Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand
Lewis Alcindor, Jr. on April 16, 1947 in New York City, New
York, United States; typically referred to as Lew Alcindor) is
an African American former professional basketball player.
Considered one of the greatest players of all time, the 7ft-2in
(2.18 m) Abdul-Jabbar played center for UCLA from 1965–69.
Later, he played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks
(1969–75) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1975–89), accumulating
38,387 points, the NBA's highest career total. He was famous for
his "Skyhook" shot which defenders found virtually impossible to
block. His on-court success was superlative, as he won a record
six NBA most-valuable-player awards, while playing on six NBA
championship teams; at UCLA, he played on three NCAA
championship teams. His high-school team won 71 consecutive
games and his UCLA teams were an unmatched 88-2. After a
then-record 20 professional seasons in the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar
retired from the game in 1989, leaving a legacy of
professionalism, class, and success. Following his success as a
professional athlete, Abdul-Jabbar has become known as a
successful basketball coach, author, and part-time actor.
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