Who is Lew Alcindor?
We've received your submission. The 1961 Christmas Holiday Festival in Schenectady, NY, featured the local team, Linton High with Kentucky-bound star Pat Riley, and a mighty team from New York, Power Memorial Academy with this freshman kid, Lew Alcindor, who was supposed to be pretty good. “We heard about him.
When did Lew Alcindor go to high school?
When Alcindor was a senior in high school in 1965, St. John's coach Joe Lapchick said Alcindor would be the U.S.'s starting center in the 1968 Olympics. What was Lew Alcindor's game like?
Where did Ferdinand Alcindor grow up?
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in New York City, the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer and jazz musician. He grew up in the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
How good was Mikael Alcindor as a freshman?
As a freshman, Alcindor averaged upwards of 33 points and 21 rebounds, while the Wisconsin State Journal noted that most of UCLA's freshman team's wins that season came by 50 to 75 points. Alcindor was immediately receiving comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. In one game he was 21-of-23 from the field, going 17-of-20 in another.
See more
Are Lew Alcindor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the same person?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.; April 16, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Where did Lew Alcindor go to college?
University of California, Los AngelesKareem Abdul-Jabbar / CollegeThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA’s academic roots were established in 1882 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California State Normal School. Wikipedia
What nationality is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
AmericanKareem Abdul-Jabbar / Nationality
Is Kareem African American?
African American Kareem Abdul-Jabber was one the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.
Is Lew Alcindor married?
Habiba Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar / Spouse (m. 1971–1978)
Who is Kareem's wife?
Habiba Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar / Wife (m. 1971–1978)
Is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Arab?
Having converted to Islam while at UCLA, Alcindor took the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971. In 1975 he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the NBA championship in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
Is Kareem Indian?
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) (Arabic: کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable".
What country is Hakeem Olajuwon from?
AmericanNigerianHakeem Olajuwon/NationalityHakeem Olajuwon, in full Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, byname the Dream, (born January 21, 1963, Lagos, Nigeria), Nigerian-born American professional basketball player who led the Houston Rockets to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1994 and 1995.
What is Yoruba descent?
Yoruba Americans (Yoruba: Àwọn ọmọ Yorùbá Amẹrika) are Americans of Yoruba descent. The Yoruba people are a West African ethnic group that predominantly inhabits southwestern Nigeria, with smaller indigenous communities in Benin and Togo.
Did Kareem hate Milwaukee?
In his first season with the Bucks, he averaged nearly 29 points and 15 rebounds per game in a Rookie of the Year bid. In his second season with the Bucks, he aided the Bucks in winning the NBA championship. But after six successful seasons with the Bucks, Kareem decided Milwaukee was not meeting his cultural needs.
Where is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's father from?
Born in Brooklyn, Alcindor attended the Juilliard School before serving in the Army from 1941-45. A longtime member of the New York police department, Alcindor also was a musician.
How many points did Alcindor score in the 1970s?
In 1970–71 the Bucks won the NBA championship, and Alcindor led the league in scoring (2,596 points) and points-per-game average (31.7), as he did in 1971–72 (2,822 points; 34.8). Having converted to Islam while at UCLA, Alcindor took the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
What was Abdul-Jabbar's career?
Subscribe Now. Away from the basketball court, Abdul-Jabbar pursued interests in acting and writing. He appeared on television and in a handful of films, including a memorable turn as a copilot in the comedy Airplane! (1980). His autobiography, Giant Steps, was published in 1983.
Who was Lew Alcindor?
Lew Alcindor, basketball player, 61st Street and Amsterdam Avenue, New York, May 2, 1963 Richard Avedon’s black and white photograph shows Lew Alcindor, a high school basketball star, as self-confident and physically powerful . Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, went on to become the National Basketball Association’s ...
Who was Richard Avedon?
Richard Avedon was one of the world’s most famous fashion and art photographers from the late 1940s into the 21st century. During the early 1960s, he traveled through the southern United States photographing participants in the American Civil Rights Movement.
What grade was Alcindor in?
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.
When was Alcindor drafted?
