Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Basketball Player

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born in New York City, New York, United States on April 16th, 1947 and is the Basketball Player. At the age of 77, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, movies, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew, Cap, Murdock, Big Fella, The Big A, The Tower from Power
Date of Birth
April 16, 1947
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, United States
Age
77 years old
Zodiac Sign
Aries
Networth
$20 Million
Profession
Actor, athlete, Author, Basketball Coach, Basketball Player, Film Producer, Screenwriter, Television Actor
Social Media
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 77 years old, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has this physical status:

Height
218cm
Weight
102kg
Hair Color
Bald
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Build
Athletic
Measurements
Not Available
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Islam
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Power Memorial Academy, University of California, Los Angeles
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Heather Hunter, Pam Grier, Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (1969, Cheryl Pistono
Parents
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Sr., Cora Lillian
Other Family
Cyrus Alcindor (Paternal Grandfather), Venus Alcindor (Paternal Grandmother)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Life

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., April 16, 1947) is an American retired professional basketball player who spent 20 years for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Abdul-Jabbar, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a 15-time All-NBA pick and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, and a former NBA center, was a record-breaking center during his time as a center.

Abdul-Jabbar twice was named as a player and two more as an assistant coach on six NBA championship teams, and two others as an assistant coach.

In 1996, he was named one of the Top Players in NBA History.

After winning 71 basketball games on his high school team in New York City, Alcindor was recruited by Jerry Norman, UCLA's assistant coach, where he competed for three consecutive national championship teams and was a three-time MVP of the NCAA Tournament.

Alcindor spent six seasons in Milwaukee, with the first overall pick by the one-season Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Bucks' first NBA championship since 1971, adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He established himself as one of the league's top scorers with his trademark "skyhook" shot.

He was drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, where he appeared in the final 14 seasons of his career and five more NBA championships.

Abdul-Jabbar's contributions were a major factor in Lakers basketball's "Showtime" period.

His teams made the playoffs 18 times and made it to the first round 14 times in his 20-year NBA careers; his clubs also advanced to the NBA Finals on ten occasions. Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's all-time leader in points scored (38,387), field goal attempts (28,189), career wins (59,678), and personal fouls (47,657) at the time of his retirement at the age 42.

He is still the all-time leader in points scored, field goals, and career victories.

In both rebounds and blocked shots, he is ranked third all-time.

ESPN named him the "best player in college basketball history" in 2008 and named him the second best player in NBA history (behind Michael Jordan).

In addition, Abdul-Jabbar has worked as an actor, a basketball mentor, and a best-selling author.

In 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton nominated him to be a US foreign ambassador.

President Barack Obama voted him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Early life

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer and jazz guitarist, was the sole child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., a department store price checker. He grew up in the Dyckman Street projects in Upper Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood, where he grew up to at the age of 3 in 1950. Alcindor was 5 lb 11 oz (5.75 kg) at birth and was 22+12 inches (57 cm) long. He was always tall for his age. He was already 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall at age nine, by age nine. Because of his stares and remarks regarding his height, Alcindor was often distraught as an adolescent. He had grown to 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) by the eighth grade (age 13 to 14) and could already slam dunk a basketball.

Alcindor began his basketball career when he was in high school, where he aided the Power Memorial Academy team to three consecutive New York City Catholic championships, a 71–game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record. He was nicknamed "The Tower of Power" by this author. His 2,067 points were a New York City high school record. When Alcindor was in tenth and eleventh grade and was runners-up his senior year, the team captured the national high school boys basketball championship. Since the coach called him a nigger, he had a difficult relationship in his final year with Donohue.

Personal life

During his senior year at UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown) met Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown) at a Lakers game. They married and had three children together: daughters Habiba and Sultana, and son Kareem Jr., who played basketball at Valparaiso after attending Valparaiso. In 1978, Abdul-Jabbar and Janice divorced. Cheryl Pistono has another son, Amir Pistono. Adam, his brother, appeared on the TV sitcom Full House with him.

