Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

KAJ (generous, noble, servant of Allah and powerful) is what his name means.  To me, he means a great athlete role model when I was growing up.  I first heard of him through my dad.  He was mentioning that basketball is usually for really tall people.  The two names he mentioned was Wilt and Kareem. "What an interesting name."  Never heard anything like it...wasn't like those common names like Fred and Mike.  At that time he was in his 3rd year with the Lakers (1977-78). Back then they had Wilkes, Norm and maybe Jim Chones (also A.D.?).  He was really killing the opposition back then but the Lakers had no rebounders and always got whacked early in the playoffs.

In the 7th grade, I bought his autobiography "Giant Steps" which had been out for a year or two and I was floored.  It was pretty cool to hear about his experiences growing up in New York:  his early playing days to the playground with the legends, to his tenure with UCLA and John Wooden, the Bucks-era and through the '84 season with the Lakers.  In addition, I dug his stories with the martial arts and Bruce Lee during his early dayz.  KAJ- this guy was pretty deep.  The era which he played through-the turmoil of the 60's (peace vs. war, old vs. young, black vs. white, the establishment vs. the anti-establishment) made his story more enthralling.  There are a few books that I have had a harder time putting down. For me personally, here was an athlete (a hoopster like mysef) that shared his growing up experiences of prejudice of all sorts (a black man, a tall black man, a high school phenom, a man who has gone against the grain for his beliefs) yet at the same time also went through a lot of stuff that us teenagers went thru.  He was like one of us.  I don't want to give away too much of the book, but I'll just say this... it was the definitive template for me during my junior high and high school days.  It was time when I could really identify with someone that was outside my circle, despite him being a way better player and athlete in the full sense that I could ever be.  It made the ackward teenage life a bit more understandable and had given me the ropes that I needed to come out in one peace.  Thanks KAJ for the book and everything about what U stand for.  I'll still take you on in one-on-one though :).

Lew Alcinder (as he was then known) blocking a shot.  One of my favorite photos of him during his UCLA dayz.

Skyhooking it over the captain Willis Reed.  This looks like the 1970 Eastern Conference finals.  Still has his jersey retired up there with the Big O.

As for his contribution to the game...it's immeasurable.  All time leader in minutes, games, total pts, 2nd in total playoff pts, 6-time MVP, 6-time champion...etc.  Look at the stats in www.nba.com.  Basically, he was the problem in the NBA for 20 seasons...how do you stop the greatest shot in the pivot...the "skyhook."

Left: Throwing it down for the purple and gold.  Looking at his kicks, and the pre-breakaway rim, this looks like 1978.

Above: Working out with Bruce in the edited scenes of "The Game of Death."