Basketball's MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Since we’re in the midst of March Madness, let’s take a look at a famous basketball player who was born in New York City in 1947. Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was raised in a Catholic home and attended a Catholic school in Manhattan.

Alcindor played for the UCLA Bruins for three years and was one of the major contributors to the team’s 88 wins and only two losses in that time. He was named Player of the Year twice during his college basketball career, along with being a First Team All-American three times. He refused to join the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team in 1968 to boycott the unfair treatment of African-Americans in the U.S.

Although Alcindor was offered  $1 million to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, the seven-foot, two-inch athlete declined and was selected first in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was also chosen first by the New York Nets, but the Nets bid too low, so Alcindor ended up playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Alcindor was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and helped get the team to the playoffs in the 1970-71 season. After the Bucks won the championship, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a Muslim name that translates from Arab as generous servant of God.

Abdul-Jabbar continued to play for Milwaukee until 1974 when he stated that the Midwest did not suit his cultural needs. He requested a transfer to either Los Angeles or New York and was acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. He continued to play for the L.A. Lakers until 1989 when he announced his retirement after 20 seasons of professional basketball.

After his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar turned his sights on coaching. He worked as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers as well as the Seattle SuperSonics. He was also the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm basketball team in 2002. He led the team to a championship, but his coaching contract was not renewed the following year. He worked as a scout for the New York Knicks before returning to Los Angeles in 2005 to serve as a special assistant coach.