabbar developed corneal erosion syndrome, occasionally experiencing pain when his eyes dry up. [34], By now 7-foot-1-inch (2.16m) tall, Alcindor was relegated to the freshman team in his first year with the Bruins,[35][36] as freshman were ineligible to play varsity until 1972. [181] He averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game. During his playing years, Abdul-Jabbar had developed a reputation for being introverted and sullen. [1][4] In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar's only recognized rookie card became the most expensive basketball card ever sold (the record has since been surpassed) when it went for $501,900 at auction. [249][251], Abdul-Jabbar has spoken about the thinking that was behind his name change when he converted to Islam. His prolific scoring and silky-smooth playstyle brought a title to the organization in 1972. Top 5 retired non-American NBA players who should be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Dedicating twenty years to the franchise, Kobe bagged five championship titles and secured an eternal place among Laker legends. [243] They eventually married and together had three children: daughters Habiba and Sultana and son Kareem Jr., who played basketball at Western Kentucky after attending Valparaiso. Eventually, Kareem "found that [he] disagreed with some of Hamaas' teachings about the Quran, and [they] parted ways." [110] The addition of Johnson paved the way for the Lakers' Showtime dynasty of the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times and winning five NBA championships. Stephen Curry, Warriors The reigning NBA champion and Finals MVP is the preeminent player's son today and arguably of all time. Over his 20-year NBA career, his teams succeeded in making the playoffs 18 times and got past the first round 14 times; his teams reached the NBA Finals on ten occasions. "[236] Commenting on Donald Trump's 2017 travel ban, he condemned it, saying: "The absence of reason and compassion is the very definition of pure evil because it is a rejection of our sacred values, distilled from millennia of struggle. [191] League experts and basketball legends frequently mentioned him when considering the greatest player of all time. [255] The football player had also been an athlete at UCLA. [80], Robertson, who became a free agent in the offseason, retired in September 1974 after he was unable to agree on a contract with the Bucks. [1] The Lakers lost to the Pistons in a four-game sweep in his final season. UCLA Frosh Too Hot for Varsity, 7560", "A Grand Opening: Pauley Pavilion and UCLA's Best Freshman Team Made Their Debuts Together 25 Years Ago", "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: College stats, best moments, quotes", "50 Years Of Coach Wooden And Kareem, Through Racism, Olympic Boycotts And More", "His USC team stood around and waited to beat UCLA", "Lew Alcindor HeadsHelms All American Hoop Quintet", "Papa Sam Gilbert is someone special to UCLA cagers", "Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar flew home from Dallas", "It's been 20 years since they've played The Game of the Century", "UCLA-Houston 'Game of the Century' still leaves impression 50 years later", "How Bruce Lee became a muse for Kareem and an All-Rookie guard", "UCLA 20192020 Men's basketball Information Guide", "200910 UCLA men's basketball media guide", "New York Nets (19681975) 1969 Stats, History, Awards and More", "Alcindor Rejects A.B.A. In his final college years, he often released the ball several feet above the rim. [226], In 1967, Abdul-Jabbar was the only college athlete to attend the Cleveland Summit, a meeting of prominent black athletes who convened in support of Muhammad Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. 1. Bryant's father, Joe ("Jelly Bean") Bryant, was a professional . Milwaukee went on to record the best record in the league with 66 victories in the 197071 season,[26] including a then-record 20 straight wins. Attendance at Lakers games fell after Mikan's retirement in 1956, and the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season. [111] The Lakers won another championship in 198182, but he suffered migraines in the finals, averaging just 18 points per game against Philadelphia. He resigned in 2018 due to what the Mint described as "increasing personal obligations". [172], Abdul-Jabbar was well known for his trademark skyhook, a hook shot in which he raised the ball and released it at the highest point of his arm's arching motion. [10] ESPN named him the greatest center of all time in 2007,[2] the greatest player in college basketball history in 2008,[11] and the second best player in NBA history (behind Michael Jordan) in 2016. Let's toast him as the greatest player ever. [10] The Lakers, however, continued to be stymied in the playoffs, being eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in both 1978 (first round) and 1979 (semifinals). [47], During his college career, Alcindor was a three-time national player of the year (19671969), a three-time unanimous first-team All-American (19671969), played on three NCAA basketball champion teams (1967, 1968, and 1969), was honored as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament three times, and became the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year