:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City,{{cite magazine|title=KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR|date=July 6, 2015|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2015/07/06/kareem-abdul-jabbar|access-date=April 7, 2024}} the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer and jazz musician.{{cite web|title= Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography and Interview |publisher=American Academy of Achievement| url= https://www.achievement.org/achiever/kareem-abdul-jabbar/|access-date=April 15, 2022}} Cora was born in North Carolina but came to Harlem as part of the Great Migration. Ferdinand Sr. was the child of immigrants from Trinidad; his uncle was the Black activist and medical pioneer Dr. John Alcindor.{{Cite web |date=2001-01-01 |title=Caribbean American Heritage Month Wall of Fame Day 7: Kareem Abdul Jabbar "Big Al" |url=https://www.mnialive.com/articles/caribbean-american-heritage-month-wall-of-fame-day-7-kareem-abdul-jabbar-big-al/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=MNI Alive |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Karim |first=Andrew |date=2017-11-03 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes back to his roots |url=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/sports/kareem-abdul-jabbar-goes-back-roots/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=CNW Network |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217221517/https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/sports/kareem-abdul-jabbar-goes-back-roots/ |archive-date=2023-02-17 |url-status=live}}Jamie Greene (27 December 2017), [https://geekdad.com/2017/12/gbbp-162-kareem-abdul-jabbar/ "The Great Big Beautiful Podcast, Episode 162: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar"], Geek Dad. Alcindor grew up in the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, which he moved to at the age of 3 in 1950.{{cite magazine | magazine = New York Magazine | url= https://nymag.com/news/features/childhood/kareem-abdul-jabbar-2013-4/ | title= Childhood in New York | access-date= February 22, 2019}} At birth, Alcindor weighed {{convert|12|lb|11|oz|kg|2|abbr=on}} and was {{convert|22+1/2|in|cm}} long.{{cite magazine| title=Alcindor The Awesome| date= March 1967| magazine= Ebony |pages=91–97| volume= 22| issue= 5| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=k-xzFES8bWcC&pg=PA91| issn= 0012-9011| access-date=June 17, 2021}}{{cite web| url= http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2507/Mr_Basketball_and_much_more_Kareem_AbdulJabbar|title=African American Registry: Mr. Basketball and much more, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!| website= aaregistry.com | publisher= The African American Registry| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061027005423/http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2507/Mr_Basketball_and_much_more_Kareem_AbdulJabbar|archive-date=October 27, 2006|access-date=April 15, 2022}} Always very tall for his age, he was already {{height|ft=5|in=8}} by the age of nine.{{cite web | url= http://www.biography.com/people/kareem-abdul-jabbar-9174053 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar biography |year= 2013| website= Biography.com |access-date=April 15, 2022}} Alcindor was often depressed as a teenager because of the stares and comments about his height. By the eighth grade (age 13–14), he had grown to {{height|ft=6|in=8}} and could already dunk a basketball.{{cite EB15|2007|1|Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem|page=21|isbn=978-159339-292-5 |oclc=25228234|url=https://archive.org/stream/newencyclopaedi001ency#page/20/mode/1up |url-access=registration |access-date=20 October 2022 |via=Archive.org |quote=Alcindor played for Power Memorial Academy (at 6 feet 8 inches) on the varsity for four years, and his total of 2,067 points set a New York City high school record.}}

Alcindor attended Power Memorial Academy, a private all-boys Catholic high school, where he was one of the few Black students. He wore the jersey number 33, which he chose in tribute to his favorite player, New York Giants fullback Mel Triplett. He would continue wearing this number throughout his college and professional career.{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com: A dominate force |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014021.html |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=www.espn.com}} He led coach Jack Donohue's teams to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71–game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record.{{cite book |editor1-first=Dawn P. |editor1-last=Dawson |title=Great athletes: Basketball |edition=Revised |year=2010 |orig-year=1992 |publisher= Salem Press |isbn=9781587654732 |pages=1–4|url= https://archive.org/details/greatathletesbas0000unse/page/1/mode/1up|url-access=registration|access-date=June 6, 2021}} This earned him "The Tower from Power" nickname.{{cite web | last= Didinger| first = Ray | url= http://articles.philly.com/1989-05-25/sports/26109975_1_power-memorial-high-school-kareem-abdul-jabbar-power-basketball | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131216074423/http://articles.philly.com/1989-05-25/sports/26109975_1_power-memorial-high-school-kareem-abdul-jabbar-power-basketball | url-status= dead | archive-date= December 16, 2013 | title=They Still Remember Power's Tower | website = Philly.com | date =May 25, 1989|access-date=April 15, 2022}} His 2,067 total points were a New York City high school record.{{cite encyclopedia| encyclopedia= Encyclopædia Britannica |title= Kareem Abdul-Jabbar| url= https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar|access-date= May 19, 2020}} The team won the national high school boys basketball championship when Alcindor was in 10th and 11th grade and was runner-up his senior year. He had a strained relationship in his final year with Donohue after the coach called him a nigger.{{cite web|last=Zaccardi|first=Nick|date=May 22, 2017|url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/05/22/kareem-abdul-jabbar-olympics-boycott/|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar details passing on 1968 Olympics in new book|website= NBC Sports|access-date=April 15, 2022}}

Alcindor wrote for the Harlem Youth Action Project newspaper. The Harlem riot of 1964, which was prompted by the fatal shooting of 15-year old black boy James Powell by a New York police officer, triggered Alcindor's interest in racial politics. "Right then and there, I knew who I was, who I had to be. I was going to be black rage personified, Black Power in the flesh", he said.{{cite web|first=Martenzie|last=Johnson|title=

NBA creates Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award|date=May 13, 2021|work=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31437539/nba-creates-kareem-abdul-jabbar-social-justice-champion-award|access-date=March 1, 2023}}

File:Lew Alcindor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar UCLA.jpg]]

Alcindor was not able to play professionally in the NBA out of high school. At the time, the league only accepted players beginning with the year that they could have hypothetically graduated from college.{{cite web|first=Kyle|last=Irving|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar college stats: How many more NBA points could he have scored?|date=February 9, 2023|work=Sporting News|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-college-stats-nba-points/zo4c0ya3ofo8becboupxnbad|access-date=February 16, 2023}} His other options to play basketball professionally would have been to join the Harlem Globetrotters or play overseas. However, Alcindor's goal was to attend college. Recruited by hundreds of schools, he was the most sought-after prospect since Wilt Chamberlain. Southern teams that were segregated were willing to break the color line to acquire Alcindor. He chose to attend the University of California, Los Angeles,{{cite news|first=Kareem|last=Abdul-Jabbar|title=Freshman life has changed|date=April 19, 2012|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7831845/freshman-life-changed-elite-basketball-players|access-date=April 18, 2022}} after being recruited by Bruins assistant coach Jerry Norman.{{cite news|last=Apodaca |first=Patrice |title=Let's pause and recall the influence of Jerry Norman |date=March 21, 2014 |newspaper=Daily Pilot |url=http://articles.dailypilot.com/2014-03-21/opinion/tn-dpt-me-0323-apodaca-20140321_1_john-vallely-ucla-lucius-allen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723032955/http://articles.dailypilot.com/2014-03-21/opinion/tn-dpt-me-0323-apodaca-20140321_1_john-vallely-ucla-lucius-allen |archive-date=July 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }} Baseball Hall of Famer and UCLA alumnus Jackie Robinson also wrote to Alcindor, encouraging him to attend the college.

By now {{convert|7|ft|1|in|adj=on}} tall, Alcindor was relegated to the freshman team in his first year with the Bruins,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R7BhAAAAIBAJ&pg=4735%2C2683757 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|agency=Associated Press |last=McSweeney |first=John |title=Rival cage coaches agree Alcindor may be greatest |date=February 25, 1966|page=20}} as freshmen were ineligible to play varsity until 1972.{{cite news|first=Dean|last=Smith|title=Why Freshman Should Not Play|date=October 2, 1983|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/02/sports/why-freshman-should-not-play.html|access-date=June 18, 2021}} The freshman squad included Lucius Allen, Kenny Heitz, and Lynn Shackelford, who were fellow high-school All-Americans.{{cite news|title=21 Turn Out As UCLA Opens Cage Practice|date=October 16, 1965|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|page=28|agency=UPI|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79778506/|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} On November 27, 1965, Alcindor made his first public performance in UCLA's annual varsity–freshman exhibition game, attended by 12,051 fans in the inaugural game at the Bruins' new Pauley Pavilion.{{cite news|title=Basketball Teams to Dedicate Pavilion|date=November 21, 1965|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|page=K-5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79776223/|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} The 1965–66 varsity team was the two-time defending national champions and the top-ranked team in preseason polls.{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Lopresti|title=Remembering the start of UCLA's dynasty, 50 years later|date=March 3, 2017|website=NCAA.com|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2017-03-03/ucla-basketball-and-beginning-its-golden-age-50-years-later|access-date=June 18, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Jerry|last=Crowe|title=A Grand Opening : Pauley Pavilion and UCLA's Best Freshman Team Made Their Debuts Together 25 Years Ago|date=May 27, 1990|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-27-sp-5543-story.html|access-date=June 18, 2021}} The freshman team won 75–60 behind Alcindor's 31 points and 21 rebounds.{{cite news|last=Florence|first=Mal|title=Who's No. 1? UCLA Frosh Too Hot for Varsity, 75–60|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=November 28, 1965|at=Sec. D, pp. 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79552026/ 10]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79551819/|quote=Lew Alcindor strode onto the Pauley Pavilion court Saturday night and captured the town, completely demoralizing the UCLA varsity basketball team in the process|access-date=June 14, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} It was the first time a freshman team had beaten the UCLA varsity squad. The varsity had lost Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson from the championship squad to graduation, and starting guard Freddie Goss was out sick.{{cite news|title=Bruins Are Beaten—By Freshman Quintet|date=November 29, 1965|page=10|newspaper=Corvallis Gazette-Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79781388/|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} After the game, UPI wrote: "UCLA's Bruins open defense of their national basketball title this week, but right now they're only the second best team on campus."{{cite news|first=Andy|last=Wittry|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: College stats, best moments, quotes|date=August 12, 2020|website=NCAA.com|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-04/kareem-abdul-jabbar-college-stats-best-moments-quotes|access-date=June 18, 2021}} The freshman team was 21–0 that year, dominating against junior college and other freshman teams, as Alcindor averaged 33 points and 21 rebounds per game.

File:Lew Alcindor vs USC 1966-67.jpg]]

Alcindor made his varsity debut as a sophomore in 1966 and received national coverage. Sports Illustrated described him as "The New Superstar" after he scored 56 points in his first game, which is still an NCAA record for a player in their debut.{{Cite web |title=NCAA Men's Basketball Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/D1.pdf |access-date=April 25, 2025 |website=NCAA}} He scored 61 later in the season. Averaging 29 points and 15.5 rebounds per game, he led UCLA to an undefeated 30–0 record and a national championship, their third title in four years and first of seven consecutive. After the season, the dunk was banned in college basketball in an attempt to curtail his dominance;{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,836963,00.html |title=Lew's Still Loose |magazine=Time Magazine |date=April 14, 1967 |access-date=June 27, 2020}} critics dubbed it the "Alcindor Rule". It was not rescinded until the 1976–77 season.{{cite news|first=Mac|last=McLeaod|title=The Dunk Is Back, What Does It Bring|date=April 8, 1976|newspaper=The Daily Item|page=1B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79784544/|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} Alcindor was the main contributor to the team's three-year record of 88 wins and only two losses: one to the University of Houston in which Alcindor had an eye injury, and the other to crosstown rival USC who played a "stall game";{{cite web|author=Bill Littlefield|url=https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/05/19/john-wooden-kareem-abdul-jabbar|title=50 Years Of Coach Wooden And Kareem, Through Racism, Olympic Boycotts And More|publisher=WBUR-FM|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=April 15, 2020}} there was no shot clock in that era, allowing the Trojans to hold the ball as long as it wanted before attempting to score. They limited Alcindor to only four shots and 10 points.{{cite news|first=Jerry|last=Crowe|title=His USC team stood around and waited to beat UCLA|date=February 2, 2009|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-feb-02-sp-crowe-nest2-story.html|access-date=June 18, 2021}}

During his college career, Alcindor was a three-time national player of the year (1967–1969), a three-time unanimous first-team All-American (1967–1969), played on three NCAA basketball champion teams (1967, 1968, and 1969), was honored as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament three times, and became the first-ever Naismith College Player of the Year in 1969.{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Gary K.|title=NCAA Men's Basketball Finest|journal=Ncaa Men's Basketball's Finest|page=11|year=2005|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketballs_finest/2005/m_basketball_finest.pdf|issn=1521-2955|access-date=December 25, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Men's Basketball Award Winners|page=16|website=NCAA.com|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2021/Awards.pdf|access-date=June 18, 2021}} He was the only player to win the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award three times.{{cite news|title=Lew Alcindor HeadsHelms All American Hoop Quintet|newspaper=The Daily Herald|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79784036/|access-date=June 18, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He had considered transferring to Michigan because of unfulfilled recruiting promises. UCLA player Willie Naulls introduced Alcindor and teammate Lucius Allen to athletic booster Sam Gilbert, who convinced the pair to remain at UCLA.{{cite news|last=Florence|first=Mal|title=Papa Sam Gilbert is someone special to UCLA cagers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Zj0gAAAAIBAJ&pg=7090%2C2889137|newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|location=(Florida)|agency=(Los Angeles Times) |date=April 7, 1974|page=7D}}

During his junior year, Alcindor suffered a scratched left cornea on January 12, 1968, in a game against California (UC Berkeley) when he was struck by Tom Henderson in a rebound battle.{{cite news |last=Prugh |first=Jeff |title=Bruins win again without Alcindor. Big Lew Sidelined By Eye Injury Suffered in Game against Bears | newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=January 14, 1968}} He missed the next two games against Stanford and Portland. His cornea would again be scratched during his pro career, which subsequently caused him to wear goggles for eye protection.{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/12/20/Los-Angeles-Lakers-center-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-flew-home-from/5795535438800/|title=Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar flew home from Dallas|date=December 20, 1986|work=United Press International|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127203658/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/12/20/Los-Angeles-Lakers-center-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-flew-home-from/5795535438800/|archive-date=January 27, 2020|quote=Jabbar, who wears goggles to protect his eyes during play, is suffering from recurring corneal erosion syndrome in his right eye. He returned to Los Angeles following an eye examination in Dallas early Saturday. Doctors explained that because Jabbar was poked in the eye so many times in the days before he wore goggles, scar tissue had formed on the cornea.}} On January 20, the Bruins faced coach Guy Lewis's Houston Cougars in the first-ever nationally televised regular-season college basketball game, with 52,693 in attendance at the Astrodome. In a contest billed as the "Game of the Century", Cougar forward Elvin Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds, while Alcindor, suffering from his eye injury, was held to just 15 points as Houston won 71–69, ending UCLA's 47-game winning streak.{{cite news|first=Jerry|last=Wizig|url=http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1988_517381|title=It's been 20 years since they've played The Game of the Century|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|date=January 20, 1988|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004131333/http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=1988_517381|archive-date=October 4, 2012}}{{cite news|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2018/01/19/ucla-and-houstons-game-of-the-century-still-leaves-impression-50-years-later/|title=UCLA-Houston 'Game of the Century' still leaves impression 50 years later|last=Nguyen|first=Thuc Nhi|date=January 19, 2018|work=Los Angeles Daily News|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127203341/https://www.dailynews.com/2018/01/19/ucla-and-houstons-game-of-the-century-still-leaves-impression-50-years-later/|archive-date=January 27, 2020|quote=Eight days after scratching his cornea against Cal, Abdul-Jabbar was one of four UCLA starters to play all 40 minutes.}} Hayes and Alcindor had a rematch in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, where UCLA, with a healthy Alcindor, defeated Houston 101–69 en route to the national championship. UCLA limited Hayes, who was averaging 37.7 points per game, to only ten points. Wooden credited his assistant Norman for devising the diamond-and-one defense that contained Hayes.{{cite news|last=Esper|first=Dwain|title=Bruins Hope Norman Stays|date=March 25, 1968|newspaper=The Independent|location=Pasadena, California|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2860094/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 22, 2015}}{{open access}}{{cite news |last=Gasaway |first=John |title=John Wooden's Century |date=June 7, 2010 |work=Basketball Prospectus |url=http://basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=798 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723062332/http://basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=798 |archive-date=July 23, 2015 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 23, 2015 }} Sports Illustrated ran a cover story on the game and used the headline: "Lew's Revenge: The Rout of Houston."{{cite web |url=https://shop.kareemabduljabbar.com/products/1968-sports-illustrated-magazine-lews-revenge-the-rout-of-houston-lew-alcindor |title=Lew's Revenge: The Rout of Houston |access-date=March 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506210634/https://shop.kareemabduljabbar.com/products/1968-sports-illustrated-magazine-lews-revenge-the-rout-of-houston-lew-alcindor |archive-date=May 6, 2019 |url-status=dead }} As a senior in 1968–69, Alcindor led the Bruins to their third consecutive national title.

File:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar NCAA Championship.jpeg at Freedom Hall in Louisville in 1969 after a 20-point win over Purdue and Rick Mount in unprecedented third-straight national title en route to seven consecutive national championships for UCLA.]]

During the summer of 1968, Alcindor took the shahada twice and converted to Sunni Islam from Catholicism. He adopted the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, though he did not begin using it publicly until 1971.{{cite encyclopedia |last=Diamant |first=Jeff |editor-last=Curtis |editor-first=Edward E. IV |date=2010 |title=Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem (Lew Alcindor) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=owZCMZpYamMC&pg=PA2 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History |edition=1st |location=New York |publisher=Facts On File |pages=2–3 |isbn=978-1-4381-3040-8 |oclc=650849872|access-date=January 15, 2020|via=Google Books}} He boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics, deciding not to try out for the U.S. Olympic basketball team, who went on to win the gold medal.{{cite web|first=Kurt|last=Streeter|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Greater Than Any Basketball Record|date=February 7, 2023|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/sports/basketball/kareem-abdul-jabbar-record-legacy.html|access-date=February 16, 2023}} Alcindor was protesting the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States,{{cite news|first=Johnny|last=Smith|title=The reign of Lew Alcindor in the age of revolt|date=March 30, 2018|work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/lew-alcindor-kareem-abdul-jabbar-ucla-boycot-1968-olympics/|access-date=December 22, 2021}} stating that he was "trying to point out to the world the futility of winning the gold medal for this country and then coming back to live under oppression".{{cite web|url=http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-154dn40k35|url-status=dead|title=Black Journal; 60; Kareem|website=American Archive|publisher=American Archive of Public Broadcasting|date=May 2, 1972|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224073101/https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-154dn40k35|archive-date=February 24, 2021|access-date=June 15, 2020}}

As the NBA did not allow college underclassmen to make an early NBA draft declaration, Alcindor completed his studies and earned a Bachelor of Arts with a major in history in 1969. In his free time, he practiced martial arts. He studied aikido in New York between his sophomore and junior year before learning Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee in Los Angeles.{{cite news | url=http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_2.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Lakers Now | date=January 27, 2006 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060202151933/http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_2.html | archive-date=February 2, 2006 | access-date=August 10, 2006 }}{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Huang|title=How Bruce Lee became a muse for Kareem and an All-Rookie guard|date=November 30, 2017|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/21597832/nba-bruce-lee-muse-kareem-abdul-jabbar-jamal-murray|access-date=June 17, 2021}}

As of the 2019–20 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team season,{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/uclabruins/docs/mbkb_20mg_full_guide|title=UCLA 2019–2020 Men's basketball Information Guide|website=UCLA Bruins|date=October 2, 2019|access-date=January 11, 2021}} he still holds or shares a number of individual records at UCLA:{{cite web|url=http://www.uclabruins.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ucla/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/0910MBB_MG_Records|url-status=dead|title=2009–10 UCLA men's basketball media guide|website=UCLA Bruins|date=November 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717134757/http://www.uclabruins.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ucla/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/0910MBB_MG_Records|archive-date=July 17, 2011|access-date=January 11, 2022}}

• Highest career scoring average: 26.4
• Most career field goals: 943 — tied with Don MacLean
• Most points in a season: 870 (1967)
• Highest season scoring average: 29.0 (1967)
• Most field goals in a season: 346 (1967) — also the second most at 303 (1969) and the third most at 294 (1968)
• Most free throw attempts in a season: 274 (1967)
• Most points in a single game: 61
• Most points in a college debut game: 56
• Most field goals in a single game: 26 (vs. Washington State, February 25, 1967)

He is represented in the top ten in a number of other school records, including season and career rebounds, second only to Bill Walton.

File:Wes Unseld and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.jpeg of the Baltimore Bullets. The shot was almost impossible to block.]]

The Globetrotters offered Alcindor $1 million to play for them, but he declined and was picked first overall in the 1969 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, who were in only their second season of existence. The Bucks had won a coin toss with the Phoenix Suns for the first pick. He was also chosen first overall in the 1969 American Basketball Association draft by the New York Nets.{{cite web|url=http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=NYN&lg=A&yr=1969 |title=New York Nets (1968–1975) 1969 Stats, History, Awards and More |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518082053/http://www.databasebasketball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=NYN&lg=A&yr=1969 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 }} The Nets believed that 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 accept only one offer from each team, he rejected the Nets' bid as too low. Sam Gilbert negotiated the contract along with Los Angeles businessman Ralph Shapiro at no charge.{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082281/2/index.htm|url-status=dead|title=Scorecard|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 7, 1969|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224115501/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1082281/2/index.htm|archive-date=December 24, 2013|access-date=April 17, 2022}} After Alcindor chose the Milwaukee Bucks' offer of $1.4 million, the Nets offered a guaranteed $3.25 million. Alcindor declined the offer, saying: "A bidding war degrades the people involved. It would make me feel like a flesh peddler, and I don't want to think like that."{{cite news |title=Alcindor Rejects A.B.A.'s $3.2-Million Offer and Will Sign With Bucks |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 30, 1969 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/03/30/archives/alcindor-rejects-abas-32million-offer-and-will-sign-with-bucks-ucla.html|access-date=April 17, 2022}}

Alcindor's presence enabled the Bucks to claim second place in the NBA's Eastern Division with a 56–26 record (improved from 27–55 the previous year). On February 21, 1970, he scored 51 points in a 140–127 win over the SuperSonics.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197002210MIL.html|title=Seattle SuperSonics vs Milwaukee Bucks Box Score, February 21, 1970

|website=Basketball Reference|access-date=March 24, 2020}} Alcindor was an instant star, ranking second in the league in scoring (28.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (14.5 rpg), for which he was awarded the title of NBA Rookie of the Year. In the series-clinching game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he recorded 46 points and 25 rebounds.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197004030MIL.html|title=Philadelphia 76ers at Milwaukee Bucks Box Score, April 3, 1970|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=March 24, 2020}} He was the second rookie to score at least 40 points and 25 rebounds in a playoff game, the first being Wilt Chamberlain.{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/top-10-nba-players-with-the-most-ppg-during-a-rookie-season-wilt-chamberlain-was-a-scoring-god-since-his-first-season/ar-AAR84SQ |title=Top 10 NBA Players With The Most PPG During A Rookie Season: Wilt Chamberlain Was A Scoring God Since His First Season |website=MSN Sports |date=November 25, 2021 |access-date=December 9, 2021 }} He also set an NBA rookie record with 10 or more games of 20+ points scored during the playoffs, tied by Jayson Tatum in 2018.{{cite news|title=Jayson Tatum's rookie season ranks alongside best in Celtics' history|date=June 18, 2018|work=Sporting News|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/nba/news/nba-jayson-tatums-rookie-season-best-in-celtics-history-bill-russell-larry-bird/1ozxh6qf4joje1g1b9fleinaze|access-date=June 6, 2021}}

The next season, the Bucks acquired All-Star guard Oscar Robertson. Milwaukee went on to record the best record in the league with 66 victories in the 1970–71 season, including a then-record 20 straight wins.{{cite news|title=... And Bucks Win Sixth|date=December 15, 1971|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|page=26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79044675/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} Alcindor was awarded his first of six NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, along with his first scoring title (31.7 ppg). He also led the league in total points, with 2,596. The Bucks won the NBA title, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 4–0 in the 1971 NBA Finals. Alcindor posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Game 4,{{cite news|title=Oscar Had No Doubt|date=May 1, 2021|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|at=Section 3, page 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81349358/|access-date=July 13, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} and he was named the Finals MVP after averaging 27 points per game on 60.5% shooting in the series.{{cite news|first=Marc J.|last=Spears|title=Giannis dominating like Kareem revives Bucks' title hopes|date=July 12, 2021|work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/giannis-dominating-like-kareem-revives-bucks-title-hopes/|access-date=July 13, 2021}}

During the offseason, Alcindor and Robertson joined Bucks head coach Larry Costello on a three-week basketball tour of Africa on behalf of the State Department. In a press conference at the State Department on June 3, 1971, he stated that going forward he wanted to be called by his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, its translation roughly "noble one, servant of the Almighty [i.e., servant of God]".{{cite news|first=Terence|last=Smith|title=Biggest Name in N.B.A.: Jabbar|date=June 4, 1971|newspaper=The New York Times|page=27|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/04/archives/biggest-name-in-nba-jabbar.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Seppy|title=Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Also Known As Lew Alcindor) To Tour Africa|date=June 4, 1971|newspaper=Sheboygan Press|agency=Associated Press|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79052561/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

File:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1974.jpeg

Abdul-Jabbar remained a dominant force for the Bucks. The following year, he repeated as scoring champion (34.8 ppg and 2,822 total points) and became the first player to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player twice in his first three years.{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar is Most Valuable|date=March 22, 1971|newspaper=Kenosha News|page=25|agency=UPI|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79055569/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to their fourth consecutive Midwest Division title,{{cite news|title=Basketball Pro Chart|date=October 24, 1974|newspaper=The Lompoc Record|page=7|agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79057859/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} and he won his third MVP Award in four years.{{cite news|title=Jabbar—Most Valuable Player|date=March 21, 1974|newspaper=The Fresno Bee|page=D1|agency=AP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79056379/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He was among 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 finals, losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games.{{cite news|first=Sopan|last=Deb|title=The Bucks Have Big-Time Supporters: Kareem and Oscar Robertson|date=July 11, 2021|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/sports/basketball/nba-bucks-abdul-jabbar-robertson.html|access-date=April 18, 2022}}

Robertson, who became a free agent in the offseason, retired in September 1974 after he was unable to agree on a contract with the Bucks.{{cite magazine|first=Pat|last=Putnam|title=Return of Ol Goggle-Eyes|date=December 9, 1974|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/12/09/return-of-old-goggleeyes|access-date=June 7, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Goldaper|title=Robertson Ends Career|date=September 4, 1974|newspaper=The New York Times|page=33|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/04/archives/robertson-ends-career-nba-great-accepts-cbstv-pact-robertson.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}} On October 3, Abdul-Jabbar privately requested a trade to the New York Knicks, with his second choice being the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) and his third, the Los Angeles Lakers. He had never spoken negatively of the city of Milwaukee or its fans, but he said that being in the Midwest did not fit his cultural needs.{{cite news |first=Sam |last=Goldaper |date=March 18, 1975 |work=The New York Times |title=Bucks See No Need Now to Make Deal for Unhappy Abdul-Jabbar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/18/archives/bucks-see-no-need-now-to-make-deal-for-unhappy-abduljabbar-about.html }}{{cite magazine| magazine=Sports Illustrated| title=Say It Ain't So Milwaukee Bucks| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2001/05/30/sayitaintso_bucks/| date=May 30, 2001| access-date=June 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104020207/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2001/05/30/sayitaintso_bucks/|archive-date=November 4, 2012}} Two days later in a pre-season game before the 1974–75 season against the Celtics in Buffalo, New York, Abdul-Jabbar caught a fingernail in his left eye from Don Nelson and suffered a corneal abrasion; this angered him enough to punch the backboard stanchion, breaking two bones in his right hand.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=June 16, 1975: A Banner Day For Lakers : Kareem Takes His Post : 4 Players Bucks Got in Trade Gone, but He's Still on Job|date=December 25, 1987|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-25-sp-21142-story.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}}{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar Fractures Hand|date=October 6, 1974|newspaper=The New York Times|at=Section 5, page 1|agency=AP|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/06/archives/abduljabbar-fractures-hand.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}} He missed the first 16 games of the season, during which the Bucks were 3–13, and returned in late November wearing protective goggles.{{cite news|title=Kareem Looks Different, Acts The Same|date=November 25, 1974|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|at=Section 2, page 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79059283/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} On March 13, 1975, sportscaster Marv Albert reported that Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, preferably to the Knicks.{{cite news|title=Jabbar on the move?|date=March 14, 1975|newspaper=The Journal-News|page=14B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79103850/|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} The following day after a loss in Milwaukee to the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar confirmed to reporters his desire to play in another city.{{cite news|title=Jabbar Finally Confirms It: He Wants To Be Traded|date=March 15, 1975|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1|agency=UPI|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79102904/|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He averaged 30.0 points during the season, but Milwaukee finished in last place in the division at 38–44.{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Cady|title=Abdul-Jabbar Traded by Bucks for Four Lakers|date=June 17, 1975|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/17/archives/abduljabbar-traded-by-bucks-for-four-lakers-jabbar-traded-to-lakers.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}}

File:Press conference announcing Lakers' signing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.jpg

In 1975, 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, and cash. In the 1975–76 season, his first with the Lakers, he had a dominating season, averaging 27.7 points per game and leading the league in rebounding (16.9), blocked shots (4.12), and total minutes played (3,379).{{cite news|title=Third NBA Scoring Title For McAdoo|date=April 13, 1976|newspaper=The Sacramento Bee|page=C4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79106416/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 7, 2021}}{{cite news|title=Kareem keeps getting better|date=October 7, 1976|newspaper=The Bakersfield Californian|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79106706/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 7, 2021}} His 1,111 defensive rebounds remains the NBA single-season record (defensive rebounds were not recorded prior to the 1973–74 season).{{cite news|first=Hal|last=Bock|title=Special K : Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Survived on Talent and a Quiet Dignity|date=May 14, 1995|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-14-sp-477-story.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}} He earned his fourth MVP award, becoming the first winner in Lakers' franchise history,{{cite news|title=The Players' Player: Jabbar|date=April 2, 1976|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Section III, p. 2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79104444/|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} but missed the post-season for the second straight year as the Lakers finished 40–42.{{cite news|first=Chuck|last=Abadie|title=Jabbar is most valuable player?|date=April 13, 1976|newspaper=Hattiesburg American|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79106543/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=June 7, 2021}}

