Last Updated on by Sabina
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Biography
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points. Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, in New York City. He attended Power Memorial Academy in New York City, where he led the team to three consecutive New York City Catholic Championships. He was a First Team Parade All-American all three seasons as well as Mr. Basketball USA in 1964 and 1965.
Abdul-Jabbar enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1965. He led the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships in 1967, 1968, and 1969. He was a three-time consensus First Team All-American and the 1967 and 1969 Naismith College Player of the Year.
The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Abdul-Jabbar with the first overall pick in the 1969 NBA draft. He played for the Bucks for six seasons, winning the NBA championship in 1971. He earned the title of NBA Finals MVP. In 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Abdul-Jabbar. He played for the Lakers for 14 seasons, winning five more NBA championships in 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, and 1985. He earned the title of NBA Finals MVP in both 1980 and 1985.
Abdul-Jabbar retired from the NBA in 1989. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Abdul-Jabbar in 1995. He is also a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame and the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Age
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born on April 16, 1947. He is currently 75 years old.
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Family
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, in New York City. He is the only child of Cora Lillian and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr.
Cora Lillian was a department store price checker. Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr. was a transit police officer and jazz musician.
Abdul-Jabbar’s parents were from Trinidad and Tobago. They immigrated to the United States in the early 1940s.
Abdul-Jabbar has no siblings.
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Wife I Kareem Abdul- Jabber Children
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has entered into three marriages and has five children.
His first wife was Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (née Janice Brown). They were married from 1971 to 1978 and had three children together:
- Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born 1972)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr. (born 1976)
- Sultana Abdul-Jabbar (born 1979)
His second wife was Cheryl Pistono. They were married from 1979 to 1980 and had one child together:
- Amir Abdul-Jabbar (born 1980)
His third wife is Julie Olds. They have been married since 1991 and have one child together:
- Adam Abdul-Jabbar (born 1991)
Abdul-Jabbar is also the stepfather of Pistono’s daughter, Jasmine Pistono.
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Stats
Here are some of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career stats:
- Points: 38,387 (all-time leader)
- Rebounds: 17,440 (third all-time)
- Blocks: 3,189 (third all-time)
- Games played: 1,560
- Minutes played: 57,446
- Field goals made: 15,837
- Field goals attempted: 28,307
- Free throws made: 7,269
- Free throws attempted: 10,473
- Assists: 5,660
- Steals: 2,082
- Personal fouls: 4,657
Abdul-Jabbar also won six NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and six NBA Most Valuable Player awards. He was a 19-time All-Star and a 15-time All-NBA selection. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Abdul-Jabbar was a dominant force in the NBA for two decades. He was a master of the skyhook, a shot that was almost impossible to block. He was also a great passer and rebounder. Abdul-Jabbar was a complete player and one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Kareem Abdul- Jabber Height
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is 7 feet 2 inches tall. He was listed at 7 feet 1 inch during his playing career, but he actually grew to 7 feet 2 inches after he retired. Abdul-Jabbar is the tallest player in NBA history.
According to the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar’s official height is 7 feet 1 inch. However, there are several sources that claim that he is actually 7 feet 2 inches tall. For example, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame lists Abdul-Jabbar’s height as 7 feet 2 inches.
It is possible that Abdul-Jabbar’s height was listed as 7 feet 1 inch during his playing career because he was shorter than some of the other centers in the league. However, it is also possible that he grew to 7 feet 2 inches after he retired.
