Kareem Abdul-jabbar | Encyclopedia.com (2024)

(Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Lewis Ferdinand Alcindor)

PERSONAL

Original name, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr.; born April 16, 1947, in New York, NY; name legally changed in 1971; son of Ferdinand Lewis (a police officer and jazz musician) and Cora (a department store price checker) Alcindor; married Janice (name changed to Habiba) Brown, May 28, 1971 (divorced, 1978); children: Habiba, Sultana, Kareem (an actor); (with Cheryl Pistono) Amir; (with another woman) Adam. Education: University of California, Los Angeles, B.A., 1969. Religion: Hanafi Muslim. Avocational Interests: Wind surfing, jazz, yoga, collecting rugs, horseback riding.

Addresses:

Agent—Amsel, Eisenstadt, and Frazier, 5055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 865, Los Angeles, CA 90036; Posh Voices, 4727 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 333, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

Career:

Actor and producer. Professional basketball player with Milwaukee Bucks, 1969-75, then Los Angeles Lakers, 1975-89; Los Angeles Clippers, assistant coach, 2000; Oklahoma Storm (U.S. Basketball League), coach, 2002; Los Angeles Lakers, special assistant coach, 2005—; also worked in various positions with the New York Knicks, Seattle Supersonics, and Indiana Pacers. Appeared as a commentator on ESPN; appeared in numerous television commercials, including Reebok, Edge Gel shaving lotion, Coors Light beer, Bravo television channel, TD Waterhouse brokerage firm, Wickes Furniture, Tostitos Scoops chips, and Twix candy bars; appeared in print ads for Kenwood automobile stereo systems and Team NFL apparel. Cranberry Records, president.

Awards, Honors:

Most Valuable Player of Playoffs Award, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1967, 1968, and 1969; named best collegiate basketball player, 1967 and 1969; National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie of the Year Award, 1970; selected for inclusion in NBA All Star Game, 1970-87, 1989; NBA Most Valuable Player Award, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980; NBA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award, 1971, 1985; NBA Player of the Year Award, The Sporting News, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1980; named to NBA Thirty-Fifth Anniversary All Star Team, 1980; Sportsman of the Year Award, Sports Illustrated, 1985; Jackie Robinson Award, 1985; inductee, NBA Hall of Fame, 1995; Lifetime Achievement Award, Jim Thorpe Awards, 1995; recipient of Maurice Podoloff Cup.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Himself, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, United Artists, 1979.

Hakim, Game of Death (also known as Bruce Lee's "Game of Death," Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death, and Si wang you ju), Columbia, 1979.

Roger Murdock, copilot, Airplane! (also known as Flying High and Flying High!), Paramount, 1980.

Purple People Eater, 1988.

Himself, Troop Beverly Hills, Columbia, 1989.

Himself, Curse of the Dragon (also known as Bruce Lee: Curse of the Dragon), Warner Bros., 1993.

Celebrity at party, D2: The Mighty Ducks (also known as The Mighty Ducks 2), Buena Vista, 1994.

Himself, Forget Paris, Columbia, 1995.

The archangel, Slam Dunk Ernest, Buena Vista Pictures, 1995.

Himself, BASEketball, Universal, 1998.

Himself, The Path of the Dragon, 1998.

Himself, Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey (also known as A Warrior's Journey), 2000.

Himself and Hakim, Bruce Lee in G.O.D.: Shiboteki yugi, 2000.

Himself, Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon (documentary), Stax Entertainment, 2002.

Hank, Whitepaddy, Big Six Film, 2006.

Himself, The Real: Rucker Park Legends (documentary), Image Entertainment, 2006.

Himself, Fathers of the Sport (documentary), Terra Entertainment, 2007.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Monster shouter, Stephen King's "The Stand" (also known as The Stand), ABC, 1994.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Shooting Stars, 1983.

New tenant in Sal's apartment, Jake Spanner, Private Eye (also known as Jake Spanner, Back on the Case, The Old Dick, and Hoodwinked), USA Network, 1989.

Himself, A Night to Die For, 1995.

Himself, Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault (also known as Rebound), HBO, 1996.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Cavalcade of Champions, 1973.

Himself, "The Hero Who Couldn't Read," ABC Afterschool Special, ABC, 1984.