After acquiring a cast of no-name free agents, the Lakers were projected to finished near the bottom of the Pacific Division in 1976–77. Abdul-Jabbar helped lead the team to the best record (53–29) in the NBA, and he won his fifth MVP award, tying Bill Russell's record. Abdul-Jabbar led the league in field goal percentage (.579), was third in scoring (26.2), and was second in rebounds (13.3) and blocked shots (3.18).{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Goldaper|title=Abdul-Jabbar Is Chosen M.V. P. for a Fifth Time|date=May 24, 1977|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/24/archives/abduljabbar-is-chosen-mvp-for-a-fifth-time.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}} In the playoffs, the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals, setting up a confrontation with the Portland Trail Blazers. The result was a memorable matchup, pitting Abdul-Jabbar against a young, injury-free Bill Walton. Although Abdul-Jabbar dominated the series statistically, Walton and the Trail Blazers (who were experiencing their first-ever run in the playoffs) swept the Lakers, behind Walton's skillful passing and timely plays.{{cite news|first=Kelly|last=Dwyer|title=Dunk History: A healthy Bill Walton meets Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the summit|date=September 4, 2014|work=Ball Dont Lie|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/dunk-history--a-healthy-bill-walton-meets-kareem-abdul-jabbar-at-the-summit-154848243.html|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=Yahoo!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607122649/https://sports.yahoo.com/dunk-history--a-healthy-bill-walton-meets-kareem-abdul-jabbar-at-the-summit-154848243.html|archive-date=June 7, 2021}}{{cite magazine|first=Curry|last=Kirkpatrick|title=L.A. Couldn't Move the Mountain|date=May 23, 1977|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/05/23/la-couldnt-move-the-mountain|access-date=June 7, 2021}}

Two minutes into the opening game of the 1977–78 season, Abdul-Jabbar broke his right hand punching Milwaukee's Kent Benson in retaliation to the rookie's elbow to his stomach. Benson suffered a black right eye and required two stitches.{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Green|title=Jabbar scores KO Over Benson|date=October 19, 1977|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Sec. III, pp. 1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79416789/ 10]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79416779/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|first=Paul L.|last=Montgomery|title=Abdul-Jabbar Fined $5,000 for One Punch|date=October 21, 1977|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/21/archives/abduljabbar-fined-5000-for-one-punch-punch-brings-abduljabbar-5000.html|access-date=June 12, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Pete|last=Wolfley|title=Benson's NBA start did not lack punch|date=February 20, 2011|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel|url=http://archive.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/116563588.html|access-date=June 12, 2021}} According to Benson, Abdul-Jabbar initiated the elbowing, but there were no witnesses and it was not captured on replays. Abdul-Jabbar, who broke the same bone in 1975 after he punched the backboard support, was out for almost two months and missed 20 games.{{cite book|last=Simmons|first=Bill|title=The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy|publisher=Ballantine and ESPN Books|year=2009|location=New York City|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/133 133]|isbn=978-0-345-51176-8|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/133|url-access=registration|ref=simmons2009}} He was fined a then-league record $5,000 but was not suspended. Benson missed one game but was not punished by the league.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=Abdul-Jabbar Tells His Side of the Fight—Just to League Office|date=May 16, 1985|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-16-sp-17530-story.html|access-date=June 12, 2021}} The Lakers were 8–13 when Abdul-Jabbar returned.{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Green|title=An Added Punch*|date=December 4, 1977|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79418140/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He was not named to the 1978 NBA All-Star Game, the only time in his 20-year career he was not selected to an All-Star Game.{{cite news|title=Jabbar replaces Magic for 19th All-Star game|date=February 11, 1989|newspaper=Journal Gazette|location=Mattoon, Illinois|page=B-3|agency=AP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417562/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} Chicago's Artis Gilmore and Detroit's Bob Lanier were chosen as reserves for the West, with Walton starting

at center.{{cite news|title=After Another Hearing, Kuhn Still Undecided on Blue Deal|date=January 25, 1978|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417357/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} Amid criticism from the media over his performance, Abdul-Jabbar had 39 points, 20 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers the day the All-Star rosters were announced.{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Green|title=Jabbar Silences Critics, 76ers—and Jabbar|date=January 25, 1978|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, pp. 1–[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417374/ 6]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417368/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He added 37 points and 30 rebounds in a victory over the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn) in the final game before the All-Star break.{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Green|title=Lakers Pull One Out of the Fire|date=February 4, 1978|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1–[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417428/ 5]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79417422/|access-date=June 12, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

Abdul-Jabbar's play remained strong during 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.{{cite basketball-reference|name=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|id=a/abdulka01|access-date=April 15, 2022}} The Lakers, however, continued to be stymied in the playoffs, being eliminated by the Seattle SuperSonics in both 1978 (first round) and 1979 (semifinals).{{cite news|first=Ted|last=Green|title=SuperSonics Finish Off The Lakers, 106–101|date=April 26, 1979|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79477881/|access-date=June 13, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}

File:Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar Lipofsky (HQ).jpg in the 1980s]]

The Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first overall pick of 1979 NBA draft. They had acquired the pick from the New Orleans Jazz (later Utah) in 1976, when league rules required that they compensate Los Angeles for their signing of free agent Gail Goodrich.{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Pearlman|title=The 'Magic' coin flip (book excerpt)|date=May 14, 2014|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/39172/the-magic-coin-flip-book-excerpt|access-date=June 13, 2021}} The addition of Johnson paved the way for the Lakers' Showtime dynasty of the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times and winning five NBA championships.{{cite news|first=Austin|last=Knoblauch|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|date=October 11, 2011|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=http://projects.latimes.com/lakers/player/kareem-abdul-jabbar/|access-date=June 13, 2021}} While less dominant than in his younger years, Abdul-Jabbar reinforced his status as one of the greatest basketball players ever, adding an additional four All-NBA First Team selections and two All-Defense First Team honors. He won his record sixth MVP award in his first season with Johnson in 1979–80.{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Mahoney|title=The Ineffable Cool—and Playing Style—That Made the Showtime Lakers 'Showtime'|date=March 2, 2022|work=The Ringer|url=https://www.theringer.com/nba/2022/3/2/22958166/showtime-lakers-magic-johnson-kareem-abdul-jabbar-winning-time|access-date=April 17, 2022}} In the 1980 finals, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 33.4 points in five games, spraining his ankle in Game 5, but returning to finish the contest with 40 points and leading the team to a win. He missed Game 6, when the Lakers clinched the title, and Johnson was named the Finals MVP after recording 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists in the finale.{{cite news|first=John|last=Hollinger|title=Greatest Finals performances: 21-30|date=June 16, 2011|website=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2011/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=FinalsPerformances-21-30|access-date=May 20, 2022}}Simmons 2009, [https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/598/mode/1up p. 598].{{cite news|first=Roy S.|last=Johnson|title=For Abdul-Jabbar, It's a Matter of Pride|date=June 2, 1985|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/02/sports/for-abdul-jabbar-it-s-a-matter-of-pride.html|access-date=May 20, 2022}}

Abdul-Jabbar continued to average 20 or more points per game in the following six seasons. The Lakers won another championship in 1981–82, but he suffered migraines in the finals, averaging just 18 points per game against Philadelphia.{{cite news|last=Penner |first=Mark |title=The Sixers trade for Moses Malone |date=March 8, 2013 |work=Philadelphia Daily News |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/sixers/20130308_Holy_Moses_.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624200820/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/sixers/20130308_Holy_Moses_.html |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |access-date=June 12, 2022|url-status=live}} In 14 playoff games, he finished with a 20.4 point average, the lowest of his career at the time. The Lakers advanced to the 1983 NBA Finals in a rematch against the 76ers, who had acquired Moses Malone to shore up their center position after Abdul-Jabbar had outplayed their big-man duo of Darryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones in the previous finals. The 76ers swept the Lakers 4–0, and Malone was named the Finals MVP after outrebounding Abdul-Jabbar 72–30 in the series.{{cite news|last=Aschburner |first=Steve |title=Moses Malone, dead at 60, was an NBA elite |date=September 13, 2015 |publisher=National Basketball Association |url=http://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/steve_aschburner/09/13/moses-malone-feature-obit/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419050847/https://www.nba.com/2015/news/features/steve_aschburner/09/13/moses-malone-feature-obit/ |archive-date=April 19, 2019}} Malone had 27 offensive rebounds, which nearly equaled Abdul-Jabbar's total rebounds (30).{{cite news|first=John|last=Hollinger|title=Greatest Finals performances: 11-20|date=June 16, 2011|work=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2011/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=FinalsPerformances-11-20|access-date=June 12, 2022}}

Before the 1983–84 season, Abdul-Jabbar signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Lakers, with none of the amount deferred.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=Nixon Traded to San Diego; Kareem Signs|date=October 11, 1983|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/162765231/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 11, 2025}} He fell ill with viral hepatitis during training camp, which rendered him weak for a month after returning. He scored 10 points at Golden State on December 22, 1983, dropping his season average to 17.7, almost 10 points below his career average. His scoring picked up after Christmas.{{cite magazine|first=Bruce|last=Newman|title=A SKY HOOK THAT WAS FOR THE BOOK|date=April 16, 1984|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/04/16/a-sky-hook-that-was-for-the-book|access-date=January 20, 2025}} On the road against Utah on April 5, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar broke Chamberlain's record for most career points in the NBA. He received a pass from Johnson and scored from {{convert|15|ft}} on his patent skyhook over the {{convert|7|ft|4|in|adj=on}} shot-blocking specialist Mark Eaton.{{cite news|first=Larry|last=Schwartz|title=Kareem just kept on winning|website=ESPN|url=http://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/abdul-jabbar_kareem.html|access-date=June 13, 2021}}{{cite book|first=Marty|last=Strasen|title=The Best Book of Basketball Facts & Stats|publisher=Firefly Books|year=2004|page=185|url=https://archive.org/details/bestbookofbasket00mart/page/185/mode/1up|isbn=155297782X|url-access=registration|via=Internet Archive|access-date=April 15, 2022}} The game was played at the Thomas & Mack Center, one of 11 home games for the Jazz in the Las Vegas Valley that season. The contest drew 18,389 fans, the Jazz's largest home crowd since moving from New Orleans before the 1979–80 season.{{cite web|first1=Tania|last1=Ganguli|first2=Scott|last2=Cacciola|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Was the 'Best Weapon in Basketball'|date=February 2, 2023|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/02/sports/basketball/kareem-abdul-jabbar-record.html/|access-date=February 5, 2023}} For the first time since the 1980–81 season,{{cite news|first=Roy S.|last=Johnson|title=ABDUL-JABBAR MAKES RETIREMENT POINTS|date=April 7, 1984|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/07/sports/abdul-jabbar-makes-retirement-points.html|access-date=January 20, 2025}} Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers in both scoring (21.5) and rebounding (7.3) during the season.{{cite news|first=David|last=Fink|title=Abdul-Jabbar says he'll retire|date=October 16, 1984|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|page=31|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette/79671133/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} Playing consistently better than he had over the past few years, he was named to the All-NBA First Team for the ninth time in his career, and he was voted to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team, the final all-defensive selection of his career. The team advanced to the 1984 NBA Finals but lost to Boston.

File:Kareem Magic Lipofsky (hq).jpg during the 1985 NBA Finals]]

The 1984–85 season was expected to be Abdul-Jabbar's final season, as he had maintained since breaking Chamberlain's record that he would be retiring.{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Littwin|title=Lakers Are Hoping Abdul-Jabbar Has a Change of Heart|date=October 25, 1984|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p, 3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/79670792/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}}{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Nightengale|title=Abdul-Jabbar vague on retirement|date=December 2, 1984|newspaper=The Kansas City Star|at=Sports, p. 4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star/79675524/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} Teams began honoring him in his final appearance in their home arena,{{cite news|first=Phil|last=Jasner|title=Kareem continues for Lucky Lakers|date=December 23, 1984|newspaper=The Sunday Dispatch|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dispatch/79673799/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} but the Lakers instructed them not to use the word retirement in their ceremony. He had left open the possibility of changing his mind, but did not want to accept retirement gifts and play again, as Dave Cowens had done.{{cite news|first=William R.|last=Barnard|title=Abdul-Jabbar still unsure about retirement|date=November 23, 1984|newspaper=The Messenger|agency=AP|at=Basketball, p. 9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-messenger/79671396/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} On December 5, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract extension with the Lakers, with none of the money deferred.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=Abdul-Jabbar Will Play Another Year—for $2 Million|date=December 6, 1984|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/79671660/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/162851142/ 17[|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/79671660/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} He won his second Finals MVP in 1985, when he became the oldest to win the award at 38 years and 54 days old.{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Dodson|title=On this day in NBA Finals history: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becomes oldest Finals MVP|date=June 9, 2017|work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/nba-finals-history-kareem-abdul-jabbar-oldest-finals-mvp/|access-date=February 18, 2022}} He averaged 25.7 points, 9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 blocks in the series against the Celtics.{{cite news|first=Jeff|last=Zillgitt|title=Day 52 without sports 🏀: Don't forget Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in greatest NBA player of all-time debates|date=May 2, 2020|newspaper=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2020/05/02/nba-goat-kareem-abdul-jabbar-michael-jordan-lebron-james/3067719001/|access-date=April 18, 2022}} He was initially outplayed in Game 1, scoring 12 points with three rebounds against 30-year-old Boston center Robert Parish, who had 18 points and eight rebounds in a 148–114 win over the Lakers, dubbed the "Memorial Day Massacre". At the team's film session the following day, Abdul-Jabbar—who normally sat near the back—was seated in the front row, and accepted all of head coach Pat Riley's criticism. Before Game 2, Abdul-Jabbar asked if his father could ride on the team bus to the game. Typically a hard-liner on rules, Riley agreed to make an exception. Abdul-Jabbar bounced back with 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in a 109–102 victory. In the Lakers’ four wins, he averaged 30.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.0 blocks.{{cite magazine|first=Jack|last=McCallum|title=When L.A. Buried the Garden Ghost|date=January 4, 1985|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=http://www.si.com/longform/2015/1985/nba-finals/index.html|access-date=May 9, 2022}} The title ended the Celtics' streak of eight consecutive championships against the Lakers.

