Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born on April 16, 1947, in New York City, United States. His birth name is Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. His mother was Cora Lillian, and his father was Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr. Standing 218 centimeters tall, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the sport. In 1971, after converting to Islam, he changed his name from Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is universally recognized as one of the greatest players of all time. He played college basketball at UCLA between 1965 and 1969, competing at the center position. During his collegiate career, he led UCLA to three NCAA Tournament championships and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player multiple times.

While attending Power Memorial High School in New York City, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led his team to an extraordinary 71 consecutive victories. At UCLA, he guided the team to win 88 of 90 games over three seasons, losing only twice and setting a historic collegiate record. In his first college game, he scored 56 points, breaking the UCLA single-game scoring record.

In 1969, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the NBA Draft. Before beginning his NBA career, the Harlem Globetrotters, a basketball team known for blending sport with comedy and showmanship, offered him a one-million-dollar contract. He declined the offer and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA Draft.

In his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar delivered an exceptional performance. He finished second in the league in both scoring and rebounding and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. During the 1970–1971 season, he earned the NBA Most Valuable Player award and led the Bucks to an NBA championship. One day after winning the title, on May 1, 1971, he officially adopted the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In 1975, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joined the Los Angeles Lakers. The team became a dominant force in the NBA, particularly after the arrival of Earvin Magic Johnson in 1979. Together, they led the Lakers to multiple championships. Over the course of his career, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and six MVP awards.

Over 20 NBA seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored a total of 38,387 points, the highest career total in league history for many years. He retired from professional basketball in 1989. Following retirement, he remained active as a basketball coach, author, and actor.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also appeared in film and television productions. In 1978, he starred alongside Bruce Lee in the film Game of Death, and it is known that he trained in martial arts under Lee’s guidance. He later appeared in numerous additional film and television roles.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar married Habiba Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, and the couple divorced in 1978. They have three children: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr., Sultana Abdul-Jabbar, and Habiba Abdul-Jabbar.

In 2007, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was officially selected as the greatest center of all time. On March 4, 2019, he auctioned personal memorabilia and raised 2,947,000 US dollars. The proceeds were donated to the Skyhook Foundation, an organization he founded to support children’s education.

Professional Basketball Career:
1969–1975 – Milwaukee Bucks
1975–1989 – Los Angeles Lakers

Filmography:
Actor:
2013 – The Crazy Ones (Himself) (TV Series)
2013 – Splash (Contestant) (TV Series)
2012 – Guys with Kids (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) (TV Series)
2011 – New Girl (Himself) (TV Series)
2005 – Iconoclasts (Himself) (TV Series)
2001 – Scrubs (TV Series)
1996 – Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault (Himself) (Feature Film)
1988 – Purple People Eater (Feature Film)
1980 – Airplane! (Murdock) (Feature Film)
1979 – The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Himself) (Feature Film)
1979 – The Visitor (Feature Film)
1978 – Game of Death (Hakim) (Feature Film)
1977 – Man from Atlantis (Thark) (TV Series)

Source: Biyografiler.com