Kareem Abdul Jabbar Popular Books

Kareem Abdul Jabbar Biography & Facts

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( kə-REEM ab-DOOL jə-BAR; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. ( al-SIN-dər); April 16, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP. He was named to three NBA anniversary teams (35th, 50th, and 75th). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was called the greatest basketball player of all time by Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving. Abdul-Jabbar broke the NBA's career scoring record in 1984 with 38,387 points, and held it until LeBron James surpassed him in 2023. Abdul-Jabbar was known as Lew Alcindor when he played at parochial high school Power Memorial in New York City, where he led their team to 71 consecutive wins. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national championships under head coach John Wooden. Alcindor was a record three-time most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament. Drafted with the first overall pick by the one-season-old Milwaukee Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft, he spent six seasons with the team. After leading the Bucks to their first NBA championship at age 24 in 1971, he took the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Using his trademark skyhook shot, he established himself as one of the league's top scorers. In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career, during which time the team won five additional NBA championships. Abdul-Jabbar's contributions were a key component in the Showtime era of Lakers basketball. Over his 20-year NBA career, his teams succeeded in making the playoffs 18 times and got past the first round 14 times; his teams reached the NBA Finals on ten occasions.At the time of his retirement at age 42 in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's regular season career leader in points (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3,189), defensive rebounds (9,394), and personal fouls (4,657). He remains the all-time leader in minutes played and field goals made. He ranks second in career points and field goal attempts, and is third all-time in both total rebounds (17,440) and blocked shots. ESPN named him the greatest center of all time in 2007, the greatest player in college basketball history in 2008, and the second best player in NBA history (behind Michael Jordan) in 2016. Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, a best-selling author, and a martial artist, having trained in Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee and appeared in his film Game of Death (1972). In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Early life Abdul-Jabbar was born in Harlem, New York City, the only child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., a transit police officer and jazz musician. Cora was born in North Carolina but came to Harlem as part of the Great Migration. Ferdinand Sr. was the child of immigrants from Trinidad; his uncle was the Black activist and medical pioneer Dr. John Alcindor. Abdul-Jabbar grew up in the Dyckman Street projects in the Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, which he moved to at the age of 3 in 1950. At birth, Abdul-Jabbar weighed 12 lb 11 oz (5.75 kg) and was 22+1⁄2 inches (57 cm) long. Always very tall for his age, he was already 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) by the age of nine. Abdul-Jabbar was often depressed as a teenager because of the stares and comments about his height. By the eighth grade (age 13–14), he had grown to 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and could already slam dunk a basketball.Abdul-Jabbar began his record-breaking basketball accomplishments when he was in high school, where he led coach Jack Donohue's Power Memorial Academy team to three straight New York City Catholic championships, a 71–game winning streak, and a 79–2 overall record. This earned him "The Tower from Power" nickname. His 2,067 total points were a New York City high school record. The team won the national high school boys basketball championship when Abdul-Jabbar was in 10th and 11th grade and was runner-up his senior year. He had a strained relationship in his final year with Donohue after the coach called him a nigger.Abdul-Jabbar wrote for the Harlem Youth Action Project newspaper. The Harlem riot of 1964, which was prompted by the fatal shooting of 15-year old black boy James Powell by a New York police officer, triggered Alcindor's interest in racial politics. "Right then and there, I knew who I was, who I had to be. I was going to be black rage personified, Black Power in the flesh", he said. College career Abdul-Jabbar was not able to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) out of high school. At the time, the league only accepted players beginning with the year that they could have hypothetically graduated from college. His other options to play basketball professionally would have been to join the Harlem Globetrotters or play overseas. However, Abdul-Jabbar's goal was to attend college. Recruited by hundreds of schools, he was the most sought-after prospect since Wilt Chamberlain. Southern teams that were segregated were willing to break the color line to acquire Abdul-Jabbar. He chose to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, after being recruited by Bruins assistant coach Jerry Norman.By now 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) tall, Abdul-Jabbar was relegated to the freshman team in his first year with the Bruins, as freshman were ineligible to play varsity until 1972. The freshman squad included Lucius Allen, Kenny Heitz, and Lynn Shackelford, who were fellow high-school All-Americans. On November 27, 1965, Abdul-Jabbar made his first public performance in UCLA's annual varsity–freshman exhibition game, attended by 12,051 fans in the inaugural game at the Bruins' new Pauley Pavilion. The 1965–66 varsity team was the two-time defending national champions and the top-ranked team in preseason polls. The freshman team won 75–60 behind Abdul-Jabbar's 31 points and 21 rebounds. It was the first time a freshman team had beaten the UCLA varsity squad. The varsity had lost Gail Goodrich and Keith Erickson from the championship squad to graduation, and starting guard Freddie Goss was out sick. After the game, UPI wrote: "UCLA's Bruins open defense of their national basketball title this week, but right now they're only the second best team on campus." The freshman.... Discover the Kareem Abdul Jabbar popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kareem Abdul Jabbar books.

