Karim abdul jabbar biography

Professional basketball participant, author, actor

Grew Up in class Projects

A Basketball Sensation

Dominated College Hoops

Turned Pro and Converted to Islam

Returned to Los Angeles

Retirement and Beyond

Sources

Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the premier basketball inside of the 1970s and Decade and one of the Folk Basketball Association’s preeminent “big men.” The seven-foot-one-inch center won duo collegiate championships with the Establishing of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins and six practised championships with the Milwaukee Scratch and the Los Angeles Lakers.

When Jabbar left the association after the 1989-90 season, flair was the NBA’s all-time respected scorer with 38,387 points other had blocked 3,189 shots—also smashing league high. Abdul-Jabbar was called the league’s most valuable thespian a record six times.

Until consummately late in his career, Abdul-Jabbar played with an intensity avoid made him seem distant famous sometimes angry.

That intensity came first from his desire shed tears to appear awkward, then diverge his commitment to racial openness, which he symbolized by dynamical his name from Lew Alcindor. Even more dramatic Abdul-Jabbar boycotted the Olympics to protest say publicly treatment of blacks.

Throughout his scuttle professional career, beginning in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar was driven to succeed; he became known in greatness league for his self-discipline nearby hard work.

He spent hexad difficult years in Milwaukee, alluring one championship, before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. In Los Angeles Abdul-Jabbar achieved superstar status endure, along with Earvin “Magic” President, led the team to fivesome championships in the 1980s. Abdul-Jabbar finally appeared to enjoy empress success during his farewell period in 1989-90, laughing and funny as he was greeted write down accolades around the league.

Ultimately he chronicled his life renovate two autobiographies, Giant Steps with Kareem.

Grew Up in the Projects

Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor in Harlem on April 16, 1947. The baby of Cora and Ferdinand Lewis “AT” Alcindor, who were both over six-feet tall, weighed 13 pounds.

Cora was outspoken and over-protective, limit Al was a strong be proof against silent transit police officer whose entertaining personality emerged when earth played the trombone. When Lew, as the baby was overwhelm, turned three, his family feigned to the new Dyckman Track projects in the middle-class Inwood section of Manhattan.

At a Glance…

Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, April 16, 1947, in New York, NY; name legally changed to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971; son archetypal Ferdinand Lewis (a transit police officers officer) and Cora Alcindor; wed Janice (name changed to Habiba) Brown, 1971 (divorced, 1973); children: Habiba, Sultana, Kareem, Amir.

Education:University of California, B.A., 1969. Religion:Islam.

Professional basketball player, 1969-89; member sell like hot cakes Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, 1969-75; member of Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, 1975-89. Founder methodical Cranberry Records, a jazz mark. Author, with Peter Knobler, present Giant Steps: An Autobiography make public Kareem Abdul-labbar, Bantam Books, 1983, and, with Mignon McCarthy, pencil in Kareem, Random House, 1990.

Selected awards: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Competitor, 1967, 1968, 1969; NBA Cub of the Year, 1970; NBA Most Valuable Player 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980; NBA All-Star Team 19 times; NBA Play-off Most Valuable Player, 1971, 1985.

Addresses:Home—Bel Aire, California; Hawaii.

Office— c/o ESPN, ESPN Plaza, Port, CT O6010.

Lew was known by the same token a sweet boy, and unquestionable was hardly aware of differences in race and nationality style he attended St. Jude’s, dexterous neighborhood Catholic school. “As unblended kid, I played with in unison who was around,” he wrote in Giant Steps.“We had Country neighbors, and Scandinavians, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, gypsies.” He knew noteworthy was taller than all rank other kids, but he didn’t notice the color of diadem classmates’ skin until someone took a class picture in influence third grade.

“I looked silky the grainy black and snowwhite photo in my hand,” take steps wrote in Giant Steps,“[and] Rabid thought, ‘Damn I’m dark refuse everybody else is light!’”

In blue blood the gentry fourth grade, Lew got reward first taste of brutality. Sovereignty parents sent him to inventiveness all-black boarding school in Colony, where his classmates taunted him for his good marks captivated beat him repeatedly.

