Kareem Abdul Jabbar factors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947) is a retired expert basketball participant who performed for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers withinside the National Basketball Association (NBA). Abdul-Jabbar changed into a file six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a file 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member throughout his profession as a center.
Abdul-Jabbar changed into a member of six NBA championship groups as a participant and greater as an assistant instructor and changed into named NBA Finals MVP twice. He changed into named to the 35th, 50th, and 75th-anniversary groups of the league. He changed into dubbed the fine basketball participant of all time via way of means of NBA instruct Pat Riley and gamers, Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also known as Lew Alcindor (until 1971), was an American university and professional basketball player who dominated during the 1970s and early 1980s.
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer, and jazz singer, was born in Harlem, New York City.
Alcindor become a four-12 months varsity participant for Power Memorial Academy, and his 2,067 factors set a New York City high-college record (that has considered been broken). His offensive expertise turned into so polished popping out of excessive faculty that the collegiate basketball regulations committee dominated dunking prohibited previous to his enrollment on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965, fearing he could be capable of rating at will.
Despite the brand new restriction, he mounted a UCLA scoring document in his debut game, scoring fifty-six points. Alcindor helped UCLA win three National Collegiate Athletic Association titles (1967–69) while playing under legendary coach John Wooden. During his time at UCLA, the squad only lost two games.
For the 1969–70 season, Alcindor was awarded Rookie of the Year by the National Basketball Association (NBA) Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks won the NBA title in 1970–71, and Alcindor, like in 1971–72, topped the league in scoring (2,596 points) and points-per-game average (31.7). (2,822 points; 34.8). In 1971, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after converting to Islam while at UCLA.
Kareem proved unstoppable on Dec. 21, 1980, scoring 42 points and driving the Lakers to a 135-122 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
He was transferred to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, and he helped them win the NBA title in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Wilt Chamberlain’s career scoring a total of 31,419 points was exceeded by him in 1984.
Kareem was still in his heyday during the 1980-81 season. Kareem became nevertheless a dominant pressure after triumphing the regular-season MVP award and triumphing the NBA Championship the preceding year, wherein a few sense his overall performance withinside the first 5 video games became sufficient for the NBA Finals MVP.
As a result, Abdul-Jabbar became only the sixth player in NBA history to reach the 25,000-point plateau. Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, and Jerry West were among the players he joined.
Despite lacking the physical strength of NBA centers Chamberlain and Willis Reed, Abdul-Jabbar brought to the position a great shooting touch and a broad range of beautiful post moves, notably his virtually indefensible soaring skyhook. He was also a fantastic passer. After being named NBA Most Valuable Player a record six times, Abdul-Jabbar retired at the end of the 1988–89 season. He had established NBA records for most points (38,387), most field goals made (15,837), and most minutes played towards the end of his illustrious career (57,446). Abdul-Jabbar also had the most blocked shots in league history (3,189; later broken by Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo) and the third most career rebounds at the time of his retirement (17,440).
Six NBA Championships, six MVP awards, two NBA Finals MVPs, and 15 All-NBA Team choices are among his accomplishments.
His famed scoring prowess, on the other hand, will go on forever. Kareem Abdul-sky Jabbar’s hook remains the most unstoppable shot in NBA history, and he added to his legend on this night.
Six NBA Championships, six MVP awards, two NBA Finals MVPs, and 15 All-NBA Team choices are among his accomplishments.
His famed scoring prowess, on the other hand, will go on forever. Kareem Abdul-sky Jabbar’s hook remains the most unstoppable shot in NBA history, and he added to his legend on this night.
College Career
Alcindor was a three-time national player of the year (1967–1969); a three-time unanimous first-team All-American (1967–1969); played on three NCAA championship teams (1967, 1968, and 1969); and turned into named the Most Outstanding Player withinside the NCAA Tournament 3 times. In 1969, he turned into named the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year. He is the simplest participant to have obtained the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award thrice.
