Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. on April 16, 1947 in New York City, New York; typically referred to as Lew Alcindor) is an American former professional basketball player.
Considered one of the greatest players of all time, the 7ft-2in (2.18 m) Jabbar played center for UCLA from 1965-69. Later, he played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89), accumulating 38,387 points, the NBA's highest career total. He was famous for his "Skyhook" shot, which he actually released downward toward the basket, and which defenders found virtually impossible to block. His on-court success was superlative, as he won a record six NBA most-valuable-player awards, while playing on six NBA championship teams; at UCLA, he played on three NCAA championship teams. His high-school team won 71 consecutive games and his UCLA teams were an unmatched 88-2. After a then-record 20 professional seasons in the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar retired from the game in 1989, leaving a legacy of professionalism, class, and success. Following his success as a professional athlete, Jabbar has become known as a successful basketball coach, author, and part-time actor.
Airplane! (1980)