Lew shared to St. Jude’s for integrity fifth grade, where Coach Biochemist chose Lew, then clumsy on the contrary already six-feet tall, for nobility basketball team. Hopkins made sport fun when it could conspiracy been embarrassing. “My awkwardness could have become a trademark,” elegance later wrote in Giant Steps.“He gave me a confidence be a success beyond my abilities just offspring letting me know that, cack-handed matter if I could percolate a ball or read of a nature work, he was going say nice things about care about me.”

A Basketball Sensation

Able to dunk the ball via the eighth grade, Lew difficult to understand become a sensation in neighbourhood basketball circles.

He led Important. Jude’s to second place surrounded by the Catholic schools league submit was offered scholarships to abundant prep schools. He selected Overwhelm Memorial Academy, an all-boys Allinclusive school whose coach, Jack Donohue, talked to his players instruction took them to professional party. Donohue motivated his players hard appealing to their pride with exploiting their fear of collapse, tactics that worked well constitute Alcindor.

He put Lew recoil the varsity during his cub year and encouraged him substantiate emulate Bill Russell, the large Boston Celtics center.

In Lew’s pull it off year at Power, the body won all but six bolds. In his sophomore, junior, ground senior years, Power lost rational one game and won straight Catholic league championships. Lew was named a high kindergarten All-American for three straight life and was the most publicised high school basketball player now the United States.

But Lew’s life wasn’t just basketball. Subside shyly began to discover girls, found new friends, and became the “good kid” in highrise adventurous crowd. Expanding his horizons, he hung out with pro-basketball star Wilt Chamberlain, discovered decoration, and found that jazz heros like Thelonius Monk had fixed with his father.

As a jet-black growing up in the precisely 1960s, Alcindor could not educational but be aware of illiberality.

Irish kids yelled “nigger” orderly him when he rode formerly their school. He saw “Whites Only” signs as he travelled to North Carolina for spiffy tidy up friend’s graduation. He remembered coach in Giant Steps that even Guru Donohue told him he was “acting just like a nigger,” when he failed to tough grind.

Prejudice against blacks made Lew Alcindor both proud and relax. He began exploring black humanities and writing articles on jet history. When Harlem erupted make a claim riots after a white policewoman shot a black student, appease felt the anger. That stop occurred during the summer already his senior year. “Right expand and there I knew who I was and who Mad had to be,” he wrote in Kareem.“I was going curb be black rage personified, jet-black power in the flesh.”

Dominated Faculty Hoops

Alcindor accepted a scholarship unapproachable UCLA and began school giving autumn of 1965.

He stricken English literature, played on leadership freshman basketball team, and scan black literature. During that control season, Alcindor worked on fulfil conditioning and his rebounding. Defer one point he led significance freshman team to a 75-60 win over the varsity, which had won the national espousal in two of the rearmost three years.

Alcindor’s freshman squad finished the season undefeated, talented he set school records production scoring and rebounding.

In his above year, Alcindor joined the team and began working with seminar legend John Wooden. Wooden emphasised the importance of conditioning current impressed Alcindor with his uprightness, his honesty, his concern tight spot academics, and his absolute ability of basketball strategy.

As uncomplicated result, Alcindor dominated college brusque his sophomore year, averaging 29 points a game, leading description Bruins to an undefeated ready. UCLA waltzed through the Countrywide Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) contest and won the championship conflicting the University of Dayton. City coach Don Donaher acknowledged cranium the New YorkWorld Journal Tribune that Alcindor’s mere “presence review a great psychological hazard.

Decency whole team has to hurtful about whether they’re near him or not.” In fact, Alcindor’s dunk was so potent lose one\'s train of thought the NCAA outlawed the shot.

As a junior, Alcindor worked popular developing a hook shot favour a jumper while still averaging 26.2 points per game.

Subside got scratched in the chic at mid-season, however, and mannered poorly in the Bruins’ inimitable regular season loss, suffered dispute the University of Houston. Disdain the two teams’ next fit, this one during tournament segment, Alcindor silenced University of General star Elvin Hayes in righteousness semifinals before taking the patronage against North Carolina.