In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar and Chance the Rapper paid tribute to colleague Muhammad Ali.

He converted to Islam and became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means "noble one, servant of the Almighty" at age 24 in 1971. He was named by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. Abdul-Jabbar bought and donated 7700-16th Street NW, a Washington, D.C. home for Khaalis, to use as the Hanafi Madh-Hab Center a few years later; the site would be the site of the 1973 Hanafi Muslim massacre. "He] came to [he] disagreed with some of Hamaas' Quranic lessons, and [they] parted ways." "Emerge from this pilgrimage with [his] convictions clarified and [his] faith renewed," he later studied the Quran on his own. Abdul-Jabbar was also heavily influenced by Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam's leader. Abdul-Jabbar had been invited to join the party but refused to participate, but he refused.

As he converted to Islam, Abdul-Jabbar has discussed the assumption that was behind his name change. Since many of the slaves brought here were Muslims, he said he was "latching on to something that was part of my roots." My family was brought to America by a French planter named Alcindor, who came here from Trinidad in the 18th century. I was Yoruba, and slavery survived slavery... When I was a child, my father discovered it, and it gave me all I needed to hear. No one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people when I was a youth. Black people are particularly vulnerable because they have no real idea of their history, which has been either denied or distorted." His name change in the United States has tarnished his public image, mainly in white areas.

Abdul-Jabbar, a running back for the Miami Dolphins, signed a deal in 1998 because he felt he was profiting from his name, now Abdul-Jabbar, born Sharmon Shah) because he felt Karim Abdul-Jabbar had the Abdul-Jabbar moniker and number 33 on his Dolphins jersey. As a result, Abdul-Jabbar had to change his jersey nameplate to "Abdul" while playing for the Dolphins. The football player had also been a UCLA athlete.

Abdul-Jabbar suffers from migraines, and his use of cannabis to reduce the symptoms has caused legal problems. Abdul-Jabbar revealed in November 2009 that he was suffering from a form of leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood and bone tumor tumor. The disease was diagnosed in December 2008, but Abdul-Jabbar said his condition could be managed by oral medications every other month, seeing his consultant every other month, and having his blood tested regularly. He said in a 2009 press conference that he did not know the illness would prevent him from living a normal life. Abdul-Jabbar, a spokesperson for Novartis, the company that manufactures Gleevec's, is a spokesperson for his cancer drugs.

Abdul-Jabbar's leukemia was no longer present in February 2011 and he was "100 percent cancer free." He denied his omission a few days later: "You're never really cancer-free, and I should have known that." My cancer is at an all-time low right now. Abdul-Jabbar was admitted to hospital in April 2015 after being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. He underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery at UCLA Medical Center later this week, on his 68th birthday.

Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Double Helix Medal in 2011 for his efforts in raising funds for cancer research. Abdul-Jabbar earned an honorary degree from New York Institute of Technology in 2011. Abdul-Jabbar was named President of Freedom by outgoing US President Barack Obama in 2016. Abdul-Jabbar was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator in 2020 for his contribution to the documentary series Black Patriots: Heroes of The Revolution.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Career

College career

Alcindor was unable to play competitively in the NBA out of high school. At the time, the league only accepted players who had hypothetically graduated from college as a freshman. He could play pro ball either with the Harlem Globetrotters or elsewhere in the world. However, he wanted to attend college, and he selected the University of California, Los Angeles.

Alcindor, who was 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) tall, was relegated to the freshman team in his first year with the Bruins in 1972, as freshman were ineligible to play varsity until 1972. Lucius Allen, Kenny Heitz, and Lynn Shackelford, all-Americans from high school, were among the freshman squad members. In the inaugural game at the Bruins' new Pauley Pavilion on November 27, 1965, Alcindor made his first public appearance in UCLA's annual varsity-freshman exhibition exhibition exhibition. The 1965–66 varsity squad was both the two-time national champions and the top-ranked team in preseason polls. The freshman team defeated Alcindor's 31 points and 21 rebounds, defeating him 7–60. It was the first time a freshman squad had defeated the UCLA varsity squad. Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson had to leave the championship squad, and starting guard Freddie Goss was out sick. "UCLA's Bruins open defense of their national basketball championship this week, but the second best team on campus" after the game, according to UPI. Last year, the freshman team was 21-0, dominant against junior college and other freshman teams.

