What years did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play basketball at UCLA under Coach John Wooden?
During a plaque dedication ceremony honoring UCLA Coach John Wooden, UCLA alumnus and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke about the impact Wooden has had on his life and what it was like to play under college basketball’s greatest coach. Sources: http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/122003aaa.
Later to be known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Alcindor established his dominance at UCLA when he scored 56 points in his varsity debut as a sophomore. The top high school player in the country, Alcindor led Power Memorial to 71 straight wins and two unbeaten seasons. He finished his high school career with 2,067 points and 2,002 rebounds, both New York City records at the time. He led UCLA to three NCAA titles, was a two-time NCAA MVP and finished his career with a record of 88-2 as a member of the Bruins. In the NBA, Alcindor changed his name to Abdul Jabbar and led the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship in 1971, and the Lakers to titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. Sources: http://www.maxpreps.com/news/pK7ryLlcEd6OEwAcxJTdpg/top-10–wooden-attracted-nations-best-to-ucla.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis ‘Lew’ Alcindor on April 16, 1947) is an American retired basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. During his 20-year professional career in the NBA, from 1969 to 1989, he scored the highest points total of any player in league history (38,387), in addition to winning a record six Most Valuable Player Awards and six NBA championships. He was known for his “skyhook” shot, which was famously difficult to block because it put his 7’2″ body between the basket and the ball. Abdul-Jabbar’s success began well before his professional career; in college at UCLA, he played on three championship teams, and his high school team won 71 consecutive games. In his NBA career, he played for the Milwaukee Bucks for six seasons and then with the Los Angeles Lakers for fourteen seasons. Abdul-Jabbar (Alcindor at the time) grew up in the neighborhood of Inwood at the northern end of Manhattan, New York City, the son of Cora Lilli
