The renowned American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has retired after a 20-year career in the National Basketball Association. His birthplace was New York City, and the year was 1947. His given name is Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor. Due to his exceptional height, he was destined to become a professional basketball player when he was still a teenager.
Who is Kareem?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was Born on April 16, 1947, is an American retired professional basketball player who spent 20 years in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar set a record by winning the NBA MVP award six times during his career as the center (MVP). He made the NBA All-Star team 19 times, which is tied for the most all-time, was named to the All-NBA First Team 15 times, and the All-Defensive First Team 11 times.
Considered by many to be one of the best players in history, Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving all agreed that he was the best basketball player of all time. Starting in 1984 and ending in 2023, Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in career scoring.
| Full Name | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| Born on | April 16, 1947, |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Position | Center |
| High School | Power Memorial (New York City, New York) |
| College | UCLA (1966–1969) |
How Old is Kareem?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 75 years old now. He was born on April 16, 1947,
Career and Early Life of Kareem
The only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer, and jazz pianist, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City. In 1950, he relocated to the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood section of Upper Manhattan at the age of three.
In his four years as a varsity player for Power Memorial Academy, Alcindor scored 2,067 points, which was at the time a New York City high school record (that has since been broken). Fearing he would be able to score at will, the collegiate basketball rules committee had ruled dunking illegal before he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965 due to his exceptional offensive prowess coming out of high school. In his debut game at UCLA, he broke the school record for points scored with 56, despite the new restriction.
During his time at UCLA (1967–1969), the Bruins went undefeated with only two losses while playing under legendary coach John Wooden and won three National Collegiate Athletic Association championships. Years after Alcindor’s graduation, the ban against dunking was lifted.
In the 1969–70 NBA season, Alcindor played for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he quickly rose to the position of Rookie of the Year. In both the 1970–71 and 1971–72 NBA seasons, the Bucks won the title, while Alcindor led the league in scoring both seasons with 2,596 points and a 31.7 ppg average (2,822 points; 34.8). After deciding to become a Muslim in 1971, Alcindor changed his name to the Arabic version, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while he was a student at UCLA. The Los Angeles Lakers, the team he joined in 1975, went on to win the NBA title in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. In 1984, he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 points for a career.
Frequently Asked Questions…
How Many 3’s Did Kareem Make?
Kareem has only ever made one 3-point shot. The 3-point line did not exist until he was in the middle of his career.