Born on April 16, 1947 to Ferdinand and Cora Alcindor, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, formerly Lewis Alcindor, weighed in at 12 pounds 11 ounces and 22 ½ inches in length. His weight and size was a harbinger of what he would become; a giant in the game of basketball.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the kind of player that graces a sport once in a lifetime. The basketball world might never again see an athlete dominate the sport for as long and as thoroughly as Abdul Jabbar did. From the time he stepped on the court at Power Memorial High School in his native New York City, to the time he retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in nine statistical categories, the 7-foot-2 Kareem established himself as basketball's most talented and recognizable figure.

Playing college basketball for the fabled program at UCLA and for legendary coach John Wooden, Kareem was not intimidated but used the pressure and expectation to catapult him to becoming the most dominant player in college basketball. Behind his explosive offensive prowess and stifling defense, UCLA won 3 national titles and amassed an astounding record of 88-2. It was no surprise that Kareem was the top draft choice and began what would be a legendary NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks.

In only his first of a stellar 20-year career, one that saw Kareem play no less than 65 games a season, the smooth and competitive seven-footer was named NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 28.8 ppg and 14.5 rebounds for the Milwaukee Bucks. Kareem became an instant force in the league, bringing finesse and agility to the center position, which had previously seen brute force and strength rule. He would lead the Bucks to an NBA championship but it was only after he was traded to the Lakers that his fame, notoriety and great potential would fully be realized.

With the Lakers, Kareem was one of the central figures in ushering in the “Show Time “ era bringing an excitement and style of play that the league had not seen before. Kareem and the rest of his teammates dazzled the fans with exhilarating plays and dynamic team chemistry. It was this style of play that garnered Kareem five more National Championship titles with the Lakers along with a bevy of awards and accolades for his outstanding play. Of all the personal titles and recognition that Kareem has achieved, perhaps his greatest feat, and certainly one that is most closely attributed to him, was becoming the all time NBA scoring leader with 38,387 points. In 1989, when Kareem decided to leave the game, he had a most impressive career average of 24.6 points per game, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 block shots and a .559 shooting percentage.

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