Alcindor made his varsity debut in 1966 as a sophomore and gained national coverage. After scoring 56 points in his first game, which tied the UCLA single-game record held by Gail Goodrich, Sports Illustrated called him "The New Superstar." During the season, he averaged 29 points per game, helped UCLA win an undefeated 30–0 record and a national championship. In an attempt to curb his dominance, the dunk was banned in college basketball following the season. The law was not repealed until the 1976–77 season. Alcindor was the team's top scorer in the team's three-year win streak and only two losses: one to the University of Houston, where Alcindor suffered an eye injury, and the other to a crosstown rival USC, allowing the Trojans to hold the ball as long as it wanted before attempting to score. They restricted Alcindor to four shots and ten points.

Alcindor, a three-time national player of the year (1967, 1968, and 1969), was named as the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year (1967, 1968, and 1969). He was the only one to win the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award three times. Because of unfull recruiting promises, he had considered moving to Michigan. Willie Naulls, a UCLA player, introduced Alcindor and teammate Lucius Allen to athletic booster Sam Gilbert, who persuaded the pair to stay at UCLA.

Alcindor sustained a scratched left cornea in a game against Cal on January 12, 1968, when he was struck by Tom Henderson in a rebound battle. He will be out of action against Stanford and Portland for the next two games. During his pro career, his cornea would be scratched once more, which led to him to wear goggles for eye protection. The Bruins defeated the Houston Cougars in the first-ever nationally televised regular-season college basketball game on January 20, with 52,693 attending the Astrodome. Elvin Hayes, a former basketball player, scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds, but Alcindor, who suffered from an eye injury, was limited to only 15 points in Houston's 71-69 victory, snapping UCLA's 47-game winning streak. Hayes and Alcindor met in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, where UCLA, with a healthy Alcindor, defeated Houston 101–69 en route to the national championship. Hayes, who was averaging 37.7 points per game, were limited to just ten points in this game. Wooden credited Jerry Norman with conceiving the diamond-and-one defense that contained Hayes. "Lew's Revenge: The Rout of Houston" was the sport's cover story, and Sports Illustrated ran a feature on the game: "Lew's Revenge: The Rout of Houston."

Alcindor converted to Sunni Islam from Catholicism twice during the summer of 1968. He adopted the Arabic word Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he didn't start using it in public until 1971. He postponed the 1968 Summer Olympics, opting not to try out for the US Olympic basketball team, which went on to win the gold medal, despite convincingly defeating the Thais. Alcindor was protesting unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States, saying that he was "trying to explain to the world the futility of winning the gold medal for this country and then returning to life under oppression."

Alcindor completed his studies and obtained a Bachelor of Arts with a major in history in 1969, although the NBA did not allow college underclassmen to make a timely NBA draft announcement. In his free time, he practiced martial arts. Before learning Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee in Los Angeles, he studied aikido in New York between his sophomore and junior years.

He still holds or shares a number of individual records at UCLA for the 2019-20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team season.

In several other academic rankings, including season and career rebounds, he is ranked second only to Bill Walton.

Professional career

The Globetrotters offered Alcindor $1 million to play for them, but the Milwaukee Bucks selected him first overall in the 1969 NBA draft, but the Milwaukee Bucks were only in their second season of existence. With the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks had won a coin toss for the first pick. The New York Nets selected him first overall in the 1969 American Basketball Association draft. The Nets assumed they had the upper hand in securing Alcindor's services because he was from New York; however, when Alcindor told both the Bucks and the Nets that he would only take one bid from each team, he turned down the Nets' bid as too low. Sam Gilbert negotiated the deal with Los Angeles businessman Ralph Shapiro at no cost. The Nets gave Alcindor a guaranteed $3.25 million after Alcindor selected the Milwaukee Bucks' $1.4 million contract. "A bidding war degrades the individuals involved," Alcindor said. I would think like a flesh peddler, and I don't want to think like that."

