| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former NBA (National | | | | After college, Kareem was drafted in the 1969 NBA |
| Basketball Association) player of legendary status. At | | | | Draft as the first overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks |
| 7 feet, 2 inches in height, Kareem dominated the in | | | | after declining a millions dollars to play for the Harlem |
| the NBA for 20 years. Kareem was voted the | | | | Globetrotters. Placing second in scoring and third in |
| National Basketball Association's most valuable player | | | | rebounding during his first year in the NBA, |
| on six different occasions, in addition to being on the | | | | Abdul-Jabbar easily earned Rookie of the Year |
| NBA All-Star team in 19 of his 20 seasons. Being | | | | honors. In his second season with the Milwaukee |
| named one of the fifty greatest players in NBA | | | | Bucks, he earned his first scoring title, his first Most |
| history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the | | | | Valuable Player award and first Finals MVP award |
| NBA hall of fame in 1995. | | | | along with winning the his first NBA championship. |
| Kareem was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. in | | | | Over the next five years he remained a dominant |
| Harlem, New York City, in 1947. Born a large baby, 12 | | | | force with Bucks with multiple scoring titles and |
| pounds and 11 ounces, Ferdinand began dominating | | | | winning MVP honors another two times before being |
| the game of basketball at an early age. In high school | | | | traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first five |
| he led his team at Power Memorial Academy to a | | | | years with the Lakers he earned three more Most |
| 96-6 overall record with a 71-game winning streak | | | | Valuable Player awards. Before Kareem's retirement |
| and three straight New York City Catholic | | | | from basketball in 1989 he won five more |
| championships. After high school he decided to attend | | | | championships with the Lakers under the coaching of |
| UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), where | | | | Pat Riley. |
| he played college basketball from 1966 to 1969. | | | | Besides being a basketball superstar, Kareem |
| During his college campaign, Ferdinand helped lead | | | | Abdul-Jabbar has been in a couple films as an actor |
| UCLA to 88 wins and just 2 loses with three | | | | and has appeared as a guest on a few television |
| championships. In addition to the fantastic team | | | | shows. His first movie appearances were in "Airplane!" |
| accomplishments, Ferdinand was named Player of the | | | | and "Fletch". Kareem has since been named to NBA |
| Year twice, named First Team All-American on three | | | | Hall of Fame and in 2005 became an assistant to |
| occasions and was the first Naismith College Player of | | | | coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers. |
| the Year. The trademark goggles he wears was the | | | | Kareem is currently helping to develop young players |
| result of a scratched left cornea that happened while | | | | on the Lakers. Every player on the Lakers surely |
| playing basketball in college. Ferdinand Alcindor also | | | | listens to the wise words of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| converted to Islam during college but his name | | | | because he is one of the top five players in the |
| change didn't occur until 1971. | | | | National Basketball Association's history. |