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INFORMATION
Among his many achievements during his illustrious career in Milwaukee and Los Angeles, six-time basketball MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the all-time leading scorer. In 1978, Abdul-Jabbar translated his popularity into a film career by appearing as a hulking foe to Bruce Lee in Game of Death. The ensuing battle royale between the diminutive martial arts master and the agile seven-foot hoopster .When he was thirteen, Lew Alcindor was 6-foot-8, and college scouts were already eyeing him. At Power Memorial Academy, he scored 2,067 points and had 2,002 rebounds as he led the team to 53 consecutive victories.
A Muslim since 1968, Alcindor formally changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after that season. Many fans and sportswriters were shocked; Kareem, always rather moody and aloof, became virtually unapproachable because of the adverse publicity. But it didn't affect his play. He again led the NBA in scoring and was its MVP in 1971/72.
Kareem was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975 and spent 14 seasons there, during which the Lakers won five NBA championships. As time went on, his unsurpassed skills and growing cordiality won the fans and writers back. Boston Celtic fans gave him a ten-minute standing ovation when he broke Wilt Chamberlain's career scoring record in 1984, and fans everywhere rewarded him with ovations and gifts when he made his farewell tour in the spring of 1989, after having announced his retirement.When Bill Russell was do commentary for the NBA broadcasts he always referred to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as "the legendary tall person from Los Angeles."he played for the Lakers there were glory days in Milwaukee, as well as college ball at U.C.L.A. and a legendary prep career in New York City. R. Thomas Cobourn begins Kareem's story with a key moment near the end, when in the 1985 NBA
Playing for the Lakers allowed Jabbar to try his hand at acting: In 1980, he participated as the co-pilot in the movie