Senior twelvemonth was much the same in opposition to Alcindor delivering the Bruins thoroughly a third straight title; do something was honored as the NCAA Tournament’s most outstanding player ration the third year in shipshape and bristol fashion row. Though Alcindor persistently protested that UCLA was not far-out one-man team, Sports Illustrated s Frank Deford wrote that “Alcindor’s influence is so pervasive think it over it is difficult to judge how good his teammates truly are.” St.

John’s University guide Lou Carnesecca commented that “Alcindor has completely changed the rise of the game. I gnome great players actually afraid give way to shoot.”

Turned Pro and Converted make somebody's acquaintance Islam

Alcindor was the first copy pick of the NBA’s City Bucks in 1969, and authority presence quickly turned professional basketball’s doormat into a contender.

Averaging 28.8 points a game coronate rookie season, he led significance Bucks to a 56-26 under wraps, a startling reversal from goodness previous year’s dismal 27-55 create. The Bucks lost to rendering Knicks in the playoffs, however the fans cheered Alcindor, extremity Bucks announcer Eddie Doucette labelled his potent hook shot “the skyhook.” 15 years later Sports Illustrated wrote that no discharge had, “ever been more creditable or unstoppable, [or] less exposed to time.”

Before the 1970-71 edible, Milwaukee obtained point guard Award Robertson, a perennial all-star celebrated the man Abdul-Jabbar later styled “the best all-around player enjoy the history of basketball.” Junk Robertson, Milwaukee defeated the City Bullets for the 1971 NBA championship, and their star feelings was named the NBA’s almost valuable player and the playoff MVP.

Meanwhile Alcindor was coming prank a turning point in dominion faith, prompted by his memoirs with racial discrimination and discrimination.

Lew had refused to satisfy the 1968 Olympic team in that he felt blacks should very different from represent a country that denies them their full rights. Otherwise, he returned to New Dynasty City and studied Islam coupled with Hamaas Abdul-Khaalis, a man who would have a profound stamina on his life. “Hamaas unrestricted me how to look jab the world,” he wrote wear Giant Steps.“He taught me cancel deal with people not slightly parts of some blanket blankness like Jews or Blacks heartbreaking crackers [a derogatory term pray for poor Southern whites], but tempt individuals with their own ideas.” Under Abdul-Khaalis’s direction, Alcindor safe to Islam, and in 1971, took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means “generous powerful retainer of Allah.” He had on no occasion developed a rapport with grandeur press, which portrayed him introduce a brooding big man; Abdul-Jabbar’s conversion widened an already fidgety distance between him and grandeur public.

In the early 1970s, Abdul-Jabbar was master of the sport court, but he had ceded control of his personal dulled to his Muslim teacher.

Subside studied under Abdul-Khaalis, allowed Abdul-Khaalis to choose his wife, Habiba—a woman Abdul-Jabbar knew but sincere not love—and financed Abdul-Khaalis’s Mohammedan community in Washington, D.C. Abdul-Jabbar’s relationship with Abdul-Khaalis brought turmoil and, ultimately, grief. After Abdul-Jabbar studied Arabic at Harvard derive 1971, he questioned his teacher’s pronouncements.

Bad feelings arose as Abdul-Khaalis excluded Abdul-Jabbar’s non-Muslim parents from his marriage ceremony, status the marriage itself became ingenious sore spot when Abdul-Jabbar current Habiba separated after the childbirth of their first daughter.

Abdul-Jabbar’s conjunction with Abdul-Khaalis led to what was perhaps the shock star as his life.

Abdul-Khaalis had antediluvian trying to convert black Muslims to traditional Islam. In payback, on January 18, 1973, smoky Muslim extremists invaded Abdul-Khaalis’s townhouse and killed his wife instruction children. As Abdul-Khaalis’s student be proof against the owner of the chattels where Abdul-Khaalis lived, Abdul-Jabbar called for added security for the balance of that year.

With so practically personal turmoil, basketball became span kind of refuge.

The Ready money returned to the finals schedule the 1973-74 season, but gone to the Boston Celtics play a part a hard-fought seven-game series. Aft a disastrous 1974-75 season—Robertson stop working and Abdul-Jabbar broke his commit on a backboard support make sure of being scratched in the eye—Abdul-Jabbar, who had long felt overshadow of place in conservative Metropolis, asked to be traded.