in 1969. Alcindor was protesting the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States,[29][31] stating that he was "trying to point out to the world the futility of winning the gold medal for this country and then coming back to live under oppression. [11] [71], The next season, the Bucks acquired All-Star guard Oscar Robertson. [28] The Bucks won the NBA title, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 40 in the 1971 NBA Finals. [194] In 2022, he was ranked No. [54][55] Hayes and Alcindor had a rematch in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, where UCLA, with a healthy Alcindor, defeated Houston 10169 en route to the national championship. They limited Alcindor to only four shots and 10 points. [188], Among the most graceful basketball players ever,[112] Abdul-Jabbar is regarded as one of the best centers ever and one of the greatest players in NBA history;[2] he was voted the best center of all time by ESPN ahead of Wilt Chamberlain in 2007,[189] and ranked No. Vote and make your voice heard! Alcindor posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Game 4,[73] and he was named the Finals MVP after averaging 27 points per game on 60.5% shooting in the series. 4", "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. [186] Abdul-Jabbar played in 95 percent of his team's regular-season games during his career,[112] including 80 or more games in 11 of his 20 seasons. [252] He stated that he was "latching on to something that was part of my heritage, because many of the slaves who were brought here were Muslims. Who is. He could shoot the skyhook from up to 16 feet (4.9m). [95], After acquiring a cast of no-name free agents, the Lakers were projected to finished near the bottom of the Pacific Division in 197677. Who Should Be the New Coach of the Lakers? Wooden credited his assistant, Jerry Norman, for devising the diamond-and-one defense that contained Hayes. [4] While Jordan's shots were enthralling and considered unfathomable, Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook appeared automatic, and he himself called the shot "unsexy". [68] Alcindor was an instant star, ranking second in the league in scoring (28.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (14.5 rpg), for which he was awarded the title of NBA Rookie of the Year. Vote for those players you believe to be the best Lakers to move them up the list. List of former basketball players | Basketball Wiki | Fandom Magic Johnson dominated the court as one of professional basketball's best players for 13 years. The 30 Best NBA Players of All Time, Ranked | Complex [69] He was the second rookie to score at least 40 points and 25 rebounds in a playoff game, the first being Wilt Chamberlain. [111], Abdul-Jabbar played in his 17th season in 198586, breaking the previous NBA record for seasons played of 16, held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Elvin Hayes. [29], Alcindor wrote for the Harlem Youth Action Project newspaper. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Wikipedia Drafted with the first overall pick by the one-season-old Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft, he spent six seasons in Milwaukee. [4] A pioneer in using yoga in the NBA,[153] he also credited Bruce Lee with teaching him "the discipline and spirituality of martial arts, which was greatly responsible for me being able to play competitively in the NBA for 20 years with very few injuries". [153] After claiming his sixth and final MVP in 1980, he continued to average above 20 points in the following six seasons,[1] including 23 points per game in his 17th season at age 38. Ferdinand Sr. was the child of immigrants from Trinidad. [33] Recruited by hundreds of schools, he was the most sought-after prospect since Wilt Chamberlain. He then grabs the boy and snarls that he has "been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA" and been "busting my buns every night!" Greats", "LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time leading scorer", "It just adds up: On points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is Lakers' top center", "LeBron James ties Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most NBA All-Star selections", "Everything you need to know about the NBA's 75th Anniversary Season", "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Bruce Lee Was My Friend, and Tarantino's Movie Disrespects Him", "All-time #NBArank: Counting down the 10 greatest centers ever", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever", "SLAM's Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, No. "[235], In November 2014, Abdul-Jabbar published an essay in Jacobin calling for just compensation for college athletes, writing that "in the name of fairness, we must bring an end to the indentured servitude of college athletes and start paying them what they are worth. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. The result was a memorable matchup, pitting Abdul-Jabbar against a young, injury-free Bill Walton. The event was simulcast live throughout the school, city, and state. [202] This causes Abdul-Jabbar's character to snap: "The hell I don't!" Five times he played in all 82 games. When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people.