Olympic Gala, 1984.

Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular, CBS, 1985.

Black Champions (also known as Who Will Wear the Crown?, New Times: The Integration of American Sports, and Looking for Tomorrow: Black Athletes and the Sporting Life), PBS, 1986.

The 7th Annual Black Achievement Awards, 1986.

A Star-Spangled Celebration, ABC, 1987.

The Second Annual Star-Spangled Celebration, ABC, 1988.

Superstars and Their Moms, ABC, 1988.

21st NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1989.

All-Star Tribute to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBC, 1989.

Himself, "Malcolm Takes a Shot," CBS Schoolbreak Specials, CBS, 1990.

Cohost, History of the NBA, HBO, 1990.

Eyes on the Prize II, 1990.

The Sports Comedy Network, CBS, 1990.

Face to Face with Connie Chung, ABC, 1991.

New Kids on the Block at Walt Disney World (also known as New Kids on the Block at Disney-MGM Studios: Wildest Dreams), ABC, 1991.

Honoree, The Great Ones: The National Sports Awards, NBC, 1993.

Presenter, Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards Presented by Footlocker, ABC, 1993.

The Rich and Famous 1993 World's Best, syndicated, 1993.

Special guest, Third Annual Rock N' Jock B-Ball Jam (also known as MTV's Third Annual Rock N' Jock B-Ball Jam), 1993.

A Salute to the Newport Jazz Festival, 1993.

American Coaches: Men of Vision and Victory, HBO, 1994.

The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Nicholson, 1994.

Honoree, The Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards, ABC, 1995.

Idols of the Game, 1995.

Fields of Fire: Sports in the '60s, 1995.

The Journey of the African-American Athlete, 1996.

Nissan Presents a Celebration of America's Music, 1996.

NBA at 50, 1996.

Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz (also known as Blue Note), Bravo, 1996.

Presenter, The 68th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1996.

Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon, 1997.

Brandon Lee: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1997.

Presenter, The Sixth Annual Trumpet Awards, TBS, 1998.

Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Sports Awards, CBS, 1999.

The Great American History Quiz: Pursuit of Happiness, 2000.

Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year 2000, 2000.

John Wooden: Values, Victory and Peace of Mind, PBS, 2001.

Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration, Arts and Entertainment, 2003.

The 2003 Trumpet Awards, TBS, 2003.

Untitled David Diamond/David Weissman Project, 2005.

The 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2006.

Ali Rap, ESPN, 2006.

Generation Boom, TV Land, 2006.

Ali's 65, 2007.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Jeff, "A Day Filled with Shadows," Mannix, CBS, 1971.

Man stuck in car, "Foreign Trade," Emergency! (also known as Emergencia and Emergency One), NBC, 1974.

The Giant, "Giant," Man from Atlantis, NBC, 1977.

Himself, "The January 1968 UCLA vs. University of Houston Basketball Game," The Way It Was, 1977.

Dinah! (also known as Dinah! & Friends), 1977.

Mr. Wilkes, "Substitute Teacher," Diff'rent Strokes, NBC, 1982.

The Djinn, "Djinn, No Chaser," Tales from the Darkside, syndicated, 1984.

Himself, "Too Old Too Soon, Too Smart Too Late," Pryor's Place, CBS, 1984.

Mr. Wilkes, "A Tale of Two Teachers," Diff'rent Strokes, ABC, 1985.

Pryor's Place, CBS, 1985.

"James Hill," An American Portrait, CBS, 1986.

"Ask Max," Disney Sunday Movie, ABC, 1986.

"Blood Money," Stingray, NBC, 1987.

"Special Games," Bustin' Loose, syndicated, 1987.

Oriental Rugs (also known as Art Underfoot), PBS, 1990.

Wesley Williams, "Hi Mom," 21 Jump Street, Fox, 1990.

Judge, Uncle Buck, 1991.

"Pros and Ex-Cons," Good Sports, 1991.

The Wiz, "The Deacon's Slam Dunk," Amen, 1991.

Blind man, "Shadows from the Past," Matrix, USA Network, 1993.

"A Salute to the Newport Jazz Festival," In Performance at the White House, PBS, 1993.