Abdul-Jabbar played in his 17th season in 1985–86, breaking the previous NBA record for seasons played of 16, held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Elvin Hayes.{{cite news|last=Bonk |first=Thomas |title=Lakers Move Closer to Signing Kareem for a Year or 2 More |date=September 28, 1985 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-28-sp-17456-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307053820/https://articles.latimes.com/1985-09-28/sports/sp-17456_1_lakers-signed-abdul-jabbar |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |title=THE LONG-RUN SUCCESS OF KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR |date=May 22, 1983 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/22/sports/the-long-run-success-of-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html?pagewanted=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307223156/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/22/sports/the-long-run-success-of-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}{{cite news|last=Goldaper |first=Sam |title=HAYES ENJOYING FAREWELL SEASON |date=February 12, 1984 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/12/sports/hayes-enjoying-farewell-season.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209104859/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/12/sports/hayes-enjoying-farewell-season.html |archive-date=December 9, 2015 |url-status=live }} On November 12, 1985, he signed to a one-year extension of his contract at the same $2 million salary, while maintaining the option to retire after the 1985–86 season.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=Abdul-Jabbar Signs for Another Year, Delays Decision on Whether to Play It|date=November 13, 1985|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/162852484/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 12, 2025}} Prior to the 1986–87 season, he gained {{convert|13|lb}}, reaching close to {{convert|270|lb}}, to compete against the growing number of 7-footers (2.1 m) in the league.{{cite news|last=Edes|first=Gordon|date=November 25, 1986|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-25-sp-13125-story.html|title=The NBA : Abdul-Jabbar Adds Weight and Strength to Battle the Other 7-Footers|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 11, 2021}} The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals in each of his final three seasons, starting with a championship over Boston in 1987. Afterwards, he signed a two-year contract with the Lakers.{{cite news|first=Gordon|last=Edes|title=Abdul=Jabbar Signs, Will Play Two More Years|date=June 17, 1987|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/162852754/|at=Part III, p. 2|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 20, 2024}}

Riley guaranteed that the Lakers would be the first NBA team to win consecutive titles since the 1968–69 Celtics, and they defeated the Detroit Pistons for the championship in 1988.{{cite news|title=ABDUL-JABBAR READY FOR LAST HURRAH|date=August 8, 2021|newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/11/06/abdul-jabbar-ready-for-last-hurrah/|via=Chicago Tribune|access-date=January 20, 2024}} Abdul-Jabbar made only 3 of 14 shots in Game 6 of the finals, but he converted two free throws with 14 seconds remaining to extend the series to seven games. After winning the season finale, in which he had only four points and three rebounds, the 41-year-old center announced in the locker room that he would return for one more season before retiring.{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Baker|title=Abdul-Jabbar Makes a Promise—He'll Return|date=June 22, 1988|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-22-sp-4563-story.html|access-date=June 15, 2021}}{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar will return for one final season with Lakers|date=June 23, 1988|newspaper=News Journal|location=Mansfield, Ohio|pages=1-B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79546832/ 5-B]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79546742/|access-date=June 15, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} His points, rebounds, and minutes had dropped in his 19th season,{{cite news|title=The Lakers:Player by Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|date=June 23, 1988|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III-A, p. 9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79545820/abdul-jabbar-198788-overview/|access-date=June 15, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Goldstein|title=Guarantees no longer necessary|date=June 23, 1988|newspaper=Shreveport Journal|page=3C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79547121/|access-date=June 15, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} and there were reports prior to the game that he was retiring after the contest.{{cite news|first=Norm|last=Frauenheim|title=Riley's prophecy now lore|date=June 22, 1988|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|pages=F1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79548114/ F3]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79548082/|access-date=June 15, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} On his "retirement tour" he received standing ovations at games, both home and away, and gifts ranging from a yacht that said "Captain Skyhook" to framed jerseys from his career to a Persian rug.{{cite news|first=Sam|last=McManis|title=A Last Hurrah: For Abdul-Jabbar, a Season of Farewells Will Be Capped Today|date=April 23, 1989|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-23-sp-1849-story.html|access-date=June 14, 2021}} At the Forum against Seattle in his final regular season game, every Laker came onto the court wearing Abdul-Jabbar's trademark goggles.{{cite book|first1=Earvin|last1=Johnson|first2=William|last2=Novak|title=My Life|page=124|url=https://archive.org/details/mylifejohn00john/page/124/mode/1up|publisher=Random House|year=1992|isbn=9780679415695|access-date=June 15, 2021|via=Internet Archive|url-access=registration}} The Lakers lost to the Pistons in a four-game sweep in the 1989 finals.{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Littwin|title=Pistons Win Title With Huge Asterisk Attached|date=June 18, 1989|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-18-sp-3873-story.html|access-date=June 14, 2021}}

At the time of his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar held the record for most career games played in the NBA.{{cite news|title=10 memories top his all-time list of great moments|date=April 30, 1989|newspaper=Des Moines Sunday Register|page=13D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79436915/10-memories-top-his-all-time-list-of-gre/|access-date=June 14, 2021|via=Newspapers.com}} He was also the all-time record holder for most minutes played (57,446), most field goals made (15,837), most points (38,387), and most 1,000-point seasons (19).

In 1995, Abdul-Jabbar began expressing an interest in coaching and imparting knowledge from his playing days.{{cite news|last=Broussard|first=Chris|date=April 25, 2004|title=A Legend Learns That He Needs to Be Liked|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/sports/pro-basketball-a-legend-learns-that-he-needs-to-be-liked.html|access-date=June 16, 2021}}{{cite news|last=Plaschke|first=Bill|date=December 2, 1997|title=Abdul-Jabbar Figures NBA Needs a Coach Kareem|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-dec-02-sp-59770-story.html|access-date=June 16, 2021}} His opportunities were limited despite the success he enjoyed during his playing days. During his playing years, Abdul-Jabbar had developed a reputation for being introverted and sullen. He was often unfriendly with the media.{{cite book|last1=Johnson|first1=Earvin|url=https://archive.org/details/mylifejohn00john/page/121/mode/1up|title=My Life|last2=Novak|first2=William|publisher=Random House|year=1992|isbn=9780679415695|pages=121–123|access-date=June 15, 2021|url-access=registration|via=Internet Archive}} His sensitivity and shyness created a perception of him being aloof and surly.{{cite news|last=Rogers|first=John|date=February 16, 2018|title=A talkative Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflects on becoming himself|publisher=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-celebrities-basketball-bac317de667841e9bfaf0c9394e73d38|access-date=June 16, 2021}} At the time, his mentality was that he either did not have the time or did not owe anything to anyone. Magic Johnson recalled as a kid being brushed off after asking him for an autograph. Abdul-Jabbar might freeze out a reporter if they touched him, and he once refused to stop reading the newspaper while giving an interview.

Abdul-Jabbar had spent most of his career with a reserved attitude towards media attention (since he did not have to deal with it as a star at UCLA) before he softened up near the end of his career. Abdul-Jabbar said: "I didn't understand that I also had affected people that way and that's what it was all about. I always saw it like 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 person", alongside his attempts at trying to break into coaching while nearing the age of fifty, that affected his chances of becoming a head coach within the NBA or NCAA.{{cite news|last=Beard|first=Alison|date=January–February 2012|title=Life's Work: An Interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2012/01/kareem-abdul-jabbar|access-date=June 16, 2021}}

Abdul-Jabbar worked as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics, helping mentor, among others, their young centers, Michael Olowokandi and Jerome James.{{cite news|last=Crowe|first=Jerry|date=September 7, 2005|title=Kareem Hopes to Teach Young Laker a Lesson|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-sep-07-sp-lakers7-story.html|access-date=April 16, 2020}} Abdul-Jabbar was the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm of the United States Basketball League in 2002, leading the team to the league's championship that season, but he failed to land the head coaching position at Columbia University a year later.{{cite news|author=Jonathan Lemire|date=January 2004|title=Keeping Up|publisher=Columbia College Today|url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan04/features5.php|url-status=dead|access-date=June 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610070044/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/jan04/features5.php|archive-date=June 10, 2007}} He then worked as a scout for the New York Knicks.{{cite web|author=Doug Cantor|date=June 1, 2004|title=Esquire: Q + A: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|url=http://www.mywire.com/pubs/Esquire/2004/06/01/463658?extID=10037&oliID=229|access-date=June 10, 2007|archive-date=May 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527092101/http://www.mywire.com/pubs/Esquire/2004/06/01/463658?extID=10037&oliID=229|url-status=dead}} He returned to the Lakers as a special assistant coach to Phil Jackson for six seasons (2005–2011). Early on, he mentored their young center, Andrew Bynum.{{cite web|date=September 2, 2005|title=Lakers hire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as Special Assistant Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/abdul-jabbar.050902.html|access-date=June 10, 2007|work=NBA.com}}{{cite news|last=Markazi|first=Arash|date=May 19, 2011|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar unhappy|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6566583|access-date=April 16, 2020}} Abdul-Jabbar also served as a volunteer coach at Alchesay High School on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in Whiteriver, Arizona, in 1998.{{cite magazine|date=November 23, 1998|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Volunteers As High School Coach On Indian Reservation in Arizona|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_1998_Nov_23/ai_53365359|url-status=dead|magazine=Jet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012184401/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_1998_Nov_23/ai_53365359|archive-date=October 12, 2007|access-date=June 10, 2007}} He moved on from coaching in 2013 after unsuccessfully lobbying for open head coach positions with UCLA and the Milwaukee Bucks.{{cite news|last=Abramson|first=Mitch|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar promotes new book, says he is not upset about lack of coaching opportunity in NBA|newspaper=New York Daily News|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/no-ill-will-nba-scoring-king-lack-coaching-gig-article-1.1466615|access-date=June 16, 2021}}

On offense, Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant low-post threat. In contrast to other low-post specialists like Wilt Chamberlain or Shaquille O'Neal, he was a slender giant, standing {{height|ft=7|in=2}} tall while weighing around {{convert|240|to|250|lb|kg|abbr=on|round=5}}, although he bulked to {{convert|270|lb|kg|abbr=on|round=5}} in 1986;{{cite web|first1=Brian|last1=Windhorst|first2=Ramona |last2=Shelburne|title=LeBron's 38,390-point scoring record a triumph in longevity of mind, body|date=February 8, 2023|work=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35610921/lebron-38390-point-scoring-record-triumph-longevity-mind-body|access-date=February 16, 2023}} in his early years, he used that frame for agility and speed while in later years he utilized a bigger frame for trying to guard under the basket. Abdul-Jabbar was famous for his ambidextrous skyhook shot. It contributed to his .559 career field goal percentage, which ranked eighth in NBA history at the time of his retirement,{{efn|Minimum 2,000 field goals made.{{cite book|editor-first=Mark S.|editor-last=Hoffman|title=The World Almanac And Book of Facts, 1991|publisher=Pharos Books|year=1990|page=886|url=https://archive.org/details/worldalmanacbook1991mark/page/886/mode/1up|url-access=registration|isbn=0886875781|access-date=April 29, 2024|via=Internet Archive}} Ranked 23rd {{as of|2024|4|alt=through 2023–24 season}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/FGP_career.html|title=NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct|website=Basketball-Reference|access-date=January 11, 2022}}}} and reputation as a feared clutch shooter.{{cite web|last=Sexton|first=Joshua|date=August 4, 2011|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/791553-la-lakers-ranking-the-most-clutch-players-in-la-lakers-history|title=LA Lakers: Ranking the Most Clutch Players in Lakers History|website=Bleacher Report|access-date=January 11, 2022}} He shot above 50% in every season but his last.{{cite news|first=J. A.|last=Adande|title=Secrets of the Skyhook|website=ESPN|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/features/kareem|access-date=April 18, 2022}}

Abdul-Jabbar maintained a dominant presence on defense. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team eleven times. He frustrated opponents with his superior shot-blocking ability and denied an average of 2.6 shots a game. He was not an aggressive rebounder, relying more on his size as a 7-footer instead of positioning.{{cite news|first=David|last=DuPree|title=5 Positions – 5 Special Skills|date=February 10, 1978|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1978/02/10/5-positions-5-special-skills/96a0b0ed-80a0-4469-ae8b-eb026a797793/|access-date=April 9, 2022}}{{cite news|first=Randy|last=Harvey|title=Lakers Have New Plan To Stop Malone|date=May 26, 1983|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385128/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98686245/kareem-rebounding-fundamentals/ 13]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385128/|access-date=April 9, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} After the pounding he endured early in his career, his rebounding average fell to between six or eight a game in his latter years. As a teammate, Abdul-Jabbar exuded natural leadership and was affectionately called "Cap", or "Captain", by his colleagues.{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Ps5bFjaB5PsC&pg=PA30 | page = 30 | title = The Great Book of Los Angeles Sports Lists | first1 = Steve | last1 = Hartman | first2 = Matt | last2 = Smith | publisher=Basic Civitas Books | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-0-7624-3520-3}} He had an even temperament, which Riley said made him coachable.{{cite news|last=Johnson |first=Roy S. |title=The Long-Run Success Of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |date=May 22, 1983 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/22/sports/the-long-run-success-of-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307223156/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/22/sports/the-long-run-success-of-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}

A strict fitness regime made Abdul-Jabbar one of the most durable players of all time.{{cite news|last=Goodwin|first=James|date=October 28, 2014|url=https://gulfnews.com/sport/kareem-abdul-jabbar-in-uae-nba-legend-reveals-fitness-secrets-1.1405078|title=Kareem Abdul Jabbar in UAE: NBA legend reveals fitness secrets|work=Gulf News|access-date=January 11, 2022}} He began a year-around conditioning program at age 26.{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=At 37, Abdul-Jabbar Is Going Against All Odds|date=May 29, 1984|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385274/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98689386/kareem-conditioning-stealing-seconds-of/ 6]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385274/|access-date=April 9, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} While in Los Angeles, Abdul-Jabbar started doing yoga in 1976 to improve his flexibility, and was notable for his physical fitness regimen.{{cite web|url=http://www.yogaexpo.com/press/press27.htm |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is hot for yoga |access-date=May 23, 2006 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031206101425/http://www.yogaexpo.com/press/press27.htm |archive-date=December 6, 2003 }} He said: "There is no way I could have played as long as I did without yoga."{{cite web |author=sports and yoga Posted by: dionne on 10-Jan-11 |url=http://www.bikramyogavernon.com/2011/01/10/sports-yoga/ |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar does Bikram Yoga |publisher=Bikramyogavernon.com |date=January 13, 2011 |access-date=August 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321191455/http://www.bikramyogavernon.com/2011/01/10/sports-yoga/ |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |url-status=usurped }} Because of his metabolism, he had difficulty putting on weight. Prior to the 1979–80 season, he gained {{convert|10|lb|kg}} from 240 to {{convert|250|lb}} after switching from free weights to Nautilus equipment. He also switched that offseason from tai chi to yoga.{{cite news|first=Scott|last=Ostler|title=Lakers Hope More Is Less|date=September 26, 1979|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99386248/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98689059/kareem-nautilus-and-yoga/ 5]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99386248/|access-date=April 9, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} To reduce wear during his later years, Riley did not have him inbound the ball on made baskets, and had him wait at the opposite end of the court on free throws.{{cite magazine|first=Gary|last=Smith|title=Now More Than Ever, A Winner|date=December 23, 1985|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1985/12/23/now-more-than-ever-a-winner|access-date=April 1, 2022}} In what he described as playing a "smarter game" to conserve energy, Abdul-Jabbar sometimes would be the last player to set up on offense by several seconds after staying behind on defense to see if the Lakers scored on a fast break.{{cite news|first=Scott|last=Ostler|title=Lakers Are Finding Out Why NBA Champs Don't Repeat|date=December 19, 1980|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385589/|at= Part III, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385589/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98689302/kareem-trail-behind-offense/ 14]|access-date=April 9, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1981, he responded to criticism that he did not hustle: "You have to understand I have to play 42 to 45 minutes a night, and it's like mowing a huge estate lawn. If you rush out and run around furiously, it's self-defeating. You'll be worn out just at the point when you're most needed."{{cite news|first=Jim|last=Murray|title=Kareem Doesn't Get Any Respect|date=October 6, 1981|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385792/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98685890/kareem-on-not-hustling/ 6]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99385792/|access-date=April 9, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with then-NBA records of 20 seasons and 1,560 games played,{{cite news|last=Murray |first=Jim |title=A Chapter Closed, He Is Opening |date=November 17, 1992 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-17-sp-539-story.html |access-date=May 20, 2022}} later broken by former Celtics center Robert Parish.{{cite book|last=Bjarkman|first=Peter C.|title=Boston Celtics Encyclopedia|page=54|year=2002|publisher=Sports Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cbtwpjrpEUsC&q=robert%20parish%2021%20season%20kareem&pg=PA54|isbn=9781582615646|accessdate=December 2, 2015}}

Abdul-Jabbar began wearing his trademark goggles after getting poked in the eye during preseason in 1974. He continued wearing them for years until abandoning them in the 1979 playoffs. He resumed wearing goggles in October 1980 after being accidentally poked in the right eye by Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich.{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar to miss two games|date=October 14, 1980|newspaper=The Morning News|page=B2|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79107930/|via=Newspapers.com}} After years of being jabbed in the eyes, Abdul-Jabbar developed corneal erosion syndrome, occasionally experiencing pain when his eyes dry up. He missed three games in December 1986 due to the condition.{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar out with eye trouble|date=December 21, 1986|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|page=D2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79108204/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Abdul-Jabbar was well known for his trademark skyhook, a hook shot in which he raised the ball and released it at the highest point of his arm's arching motion. He could shoot the skyhook from up to {{convert|16|ft}}. With his long arms and great height, he released the ball so high that it was difficult for a defender to block without committing a goaltending violation.{{cite news|first=David|last=DuPree|title=Sky's the Limit With the Hook Of All Hooks|date=March 26, 1983|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1983/05/26/skys-the-limit-with-the-hook-of-all-hooks/8778171a-c00e-4192-90f2-6058f2d407b7/|access-date=April 18, 2022}}{{cite magazine|first=Tex|last=Maule|title=SI Vault: How a coin flip helped the Milwaukee Bucks land Lew Alcindor|date=March 12, 2015|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://www.si.com/nba/2015/03/12/lew-alcindor-coin-flip-kareem-abdul-jabber-milwaukee-bucks|access-date=April 18, 2022}} His body being between the defender and the ball made it further difficult to block, as did extending his non-shooting arm to fend off opponents. He was stronger shooting the skyhook with his right hand than he was with his left, which he developed in his later years.

