Lew Alcindor
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| Lew Alcindor | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lew Alcindor |
| Caption | Alcindor in 1969 |
| Birth date | 16 April 1947 |
| Birth place | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Weight lb | 225 |
| High school | Power Memorial Academy (Manhattan) |
| College | UCLA (1966–1969) |
| Draft year | 1969 |
| Draft team | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Career start | 1969 |
| Career end | 1989 |
| Career number | 33 |
| Career position | Center |
| Years1 | 1969–1975 |
| Team1 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Years2 | 1975–1989 |
| Team2 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Highlights | * 6× NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) * 2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985) * 6× NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980) * 19× NBA All-Star (1970–1977, 1979–1989) * 10× All-NBA First Team (1971–1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986) * 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1974, 1975, 1979–1981) * NBA Rookie of the Year (1970) * 2× NBA scoring champion (1971, 1972) * NBA blocks leader (1975, 1976) * NBA rebounding leader (1976) * NBA 35th Anniversary Team * NBA 50th Anniversary Team * NBA 75th Anniversary Team * No. 33 retired by Milwaukee Bucks * No. 33 retired by Los Angeles Lakers * NCAA Tournament MOP (1967–1969) * 3× NCAA champion (1967–1969) * 3× National College Player of the Year (1967–1969) * 3× Consensus first-team All-American (1967–1969) * No. 33 retired by UCLA Bruins |
| Hoophall | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| Bbr | abdulka01 |
Lew Alcindor. Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., he is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history, dominating the sport first at the collegiate level for the UCLA Bruins and then professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. His unparalleled career, marked by a record six Most Valuable Player awards and six NBA championships, was complemented by a profound cultural and spiritual journey, culminating in his conversion to Islam and name change to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971. Beyond his athletic achievements, he emerged as a prominent author, cultural critic, and activist, leaving an indelible legacy on and off the court.
Early life and education
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born on April 16, 1947, in New York City, the only child of Cora and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr. He grew up in the Dyckman neighborhood of Manhattan and displayed exceptional height and athletic coordination from a young age. He attended Power Memorial Academy, a Catholic school in New York City, where he led his team to a 71-game winning streak and three straight New York City Catholic High School Athletic Association championships under coach Jack Donohue. His dominance in high school basketball made him the most heavily recruited player in the nation, and he ultimately chose to play for legendary coach John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles.
College basketball career
At UCLA, Alcindor's impact was immediate and transformative, helping to usher in a period of unprecedented dominance for the Bruins. The NCAA instituted a ban on the dunk in 1967, often called the "Lew Alcindor rule," in an attempt to limit his effectiveness. Despite this, he led UCLA to three consecutive NCAA championships (1967, 1968, 1969) and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four all three years. Playing alongside future NBA stars like Lucius Allen and Sidney Wicks, Alcindor was a three-time consensus first-team All-American and lost only two games in his entire varsity career, both during his sophomore season.
Professional basketball career
Selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1969 NBA draft, Alcindor won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1970. The following season, paired with veteran Oscar Robertson, he led the Bucks to the NBA championship and earned his first MVP and Finals MVP awards. In 1975, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where his career reached its zenith. Teaming with Magic Johnson in the 1980s, he became the cornerstone of the Lakers' "Showtime" era, winning five more championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. He retired in 1989 as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a record he still holds, and was a 19-time NBA All-Star.
Post-playing career and activism
Following his retirement, he pursued a diverse career as an author, writing several books including his autobiography, *Giant Steps*, and works on African-American history such as *On the Shoulders of Giants*. He served as a coach for the Alchesay High School basketball team on the White Mountain Apache reservation and later as a special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. A lifelong activist, he has been a vocal advocate for social justice, speaking out on issues of racial inequality and religious tolerance since the 1960s. He has also worked as a diplomat, serving as a U.S. cultural ambassador, and is a respected columnist and public speaker, earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Personal life and legacy
In 1971, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, meaning "noble servant of the Almighty." He has five children and has been open about his health battles, including a 2009 diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia. His legacy is multifaceted: he is celebrated not only as an athletic icon, with his famous skyhook shot considered one of the sport's most unstoppable moves, but also as an intellectual and cultural figure. His jersey number, 33, has been retired by UCLA, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Los Angeles Lakers, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. He remains a prominent voice on social issues and a towering figure in American sports history.
Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players Category:Milwaukee Bucks players Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees