JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Five Lesser-Known Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About NBA Legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Discover intriguing insights about NBA legend and Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar. From his time at UCLA till his retirement at age 42, there are facts that you probably never heard of.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar's greatness simply speaks for itself. With a legendary career spanned two decades, the gentle big man achieved fame and success many can't even dream about. Kareem is often brought up in the NBA Mount Rushmore and GOAT conversations, which, more so than his abilities, are a testament to his longevity and impact on basketball.
Besides Kareem's Six NBA Championships, Six MVP awards, and Nineteen NBA All-Star selections, there are many facts and incidents about' The Tower of Power' that NBA fans may not know.
In this article, we will look into FIVE such instances, giving us a different perspective about one of the NBA's All-Time greats.
1.Kareem Hit Only ONE Three-Point Shot in His Career
In June 2022, while appearing on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the former two-time finals MVP was asked about his perspective on the GOAT Debate.
Though he didn’t quite give a straightforward answer, he made one very interesting remark: “I’m still the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, and I only made one three-point shot.”
Despite recently being passed on by Lebron James in the all-time scoring list, Abdul Jabbar scored all 38,387 points without ever making double-digit three-point shots. This fact hints at just a small glimpse into what the NBA was like during the 1970s and 1980s.
2. Drafted First Overall in the 1969 Draft
Leading up to the 1969 NBA Draft, Abdul Jabbar, formerly Lew Alcindor, was the talk of the town and the league. Having won consecutive National Championships under head coach John Wooden, Jabbar was undoubtedly the No.1 overall pick.
The Milwaukee Bucks chose him first overall in the 1969 NBA Draft, and the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) New Jersey Nets also selected him in their annual draft. A bidding war between the two teams from different leagues followed to sign the sensational 7-foot-2 center.
The Bucks eventually offered $1.4 Million before Abdul Jabbar put pen to paper with them. Despite the Nets offering nearly double Milwaukee’s offer, later on, the young rookie kindly declined the offer, reasoning that “A Bidding war degrades the people involved.”
ALSO READ: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Net Worth in 2024
3. Kareem Nearly Joined The New York Knicks In 1975
After finishing his tenure with the Bucks in 1975, Abdul Jabbar wanted to play either for the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers. Having grown up in New York City and attended the Power Memorial Academy, a powerhouse basketball academy of its time, Jabbar expected the Knicks to welcome him with open arms.
Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. In a media interview shortly after Abdul Jabbar's commitment to the Lakers became official, the 1971 NBA Champion got candid about his decision to come to LA:
"It's been kind of a dream of mine since I first started playing basketball to play for the Knickerbockers. But the way things worked out, the Lakers were very very interested in having me come here. They made sincere, determined efforts to get me here. They (Lakers) tried to make me feel at home".
Considering the level of success Abdul Jabbar earned with the LA Lakers, the Knicks sure did drop the ball by not signing the New York native.
4. A Three-Time NCAA Champion
Having sat out his first year due to being ineligible as a freshman, the legend kept his patience and debuted for UCLA as a sophomore. Abdul Jabbar set the tone for his collegiate success by dropping 56 points in his first game, thus breaking the all-time UCLA single-game record at the time.
That season, the 19-year-old Jabbar led UCLA to an unexpected 30-0 undefeated record and the coveted National Championship. The UCLA Bruins never lost more than two games with the gentle giant in the mix and won two more National titles, thus hitting the National title three-peat.
5. Won Two Championships as an Assistant Coach With The Lakers
Abdul Jabbar had unimaginable success in basketball as a player. However, it is worth noting that he also earned relative success in his short-lived coaching career during his time with the Lakers.
From 2005 till 2011, Abdul Jabbar served as special assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers under head coach Phil Jackson. Although it’s impossible to determine to what extent the 1995 Hall-of-Famer influenced team success, he did help the Lakers win back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010.
This way, Abdul Jabbar became one of the few player-turned-coaches to win NBA titles as an active player and coach.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s legacy as a figure in basketball history is that of a legend whose shoes may never be filled. With a professional career spanning two decades, he is one of a kind, a generational player.
ALSO READ: Best Player From Every Decade in NBA History Listed
Latest Articles