According to Abdul-Jabbar, he learned the move in fifth grade after practicing with the ambidextrious Mikan Drill and soon learned to value it, as it was "the only shot I could use that didn't get smashed back in my face".{{cite news| url=http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_2.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Talking with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Part II | date=January 27, 2006 | access-date=May 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915152707/http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_2.html|archive-date=September 15, 2018}} He also watched Cliff Hagan shoot the hook with the St. Louis Hawks. To prevent his hook from being blocked from behind, he was advised by Wooden to do away with the typical sweeping motion of a hook shot, instead keeping the ball close to his body and shooting with a straighter motion. Abdul-Jabbar's hook shot improved in his junior year at UCLA, after the dunk was banned. In his final college years, he often released the ball several feet above the rim.{{cite news|first=John|last=Nielsen|title=The Shot That Reigns Over the Rim|date=March 8, 1988|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/08/sports/the-shot-that-reigns-over-the-rim.html|access-date=April 18, 2022}}

Abdul-Jabbar won a record six MVP awards. His 38,387 career points remained the NBA's career scoring record until February 7, 2023, when he was surpassed by LeBron James of the Lakers in Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-passes-fellow-lakers-legend-kareem-abdul-jabbar-for-most-points-in-nba-history|title=LeBron James passes fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points in NBA history|website=ClutchPoints|last=Corvo|first=Michael|date=February 7, 2023|access-date=February 7, 2023}} Abdul-Jabbar attended the game, and passed the game ball to James during the in-game ceremony after the record was broken.{{Cite web |title=Watch: Kareem passes basketball to LeBron after breaking record |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/watch-kareem-abdul-jabbar-passes-basketball-lebron-james-after-breaking-record |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=RSN |date=February 8, 2023 |language=en}} Abdul-Jabbar held the scoring mark for nearly 39 years, the longest span in league history.{{cite web|first=Brad|last=Botkin|title=LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time leading scorer|date=February 8, 2023|work=CBS Sports|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-passes-kareem-abdul-jabbar-to-become-nbas-all-time-leading-scorer/|access-date=February 10, 2023}} His skyhook is considered one of the most unstoppable shots ever. He won six NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards, was voted to 15 All-NBA and 11 All-Defensive Teams, and was selected to 19 All-Star teams, a record which stood until it was surpassed by James in 2024.{{cite web|last=Reynolds|first=Tim|title=LeBron James makes history with 20th All-Star selection|url=https://www.nba.com/news/lebron-james-20th-all-star-selection|website=NBA.com|agency=NBA|date=January 25, 2024|access-date=August 16, 2024}} Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams.{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-75-faq|title=Everything you need to know about the NBA's 75th Anniversary Season|website=NBA.com|access-date=October 23, 2021}} He averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game in his career,{{cite news|first=Broderick|last=Turner|title=It just adds up: On points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is Lakers' top center|date=November 12, 2009|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-12-sp-lakers50-center12-story.html|access-date=April 20, 2022}} including three straight seasons where he averaged at least 30 points and 16 rebounds, and six times he averaged at least 27 points and 14.5 rebounds in the same season.Simmons 2009, p. [https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/601/mode/1up 601]. He is ranked as the NBA's third leading all-time rebounder (17,440).{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/history/leaders/_/stat/rebounds|title=NBA History – Rebounds Leaders|work=ESPN|access-date=December 5, 2021}} He is the third all-time in registered blocks (3,189),{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/alltime-leaders/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&PerMode=Totals&StatCategory=BLK|title=All Time Leaders: Blocks|website=NBA.com|access-date=June 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620153256/http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_all_time_leaders/AllTimeLeadersBLKQuery.html |archive-date=June 20, 2013}} which is impressive because this basketball statistic was not recorded until the fourth year of his career (1974).Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars: Across the Eras. p. xxxi. Scarecrow Press, 2013. He is one of five players who have led the NBA in rebounding and blocks in the same season.{{efn|The others are Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace, and Dwight Howard.{{cite news|title=Magic's Dwight Howard wins NBA defensive award|date=April 21, 2009|website=CBC.ca|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/magic-s-dwight-howard-wins-nba-defensive-award-1.844763|access-date=August 16, 2024}}{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Aschburner|title=Ben Wallace went from undrafted to Hall of Fame|date=September 6, 2021|website=NBA.com|url=https://www.nba.com/news/ben-wallace-hall-of-fame-profile|access-date=August 16, 2024}}}}

Abdul-Jabbar combined dominance during his career peak with the longevity and sustained excellence of his later years. A pioneer in using yoga in the NBA, he also credited Bruce Lee with teaching him "the discipline and spirituality of martial arts, which was greatly responsible for me being able to play competitively in the NBA for 20 years with very few injuries".{{cite magazine|last=Abdul-Jabbar|first=Kareem|date=August 16, 2019|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-bruce-lee-was-my-friend-tarantinos-movie-disrespects-him-1232544|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Bruce Lee Was My Friend, and Tarantino's Movie Disrespects Him|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=April 15, 2022}} Abdul-Jabbar played in 95 percent of his team's regular-season games during his career, including 80 or more games in 11 of his 20 seasons. Five times he played in all 82 games. After claiming his sixth and final MVP in 1980, he continued to average above 20 points in the following six seasons, including 23 points per game in his 17th season at age 38. He earned first-team All-NBA selections that were 15 years apart and Finals MVPs 14 seasons from each other.Simmons 2009, pp. [https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/594/mode/1up 594], [https://archive.org/details/bookofbasketball00simm/page/595/mode/1up 595]

Among the most graceful basketball players ever, Abdul-Jabbar is regarded as one of the best centers ever and one of the greatest players in NBA history; he was voted the best center of all time by ESPN ahead of Wilt Chamberlain in 2007,{{cite web|title=Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestCenters|date=March 6, 2007|access-date=January 26, 2008}} and ranked {{abbr|No.|Number}} 4 in Slam{{'}}s "Top 100 Players Of All-Time" in 2018,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.slamonline.com/nba/slams-top-100-players-of-all-time-kareem-abdul-jabbar-no-4/|title=SLAM's Top 100 Players Of All-Time: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, No. 4|date=May 3, 2018|magazine=Slam|access-date=August 28, 2022}} and No. 3 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time in 2020, the best center ever ahead of Bill Russell and Chamberlain.{{cite web|title=Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. 10-1|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29105801/ranking-top-74-nba-players-all-nos-10-1|website=ESPN|date=May 13, 2020|access-date=May 19, 2021}} League experts and basketball legends frequently mentioned him when considering the greatest player of all time.{{cite web|title=All-time #NBArank: Counting down the 10 greatest centers ever|date=January 19, 2016|website=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankCs/ranking-greatest-centers-nba-history|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120143153/http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankCs/ranking-greatest-centers-nba-history|archive-date=January 20, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|first=Marc J.|last=Spears|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the GOAT debate, his upcoming speaking tour and LeBron joining the Lakers|date=July 31, 2018|work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-goat-debate-upcoming-speaking-tour-and-lebron-joining-the-lakers/|access-date=February 16, 2023}} Riley said in 1985: "Why judge anymore? When a man has broken records, won championships, endured tremendous criticism and responsibility, why judge? Let's toast him as the greatest player ever." In 2023, as James was on the verge of breaking the NBA career scoring record, Abdul-Jabbar remained as Riley's choice as the greatest: "We don't win championships without the greatest player in the history of the game, who had the greatest weapon in the history of the game. The skyhook was unstoppable. Last minute of the game, it's going to one guy". As president of the Miami Heat, Riley had won two NBA titles with James on their roster.{{cite web|first=Ramona|last=Shelburne|title=Pat Riley talks Kareem, LeBron and the NBA record for longevity|date=January 24, 2023|work=ESPN.com|url=https://global.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/35514233/pat-riley-talks-kareem-lebron-nba-record-longevity|access-date=January 26, 2023}} Isiah Thomas remarked: "If they say the numbers don't lie, then Kareem is the greatest ever to play the game." In 2013, Julius Erving said: "In terms of players all-time, Kareem is still the number one guy. He's the guy you gotta start your franchise with." In 2015, ESPN named Abdul-Jabbar the best center in NBA history, and ranked him No. 2 behind Michael Jordan among the greatest NBA players ever. While Jordan's shots were enthralling and considered unfathomable, Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook appeared automatic, and he himself called the shot "unsexy". In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar's only recognized rookie card became the most expensive basketball card ever sold (the record has since been surpassed) when it went for $501,900 at auction.{{cite news |title=Heritage Auctions Summer Platinum Night Auction commands $13.67+ Million|url=https://sports.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/heritage-auctions-summer-platinum-night-auction-commands-13.67-million.s?releaseId=3003|access-date=August 28, 2020|website=Sports.ha.com|publisher=Heritage Auctions|date=August 30, 2016}} In 2022, he was ranked No. 3 (first in his position) in ESPN's NBA 75th Anniversary Team list,{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list|title=The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, ranked: Where 76 basketball legends check in on our list|website=ESPN.com|date=February 21, 2022|access-date=April 7, 2022}} and No. 3 (behind Jordan and James) in a similar list by The Athletic.{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/3137873/2022/02/23/the-nba-75-the-top-75-nba-players-of-all-time-from-mj-and-lebron-to-lenny-wilkens/|title=NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens|website=The Athletic|date=February 23, 2022|access-date=April 7, 2022}}

Abdul-Jabbar was also the first ever NBA player to sign a sneaker endorsement deal with Adidas in 1978. He went on to become the first ever player overall with a signature shoe shortly after.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-16 |title=adidas' Timeless Basketball Shoe Is Having a Incredibly Stylish Revival |url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/adidas-jabbar-sneaker-2024/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Highsnobiety |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-14 |title=Adidas Relaunches Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Retro Sneakers |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/sneakers/news/adidas-relaunches-kareem-abdul-jabbar-retro-sneakers |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Kicks On SI |language=en-US}} In 2014, the UCLA Bruins wore "The Blueprint" Crazy 8 against Colorado on Feb. 13, and the shoes were sold online and at an Adidas store in New Orleans—during NBA All-Star weekend—starting on Feb. 14.{{Cite web |last=Newport |first=Kyle |title=Adidas Honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 'The Blueprint' Crazy 8 Shoe |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1959217-adidas-honors-kareem-abdul-jabbar-with-the-blueprint-crazy-8-shoe |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}

{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y|leader=y|record=y}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1969}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || {{sort|-|—}} || 43.1 || .518 || {{sort|-|—}} || .653 || 14.5 || 4.1 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 28.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1970}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 82 || {{sort|-|—}} || 40.1 || .577 || {{sort|-|—}} || .690 || 16.0 || 3.3 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 31.7*

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1971}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 81 || {{sort|-|—}} || 44.2 || .574 || {{sort|-|—}} || .689 || 16.6 || 4.6 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 34.8*

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1972}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 76 || {{sort|-|—}} || 42.8 || .554 || {{sort|-|—}} || .713 || 16.1 || 5.0 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 30.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1973}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 81 || {{sort|-|—}} || 43.8 || .539 || {{sort|-|—}} || .702 || 14.5 || 4.8 || 1.4 || 3.5 || 27.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1974}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 65 || {{sort|-|—}} || 42.3 || .513 || {{sort|-|—}} || .763 || 14.0 || 4.1 || 1.0 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 3.3* || 30.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1975}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 82 || 82 || 41.2 || .529 || {{sort|-|—}} || .703 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 16.9* || 5.0 || 1.5 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 4.1* || 27.7

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1976}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 82 || 82 || 36.8 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| .579* || {{sort|-|—}} || .701 || 13.3 || 3.9 || 1.2 || 3.2 || 26.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1977}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 62 || {{sort|-|—}} || 36.5 || .550 || {{sort|-|—}} || .783 || 12.9 || 4.3 || 1.7 || 3.0 || 25.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1978}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 80 || {{sort|-|—}} || 39.5 || .577 || {{sort|-|—}} || .736 || 12.8 || 5.4 || 1.0 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 4.0* || 23.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1979}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 82 || {{sort|-|—}} || 38.3 || .604 || .000 || .765 || 10.8 || 4.5 || 1.0 ||style="background-color:#cfecec"| 3.4* || 24.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1980}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 80 || {{sort|-|—}} || 37.2 || .574 || .000 || .766 || 10.3 || 3.4 || .7 || 2.9 || 26.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1981}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 76 || 76 || 35.2 || .579 || .000 || .706 || 8.7 || 3.0 || .8 || 2.7 || 23.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1982}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 79 || 79 || 32.3 || .588 || .000 || .749 || 7.5 || 2.5 || .8 || 2.2 || 21.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1983}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 80 || 80 || 32.8 || .578 || .000 || .723 || 7.3 || 2.6 || .7 || 1.8 || 21.5

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1984}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 79 || 79 || 33.3 || .599 || .000 || .732 || 7.9 || 3.2 || .8 || 2.1 || 22.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1985}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 79 || 79 || 33.3 || .564 || .000 || .765 || 6.1 || 3.5 || .8 || 1.6 || 23.4

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1986}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 78 || 78 || 31.3 || .564 || .333 || .714 || 6.7 || 2.6 || .6 || 1.2 || 17.5

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|{{nbay|1987}}†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 80 || 80 || 28.9 || .532 || .000 || .762 || 6.0 || 1.7 || .6 || 1.2 || 14.6

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1988}}

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 74 || 74 || 22.9 || .475 || .000 || .739 || 4.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 1.1 || 10.1

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career

| 1,560 || 789 || 36.8 || .559 || .056 || .721 || 11.2 || 3.6 || .9 || 2.6 || 24.6

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| All-Star

| 18 || 13 || 24.9 || .493 || .000 || .820 || 8.3 || 2.8 || .4 || bgcolor="EOCEF2"|2.1{{double-dagger}} || 13.9

{{S-end}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"|1970

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 10 || {{sort|-|—}} || 43.5 || .567 || {{sort|-|—}} || .733 || 16.8 || 4.1 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 35.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 1971†

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 14 || {{sort|-|—}} || 41.2 || .515 || {{sort|-|—}} || .673 || 17.0 || 2.5 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 26.6

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1972

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 11 || {{sort|-|—}} || 46.4 || .437 || {{sort|-|—}} || .704 || 18.2 || 5.1 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 28.7

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1973

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 6 || {{sort|-|—}} || 46.0 || .428 || {{sort|-|—}} || .543 || 16.2 || 2.8 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || 22.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1974

| style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee

| 16 || {{sort|-|—}} ||47.4 || .557 || {{sort|-|—}} || .736 || 15.8 || 4.9 || 1.3 || 2.4 || 32.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1977

