Basic Data:
Complete Name: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Born: Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.
Position:
Center
Nickname: Lew, Cap, The Big Fella
Born:
April 16, 1947 in New York, NY
Height: 7-2
Weight:
225 lbs
High School:
Power Memorial in NY
College:
University of California, Los Angeles
Career: Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 with the 1st pick of the 1st round...
Traded to Los Angeles Lakers Jun 16, 1975.
NBA Seasons: 20 (1969-70 / 1988-89)
NBA Titles: 6 -
1971, '80, '82, '85, '87, '88 The Player:
When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989 at age 42, no NBA player had ever scored more points, played more minutes, won more season MVP awards or played in more All-Star Games. And no one has yet.
In 20 years of career he revolutionized the center position, a spot that was characterized by the power needed to be a successful player. He became the NBA leading scorer with
agility, style and
his trademark shot, the "sky-hook", an almost impossible to defend movement that was the nightmare of defenders for 2 decades and that until the moment no one has mastered like Kareem. With the Milwaukee Bucks Aside from his records, Abdul-Jabbar started piling awards and achievements from the first year of NBA basketball when as a Buck he won the Rookie of the Year, led the NBA in total points and field goals made and was selected for All-Star Game and the All-NBA and All-Defensive 2nd teams.
In his second year he led the Bucks to the Championship with 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds, and he got his first scoring title and his first Season and Finals MVP.
In his 6 seasons in Milwaukee he was the NBA scoring leader twice, the season MVP 3 times and was in the top 5 in points and rebounds per game every year. Also when the blocked shot started to be recorded by the NBA in 1974 he was 2nd and led the league 1975.
Before the start of the 1975-76 season he asked to be traded and his career made an excellent turn. With the Los Angeles Lakers Although the seasons with the Bucks were good for him in personal terms, it wasn't until he was traded to the Lakers that his greatness started to be slowly recognized in the basketball world. In L.A. he became a pillar of one of the greatest basketball teams ever: the '80s Showtime.
In his first 4 seasons as a Laker he continued to put up big numbers, leading the NBA in total blocks and blocks per game 3 times, twice in total rebounds and once in rebounds per game and field goal percentage. He also won another two MVPs.
Then in 1979 a rookie called Magic Johnson joined the team and a new era began. A decade of great, dynamic and exciting basketball that gave Kareem personal harvest 5 more championships, consequence of 8 Finals in 10 years.
One of the most successful basketball careers came to and end after the 1988-89 season. He was at that moment the NBA's all-time leader in nine statistical categories including the most important stat of all, the total points. He left behind a legacy of professionalism that allowed him to have a long career that was productive until the final minute. Kareem The Coach After a couple of jobs as coach in minor leagues and as assistant in the NBA, in September 2, 2005, the Los Angeles Lakers hired him as a Phil Jackson's assistant coach to help develop the young big men of the team, specially Andrew Bynum. |
Stats |
Season |
Playoffs |
Points |
24.6 |
24.3 |
Reb. |
11.2 |
10.5 |
Assists |
3.6 |
3.2 |
Blocks |
2.6 |
2.4 |
NBA Titles:
1970-71 Bucks
1979-80 Lakers
1981-82 Lakers
1984-85 Lakers
1986-87 Lakers
1987-88 Lakers
Teams:
Bucks / Lakers
NBA Finals MVP 2 times (1971, 1985)
NBA Season MVP 6 times (1971, '72, '74, '76, '77, '80)
19-time NBA All-Star (1970/1977, 1979/1989)
NBA All-Time Leader in points (38,387), minutes (57,446), field goals made (15,837) and field goals attempted (28,307)
Lakers all-time leader in blocks in the season (2,694) and in the Playoffs (399)
All-NBA 1st Team 10 times and 2nd team 5 times
NBA All-Defensive 1st Team 5 times and 2nd teams 6 times
Led the NBA in points per game twice, in total points 3 times, in total blocks and blocks per game 4 times, in rebounds per game once and total rebounds twice.
1970 Rookie of the Year
One of 35 Greatest Players in NBA History (1980).
One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
Inducted into Hall of Fame as Player in 1995
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