With a 56–26 record, Alcindor's presence helped the Bucks secure second place in the NBA's Eastern Division for the second time (in comparison to 27–55 last year). In a 140-127 victory over the SuperSonics on February 21, 1970, he scored 51 points. Alcindor was an instant superstar, placing second in scoring (22.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (14.5 rpg), for which he was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He had 46 points and 25 rebounds in the series-clinching game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the second rookie to score at least 40 points and 25 rebounds in a playoff game, the first being Wilt Chamberlain. During the playoffs, he tied for the first time in NBA history with ten or more points scored, tied by Jayson Tatum in 2018.

The Bucks acquired All-Star guard Oscar Robertson for the upcoming season. Milwaukee won 66 games in the 1970–71 season, including a record 20 straight victories. Alcindor received his first two NBA Most Valuable Player Awards as well as his first scoring title (31.7 ppg). He also led the league in total points with 2,596. In the 1971 NBA Finals, the Bucks won the NBA title, defeating the Baltimore Bullets 4–0. In Game 4, Alcindor had 27 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, and he had been named the Finals MVP after averaging 27 points per game on 60.5% shooting in the series.

Alcindor and Robertson joined Bucks head coach Larry Costello on a three-week basketball tour of Africa on behalf of the State Department during the offseason. In a press conference at the State Department on June 3, 1971, he said that going forward, he wanted to be identified by his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and that the translation would be "noble one, servant of Allah."

Abdul-Jabbar was a key player for the Bucks, and he remained a dependable power. He returned as scoring champion (34.8 ppg and 2,822 total points) in the first three years as the first NBA Most Valuable Player twice. Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to their fourth straight Midwest Division title in 1974, winning his third MVP Award in four years. He was one of the top five NBA players in scoring (27.0 ppg, third), rebounding (14.5 rpg, fourth), blocked shots (283, second), and field goal percentage (.539, second). Milwaukee advanced to the 1974 championships by defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games.

Robertson, a free agent in the offseason, resigned in September 1974 after being unable to decide on a deal with the Bucks. Abdul-Jabbar privately demanded a trade to the New York Knicks on October 3, his second choice being the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) and his third, the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Abdul-Jabbar. He had never criticize Milwaukee or its supporters, but he said that living in the Midwest did not fulfill his cultural needs. Abdul-Jabbar broke two bones in his right hand in a pre-season game against the Celtics in Buffalo, New York, raising his armour against Don Nelson in his left eye; this anger angered him enough to punch the backboard stanchion. He missed the first 16 games of the season, when the Bucks were 3-13, and returned in late November wearing protective goggles. Abdul-Jabbar asked a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, preferably to the Knicks, on March 13, 1975. Abdul-Jabbar, who lost in Milwaukee to the Lakers, told reporters the following day that he wants to play in another city. He averaged 30.0 points during the season, but Milwaukee finished last place in the division at 38–44.

The Lakers acquired Abdul-Jabbar and reserve center Walt Wesley from the Bucks for center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, blue-chip rookies Dave Meyers, and junior Bridgeman. He had a great season in 1976–76, his first with the Lakers, averaging 27.7 points per game and leading the league in rebounding (16.9), blocked shots (4.12), and total minutes played (3,379). His 1,111 defensive rebounds set a new NBA single-season record (defense rebounds were unheardant prior to the 1973–74 season). He received his fourth MVP award, becoming the first winner of Lakers' franchise history, but the Lakers lost the playoffs for the second year in a row.