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 11 || {{sort|-|—}} || 42.5 || .607 || {{sort|-|—}} || .725 || 17.7 || 4.1 || 1.7 || 3.5 || 34.6

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1978

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 3 || {{sort|-|—}} || 44.7 || .521 || {{sort|-|—}} || .556 || 13.7 || 3.7 || .7 || 4.0 || 27.0

|-

| style="text-align:left;"|1979

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 8 || {{sort|-|—}} || 45.9 || .579 || {{sort|-|—}} || .839 || 12.6 || 4.8 || 1.0 || 4.1 || 28.5

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 1980†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 15 || {{sort|-|—}} || 41.2 || .572 || {{sort|-|—}} || .790 || 12.1 || 3.1 || 1.1 || 3.9 || 31.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"|1981

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 3 || {{sort|-|—}} || 44.7 || .462 || {{sort|-|—}} || .714 || 16.7 || 4.0 || 1.0 || 2.7 || 26.7

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 1982†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 14 || {{sort|-|—}} || 35.2 || .520 || {{sort|-|—}} || .632 || 8.5 || 3.6 || 1.0 || 3.2 || 20.4

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1983

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 15 || {{sort|-|—}} || 39.2 || .568 || .000 || .755 || 7.7 || 2.8 || 1.1 || 3.7 || 27.1

|-

| style="text-align:left;"|1984

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 21 || {{sort|-|—}} || 36.5 || .555 || {{sort|-|—}} || .750 || 8.2 || 3.8 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 23.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 1985†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 19 || 19 || 32.1 || .560 || {{sort|-|—}} || .777 || 8.1 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 1.9 || 21.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;"|1986

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 14 || 14 || 34.9 || .557 || {{sort|-|—}} || .787 || 5.9 || 3.5 || 1.1 || 1.7 || 25.9

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|1987†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 18 || 18 || 31.1 || .530 || .000 || .795 || 6.8 || 2.0 || .4 || 1.9 || 19.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 1988†

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 24 || 24 || 29.9 || .464 || .000 || .789 || 5.5 || 1.5 || .6 || 1.5 || 14.1

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 1989

| style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers

| 15 || 15 || 23.4 || .463 || {{sort|-|—}} || .721 || 3.9 || 1.3 || .3 || .7 || 11.1

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2| Career

| 237 || 90 || 37.3 || .533 || .000 || .740 || 10.5 || 3.2 || 1.0 || 2.4 || 24.3

{{S-end}}

80px Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)

Halls of Fame

• National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame – Class of 2007{{cite news|last=Marshall|first=John|date=November 18, 2007|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/18/AR2007111801450.html|title=Abdul-Jabbar Honored by College Hall|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 15, 2022}}
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Class of 1995{{cite web|url=http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/kareem-abdul-jabbar |title=Hall of Famers |publisher=Basketball Hall of Fame|access-date=August 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420074450/http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/kareem-abdul-jabbar |archive-date=April 20, 2010 }}
• NYC Basketball Hall of Fame – Inaugural Class of 1990
• Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor – Class of 2003{{Cite web |date=2015-01-21 |title=Pac-12 Men's Basketball Hall Of Honor Inductees - CBS Sacramento |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/pac-12-mens-basketball-hall-of-honor-inductees/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}
• UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame – Inaugural Class of 1984{{Cite web |title=Lew (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Alcindor (1984) - Hall of Fame |url=https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/lew-kareem-abdul-jabbar-alcindor/257 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=UCLA |language=en}}

High School

• 2× Mr. Basketball USA (1964, 1965)
• 3× First-team Parade All-American (1963–1965)

NCAA

• 3× National College Player of the Year
• 3× Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year (1967–1969)
• 2× Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year (1967, 1969){{cite web|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|publisher=Sports Reference|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kareem-abdul-jabbar-1.html#all_leaderboard|access-date=December 21, 2021}}
• 2× Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year (1967, 1969)
• 2× Oscar Robertson Trophy winner (1967, 1968)
• 2× UPI College Basketball Player of the Year (1967, 1969)
• Naismith College Player of the Year (1969)
• 3× Consensus first-team All-American (1967–1969)
• 3× AP first team All-American (1967–1969)
• 3× USBWA first team All-American (1967–1969)
• 3× NABC first team All-American (1967–1969)
• 3× UPI first team All-American (1967–1969)
• 3× NCAA champion (1967–1969)
• 3× NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1967–1969)
• 3× Pac-8 regular season champion (1967–1969){{efn|UCLA played the 1966–67 and 1967–68 seasons in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) conference, which expanded and was renamed to the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8) by the 1968–69 season.[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/pac-12/ Pac-12 Conference @ Sports-Reference]|name=c}}
• 3× First-team All-Pac-8 (1967–1969){{efn|name=c}}
• 3× Pac-8 scoring champion (1967–1969){{efn|name=c}}{{Cite web |title=Men's Pac-12 Conference Yearly Leaders and Records for Points Per Game |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/pac-12/men/leaders/pts-per-g-player-yearly.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
• 3× Pac-8 rebounding leader (1967–1969){{efn|name=c}}{{Cite web |title=Men's Pac-12 Conference Yearly Leaders and Records for Total Rebounds Per Game |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/pac-12/men/leaders/trb-per-g-player-yearly.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Pac-12 Player of the 20th Century{{efn|name=d}}{{Cite web |last=Abdul-Jabbar |first=Kareem |date=2016-03-10 |title=UCLA's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar selected as Pac-12 Men's Basketball Player of the Century (VIDEO) |url=https://skyhookfoundation.org/2016/03/uclas-kareem-abdul-jabbar-selected-as-pac-12-mens-basketball-player-of-the-century-video/ |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=Skyhook Foundation |language=en-US}}
• Pac-12 All-Century Team{{efn|name=d}}{{Cite news |last=FitzGerald |first=Tom |date=2016-03-11 |title=John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lead Pac-12 All-Century team |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wooden-Abdul-Jabbar-lead-Pac-12-All-Century-team-6882601.php |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220529001958/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wooden-Abdul-Jabbar-lead-Pac-12-All-Century-team-6882601.php |archive-date=2022-05-29 |access-date=2025-04-24 |work=SFGATE |language=en-US}}
• No. 33 retired by UCLA Bruins
• UC Presidential Medal (2024){{Cite web |date=2024-09-24 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awarded UC Presidential Medal |url=https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-awarded-uc-presidential-medal |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=University of California |language=en}}
• Pac-12 records{{efn|After expansion, the Pac-8 is now known as the Pac-12.[https://pac-12.com/sports/2024/6/16/history.aspx History of the Pac-12]|name=d}}
• Points per game, career: 26.42{{Cite web |title=Men's Pac-12 Conference Career Leaders and Records for Points Per Game |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/pac-12/men/leaders/pts-per-g-player-career.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Points per game, single-season: 29 (1967){{Cite web |title=Men's Pac-12 Conference Single Season Leaders and Records for Points Per Game |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/pac-12/men/leaders/pts-per-g-player-season.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Total points, single-season: 870 (1967){{Cite web |title=Men's Pac-12 Conference Single Season Leaders and Records for Points |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/pac-12/men/leaders/pts-player-season.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}

NBA

• 6× NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
• 2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985)
• 6× NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
• 19× NBA All-Star (1970–1977, 1979–1989)
• 15× All-NBA{{cite web|title=All-NBA & All-ABA Selections by Player|work=Basketball Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_league_by_player.html|access-date=August 16, 2024}}
• 10× First team (1971–1974, 1976–1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986)
• 5× Second team (1970, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985)
• 11× NBA All-Defensive Team{{cite web|title=All-Defensive Selections by Player|work=Basketball Reference|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/all_defense_by_player.html|access-date=August 16, 2024}}
• 5× First team (1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1981)
• 6× Second team (1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1984)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1970)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team ({{nbay|1969|end}})
• 2× NBA scoring champion ({{nbay|1970|end}}, {{nbay|1971|end}})
• NBA rebounding leader ({{nbay|1975|end}})
• 4× NBA blocks leader ({{nbay|1974|end}}, {{nbay|1975|end}}, {{nbay|1978|end}}, {{nbay|1979|end}})
• Elected to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team
• One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)
• Elected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021)
• {{abbr|No.|Number}} 33 retired by Milwaukee Bucks
• No. 33 retired by Los Angeles Lakers
• November 16, 2012 – a statue of Abdul-Jabbar was unveiled in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles{{cite news|first=Helene|last=Elliot|title=Lakers honor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with long-awaited statue|date=November 17, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2012-nov-17-la-sp-lakers-fyi-20121117-story.html|access-date=December 22, 2021}}

As head coach:

• USBL champion (2002)

As assistant coach:

• 2× NBA champion ({{nbafy|2009}}, {{nbafy|2010}})

Media

• 6× Sporting News NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
• 2× Sam Davis Memorial Award (1971, 1974){{Cite web |title=Sam Davis Memorial Award (MBWA NBA MVP) Winners |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/sam_davis.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (1985){{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=Kareem Is Second NBA Player Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year|date=December 18, 1985|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-18-sp-26615-story.html|access-date=December 22, 2021}}
• Sporting News Rookie of the Year (1970){{Cite web |title=NBA Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award Winners |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/tsn_roy.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Hy Turkin Memorial Award (1970){{Cite web |title=Hy Turkin Memorial Award (MBWA NBA Rookie of the Year) Winners |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hy_turkin.html |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}
• Associated Press NBA 1970s All-Decade First Team{{Cite web |date=2021-12-16 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar headlines AP's 1970s all-decade NBA team |url=https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-milwaukee-bucks-boston-celtics-rick-barry-2b4490bef1be035a46afa7fd4147f847 |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=AP News |language=en}}
• Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award (1989){{Cite web |title=All Honorees |url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/all-honorees/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Academy of Achievement |language=en-US}}
• Marca Leyenda (2010){{cite news|title=El MARCA Leyenda se acerca al cielo con Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|date=June 3, 2010|work=Marca|url=https://www.marca.com/2010/06/03/baloncesto/nba/1275544476.html|access-date=April 16, 2025|lang=es}}
• Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award (2016){{Cite web |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown and Bill Russell to Receive the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award {{!}} Los Angeles Lakers |url=https://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/161130-kareem-si-legacy-award |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.nba.com |language=en}}
• W. E. B. Du Bois Medal (2022){{Cite web |title=W. E. B. Du Bois Medal Recipients {{!}} The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research |url=https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/people/w-e-b-du-bois-medal-recipients?page=13 |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu}}

File:Kareem and I.jpg and Abdul-Jabbar on the set of Diff'rent Strokes, c. 1982]]

Playing in Los Angeles facilitated Abdul-Jabbar's trying his hand at acting. He made his film debut in Bruce Lee's 1972 film Game of Death.{{cite web|last=Raymond|first=Nicholas|date=March 20, 2021|url=https://screenrant.com/game-death-movie-bruce-lee-kareem-abdul-jabbar/|title=Bruce Lee's Game Of Death: Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Really Cameoed|website=Screen Rant|access-date=January 11, 2022}}

In 1980, Abdul-Jabbar played co-pilot Roger Murdock in Airplane! He has a scene in which a little boy looks at him and remarks that he is in fact Abdul-Jabbar, spoofing the appearance of football star Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch as an airplane pilot in the 1957 drama that served as the inspiration for Airplane!, Zero Hour!{{cite news|first=Micah|last=Mertes|title='Don't call me Shirley': Memorable 'Airplane' lines, little-known facts|date=May 24, 2017|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|url=https://omaha.com/arts-and-theatre/dont-call-me-shirley-memorable-airplane-lines-little-known-facts/article_3fa43866-3ff0-11e7-83a6-1b6a3468c938.html|access-date=July 12, 2021}} Staying in character, Abdul-Jabbar states that he is merely Roger Murdock, an airline co-pilot; the boy continues to insist that Abdul-Jabbar is "the greatest", but that according to his father he does not "work hard on defense" and that he does not "really try, except during the playoffs".{{cite news|first=Jeffrey|last=Zupanic|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, from 'Airplane!' to Mount Union|date=April 5, 2017|newspaper=Kent Record-Courier|url=https://www.record-courier.com/sports/20170405/kareem-abdul-jabbar-from-airplane-to-mount-union|access-date=July 12, 2021|archive-date=July 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712182915/https://www.record-courier.com/sports/20170405/kareem-abdul-jabbar-from-airplane-to-mount-union|url-status=dead}} This causes Abdul-Jabbar's character to snap and break character: "The hell I don't!" He then grabs the boy and snarls that he has "been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA" and been "busting my buns every night!" He instructs the boy: "Tell your old man to drag [Bill] Walton and [Bob] Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."{{cite web|first1=Jim|last1=Abrahams|first2=David|last2=Zucker|first3=Jerry|last3=Zucker|title=A I R P L A N E ! Shooting Script|date=June 11, 1979|url=https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/Airplane_script.htm|access-date=July 13, 2021|via=DailyScript.com}} When Murdock loses consciousness later in the film, he collapses at the controls wearing Abdul-Jabbar's goggles and yellow Lakers' shorts. In 2014, Abdul-Jabbar and Airplane! co-star Robert Hays (character Ted Striker) reprised their Airplane! roles in a parody commercial promoting Wisconsin tourism.{{cite news|first=Denver|last=Nicks|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Reprises 'Airplane' Role in Wisconsin Tourism Ad|date=March 4, 2014|magazine=Time|url=https://time.com/12312/kareem-abdul-jabbar-reprises-airplane-role-in-wisconsin-tourism-ad/|access-date=July 12, 2021}}

File:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rally to Restore Sanity andor Fear.jpg with Comedy Central hosts Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart]]

Abdul-Jabbar has had numerous other television and film appearances, often playing himself. He has had roles in movies such as Fletch, Troop Beverly Hills and Forget Paris, and television series such as Full House, Living Single, Amen, Everybody Loves Raymond, Martin, Diff'rent Strokes (his height humorously contrasted with that of diminutive child star Gary Coleman), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Scrubs, 21 Jump Street,{{cite web|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabaar|work=Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kareem_abduljabbar|access-date=July 4, 2021}} Emergency!, Man from Atlantis, and New Girl.{{cite news |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar guest stars on Fox's 'New Girl' on Tuesday |date=April 10, 2012 | access-date=April 12, 2012 | author=Mark Medina | work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-kareem-abduljabbar-gueststars-in-foxs-new-girl-tuesday-night-20120410,0,7092038.story }} Abdul-Jabbar played a genie in a lamp in a 1984 episode of Tales from the Darkside. He also played himself on the February 10, 1994, episode of the sketch comedy television series In Living Color.{{cite news|first=Curt|last=Fields|title=An All-Star Lineup 'In Living Color'|date=April 14, 2006|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/04/14/an-all-star-lineup-in-living-color/363b224a-6c5a-4e3f-9feb-28d591e1b40a/|access-date=July 13, 2021}}

