Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, in New York City, grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Harlem in a family of Trinidadian descent, raised in the Catholic tradition and imbued with values such as honor and dignity. An only child, he was quickly marked by his exceptional height: from elementary school onward, he played with the tallest kids, and at fourteen, already over two meters (6'7"), he was able to dunk. His adolescence was punctuated by episodes of social confrontation and learning the art of street basketball, which forged his competitive spirit.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, in New York City, grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Harlem in a family of Trinidadian descent, raised in the Catholic tradition and imbued with values such as honor and dignity. An only child, he was quickly marked by his exceptional height: from elementary school onward, he played with the tallest kids, and at fourteen, already over two meters (6'7"), he was able to dunk. His adolescence was punctuated by episodes of social confrontation and learning the art of street basketball, which forged his competitive spirit.
Abdul-Jabbar distinguished himself early on at Power Memorial Academy, where he set records for points and rebounds, leading his team to 71 consecutive victories and three New York State high school championships. This period is unanimously recognized as one of the greatest high school basketball careers in history. In 1965, he entered UCLA under the tutelage of John Wooden and dominated the sport, winning three consecutive NCAA titles from 1967 to 1969 and being named the tournament MVP each time. His impact on the game was so significant that the NCAA temporarily banned the dunk during his time there.
In 1969, Abdul-Jabbar was the first overall pick in the NBA draft and joined the Milwaukee Bucks. In his first season, he distinguished himself with impressive statistics (28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists) and was named Rookie of the Year. In 1971, he led the Bucks to the NBA title—the franchise's only championship—and won his first MVP award. It was also during this period that he converted to Islam, taking the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, publicly affirming his spiritual choice at a time when American society was still experiencing significant racial tensions.
Abdul-Jabbar then joined the Los Angeles Lakers, where his career reached legendary proportions. He won five more NBA titles, bringing his total to six, and accumulated six MVP awards. He participated in 19 All-Star Games, was a two-time league scoring champion, and holds the career scoring record (38,387 points). His accolades also include two Finals MVP awards and a multitude of individual and team accolades. He holds eight playoff records and seven All-Star Game records, and was named to the NBA's 35th and 50th Anniversary Teams.
Technically, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revolutionized basketball by inventing, perfecting, and popularizing the "sky hook," a unique move that no one has equaled: a curling arm shot, difficult to block and incredibly effective, which became his signature weapon. He is also recognizable by his protective goggles, which he adopted after an eye injury during his college years.
His renown extends far beyond the world of sports: Abdul-Jabbar dedicated his life to the fight for civil rights and the promotion of African American culture, writing several books and regularly participating in public debate. Adored for his athletic achievements, respected for his strength of character and social activism, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remains, for many, the greatest legend in basketball history—a champion with universal values and an icon whose influence endures far beyond the court.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000717
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q179051
Facebook: https://facebook.com/kaj
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kareemabduljabbar_33
Filmography (Movies)
John Candy: I Like Me
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:04/09/2025
The Iceman
Character:Self
Release Date:14/03/2023
Stand
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:03/02/2023
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:23/11/2022
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Release Date:21/02/2022
Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America
Character:Self
Release Date:19/06/2021
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
Character:Self
Release Date:18/06/2021
John Bronco
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:15/10/2020
Saving OurSelves: BET COVID-19 Relief Effort
Character:Self - Co-Host
Release Date:22/04/2020
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
Release Date:19/02/2020
Be Water
Character:Self - Student / Friend
Release Date:25/01/2020
Game of Death Redux
Character:Mantis
Release Date:19/07/2019
1968
Character:Self
Release Date:25/02/2018
O.J.: Made in America
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:20/05/2016
Kareem: Minority of One
Character:Self
Release Date:03/11/2015
Kobe Bryant's Muse
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:28/02/2015
Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story
Character:Himself
Release Date:28/02/2013
On the Shoulders of Giants
Character:Self - Narrator
Release Date:11/02/2011
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
Character:Self
Release Date:30/10/2010
How Bruce Lee Changed the World
Character:Self
Release Date:17/05/2009
Kobe Doin' Work
Character:Self
Release Date:16/05/2009
The Black List: Volume One
Character:Self
Release Date:22/01/2008
I Tried
Character:Sin
Release Date:27/10/2007
Los Angeles Lakers: 1984-1985 NBA Champions Return To Glory
Character:Himself
Release Date:27/03/2007
Weapons
Character:P.J.