Drafted with the first overall pick by the one-season-old Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft, Alcindor spent six seasons in Milwaukee. After leading the Bucks to its first NBA championship at age 24 in 1971, he took the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Why did Alcindor stay home?
He boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics by deciding not to try out for the United States Men's Olympic Basketball team, who went on to easily win the gold medal. Alcindor's decision to stay home during the 1968 Games was in protest of the unequal treatment of African-Americans in the United States.
How much did the Nets offer Alcindor?
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.".
What was Alcindor's record?
Alcindor began his record-breaking basketball accomplishments when he was in high school, where he led coach Jack Donohue 's Power Memorial Academy team to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71-game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record. This earned him "The Tower from Power" nickname.
Who is Abdul-Jabbar?
Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, a best-selling author, and a martial artist, having trained in Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee and appeared in his film Game of Death (1972). In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador.
Who did the Lakers get in 1975?
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). His 1,111 defensive rebounds remains the NBA single-season record (defensive rebounds were not recorded prior to the 1973–74 season ). He earned his fourth MVP award, becoming the first winner in Lakers' franchise history, but missed the post-season for the second straight year as the Lakers finished 40–42.
What is Lew Alcindor's name?
Lew Alcindor publicly announced in 1971 that he would like to be called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his Islamic name, when he was the NBA's Most Valuable Player with the Milwaukee Bucks. He said he took the name in the summer of 1968 after converting to Islam and it was first reported by Sports Illustrated in 1969.
What did Alcindor suffer from?
A UCLA ophthalmologist noted that Alcindor was suffering from vertical double vision and impaired depth perception at the time of the game, according to UPI. In the 1967 national championship against Dayton, Alcindor scored a team-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, along with 18 rebounds.
How many points did Alcindor average?
As a freshman, Alcindor averaged upwards of 33 points and 21 rebounds, while the Wisconsin State Journal noted that most of UCLA's freshman team's wins that season came by 50 to 75 points. Alcindor was immediately receiving comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
Was Alcindor a better shooter than him?
The Newspaper Enterprise Association reported that Wilt Chamberlain admitted Al cindor was a better shooter than him when Alcindor was just a sophomore in college. The dunk was outlawed after Alcindor's sophomore year, with the national rules committee citing player injuries and damage to equipment.
When did Lew Alcindor change his name?
^ 1: Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971. #N#^ 2: The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as settlement of the Rudy LaRusso trade to the San Francisco Warriors on August 31, 1967.
Who did Alcindor win the most championships with?
He went on to win five more NBA championships in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed up with Magic Johnson, the first pick in 1979. He also won another Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 1985.
Overview
College career
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. His other options to play pro ball would were to join the Harlem Globetrotters or play overseas. However, his goal was to attend college, and he chose the University of California, Los Angeles.
Early life
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born in Harlem, New York City, the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer and jazz musician. He 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. At birth, Alcindor weighed 12 lb 11 oz (5.75 kg) and was 22+1⁄2 inches (57 cm) long. He was always very tall for his age. By age nine, he wa…
Professional career
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. The Nets be…
Coaching career
In 1995, Abdul-Jabbar began expressing an interest in coaching and imparting knowledge from his playing days. 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. His sensitivity and shyness created a perception of him being aloof and surly. At the time, his mentality was that he either did not have the time o…
Player profile
On offense, Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant low-post threat. In contrast to other low-post specialists like Wilt Chamberlain, Artis Gilmore, or Shaquille O'Neal, he was a relatively slender player, standing 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) tall while weighing around 240 pounds (110 kg) to 250 lb (110 kg), although he bulked to 270 lb (120 kg) in 1986; 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. Ab…
Legacy
Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, and he won a record six MVP awards. 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 a record 19 All-Star teams. He was named to the NBA's 35th, 50th, and 75th anniversary teams. He averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game. Abdul-Jabbar is ranked as the NBA's third leading all-time rebounder (…
Athletic honors
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (May 15, 1995)
• College:
• National Basketball Association:
• November 16, 2012 – a statue of Abdul-Jabbar was unveiled in front of Staples Center in Los Angeles