Abdul-Jabbar appeared in the television version of Stephen King's The Stand, played the Archangel of Basketball in Slam Dunk Ernest, and had a brief non-speaking cameo appearance in BASEketball.{{cite web|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar List of Movies and TV Shows|work=TV Guide|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kareem-abdul-jabbar/credits/3000098854/|access-date=July 13, 2021}} Abdul-Jabbar was also the co-executive producer of the 1994 TV film The Vernon Johns Story.{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Kilian|title=Vernon Johns: A New Hero For America|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-01-16-9401160435-story.html|access-date=July 13, 2021}} He has also made appearances on The Colbert Report in a 2006 skit called "HipHopKetball II: The ReJazzebration Remix '06",{{cite web|url=https://www.cc.com/video/8vssl2/the-colbert-report-hiphopketball-ii-the-rejazzebration-remix-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725064147/https://www.cc.com/video/8vssl2/the-colbert-report-hiphopketball-ii-the-rejazzebration-remix-06|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 25, 2021|title=HipHopKetball II: The ReJazzebration Remix '06|publisher=Comedy Central|date=March 14, 2006|access-date=April 15, 2022}} and in 2008 as a stage manager who is sent out on a mission to find Nazi gold.{{cite web|url=https://www.cc.com/video/mogf73/the-colbert-report-das-booty-hitler-s-gold-pt-2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617205905/https://www.cc.com/video/mogf73/the-colbert-report-das-booty-hitler-s-gold-pt-2|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 17, 2021|title=Das Booty – Hitler's Gold Pt. 2|publisher=Comedy Central|date=March 18, 2008|access-date=April 15, 2022}} Abdul-Jabbar also voiced himself in a 2011 episode of The Simpsons titled "Love Is a Many Strangled Thing".{{cite web|title=The Simpsons – Season 22 Episode 17|work=Rotten Tomatoes|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_simpsons/s22/e17|access-date=July 13, 2021}} He had a recurring role as himself on the NBC series Guys with Kids, which aired from 2012 to 2013. On Al Jazeera English he expressed his desire to be remembered not just as a player, but also as somebody who used their mind and made other contributions.{{cite AV media|title=One on One – Kareem Abdul Jabbar – Part 2|date=February 6, 2010|publisher=Al Jazeera English|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZf-PZmwp0&t=610s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/9UZf-PZmwp0| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|time=10:10|access-date=July 13, 2021}}{{cbignore}}

Abdul-Jabbar appeared in the music video for "Good Goodbye", a 2017 song by rock band Linkin Park featuring rappers Pusha T and Stormzy. In the video, Abdul-Jabbar plays the role of a warlord or emperor of a dunk contest where Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington has to dunk on several people in order to save his own life. In an interview about the video, Bennington said that he believes Abdul-Jabbar is the "greatest [basketball] player of all-time".{{cite magazine |last=Platon |first= Adelle|date= May 5, 2017|title= Watch Chester Bennington Ball Hard to Save His Life in Linkin Park's 'Good Goodbye' Video |url= https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/linkin-park-good-goodbye-video-7784873/ |magazine=Billboard |location= |publisher= Penske Media Corporation|access-date=September 12, 2024}}

In February 2019, he appeared in season 12 episode 16 of The Big Bang Theory, "The D&D Vortex".{{cite web|last1=Dicker|first1=Ron|title=Melissa Rauch And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Make Quite A Pair In 'Big Bang Theory' Photo|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/melissa-rauch-kareem-abdul-jabbar_n_5c5aff84e4b087104759c01d|access-date=December 5, 2021|website=HuffPost|date=February 6, 2019}} In 2021, Abdul-Jabbar made a guest appearance as himself in a season 2 episode of Dave. The episode he appeared in was also named after him.{{cite news|last=Keveney|first=Bill|date=June 30, 2021|title=How Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dunking on 'Dave' fits rapper's self-deprecating TV persona|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/06/30/kendall-jenner-kareem-abdul-jabbar-lil-dicky-dave-season-2/7785584002/|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=April 15, 2022}} Abdul-Jabbar makes a cameo appearance as himself in the 2022 Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.{{Cite magazine |last=Lee Lenker |first=Maureen |date=November 25, 2022 |title=Angela Lansbury filmed her Glass Onion role on a laptop: Inside all the Knives Out 2 cameos |url=https://ew.com/movies/glass-onion-knives-out-cameos-stephen-sondheim-angela-lansbury-more/ |access-date=November 25, 2022 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} In 2023, Abdul-Jabbar appeared as himself in season 7, episode 3 of the Showtime series Billions.{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Olivia |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Cameo in Billions Season 7 Episode 3 |url=https://www.tvacute.com/kareem-abdul-jabbars-cameo-in-billions-season-7-episode-3/ |website=TV Acute |date=August 25, 2023 |access-date=8 December 2023}}

In September 2018, Abdul-Jabbar was announced as one of the writers for the July 2019 revival of Veronica Mars.{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2797662-kareem-abdul-jabbar-joins-writing-staff-of-veronica-mars-tv-show-reboot|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Joins Writing Staff of 'Veronica Mars' TV Show Reboot|last=Polacek|first=Scott|date=September 25, 2018|website=Bleacher Report|access-date=June 9, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Crucchiola|first=Jordan|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/veronica-mars-writers-room-adds-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html|title=Veronica Mars Writers Room Adds Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Of Course|date=September 25, 2018|website=Vulture|access-date=June 9, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/04/28/veronica-mars-kareem-abdul-jabbar-writing-staff-hulu-revival/|title=How Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Ended Up Writing for the Veronica Mars Revival|last=Gelman|first=Vlada|date=April 28, 2019|website=TVLine|access-date=June 9, 2019}}

On February 10, 2011, Abdul-Jabbar debuted his film On the Shoulders of Giants, documenting the tumultuous journey of the famed yet often-overlooked New York Renaissance professional basketball team, at Science Park High School in Newark, New Jersey. The event was simulcast live throughout the school, city, and state.{{cite news| publisher=New Jersey Star Ledger| title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tells Newark students a tale worth learning| url=http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/02/dalessandro_kareem_abdul-jabba.html| date=February 11, 2011| access-date=February 11, 2011}} In 2015, he appeared in Kareem: Minority of One, an HBO documentary on his life.{{cite news|last=Lowry |first=Brian |title=TV Review: 'Kareem: Minority Of One' |date=November 2, 2015 |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/kareem-minority-of-one-review-kareem-abdul-jabbar-hbo-sports-documentary-1201628042/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104033741/http://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/kareem-minority-of-one-review-kareem-abdul-jabbar-hbo-sports-documentary-1201628042/ |archive-date=November 4, 2015 |url-status=live }} In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar was the executive producer and narrator of the History channel special Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution.{{cite web|title=HISTORY® Announces 'Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution'|website=History.com|url=https://www.history.com/blackpatriots|access-date=July 13, 2021}} He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his narration.{{cite web|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|work=Emmys.com|url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/kareem-abdul-jabbar|access-date=July 13, 2021}}

Abdul-Jabbar participated in the 2013 ABC reality series Splash, a celebrity diving competition.{{cite press release |title=Bucks Legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar Making a Splash |url=http://www.nba.com/bucks/features/bucks-legend-kareem-abdul-jabbar-making-splash |work=NBA.com |date=February 8, 2013}} In April 2018, Abdul-Jabbar competed in the all-athlete season of season 26 of Dancing with the Stars and partnered with professional dancer Lindsay Arnold.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/adam-rippon-tonya-harding-superstar-athletes-face-off/story?id=54406972|title=Adam Rippon, Tonya Harding and more superstar athletes to face-off in Dancing With the Stars season 26|website=ABC News|first=Catherine|last=Thorbecke|date=April 13, 2018|access-date=April 13, 2018}}

File:Kareem1vl1.jpg

In 1967, Abdul-Jabbar was the only college athlete to attend the Cleveland Summit, a meeting of prominent black athletes who convened in support of Muhammad Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War.

Abdul-Jabbar became a best-selling author and cultural critic.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/09/kareem-abdul-jabbar-veronica-mars|title=Yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Really Writing for the New Veronica Mars|last=Desta|first=Yohana|date=September 26, 2018|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=June 9, 2019}}{{cite news|first=Rory|last=Carroll|title=On this day: Born April 16, 1947: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player|date=April 15, 2020|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sport-anniversary-abduljabbar-idUSKCN21X0N8|access-date=July 4, 2021}} He published several books, mostly on African-American history.{{cite news|first=William C.|last=Rhoden|title=Locker Room Talk: Abdul-Jabbar Is The Best Basketball Player—Period|date=June 14, 2017|work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/kareem-abdul-jabbar-is-the-best-basketball-player-ever/|access-date=July 4, 2021}} His first book, his autobiography Giant Steps, was written in 1983 with co-author Peter Knobler. The book's title is an homage to jazz great John Coltrane, referring to his album Giant Steps. Others include On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance,{{cite book | last1=Abdul-Jabbar | first1=Kareem | author1-link=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | last2=Obstfeld | first2=Raymond | author2-link=Raymond Obstfeld | title=On The Shoulders Of Giants : My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance | publisher=Simon & Schuster | publication-place=New York | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-4165-3488-4 | oclc=76168045 | pages=1–288 | s2cid=190584066}} {{isbn|978-1-4165-4991-8}}. co-written with Raymond Obstfeld, and Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, World War II's Forgotten Heroes, co-written with Anthony Walton, which is a history of the first black armored unit to fight in World War II.{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Zeise|title=Plight of WWII black battalion brought to light|date=May 16, 2004|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/book-reviews/2004/05/16/Plight-of-WWII-black-battalion-brought-to-light/stories/200405160182|access-date=December 23, 2021}}

In 2015, Abdul-Jabbar made his adult fiction writing debut with the Victorian mystery novel Mycroft Holmes, based around the titular character from the Sherlock Holmes stories.{{cite news|first=Alison|last=Flood|title=Basketball veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pens story of Sherlock Homes's brother|date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/24/nba-basketball-kareem-abdul-jabbar-sherlock-homes-brother-mycroft|access-date=October 31, 2024}} Two sequels followed: Mycroft and Sherlock (2018) and Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage (2019). All three titles were co-written with Anna Waterhouse.{{cite news|first=James|last=Parker|title='The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories' and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 'Mycroft Holmes'|date=October 26, 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/01/books/review/the-big-book-of-sherlock-holmes-stories-and-kareem-abdul-jabbars-mycroft-holmes.html|access-date=October 31, 2024}}{{cite news|title=MYCROFT AND SHERLOCK: THE EMPTY BIRDCAGE|work=San Francisco Book Review|url=https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/product/mycroft-and-sherlock-the-empty-birdcage/|access-date=October 31, 2024}}

A regular contributor to discussions about issues of race and religion, among other topics, in national magazines and on television, Abdul-Jabbar has written a regular column for Time. He appeared on Meet the Press on January 25, 2015, to talk about a column saying that Islam should not be blamed for the actions of violent extremists, just as Christianity has not been blamed for the actions of violent extremists who profess Christianity.{{cite magazine|last=Abdul-Jabbar|first=Kareem|date=January 9, 2015|url=https://time.com/3662152/kareem-abdul-jabbar-paris-charlie-hebdo-terrorist-attacks-are-not-about-religion/|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: These Terrorist Attacks Are Not About Religion|magazine=Time|access-date=January 27, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/kareem-abdul-jabbar-meet-press-islam-religion-peace-n293201|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Meet the Press|publisher=NBC News|date=January 25, 2015|access-date=January 27, 2015}} When asked about being Muslim, he said: "I don't have any misgiving about my faith. I'm very concerned about the people who claim to be Muslims that are murdering people and creating all this mayhem in the world. That is not what Islam is about, and that should not be what people think of when they think about Muslims. But it's up to all of us to do something about all of it."{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Michael|date=November 1, 2015|url=https://www.npr.org/2015/11/01/453739566/kareem-abdul-jabbar-if-its-time-to-speak-up-you-have-to-speak-up|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 'If It's Time To Speak Up, You Have To Speak Up'|publisher=NPR|access-date=April 15, 2022}}

In November 2014, Abdul-Jabbar published an essay in Jacobin calling for just compensation for college athletes, writing that "in the name of fairness, we must bring an end to the indentured servitude of college athletes and start paying them what they are worth."{{cite journal |url=https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/11/college-athletes-of-the-world-unite/ |title=College Athletes of the World, Unite |last=Abdul-Jabbar |first=Kareem |journal=Jacobin |date=November 12, 2014 |access-date=December 14, 2014}} Commenting on Donald Trump's 2017 travel ban, he condemned it, saying: "The absence of reason and compassion is the very definition of pure evil because it is a rejection of our sacred values, distilled from millennia of struggle."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZNbaDwAAQBAJ&q=%22The+absence+of+reason+and+compassion+is+the+very+definition+of+pure+evil+because+it+is+a+rejection+of+our+sacred+values%2C+distilled+from+millennia+of+struggle.%22&pg=PA162|title=42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy|page=162|isbn=9781479805624|last=Long|first=Michael G.|date=February 9, 2021|publisher=NYU Press }}

In 2017, Abdul-Jabber spoke at an event marking Ramadan organized by the Israeli consul Sam Grundwerg at the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles, stressing the importance of Muslim-Jewish relations and cross-cultural exchange.{{cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/kareem-abdul-jabbar-attends-israeli-ramadan-event/|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins Israeli Ramadan event|website=The Times of Israel|access-date=2025-01-07}}

In June 2021, he published an essay in Jacobin on the negative impact on public health of those refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, criticizing Kyrie Irving, among others.{{Cite web |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Jacobin: On Kyrie Irving's Vaccine Refusal |url=https://jacobin.com/2021/10/kareem-abdul-jabbar-nba-basketball-covid-vaccine-kyrie-irving |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Jacobin|language=en-US}} Abdul-Jabbar began publishing an online newsletter in 2021.{{cite news|first=Marc|last=Stein|title=One-on-one with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|date=September 14, 2021|work=The Stein Line|url=https://marcstein.substack.com/p/one-on-one-with-kareem-abdul-jabbar|access-date=January 12, 2025|quote=The 74-year-old stopped playing five years before this fiftysomething started covering the NBA full-time, so I've never interviewed him at length until now, but we had a chat over email over the weekend about his writing (and some pressing NBA topics) after he made another publishing splash last Friday by launching his own Substack.}}

File:Secretary Clinton with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.jpg and Abdul-Jabbar, 2012]]

In January 2012, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Abdul-Jabbar had accepted a position as a cultural ambassador for the United States.{{cite news | last=Beck | first=Howard | title=Abdul-Jabbar Drafted by U.S. as Cultural Ambassador | work=The New York Times | date=January 18, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/sports/basketball/nba-basketball-roundup.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/sports/basketball/nba-basketball-roundup.html |archive-date=2022-01-03 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | access-date=August 20, 2019}}{{cbignore}} During the announcement press conference, Abdul-Jabbar commented on the historical legacy of African-Americans as representatives of U.S. culture: "I remember when Louis Armstrong first did it back for President Kennedy, one of my heroes. So it's nice to be following in his footsteps."[https://web.archive.org/web/20120123022225/http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/01/181301.htm Remarks With Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] . U.S. Department of State. January 18, 2012. As part of this role, Abdul-Jabbar traveled to Brazil to promote education for local youths.{{cite web|url=https://eca.state.gov/video/kareem-abdul-jabbar-global-cultural-ambassador|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Global Cultural Ambassador – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs|website=eca.state.gov}}

Former President Barack Obama announced in his last days of office that he has appointed Abdul-Jabbar along with Gabrielle Douglas and Carli Lloyd to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.{{cite news| work=Fox News| title=Obama makes wave of final appointments for well-connected friends, celebs| url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-makes-wave-of-final-appointments-for-well-connected-friends-celebs/| date=January 18, 2017| access-date=January 18, 2017}}

In January 2017, Abdul-Jabbar was appointed to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee by United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin. According to the United States Mint, Abdul-Jabbar is a keen coin collector whose interest in the life of Alexander Hamilton had led him into the hobby. He resigned in 2018 due to what the Mint described as "increasing personal obligations".{{cite web |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Step Down from Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee |url=https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/kareem-abdul-jabbar-to-step-down-from-citizens-coinage-advisory-committee |website=usmint.gov |date=April 5, 2018 |publisher=United States Mint |access-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207214208/https://www.usmint.gov/news/press-releases/kareem-abdul-jabbar-to-step-down-from-citizens-coinage-advisory-committee |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |url-status=live}}

