Helena Frye
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. in 1947, is a retired basketball player who played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. Abdul-Jabbar amassed 38,387 regular-season points and played 1,560 career regular-season games over his 20-year career, which ended when he retired at the age of 42 in 1989.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| Birth Name | Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. |
| Date of Birth | April 16, 1947 |
| Height | 7-foot-2 |
| Age When Retired | 42 |
| Years Active | 20 |
| Teams Played For | Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers |
| Number of Seasons Played | 20 |
| Number of Games Played | 1,560 |
| Points Scored | 38,387 |
| Number of MVP Awards | 6 |
| Number of All-Star Games | 19 |
| Number of All-NBA Teams | 15 |
| Number of All-Defensive Teams | 11 |
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What You'll Learn
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career stats
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played basketball professionally for 20 seasons, from 1969 to 1989, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, and for the UCLA Bruins during his college years.
Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, and grew up in New York City. He attended Power Memorial, a private Catholic high school, where he led the basketball team to 71 consecutive wins. He went on to play college basketball for UCLA, winning three consecutive national championships and becoming a three-time most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament.
In the 1969 NBA draft, Abdul-Jabbar was selected as the first overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks, with whom he played for six seasons. In 1971, at age 24, he led the Bucks to their first NBA championship and publicly announced his conversion to Islam, changing his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means "noble one, servant of the Almighty".
Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant force for the Bucks, becoming the first player to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice in his first three years. He won his third MVP award in 1974, leading the Bucks to their fourth consecutive Midwest Division title. In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career. During this time, the Lakers won five NBA championships, with Abdul-Jabbar's contributions being a key component in the team's success.
Over his 20-year NBA career, Abdul-Jabbar's teams reached the playoffs 18 times, advancing past the first round 14 times, and reaching the NBA Finals ten times. He won a record six NBA MVP awards, 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 a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP.
Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record in 1984 and held it until 2023. At the time of his retirement in 1989, at the age of 42, he led the NBA in several statistical categories, including regular-season career points (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), and blocked shots (3,189).
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His career longevity
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played basketball professionally for 20 seasons, from 1969 until 1989, when he retired at the age of 42. Over the course of his career, he played for two teams: the Milwaukee Bucks (for six seasons) and the Los Angeles Lakers (for 14 seasons).
Abdul-Jabbar's career longevity is all the more impressive when you consider his statistics. During his time in the NBA, his teams reached the playoffs 18 times, progressed past the first round 14 times, and reached the NBA Finals ten times. 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 a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach.
Abdul-Jabbar's trademark skyhook shot established him as one of the league's top scorers. By the time of his retirement, he was the NBA's regular-season career leader in points (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3,189), and defensive rebounds. He was also the NBA's all-time leading scorer for 39 years until his record was surpassed by LeBron James in 2023.
Abdul-Jabbar's longevity can also be attributed to his dedication to his health and fitness. He practised martial arts in his free time, studying aikido in New York and Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee in Los Angeles.
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Awards and accolades
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., played professional basketball in the NBA for 20 seasons until his retirement at the age of 42 in 1989. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar won a plethora of awards and accolades, including a record six NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, and was a 19-time NBA All-Star. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player, winning one with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, and five with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. He was also a member of two more championship teams as an assistant coach and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP.
Abdul-Jabbar was a 15-time All-NBA Team member and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was named to three NBA anniversary teams (35th, 50th, and 75th). Abdul-Jabbar was also the first player to play 20 years in the NBA, and he retired as the game's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.
Abdul-Jabbar's trademark skyhook shot was so precise and unstoppable that it left defenders helpless, and it is now widely considered basketball's most classic and lethal offensive move. He brought finesse and agility to the centre position, establishing himself as one of the league's top scorers.
Abdul-Jabbar's success on the court led to appearances in movies, including 'Airplane!' in 1980 and the martial arts film 'Game of Death' in 1979. He was also the executive producer and narrator of the History Channel special 'Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution' in 2020, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination for his narration.
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Post-retirement work
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 42 years old when he retired from basketball in 1989. He had a 20-year career in the NBA, dominating the game in the 1970s and early '80s. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career.
Abdul-Jabbar has remained active in various fields since his retirement from professional basketball. He has worked as a coach and consultant, including a stint on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona. He was an assistant coach for two NBA championship teams, contributing to their success.
Abdul-Jabbar is also a published author, having written several books on the African American experience, including "Black Profiles in Courage: A Legacy of African-American Achievement" (1996) and "Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes" (2004). He has also penned books on his personal experiences, such as "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Personal Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance" (2007) and "Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship on and off the Court" (2017).
In addition to non-fiction, Abdul-Jabbar has ventured into fiction writing, co-authoring a mystery series about Sherlock Holmes' older brother, Mycroft. He has also written a children's book titled "What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors" (2012).
Abdul-Jabbar's impact on the game of basketball and his post-retirement endeavours have solidified his legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
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College basketball career
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins as a centre. He was a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Alcindor played basketball at Power Memorial, a private Catholic high school in New York City, where he led the team to 71 consecutive wins. He then went on to play for UCLA, winning three consecutive national championships under head coach John Wooden. Alcindor was a record three-time most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament.
During his college years, he averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds on 63% shooting. He finished with a record of 88-2, although he was forced to play freshman basketball in his first year.
In 1968, Alcindor converted to Sunni Islam from Catholicism and adopted the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, though he did not begin using it publicly until 1971. He boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics, deciding not to try out for the US Olympic basketball team, protesting the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States. As the NBA did not allow college underclassmen to make an early NBA draft declaration, Alcindor completed his studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in history in 1969.
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Frequently asked questions
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 42 years old when he retired from basketball in 1989.
Kareem played for 20 seasons in the NBA.
Kareem scored 10 points in his final game, a 121-117 victory for the Lakers against Seattle.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played as a center.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