Release Date:19/01/2007
Whitepaddy
Character:Hank
Release Date:01/01/2006
Bruce Lee in G.O.D.
Character:Himself / Hakim
Release Date:25/11/2000
Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey
Character:Self
Release Date:22/10/2000
The GREATEST : Bruce Lee
Character:Comentador
Release Date:06/10/1998
BASEketball
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:28/07/1998
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
Character:Self
Release Date:23/11/1996
The Journey of the African-American Athlete
Character:Self
Release Date:12/02/1996
Bully Smart for Kids
Character:Self
Release Date:11/09/1995
Slam Dunk Ernest
Character:Archangel
Release Date:20/06/1995
Forget Paris
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:19/05/1995
A Night to Die For
Character:Self
Release Date:18/05/1995
D2: The Mighty Ducks
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:25/03/1994
Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon
Character:Self
Release Date:18/01/1994
The Curse of the Dragon
Character:Self
Release Date:30/06/1993
Philadelphia 76ers 1983 - That Championship Feeling
Character:Self
Release Date:25/07/1991
All New Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1990
Hoodwinked
Character:Man at Sal's House
Release Date:15/11/1989
Detroit Pistons: 1988-1989 NBA Champions - Motor City Madness
Character:Self - Los Angeles Lakers
Release Date:12/06/1989
Troop Beverly Hills
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:24/03/1989
Los Angeles Lakers: '87 The Drive For Five
Character:Himself
Release Date:10/10/1987
Ask Max
Character:Himself
Release Date:02/11/1986
All-Star Rock 'N' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular
Character:Self
Release Date:13/09/1985
Fletch
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:31/05/1985
Airplane!
Character:Roger Murdock
Release Date:27/06/1980
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release Date:06/11/1979
Game of Death
Character:Hakim
Release Date:23/03/1978
The Game of Death
Character:Hakim / Mantis
Release Date:05/08/1974
Television Appearances
Los Anillos de Pau
Character:
Bill Russell: Legend
Character:Self - Basketball Hall of Fame
Night Court
Character:
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Character:
Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers
Character:Self
They Call Me Magic
Character:Self
Muhammad Ali
Character:Self
Dear...
Character:Self
DAVE
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shut Up and Dribble
Character:Self (archive footage)
Basketball: A Love Story
Character:Self (archive footage)
Basketball: A Love Story
Character:Self
The Jim Jefferies Show
Character:Self
Beat Shazam
Character:Self
To Tell the Truth
Character:Self - Panelist
O.J.: Made in America
Character:Self (archive footage)
Billions
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Celebrity Family Feud
Character:Self
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Character:Self
Fresh Off the Boat
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Character:Self
The Crazy Ones
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Arsenio Hall Show
Character:Self
Guys with Kids
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Good Mythical Morning
Character:Self
New Girl
Character:Himself
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Character:Self
The Big Bang Theory
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Identity
Character:
The Colbert Report
Character:Self
Dancing with the Stars
Character:Self - Contestant
The Celebrity Apprentice
Character:
The Bachelorette
Character:Self
Scrubs
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Everybody Loves Raymond
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Daily Show
Character:Self
Boston Common
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Stand
Character:Monster Shouter
The Critic
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (voice)
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Matrix
Character:
Martin
Character:Dr. Skyhook
Good Sports
Character:
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Character:Himself
The Simpsons
Character:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (voice)
Bustin' Loose
Character:
Full House
Character:
21 Jump Street
Character:Wesley Williams
Amen
Character:
Stingray
Character:
Tales from the Darkside
Character:The Djinn, Jan Bin Jan
Diff'rent Strokes
Character:
Man from Atlantis
Character:Thark
Emergency!
Character:
Mannix
Character:
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self
The Merv Griffin Show
Character:Self
The Oscars
Character:Self
Images