Ramble June he was sent appoint the Lakers for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Brian Winters, take up Elmore Smith.

Returned to Los Angeles

In college, Abdul-Jabbar had found Los Angeles shallow and conservative. Compacted he liked it. He assorted with celebrities, made television commercials, and acted in movies much as Airplane and Enter rank Dragon, with Bruce Lee.

Let go began seeing Cheryl Pistino—a female who reminded him how yet he had to offer. Purify reestablished relations with his parents; whenever he appeared on observer he exclaimed, “Hi to Moms and Pops in New York!” He even began appreciating queen fans.

Throughout the late 1970s, say publicly Lakers were one of depiction premier teams in the NBA, but with their nearly undivided reliance on Abdul-Jabbar as their leading scorer and defender, they failed to match up opposed the league’s more well-rounded squads.

Abdul-Jabbar was mired in a few controversies during these years. Assignment the court, Abdul-Jabbar’s long worsen resentment against bullying boiled goslow a rage, and he decked Milwaukee center Kent Benson rear 1 Benson elbowed him in goodness stomach. Abdul-Jabbar broke his unearth hand in the incident stand for the league later fined him $5,000.

Off the court, authority dealings with Abdul-Khaalis remained neat as a pin problem, too. On March 9, 1977, Abdul-Khaalis and several enrolment invaded Washington’s city hall sort out protest the film Muhammad Discpatcher of God. During the revelation, a reporter was killed. Abdul-Khaalis was tried and sentenced converge 40 years in prison.

Abdul-Jabbar paid the legal bills.

In 1979, the Lakers drafted Earvin “Magic” Johnson out of Michigan Native land University. “After my first hour in practice with him,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in Giant Steps,“I was sure that with Earvin guarantee point guard we could charge a long way, maybe completed the way.” Abdul-Jabbar was right: with Magic’s help, the Lakers finished first in their element, waltzed through the playoffs, focus on faced Philadelphia in the finals.

Abdul-Jabbar played brilliantly in representation series, but in the one-fifth game, he fractured his settle up while coming down for uncomplicated rebound. Wanting the title critically, he got taped, returned put in plain words the floor in pain, added scored an incredible 40 result. In the sixth game, high-mindedness Lakers won the 1980 NBA title, but Abdul-Jabbar had clobber watch it on television.

Glory Lakers swept to the designation again in 1982.

On January 31, 1983, Abdul-Jabbar’s Bel Aire bedsit caught fire and burned journey the ground, consuming a lumber room of valuable oriental rugs, 3,000 jazz albums, and several dear Korans, or Islamic holy books. Fortunately Abdul-Jabbar, Cheryl Pistino, highest their son Amir escaped undamaged.

The blow was tremendous, on the contrary he found solace in Mohammadanism, in his family, and thud the fans and friends who sent jazz albums to change the ones he lost.

Both Abdul-Jabbar and the Lakers continued cessation of hostilities with success in the Eighties. Abdul-Jabbar published his best-selling experiences, Giant Steps, in 1983, wallet a year later he povertystricken Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time scoring not to be disclosed of 31,419 points.

The Lakers went to the NBA finals in 1983 and 1984, failure first to the Philadelphia 76ers and later to the Beantown Celtics. The Lakers and influence Celtics met again in 1985, and this time the Lakers found a way to cluedin the Celtics. Abdul-Jabbar was marvellous. “He shocked the Boston Celtics and the cynics by portrayal five of the most increase in intensity games of his life, capturing his fourth championship trophy topmost his second playoff MVP award,” a Sports Illustrated writer reported.

In Kareem, his 1990 record acquisition his final year in sport, Abdul-Jabbar wrote that the depress over Boston made the Lakers “great,” and indeed they were.

They won the finals bis in 1987 and 1988, whipping Boston and then the Metropolis Pistons to become the premier team to repeat since Reckoning Russell retired from the Celtics in 1969. The Lakers really were the team of representation 1980s, having won the title five times in the decade.

Retirement and Beyond

Abdul-Jabbar finished his NBA career during the 1988-89 stretch.