Phenom, 1993.

In Living Color, Fox, 1993.

"Bruce Lee," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1994.

Voice of himself, "A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera," The Critic (animated), ABC, 1994.

Himself, "Will's Misery," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1994.

Himself, "Air Jesse," Full House, ABC, 1995.

Voice of himself, "I Can't Believe It's a Clip Show," The Critic (animated), ABC, 1995.

Doctor, "Why Can't We Be Friends: Part 2," Martin, Fox, 1996.

Himself, "Frank, the Writer," Everybody Loves Raymond (also known as Raymond), CBS, 1996.

Himself, "Back in the Day," Living Single (also known as My Girls), Fox, 1997.

Himself, "The Occidental Purists," Boston Common, NBC, 1997.

Himself, "To Volunteer Is Human," The Gregory Hines Show, CBS, 1998.

Himself, "The Lees: Action Speaks Louder," Famous Families, Fox Family, 1999.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 2000.

The War Next Door, 2000.

"Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson," ESPN SportsCentury, ESPN, 2000.

The Time McCarver Show, 2002.

"John Wooden," ESPN SportsCentury, ESPN, 2003.

Host, The Drop, 2004.

Hollywood Squares (also known as H2 and H2: Hollywood Squares), syndicated, 2004.

The Daily Show (also known as Jon Stewart, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Global Edition), Comedy Central, 2004.

Dennis Miller, CNBC, 2004.

Tavis Smiley, PBS, 2004.

(Uncredited) Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show), CBS, 2004.

The Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, 2004.

"Shaquille O'Neal," ESPN SportsCentury, ESPN, 2004.

ESPN Hollywood, ESPN, 2005.

Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, ESPN, 2006.

Himself, "My Cabbage," Scrubs, NBC, 2006.

"Kareem Abdul Jabbar," Stars on Stars, Fox Sports, 2007.

"The Best of Stars and Stars," Stars on Stars, Fox Sports, 2007.

Also appeared as himself, "The PSA Story," Buddies.

Television Co-Executive Producer; Movies:

The Road to Freedom: The Vernon Johns Story (also known as The Vernon Johns Story), syndicated, 1994.

Television Executive Producer; Specials:

All-Star Tribute to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBC, 1989.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

NBA Awesome Endings (also known as Great Moments in the NBA: Awesome Endings), 1989.

WRITINGS

Nonfiction:

(With Peter Knobler) Giant Steps: An Autobiography of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bantam, 1983.

(With Mignon McCarthy) Kareem, Random House, 1990.

(With Steinburg) Black Profiles in Courage, 1996.

(With Stephen Singular) A Season on the Reservation: My Sojourn with the Mountain Apaches, Morrow, 2000.

(With Anthony Walton) Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes, Broadway Books, 2004.

(With Raymond Obstfeld) On the Shoulders of Giants: My Personal Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, Simon & Schuster, 2007.

Contributor to periodicals, including TV Guide.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Doucette, Eddie, The Milwaukee Bucks and the Remarkable Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Prentice-Hall, 1974.

Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 8, Gale Research, 1994.

Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., Gale Research, 1998.

Hano, Arnold, Kareem!: Basketball Great, Putnam, 1975.

Haskins, James, From Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lothrop, 1978.

Jackson, H. C., Jabbar: Giant of the NBA, Walck, 1972.

Klein, Dave, Pro Basketball's Big Men, Random House, 1973.

Margolies, Jacob, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Basketball Great, F. Watts, 1973.

Notable Black American Men, Gale Research, 1998.

Pepe, Phil, Stand Tall: The Lew Alcindor Story, Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press, 2000.

Periodicals:

Family Circle, October 13, 1992, p. 164.

Jet, June 26, 1989, p. 46; October 9, 1989, p. 48; February 24, 1992, p. 52; February 16, 1998, p. 49; March 6, 2000, p. 53; August 7, 2000, p. 36.

People Weekly, October 28, 1996, p. 41; September 13, 1999, p. 11.

The Sporting News, February 28, 2000, p. 15.

Sports Illustrated, October 19, 1987, p. 89; November 17, 1997, p. 28; February 12, 1990, p. 34; November 30, 1998, p. 72.

Variety, August 22, 1990, p. 3.

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