Position : Center
Mention Kareem Abdul - Jabbar to mostbasketballfans and two things amount to mind : the patronage he won and the shot – the " sky draw " – that became synonymous with his name .
Abdul - Jabbar gain ground six rings during his NBA vocation , which set out in 1969 with the Milwaukee Bucks and ended 20 years later with theLos AngelesLakers . Prior to that , he won three consecutive NCAA title with the UCLA Bruins . And before that , he go his gamy school squad to a 95 - 6 track record in four seasons with the first team .
At 7'2 " and more than 260 pounds , Kareem had a stringy , strong organic structure that was ideal for basketball . He had an unexcitable demeanor that served him well on the court . And when times contract tough , he always had the sky hook , a shot his former coachPat Rileyonce report as perhaps " the most awful weapon in the history of any sport . "
To set up the sky hook , Kareem would angle for position along the right-hand side of the key , with his back to the basket . Once set , he could invite a bounce pass , or a high lob pass , and grow over his left shoulder joint for the shot . The sky hook was delivered in a continuous , almost mechanically skillful , movement , with a final flick of the wrist sending the ball toward the handbasket . Catch , shoot , swish . Catch , shoot , swish . automatonlike .
Kareem gave the impression that he could score anytime he wanted to , a notion enhance when he averaged a league - leave 34.8 point during the 1971 - 72 season , his third in the NBA . But Kareem was contented to play the team game : rebounding , blocking shots , passing the ball when double- and triple - team up . He never again go the NBA in scoring . However , owing to his durability , he retired with 38,387 points , most in professional basketball game history . When he passedWilt Chamberlainfor the record in 1984 , he did it with a sky hooking .
Kareem was carry Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. inNew York Cityon April 16 , 1947 . He grew to 6'8 " by years 13 , and soon thereafter college scouts began flocking to see him play at Power Memorial High School . His comer at UCLA in 1965 was greet with considerable ostentation , and when Lew ’s freshman squad beat the varsity – the defend internal champs – by 15 points in a practice session biz , his greatness was confirmed . He was name the college Player of the Year in 1967 and 1969 and was runner - up to Elvin Hayes in 1968 .
So dominant was Alcindor that the idea of raising the basketball hoop from 10 foot to 12 foundation was debated . Dunking was illegalise when he was a soph , ostensibly to protect equipment and prevent hurt . It only served to sharpen his hook .
Two teams bear Alcindor ’s draft right in 1969 . In the NBA , the Bucks won a coin somersault with thePhoenixSuns for the first overall selection . Meanwhile , the American Basketball Association present its top pick to the New York Nets . to avoid a bidding war , the Bucks and Nets were asked to pass on one sealed contract crack . Milwaukee made the gamey offer , and Alcindor prefer the Bucks .
forth from hoops , Alcindor studied to become a Muslim . In 1968 , he declared his Islamic trust and joined black athlete in boycotting the Mexico City Olympics . He change his name to Kareem Abdul - Jabbar in 1971 .
come in the NBA a yr afterBill Russell ’s retreat , and with Chamberlain twist down , Kareem instantly became the best with child man in the league , winning Most Valuable Player Awards in 1971 , 1972 , and 1974 . He averaged no less than 28 points and 14 rebounds in each of his first four seasons . More authoritative , he add genuineness to the Bucks franchise . The year before he arrived , Milwaukee won 27 games . With him in the centre of their lineup , the Bucks won 56 games during his greenhorn season and 66 in 1970 - 71 .
Teamed with an get on Oscar Robertson for the 1970 - 71 time of year , Abdul - Jabbar led the Bucks to the NBA championship , sail the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals . The next year , he conduct the league in mark with his 34.8 distributor point per secret plan and ranked third behind Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld with 16.6 rebound a plot . Milwaukee returned to the Finals in 1974 , where it lost to theBostonCeltics in seven games .
The next season , in his 6th yr with Milwaukee , Abdul - Jabbar flirt out his contract , yearn for a alteration of scenery . The Bucks had no choice but to trade him . In June 1975 , he was sent to the Lakers for Elmore Smith , Brian Winters , Dave Meyers , and Junior Bridgeman . Only Bridgeman remained in the conference past 1983 . Kareem keep on until 1989 , winning three more MVP Awards and five more backup .
He had a marvelous run in Los Angeles . After missing the playoffs in his first season , the Lakers pass on to the postseason the next 13 twelvemonth in a course with Kareem at snapper . His grading and rebounding average began a unfaltering descent in the early eighties as Magic Johnson , James Worthy , and others began to take larger roles on the team . Abdul - Jabbar won the last of his six MVP Awards in 1980 , but he rest a dominant frame for another 10 , play in every All - Star Game until his retirement . He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995 .
