Happy 78th Birthday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shoots his signature skyhook over Bill Cartwright of the New York Knicks. Photo credit: Jerry Coli/Dreamstime.com

One of the greatest players in the history of basketball celebrates a birthday on April 16, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar turns 78. 

Abdul-Jabbar boasts one of the greatest basketball resumes, one that when examined from all stages of his hoops career is nearly flawless. 

At Power Memorial Academy, the New York City native, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., led his school team to a 95-6 record in his high school career and three New York City Catholic League championships. At Power Memorial, Alcindor was a three-time 1st team Parade All-American and was Mr. Basketball USA in 1964 and 1965. 

He is regarded as perhaps the greatest college basketball player of all-time, from 1967-69 making 1st team All-American, being the Final Four Most Outstanding Player each year, winning the National Championship each year, and being National College Player of the Year in each year of his college tenure, playing at UCLA under the legendary John Wooden. As a collegian, the 7’2 center averaged 26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds, with a 29.0 points per game average as a freshman. 

Drafted 1st overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar played two seasons in the league as Lew Alcindor before changing his name in 1971 to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after converting to Islam in 1968. 

Abdul-Jabbar won Rookie of the Year and finished 3rd in MVP voting in 1969-70, averaging 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 52% shooting. In his second and third seasons, he led the NBA in scoring (31.7 points, 16.0 rebounds and 34.8 points and 16.6 rebounds), while winning MVP both years. He was NBA Finals MVP in 1971, averaging 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds as the Bucks swept the Washington Bullets. In 1972-73, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 30.2 points, 16.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists and finished 2nd in MVP voting, and won his third MVP in 1973-74 (at only age 26) averaging 27.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 blocks (1973-74 was the first season that the NBA counted the block as an official statistic).

On June 16, 1975, Abdul-Jabbar arrived in Los Angeles via trade, with Walt Wesley in exchange for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, and Dave Meyers. In his first season as a Laker, the 28-year-old won Most Valuable Player once again (27.7 points, 16.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 4.1 blocks), and won the award twice more in his career, in 1976-77 (26.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.2 blocks) and for the final time in 1979-80 (24.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.4 blocks). His 1979-80 MVP campaign coincided with his second championship when a rookie Magic Johnson filled in for Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 in Philadelphia and put up 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. 

Abdul-Jabbar won four more championships, in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. In ‘82, the Lakers got revenge on the 76ers (4-2), while in 1985 and 1987 they defeated the Boston Celtics, and in 1988 defeated the Detroit Pistons. At age 37, he won Finals MVP in 1985, averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks in the Lakers’ 4-2 series win over the Celtics. 

In 56 games in the NBA Finals, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. 

On April 5, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar broke Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time scoring mark of 31,419 points, a record that stood until 2023 when LeBron James broke it in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023. 

The 1995 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee made 19 all-star appearances, a record since broken by James. Ten times, Abdul-Jabbar was an All-NBA 1st team member, and five times a 2nd team member. He also made the All-Defensive 1st team five times, and the All-Defensive 2nd team six times.   

Over his 20 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks on 56% shooting. In his 1979-80 MVP season, he shot 60% from the field, the only season in his career shooting over 60%. In Game 5 of the 1970 1st round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Abdul-Jabbar scored a playoff career-high 46 points with 25 rebounds (18-for-36) in the Bucks’ 115-106 victory. It was the first of nine playoff games where he would score 40 or more points. In 11 playoff games against Wilt Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar scored 30 or more points seven times, an impressive feat still against an older Chamberlain. On December 10, 1971, Abdul-Jabbar scored his career-high in points, with 55 against the Boston Celtics. 

Known also for his social justice work alongside the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Bill Russell, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, the nation’s highest civilian honor. 

In a time where television programs are inundated with “GOAT” debates where so many people have so many different opinions, Kareem’s name is in everyone who knows the game’s conversations. Former Southern California-based sportswriter Doug Krikorian, for one, counts Kareem as the game’s greatest player. 

Happy 78th birthday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.