He skipped the 1968 Summer Olympics, opting not to test out for the United States Olympic basketball team, which went on to win the gold medal with ease. Alcindor was protesting the United States’ unfair treatment of African Americans, claiming that he was “trying to point out to the world the folly of earning a gold medal for this nation and then returning to live under oppression.”
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Professional Career
Rookie of the Year (1969–1970)
The Harlem Globetrotters offered Alcindor $1 million to join them, but he turned it down and was selected first overall in the 1969 NBA draught by the Milwaukee Bucks, who were just in their second season. For the first pick, the Bucks won a coin toss with the Phoenix Suns. The New York Nets selected him first overall in the 1969 American Basketball Association draught. The Nets offered a guaranteed $3.25 million after Alcindor selected the Milwaukee Bucks’ offer of $1.4 million. The offer was turned down by Alcindor, who stated, “The individuals participating in a bidding war are degraded. It would make me feel like a flesh dealer, which is something I don’t want to think about.”
He had 46 points and 25 rebounds in the series-clinching game against the 76ers. He became only the second rookie in NBA history to score at least 40 points and grab at least 25 rebounds in a playoff game (with the first being Wilt Chamberlain). He also equaled Jayson Tatum for the NBA rookie record with 10 or more games with 20+ points scored in the playoffs.
First championship, MVP, and Finals MVP (1970–1971)
The Bucks added All-Star guard Oscar Robertson the next season. Milwaukee went on to win the league with 66 victories in the 1970–71 season, including a then-record 20 consecutive victories. Alcindor received his first of six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, as well as his first scoring championship (31.7 ppg). With 2,596 points, he also topped the league in total points. [24] The Bucks won the NBA championship in 1971, overwhelming the Baltimore Bullets 4–0 in the Finals. After averaging 27 points per game on 60.5 percent shooting in the series, Alcindor was voted Finals MVP after posting 27 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in Game 4.
Fourth And Fifth MVP awards (1975–1977)
He had a dominant season with the Lakers in 1975–76, scoring 27.7 points per game while also leading the league in rebounds (16.9), blocked shots (4.12), and total minutes played (3,379). He won his fourth MVP award, making him the first winner in Lakers team history, but the Lakers missed the playoffs for the second year in a row, finishing 40–42.
Last MVP Award And Championship Success (1979–1985)
Magic Johnson was taken with the first overall choice in the 1979 NBA draught by the Los Angeles Lakers. The pick was obtained from the New Orleans Jazz (later Utah) in 1976, when league rules obliged them to pay Los Angeles for signing free agent Gail Goodrich. Johnson’s signing cleared the stage for the Laker dynasty of the 1980s, which saw the team reach the NBA finals eight times and win five titles. Despite being less dominating than in his earlier years, Abdul-Jabbar cemented his place as one of the best basketball players of all time by earning four more All-NBA First Team choices and two more All-Defense First Team awards.
In 1980, he became the sixth player in NBA history to earn the MVP title, and he went on to average 20 points per game for the next six seasons. In 1985, at the age of 38, he earned his second Finals MVP award.[104] On April 5, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar broke Chamberlain’s career point record. He bulked out to around 265 pounds (120 kg) later in his career to be able to survive the rigors of playing the very physical center position into his early 40s.
Final Playing Years And Sixth Ring (1985–1989)
In each of Abdul-final Jabbar’s three seasons, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals, defeating Boston in 1987 and Detroit in 1988. In his final season, the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in a four-game series. Abdul-Jabbar, 41, stated in the locker room after winning Game 7 of the 1988 championships that he would return for one more season before retiring. In his 19th season, his points, rebounds, and minutes had all decreased, and there were rumors that he might retire after the game.
At the time of his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar held the record for most career games played in the NBA;[119] this would subsequently be broken by Robert Parish.
He also holds the records for most points (38,387), field goals made (15,837), and minutes played (38,387). (57,446).
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