Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. on April 16, 1947, in New York, New York. (He did not change his name until 1971.) Abdul-Jabbar’s basketball success started early as he led Power Memorial High School to three consecutive New York City Catholic titles and a 72-game winning streak. After high school, he attended UCLA and played for the legendary John Wooden. Even though he was not able to play as a freshman (according to the rules), Abdul-Jabbar still posted incredible numbers and holds numerous all-time UCLA records. He led UCLA to three championships, was a three-time All-American, and a two-time Player of the Year. Over three seasons, he averaged 26.4 points per game and 15.5 rebounds per game.

Abdul-Jabbar was the first overall pick of the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was a star from the very start, averaging over 28 points and 14 rebounds per game as a rookie and being named NBA Rookie of the Year. Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA MVP the following year and led the Bucks to an NBA title. He spent a total of six seasons with the Bucks, averaging over 27 points and 14 rebounds per game every season and winning three NBA MVP awards.

Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade prior to the 1975-76 season, and the Bucks complied by dealing him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar spent the last 14 seasons of his career with the Lakers and firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. By the time he retired in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar had won a record six NBA MVP awards, was a six-time NBA Champion, a 19-time All-Star, and a two-time scoring champion. He currently ranks first all-time with 38,387 career points, second all-time with 1,560 career games played, and third all-time with 17,440 career rebounds.