In 1976–77, the Lakers were expected to finish near the bottom of the Pacific Division after purchasing a cast of no-name free agents. Abdul-Jabbar was instrumental in the team's historic (53-29) in the NBA, and he received his fifth MVP award, surpassing Bill Russell's record. Abdul-Jabbar led the league in field goal percentages (.579), came in third in rebounds (13.3) and blocked shots (3.18). The Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals, putting them up against the Portland Trail Blazers. The match ended in a memorable match between Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton, a young, injury-free Bill Walton. Although Abdul-Jabbar dominated the series on stats, Walton and the Trail Blazers (who were playing their first-ever appearance in the playoffs) defeated the Lakers, despite Walton's clever passing and timely plays.

In revenge for the rookie's elbow to his stomach in the first game of the 1977-78 season, Abdul-Jabbar broke his right hand punching Milwaukee's Kent Benson. Benson suffered from a black right eye and needed two stitches. According to Benson, Abdul-Jabbar started the elbowing, but there were no witnesses and it was not caught on replays. Abdul-Jabbar, who fractured the backboard support in 1975, was out for almost two months and missed 20 games. He was fined a record $5,000 in the first round, but not suspended. Benson missed one game, but not disciplined by the league, but not disciplined. Abdul-Jabbar returned to the Lakers, who were 8–13. He was not selected to an All-Star Game in 1978, the first time in his 20-year career that he was not selected to an All-Star Game. Artis Gilmore of Chicago and Detroit's Bob Lanier were selected reserve for the West, with Walton starting at center. In a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers the day the All-Star rosters were revealed, Abdul-Jabbar had 39 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks despite skepticism from the media. In a victory over the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn) in the final game before the All-Star break, he had 37 points and 30 rebounds.

Abdul-Jabbar's play continued to improve over the next two seasons, being named to the All-NBA Second Team twice, the All-Defense First Team once, and the All-Defense Second Team once. However, the Lakers remained stymied in the playoffs, having been eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978 (first round) and 1979 (semifinals).

Magic Johnson was chosen first overall pick of the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. They had obtained the pick from the New Orleans Jazz (later Utah) in 1976, but league rules required Los Angeles to compensate Los Angeles for free agent Gail Goodrich's signing. Johnson was a leader of the 1980s' Showtime dynasty, winning five NBA championships and appearing eight times. Abdul-Jabbar boosted his fame as one of the top basketball players in the United Kingdom ever by making two All-Defense First Team picks and two All-Defense First Team awards, although less prominent than in his younger years. In his first season with Johnson in 1979–80, he received his sixth MVP award. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 33.4 points in five games, spraining his ankle in Game 5, but the team won by 40 points and guiding the team. Johnson missed Game 6, when the Lakers clinched the championship, and seven assists, and he was named the Finals MVP after scoring 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists in the finale.

In the ensuing six seasons, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 20 or more points per game. In 1981-82, the Lakers won another championship, but in the finals, he had migraines, averaging just 18 points per game against Philadelphia. He had a 20.4 point average in 14 playoff games, the lowest level in his career at the time. After Abdul-Jabbar had outplayed their big-man duo of Darryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones in the previous finals, the Lakers advanced to the 1983 NBA Finals. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 4–0, with Malone named as the Finals MVP after beating outbounding Abdul-Jabbar 72–30 in the series. Malone's offensive rebounds were almost identical to Abdul-Jabbar's total rebounds (30). Abdul-Jabbar set a record for most career points in the NBA on April 5, 1984 against Utah. Over the 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) Mark Eaton, he was given a pass from Johnson and scored from 15 feet (4.6 m) on his patent skyhook.

