Amanda Knapp
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 20 seasons. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers and was a dominant force in the league, known for his trademark skyhook shot. Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement on June 28, 1989, at the age of 42, and at the time, he held several NBA records, including most games played, most points scored, and most blocked shots. Abdul-Jabbar's retirement was met with an outpouring of sentiment from his teammates, fans, and the general public, and he is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age at retirement | 42 |
| Number of seasons played | 20 |
| Number of college seasons included in total | 3-4 |
| Number of NBA records at retirement | 9 |
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What You'll Learn
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 42 years old when he retired from basketball in 1989
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. in 1947, he joined the NBA at the age of 22. Over the course of his 20-year career, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant force in the league, known for his ambidextrous "sky hook" shot. He led the league in scoring and was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.
Abdul-Jabbar's final season was in 1988-89, when he was 42 years old. He announced his retirement on June 28, 1989, after twenty professional seasons. His final game was a massive occasion, with tributes and gifts pouring in from teammates, fans, and the general public. Abdul-Jabbar retired with nine NBA records, some of which still hold today. He was the NBA's all-time leader in points scored (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes played (57,446), field goals made (15,837), blocked shots (3,189), and defensive rebounds (9,394), among other categories.
Abdul-Jabbar's impact extended beyond his playing career. He had been interested in coaching since his retirement and served as an assistant coach for two NBA championship teams. He has also written books on a variety of topics, including African American history, World War II, and his own experiences coaching basketball on an Apache Indian reservation. Abdul-Jabbar's accomplishments have earned him the world's enduring respect, both as an athlete and as a human being.
Abdul-Jabbar's longevity in the sport is remarkable. He played in the NBA Finals in each of his final three seasons, winning back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988. Even at age 42 in his final season, he averaged 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. His durability and consistency throughout his career solidified his legacy as one of the true greats in the history of basketball.
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He played 20 seasons in the NBA
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for 20 seasons, beginning at the age of 22. During his time in the league, Abdul-Jabbar played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a dominant force for the Bucks, winning his first NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in the 1970-71 season. He went on to win two more MVP awards with the Bucks before being traded to the Lakers in 1975, where he played the final 14 seasons of his career.
Abdul-Jabbar's contributions were integral to the success of the Lakers during the Showtime era of basketball. Over his 20-year career, his teams reached the playoffs 18 times, advancing past the first round on 14 occasions and making it to the NBA Finals ten times. He was a member of six NBA championship-winning teams as a player and won two more as an assistant coach. Abdul-Jabbar was also a key part of the Lakers team that won five NBA championships during his time with the franchise.
Abdul-Jabbar's remarkable longevity in the NBA is further highlighted by the fact that he only played fewer than 74 games twice in his entire career and never played fewer than 62 games. In his final four seasons, he continued to put up impressive numbers despite his advancing years. For example, in the 1985-86 season, at the age of 39, he averaged 23.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game over 79 games. The following season, aged 40, he averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 78 games.
Abdul-Jabbar's impressive career statistics and accolades firmly establish his legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was also the oldest player to ever play in an NBA Finals at the time, taking to the court at the age of 37 during his finals MVP run in 1985.
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He played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, and played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins as a centre.
Abdul-Jabbar was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA draft. He spent six seasons with the team, leading them to their first NBA championship in 1971. During his time with the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar established himself as one of the league's top scorers, known for his trademark skyhook shot. He won his first of six NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards with the Bucks, along with multiple scoring titles.
In 1975, Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career. The Lakers acquired him from the Bucks in exchange for several players, including centre Elmore Smith and guard Brian Winters. During his first season with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar had a dominating season, averaging 27.7 points per game and leading the league in rebounding, blocked shots, and total minutes played. He added four more All-NBA First Team selections and two All-Defense First Team honours to his accolades during his time with the Lakers. With Abdul-Jabbar on the team, the Lakers established their Showtime dynasty of the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times and winning five NBA championships.
Abdul-Jabbar's impact extended beyond his playing career. He returned to the Lakers as a special assistant coach from 2005 to 2011, mentoring young centre Andrew Bynum. He also worked as a scout for the New York Knicks and served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona, in 1998. Abdul-Jabbar is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, with many contemporaries considering him the best ever.
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He won six championship titles
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played his last game in the NBA at 42 years old, bringing an end to a remarkable 20-year career. During that time, he won six championship titles and was a member of six NBA championship teams.
Abdul-Jabbar's first championship title came during his time at UCLA, where he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. In his senior year, he led the Bruins to their third consecutive national title.
Abdul-Jabbar then went on to win five more championship titles in the NBA, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He won his first NBA championship with the Bucks in 1971, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) that same year. He was the first player to be named MVP twice in his first three years. Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to three more Midwest Division titles in the following years, winning his third MVP Award in 1974.
In 1979, Abdul-Jabbar joined the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he would win four more NBA championships. In the 1980 finals, he averaged 33.4 points in five games, despite spraining his ankle in Game 5. He returned to finish the contest with 40 points, leading his team to victory. Abdul-Jabbar played in three more finals after that, winning his final championship title in 1988, at the age of 41.
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He was a 19-time NBA All-Star
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 42 years old when he retired from basketball. He played his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, signing a two-year contract with the team at the age of 41.
Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time NBA All-Star, a record-breaking feat that stood until 2024 when LeBron James surpassed him. An All-Star game is an annual exhibition basketball game that sees the league's star players invited to play against each other. The original format featured a game between the Eastern Conference All-Stars against the Western Conference All-Stars. Abdul-Jabbar played in the All-Star game 19 times during his 20-season career in the NBA.
Abdul-Jabbar's first All-Star game came during his first season in the NBA, at the age of 22. He was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks at the time. He played in the All-Star game every season until his retirement, except for three seasons. During his time with the Bucks, he was the team's dominant force, becoming the first player to be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice in his first three years. He won the MVP award three times in his first four years.
Abdul-Jabbar's final All-Star game came during the 1988-89 season, his final season before retirement. By this time, he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his age, he still managed to average 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game during that season. Abdul-Jabbar's longevity is impressive, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
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Frequently asked questions
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 42 years old when he retired from basketball in 1989.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA, including 3 college years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 74 games in his final season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played as a center.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