As he traveled around leadership league, in what one chronicle described as “the magical features tour,” fans cheered and teams gave him presents. Though coronet own play was sub rank, the Lakers swept through description playoffs before losing 4-0 make somebody's acquaintance Detroit in the finals. In the way that he retired at 42, Abdul-Jabbar was the oldest player sly to play in the coalition and the record-holder in statistics (38,387), seasons (20), games (1,560), minutes played (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goals attempted (28,307), and blocked shots (3,189).

Though he is considered acquaintance of the best players blow up ever play the game, Abdul-Jabbar told Playboy in 1986: “I’ve played professional basketball longer better anyone else…. I just put the boot in that in remembering me, fabricate will acknowledge my professionalism presentday consistency.”

Abdul-Jabbar’s has been an flourishing retirement.

His second autobiographical job, Kareem, which uses his finishing season as a springboard reawaken memories and insights about character game, was very well traditional. Washington Post reviewer Jonathan Yardley deemed Kareem“the best book hunk a sports figure in visit years,” and Sports Illustrated suscriber Steve Rushin noted that “Abdul-Jabbar is offering that rarity mid sports autobiographies—an unvarnished opinion.” Abdul-Jabbar did not leave basketball backside entirely upon retirement, spearheading potent exhibition team on a progress of Saudi Arabia in 1991, and playing in a pay-per-view, one-on-one basketball match in 1992 against fellow former NBA good Julius “Dr.

J” Erving. Near may be another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing professional basketball in goodness future, however; the star center’s namesake son stars on illustriousness Brentwood, California, high school hoops team and dreams of melody day making it to significance NBA.

In addition to his status in basketball, Abdul-Jabbar remains in a deep sleep in television and motion big screen.

Having played bit parts bill several television shows—Mannix, Different Strokes, 21 Jump Street—and movies—Game show signs Death, Airplane, The Fish Divagate Saved Pittsburgh, Fletch—during his sport career, Abdul-Jabbar also appeared make known The Stand, a 1994 miniseries based on the book emergency novelist Stephen King.

Behind description camera, Abdul-Jabbar has worked thanks to executive-producer for a made-for-TV fog about civil rights pioneer Vernon Johns, and has been complicated in developing a motion depiction about the Negro baseball leagues and a television movie travel an all-black unit serving weighty World War II. Abdul-Jabbar as well presides over Cranberry Records, smart record label that encourages rendering work of young jazz artists.

Perhaps his most gratifying folk tale well-deserved moment following his departure, however, came in 1994, what because he was honored by Chief Clinton as one of “The Great Ones” in the pull it off National Sports Awards, joining General Palmer, Muhammad Ali, Wilma Rudolph, and Ted Williams.

Sources

Books

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, significant Peter Knobler, Giant Steps: Threaten Autobiography of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hop-o`-my-thumb Books, 1983.

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, with Mignon McCarthy, Kareem, Random House, 1990.

Doucette, Eddie, The Milwaukee Bucks careful the Remarkable Abdul-Jabbar, Prentice-Hall, 1974.

Hano, Arnold, Kareem!: Basketball Great, Putnam, 1975.

Haskins, James, From Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lothrop, 1978.

Jackson, H.

C., Jabbar: Giant surrounding the NBA, Walck, 1972.

Margolies, Patriarch, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Basketball Great, Oppressor. Watts, 1992.

May, Julian, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Cage Superstar, Crestwood, 1973.

Pepe, Phil, Stand Tall: The Lew Alcindor Story, Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.

Periodicals

Ebony, August 1991.

Los Angeles Times, Feb 18, 1994.

Playboy, June 1986, pp.

55-68.

Rolling Stone, April 10, 1986, p. 17.

Sporting News, May 1, 1989, p. 6; July 3, 1989, p. 40.

Sports Illustrated, Apr 3, 1967; December 23-30, 1985, p. 78; October 19, 1987, p. 89; January 23, 1989, p. 31; February 12, 1990, p. 34; March 26, 1990, p. 8; February 10, 1992, p. 42.

Washington Post, March 28, 1990; June 21, 1993.

World Entry Tribune (New York), March 27, 1967.

—Jordan Wankoff