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At 75-years old, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still holds a considerable list of records in the NBA world. Known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, the 7’1” NBA star has a net worth of $20 million and is still making waves today.
Just last week, former Showtime teammates celebrated his April birthday at the Los Angeles Lakers final home game of the regular season. Attendees and friends included Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, A.C. Green, James Worthy and one of the first Laker Girls, Paula Abdul.
According to Lakers Nation, a large birthday cake made it on to the court during half time and Snoop Dogg appeared in a video to lead the crowd in a 'Happy Birthday' song for the celebration. Friends and family spoke of Abdul-Jabbar’s influence, not only throughout his NBA career, but by contributing to conversations about race, religion and other social justice issues.
Let’s take a look back at the NBA star’s career and the incredible impact he’s made both on and off the court.
The Tower From Power
Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 6’8” tall by the time he was in the eighth grade. At age 12, he was able to dunk and his basketball talent was a given. While attending Power Memorial Academy, the high school champion earned the nickname 'the tower from power' and he broke his first record on the court as a teen.
College Career
Abdul-Jabbar played for UCLA while earning a degree in History, already gaining popularity and notoriety through publications like Sports Illustrated and others. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the ball player directly caused the dunk to be banned in college basketball because of his success with the method.
One year before graduating college, Abdul-Jabbar converted to Islam, officially changing his name and he took part in what would later become known as the game of the century; UCLA versus the Houston Cougars. The game was the first to be televised nationally and over 50,000 fans saw the game live. Though Abdul-Jabbar’s team lost, they made a comeback, defeating Houston in the NCAA Tournament.
Making It Big
Straight out of college, the NBA star played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1969 to 1974 and by the early 1970’s he became the league’s top scorer on record. In 1975, Abdul-Jabbar joined the Los Angeles Lakers and welcomed Magic Johnson in 1979. Together, the pair won five championship titles.
He retired in 1989 at the age of 40 and at the time, held the record for most games ever played by a single player over his 20-year career.
Today, Abdul-Jabbar still holds numerous records: he’s the NBA all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points according to IMDb. He holds additional NBA records for most minutes played (57,446), most field goals made (15,837 and most field goals attempted (28,307). He was the first NBA player to play 20 seasons and received the NBA Finals MVP award six times.
Life Beyond The Court
In retirement, many assumed Abdul-Jabbar would pursue coaching, however, his quiet, introverted personality didn’t lend well to opportunities in the field. He worked as an assistant and mentor for the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle Supersonics. He also worked as a scout for the New York Knicks and then as a special assistant coach for the Lakers from 2005-2011.
A Career in Writing/ Entertainment
Surprisingly, the former basketball player found his voice on the pages of several New York Times bestsellers. Abdul-Jabbar published Giant Steps, Kareem, Black Profiles of Courage, A Season on the Reservation, Brothers in Arms and On the Shoulders of Giants, which later became a documentary film.
He’s appeared in many television shows as himself, such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Scrubs and The Colbert Report, most notably, lending his writing skill to the team at Veronica Mars. Abdul-Jabbar also starred in Airplane! and Bruce Lee’s, Game of Death.
Speaking Up for Health
In late 2020, Abdul-Jabbar opened up to Good Morning America (GMA) about his private, 11-year battle with prostate cancer. He’s also been diagnosed with leukemia and had a heart bypass surgery, but the athlete isn’t looking for sympathy, he’s looking for change.
Abdul-Jabbar shared that while he has received some of the best medical care possible, many in the Black community do not have the same options. In his passion to tackle social issues in America, the NBA star shared concerns about minorities and how the pandemic has disproportionately made them vulnerable.
Still Receiving Accolades
Years after retirement, the famous ball player has continued to receive recognition for his contribution to society. Abdul-Jabbar was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team for the 2021-2022 season and he’s also the name behind the NBA’s new Social Justice Champion Award.
In early April, Abdul-Jabbar awarded the first recipient, 37-year-old Carmelo Anthony with the honor.
Sources: Lakers Nation, Celebrity Net Worth, IMDb, GMA
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