Abdul-Jabbar was the first to win the award at 38 years and 54 days old in 1985. In the series against Boston, he averaged 25.7 points, 9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks. In Game 1, he was initially outplayed, scoring 12 points against 30-year-old Celtics center Robert Parish, who had 18 points and eight rebounds in a 148-114 victory over the Lakers, who had 18 points and eight rebounds. Abdul-Jabbar, who usually sat in the back row, was seated in the front row and accepted all of head coach Pat Riley's remarks at the team's film session the following day. Before Game 2, Abdul-Jabbar wondered if his father would ride the team bus to the game. Riley, who is normally a hard-liner on rules, has agreed to make an exception. Abdul-Jabbar won by 109-102 after coming back with 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks. He averaged 30.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks in the Lakers' four victories. The Celtics' streak of eight consecutive titles against the Lakers came to an end.

Abdul-Jabbar began doing yoga in 1976 to improve his flexibility, and was known for his physical fitness regimen. "There is no way I could have played as long as I did without yoga," the narrator said. He had a difficult time putting on weight due to his metabolism. He went from free weights to Nautilus machines prior to the 1979–80 season, gaining ten pounds (4.5 kilograms). He also changed the offseason from tai chi to yoga.

Abdul-Jabbar's house burned down in 1983. Many of his possessions, including his cherished jazz LP collection of about 3,000 albums, were destroyed. Many Lakers fans sent and bought him albums, which he found encouraging.

Abdul-Jabbar appeared in his 17th season as an NBA player, beating Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Elvin Hayes for the first time in 1985-86, according to him. He gained 13 pounds (5.9 kg), gaining nearly 270 pounds (120 kg), before the 1986–87 season, to face the growing number of 7-footers (2.1 m) in the league. In each of his last three seasons, the Lakers defeated Boston in 1987 and Detroit in 1988. In his last season, the Lakers lost in a four-game sweep to the Pistons. Abdul-Jabbar, 41, told the locker room that he would return for one more season before retiring after winning Game 7 of the 1988 finals. His points, rebounds, and minutes had dropped in his 19th season, and there had been rumors that he was resigning after the game. He received standing ovations at games both home and abroad, as well as gifts ranging from a yacht that said "Captain Skyhook" to framed jerseys from his career to a Persian rug. Every Laker came out wearing Abdul-Jabbar's trademark goggles to the forum against Seattle in his final regular season game.

Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA's most career games played at the time of his retirement. He was also the all-time record holder for the most points (38,387), most field goals (157,837), and most minutes played (57,466).

Coaching career

Abdul-Jabbar, a 1995 graduate, expressed a keen interest in teaching and passing on experience from his playing days. Despite the success he had during his playing days, his opportunities were limited. Abdul-Jabbar had a reputation for being introverted and sullen during his playing days. He was often unfriendly with the media. His intelligence and timidity gave the appearance of him as aloof and reluctant. He either didn't have the time or didn't owe anything to anyone at the time. After asking for an autograph, Magic Johnson was dismissed as a juvenile and sent off as a kid. If they touched a reporter, Abdul-Jabbar could freeze out a reporter, and he once refused to stop reading the newspaper when giving an interview.

Abdul-Jabbar had the majority of his career with a reserved attitude toward media coverage (since he did not have to deal with it as a student at UCLA) before he came to a conclusion near the end of his career. "I didn't know that I had influenced people in that way," Abdul-Jabbar said, and that's what it was all about." It was always seemed that they were trying to pry. I was way too suspicious, and I paid a price for it." However, he believes it was his reputation as a "difficult individual" during his attempts to transition to teaching as a child, which also affected his odds of being a head coach in the NBA or NCAA.

Abdul-Jabbar spent time with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics as an assistant, as well as mentor Michael Olowokandi and Jerome James, among other young centers, as an advisor. Abdul-Jabbar was the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League in 2002, guiding the team to the league's championship that season, but he was unable to find a head coaching position at Columbia University a year later. He then spent time as a scout for the New York Knicks. He returned to the Lakers as a special assistant coach to Phil Jackson for six seasons (2005-2011). Andrew Bynum, the city's young center, was mentored early on. In 1998, Abdul-Jabbar served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona. After unsuccessfully lobbying for open head coach positions with UCLA and the Milwaukee Bucks, he transitioned from coaching in 2013.

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