File:Basketball Legends.jpg in January 2005]]

Abdul-Jabbar met Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown) at a Lakers game during his senior year at UCLA.{{cite book|last=Abdul-Jabbar|first=Kareem|title=Giant Steps|year=1983|publisher=Bantam Books|location=New York|isbn=0-553-05044-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/giantsteps00abdurich/page/227 227]|url=https://archive.org/details/giantsteps00abdurich/page/227}} They married in 1971,{{cite news|title=No Lew Help|date=May 29, 1971|newspaper=El Paso Herald-Post|agency=UPI|page=A-6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-herald-post/125835324/|access-date=June 4, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}} and together had three children: daughters Habiba and Sultana and son Kareem Jr., who played basketball at Western Kentucky after attending Valparaiso.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-04-16-9604160129-story.html |title=Kareem's Son To Leave Valparaiso |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=February 21, 2019}}{{cite web |url=http://kareemabduljabbar.com/?m=200803 |title=The Official Website of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar '2008' March |website=KareemAbdulJabbar.com |access-date=December 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123223848/http://kareemabduljabbar.com/?m=200803 |archive-date=November 23, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Abdul-Jabbar and Janice divorced in 1978. He has another son, Amir, with Cheryl Pistono. Another son, Adam, made an appearance on the TV sitcom Full House with him.{{cite news|first=Stephanie|last=Toone|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son accused of stabbing his neighbor|date=June 13, 2020|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-son-accused-stabbing-his-neighbor/juHzpliVsH35a3RcE96ErO/|access-date=July 4, 2021}}

In 1983, Abdul-Jabbar's house burned down. Many of his belongings, including his beloved jazz LP collection of about 3,000 albums, were destroyed.{{cite news|title=NBA Notes: Kareem loses a lot|date=February 11, 1983|first=Ron|last=Thomas|newspaper=USA Today|page=5C}} Many Lakers fans sent and brought him albums, which he found uplifting.{{cite news| url=http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_1.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Talking with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Part I | date=January 25, 2006 | access-date=May 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915152613/http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2006/01/talking_with_ka_1.html|archive-date=September 15, 2018}}

In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar performed a tribute to friend Muhammad Ali along with Chance the Rapper.{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Janice|date=July 12, 2016|title=2016 Espy Award Nominees|url=http://www.designntrend.com/articles/80585/20160712/2016-espy-awards-air-date-time-where-watch-live-stream-presenters-nominees-info-poll.htm/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715074451/http://www.designntrend.com/articles/80585/20160712/2016-espy-awards-air-date-time-where-watch-live-stream-presenters-nominees-info-poll.htm|archive-date=July 15, 2016|access-date=July 15, 2016}}

Alcindor grew up in the Catholic Church, but abandoned the faith when he left his home in New York for UCLA.{{cite news |last= Abdul-Jabbar|first=Kareem |date=May 4, 2017 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on being Muslim from the Sixties to today |url=https://www.fosters.com/story/lifestyle/2017/05/04/kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-being-muslim-from-sixties-to-today/21151135007/ |work=Foster's Daily Democrat |location= |access-date=June 9, 2024}} At age 24 in 1971, he converted to Islam and legally became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means "noble one, servant of the Almighty". He was named by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis of the Hanafi Movement which split from the Nation of Islam.{{cite news |last1=Abdul-Jabbar |first1=Kareem|title=Why I converted to Islam |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/3/why-i-converted-to-islam.html |department=Opinion |newspaper=Al Jazeera |access-date=January 26, 2020 |date=March 29, 2015}}{{cite web|title=KAREEM STILL CONTROLS 'ALCINDOR' NAME, COURT RULES|date=February 9, 1996|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-02-09-9602090189-story.html|access-date=January 10, 2023}} Abdul-Jabbar purchased and donated 7700 16th Street NW, a house in Washington, D.C., for Khaalis to use as the Hanafi Madh-Hab Center; a few years later, the location would become the place of the 1973 Hanafi Muslim massacre. Eventually, Kareem "found that [he] disagreed with some of Hamaas' teachings about the Quran, and [they] parted ways." In 1973, Abdul-Jabbar embarked on a pilgrimage to Libya and Saudi Arabia with the goal of learning enough Arabic for self-study of the Quran, and he "emerged from this pilgrimage with [his] beliefs clarified and [his] faith renewed". Abdul-Jabbar was also heavily influenced by Malcolm X, a leader of the Nation of Islam. Abdul-Jabbar was invited to join the group, but he declined.{{cite magazine|title=Center in a Storm|date=February 19, 1973|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1973/02/19/center-in-a-storm|access-date=December 23, 2021}}

Abdul-Jabbar has spoken about the thinking that was behind his name change when he converted to Islam.{{cite news|last=Carswell|first=Shirley|date=February 16, 2017|title=Who is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?|url=https://thehilltoponline.com/2017/02/16/who-is-kareem-abdul-jabbar/|newspaper=The Hilltop|access-date=October 8, 2021}} He stated that he was "latching on to something that was part of my heritage, because many of the slaves who were brought here were Muslims. My family was brought to America by a French planter named Alcindor, who came here from Trinidad in the 18th century. My people were Yoruba, and their culture survived slavery ... My father found out about that when I was a kid, and it gave me all I needed to know that, hey, I was somebody, even if nobody else knew about it. When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people. And that's a terrible burden on black people, because they don't have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted."{{cite magazine|last=Linderman|first=Larry|date=June 1, 1986|url=https://www.playboy.com/read/the-playboy-interview-with-kareem-abdul-jabbar|title=A candid conversation with one of the greatest basketball players of all time|magazine=Playboy|access-date=April 15, 2022}} His name change further eroded his public image in the United States, mostly in white areas.{{cite news|first=Bill|last=Dwyre|title=Let's appreciate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar while he's still with us|date=January 21, 2015|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/nba/la-sp-kareem-abdul-jabbar-dwyre-20150421-column.html|access-date=December 23, 2021}}

In 1998, Abdul-Jabbar reached a settlement after he sued Miami Dolphins running back Karim Abdul-Jabbar (now Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, born Sharmon Shah) because he felt Karim was profiting off the name he made famous by having the Abdul-Jabbar moniker and number 33 on his Dolphins jersey. As a result, the younger Abdul-Jabbar had to change his jersey nameplate to "Abdul" while playing for the Dolphins.{{cite news | title=Abdul-Jabbars Settle Their Suit |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 30, 1998 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/30/sports/plus-sports-marketing-abdul-jabbars-settle-their-suit.html |access-date=August 20, 2019 |agency=Associated Press }} The football player had also been an athlete at UCLA.{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n2_v93/ai_20048711 |title=NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wants NFL player to stop using name – the former Sharmon Shah, Miami Dolphin running back being sued by former basketball player|work=Jet|date=Dec 1, 1997|access-date=August 16, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312130135/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n2_v93/ai_20048711 |archive-date=March 12, 2007 }}

Abdul-Jabbar suffers from migraines,{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/28/sports/transferring-a-headache.html | work=The New York Times | title=Transferring A Headache | first=Dave | last=Anderson | date=May 28, 1984 | access-date=May 2, 2010}} and his use of cannabis to reduce the symptoms has had legal ramifications.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/841057.stm |work=BBC Sport | title=Abdul-Jabbar in drug arrest | date=July 19, 2000 | access-date=May 2, 2010}} In November 2009, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he was suffering from a form of leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The disease was diagnosed in December 2008, but Abdul-Jabbar said his condition could be managed by taking oral medication daily, seeing his specialist every other month, and having his blood analyzed regularly. He expressed in a 2009 press conference that he did not believe the illness would stop him from leading a normal life.{{cite news| url=https://latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kareem-abdul-jabbar10-2009nov10,0,1889183.story | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has leukemia | first=Broderick | last=Turner | date=November 10, 2009 | access-date=May 2, 2010}}{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/basketball/8352274.stm |work=BBC Sport | title=Abdul-Jabbar battling leukaemia | date=November 10, 2009 | access-date=May 2, 2010}} Abdul-Jabbar is a spokesman for Novartis, the company that produces Gleevec, his cancer medication.{{cite news|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar updates health |agency=Associated Press |date=February 10, 2011 |work=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6108928 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213055233/http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6108928 |archive-date=February 13, 2011 |url-status=live }}

In February 2011, Abdul-Jabbar announced via Twitter that his leukemia was gone and he was "100% cancer free".{{cite news|url=http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/02/kareem-abdul-jabbar-tweets-that-hes-100-cancer-free.html|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tweets that he's 100% cancer free|work=Los Angeles Times|date=February 4, 2011|access-date=February 5, 2011|archive-date=August 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820095245/http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/02/kareem-abdul-jabbar-tweets-that-hes-100-cancer-free.html|url-status=dead}} A few days later, he clarified his misstatement: "You're never really cancer-free and I should have known that. My cancer right now is at an absolute minimum." In April 2015, Abdul-Jabbar was admitted to hospital when he was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Later that week, on his 68th birthday, he underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery at the UCLA Medical Center.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/12710716/kareem-abdul-jabbar-bypass-surgery|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has quadruple bypass surgery|access-date=April 18, 2015|last=Holmes|first=Baxter|date=April 17, 2015|publisher=ESPN}}

In 2020 Abdul-Jabbar revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer eleven years earlier.{{cite web | url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/kareem-abdul-jabbar-opens-prostate-cancer-diagnosis-raise-74709942 | title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar opens up about prostate cancer diagnosis to raise awareness about health care disparities }}

In February 2023, he spoke out about his atrial fibrillation diagnosis. He partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer's "No Time to Wait"{{cite web |url=https://www.notimetowait.com/kareem-abdul-jabbar-story |title= How I found out I had AFib - Kareen Abdul-Jabbar |website= no time to wait |publisher= Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer |access-date = March 4, 2023}} to raise awareness of the symptoms of the irregular and rapid heart rhythm condition which increase the risk of stroke.{{cite web |url=https://www.today.com/health/kareem-abdul-jabbar-shares-warning-signs-atrial-fibrillation-diagnosis-rcna70992 |title= Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks out about atrial fibrillation diagnosis and shares symptoms |last=Kaplan |first=Anna |date= February 16, 2023 |work=Today |access-date= March 4, 2023}} In December 2023, he was hospitalized after he fell and broke his hip while attending a concert.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nba-legend-kareem-abdul-jabbar-hospitalized-l-breaking-hip-rcna130102|title=NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hospitalized in L.A. after breaking his hip|work=NBC News|first=Minyvonne|last=Burke|date=December 16, 2023|access-date=December 16, 2023}}

In 2011, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Double Helix Medal for his work in raising awareness for cancer research.{{cite web|url=http://doublehelixmedals.cshl.edu/history_11.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130106101751/http://doublehelixmedals.cshl.edu/history_11.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 6, 2013|title=Double Helix Medals Dinner|publisher=Doublehelixmedals.cshl.edu|access-date=December 18, 2012}}[http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/17/kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-being-honored-with-double-helix-medal-nba-lockout/ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on being honored with Double Helix Medal, NBA lockout"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507211818/http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/17/kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-being-honored-with-double-helix-medal-nba-lockout/ |date=May 7, 2015 }}. CNN – American Morning. (November 17, 2007). Retrieved June 8, 2015. Also in 2011, Abdul-Jabbar received an honorary degree from New York Institute of Technology.{{cite web|url=http://www.nyit.edu/index.php/videos/viewer/kareem_abdul-jabbar/|title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: NYIT Commencement 2011|access-date=February 14, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126202532/http://www.nyit.edu/index.php/videos/viewer/kareem_abdul-jabbar/|archive-date=November 26, 2015}} In 2016, Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama.{{cite web|url=https://kareemabduljabbar.com/|title=Home – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|website=KareemAbdulJabbar.com|access-date=June 25, 2019}} In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for his work on the documentary special Black Patriots: Heroes of The Revolution. After receiving an honorary degree from the same,{{Cite news |last=Huntington |first=Lucia |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Six honorary degrees to be awarded at 374th Commencement |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/05/six-honorary-degrees-to-be-awarded-at-374th-commencement/ |access-date=May 29, 2025 |work=Harvard Gazette}} Abdul-Jabbar was named Havard College Class Day speaker in 2025.{{Cite news |last=Speers |first=Laura |date=April 22, 2025 |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar named Class Day speaker |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/04/kareem-abdul-jabbar-named-harvard-college-class-day-speaker/ |access-date=May 28, 2025 |work=Harvard Gazette}}

{{incomplete list|date=May 2016}}

• {{cite book|last1=Abdul-Jabbar|first1=Kareem|last2=Knobler|first2=Peter|year=1983|title=Giant Steps|title-link=Giant Steps (book)|location=New York|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=0553050443}}
• Kareem, with Mignon McCarthy (1990) {{ISBN|0-394-55927-4}}.
• Selected from Giant Steps (Writers' Voices) (1999) {{ISBN|0-7857-9912-5}}.
• Black Profiles in Courage: A Legacy of African-American Achievement, with Alan Steinberg (1996) {{ISBN|0-688-13097-6}}.
• A Season on the Reservation: My Sojourn with the White Mountain Apaches, with Stephen Singular (2000) {{ISBN|0-688-17077-3}}.
• Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, World War II's Forgotten Heroes with Anthony Walton (2004) {{ISBN|978-0-7679-0913-6}}.
• On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance with Raymond Obstfeld (2007) {{ISBN|978-1-4165-3488-4}}.
• What Color Is My World? The Lost History of African American Inventors with Raymond Obstfeld (2012) {{ISBN|978-0-7636-4564-9}}.
• Streetball Crew Book One Sasquatch in the Paint with Raymond Obstfeld (2013) {{ISBN|978-1-4231-7870-5}}.
• Streetball Crew Book Two Stealing the Game with Raymond Obstfeld (2015) {{ISBN|978-1423178712}}.
• Mycroft Holmes with Anna Waterhouse (September 2015) {{ISBN|978-1-7832-9153-3}}.
• Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White with Raymond Obstfeld (2016) {{ISBN|978-1-6189-3171-9}}.
• Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court (2017) {{ISBN|978-1538760468}}.
• Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court (2017) {{ISBN|978-0316555388}}.
• {{cite book|title=Mycroft Holmes and The Apocalypse Handbook|others=Illustrated by Josh Cassara|publisher=Titan Comics|year=2017|isbn=978-1785853005}}
• Mycroft and Sherlock with Anna Waterhouse (October 9, 2018) {{ISBN|978-1785659256}}.
• Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage with Anna Waterhouse (September 24, 2019) {{ISBN|978-1785659300}}.

• On the Shoulders of Giants: An Audio Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance 8-CD Set Vol. 1–4, with Avery Brooks, Jesse L. Martin, Maya Angelou, Herbie Hancock, Billy Crystal, Charles Barkley, James Worthy, Julius Erving, Jerry West, Clyde Drexler, Bill Russell, Coach John Wooden, Stanley Crouch, Quincy Jones and other chart-topping musicians, as well as legendary actors and performers such as Samuel L. Jackson. (2008) {{ISBN|978-0-615-18301-5}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{sister project links|wikt=no|v=no}}

• {{official website|http://www.kareemabduljabbar.com}}
• {{basketballstats|bbr=a/abdulka01}}
• {{Basketballhof|kareem-abdul-jabbar}}
• {{IMDb name}}
• {{NYTtopic|people/a/kareem_abduljabbar}}
• {{C-SPAN|51407}}
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