Best Seller Kareem Abdul Jabbar Books of 2024

  • Showtime synopsis, comments

    Showtime

    Jeff Pearlman

    The New York Times bestselling author of Sweetness delivers the first allencompassing account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of professional sports’ mostreveredand dominantdy...

  • The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Instrument of Death synopsis, comments

    The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Instrument of Death

    David Stuart Davies

    A brandnew Sherlock Holmes mystery from acclaimed Sherlockian author David Stuart Davies, featuring the sinister Dr CaligariSherlock Holmes has just uncovered the truth about the t...

  • On the Shoulders of Giants synopsis, comments

    On the Shoulders of Giants

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    From 1920 to 1940, the Harlem Renaissance produced a bright beacon of light that paved the way for AfricanAmericans all over the country. The unapologetic writings of W. E. B. Du B...

  • Warlock Holmes - The Sign of Nine synopsis, comments

    Warlock Holmes - The Sign of Nine

    G. S. Denning

    "If you ever wondered how much better Sherlock would be if people could hurl hellfire at each other, well this one is for you." Starburst Magazine on A Study in BrimstoneWarlock Ho...

  • The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Deathly Relics synopsis, comments

    The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Deathly Relics

    Sam Siciliano

    An atmospheric, intricately plotted new mystery in which Sherlock Holmes and Henry Vernier race to catch a villainous murderer at large in the Vatican and Rome.Sherlock Holmes and ...

  • Madness synopsis, comments

    Madness

    Mark Mehler & Charles Paikert

    The annual NCAA Basketball Tournament, which has become known as “March Madness” has emerged as a major sports event, matched only by the Super Bowl and the Olympics. In Madness, M...

  • From Hang Time to Prime Time synopsis, comments

    From Hang Time to Prime Time

    Pete Croatto

    Perfect for fans of Moneyball and The Book of Basketball, this vivid, thoroughly entertaining, and wellresearched book explores the NBA’s surge in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s...

  • KD synopsis, comments

    KD

    Marcus Thompson

    Golden State Warriors insider and bestselling author Marcus Thompson “paints a complex portrait and captures all the multitudes of a dynamic athlete trying to carve his legacy” (Jo...

  • The Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils synopsis, comments

    The Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Sussex Sea-Devils

    James Lovegrove

    The stunning new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin, in which the worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft collide.It is the autumn of 1910,...

  • Coach Wooden and Me synopsis, comments

    Coach Wooden and Me

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    Former NBA star and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Kareem AbdulJabbar explores his 50year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relati...

  • Mycroft and Sherlock synopsis, comments

    Mycroft and Sherlock

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse

    The new novel by NBA AllStar Kareem AbdulJabbar, starring brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes.It is 1872, and a series of gruesome murders is the talk of London. Mycroft Holmesnow...

  • The Boston Celtics synopsis, comments

    The Boston Celtics

    Michael D. McClellan & Volk Jan

    Since the team’s inception in 1946, the Boston Celtics have been at the heart of the culture and history of the city they call home. And as Boston has transformed over the years, t...

  • Believing in Magic synopsis, comments

    Believing in Magic

    Cookie Johnson

    In her powerful and inspiring memoir, Cookie Johnson, wife of NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, shares details of her marriage, motherhood, faith, and how an HIV diagnosis twentyf...

  • Warlock Holmes - The Finality Problem synopsis, comments

    Warlock Holmes - The Finality Problem

    G.S. Denning

    "If you ever wondered how much better Sherlock would be if people could hurl hellfire at each other, well this one is for you." Starburst Magazine on A Study in Brimstone.The famou...

  • Malia Loves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar synopsis, comments

    Malia Loves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    Tracilyn George

    Malia loved basketball and her favorite player was Kareem AbdulJabbar. She thought he was the best player ever!

  • Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of the Stapletons synopsis, comments

    Sherlock Holmes and the Beast of the Stapletons

    James Lovegrove

    New York Times bestselling author James Lovegrove's continues the story of Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles, as five years later, another monstrous creature stalks...

  • Bruce Lee synopsis, comments

    Bruce Lee

    Matthew Polly

    The “definitive” (The New York Times) biography of film legend Bruce Lee, who made martial arts a global phenomenon, bridged the divide between eastern and western cultures, and sm...

  • The Comic Book Story of Basketball synopsis, comments

    The Comic Book Story of Basketball

    Fred Van Lente & Joe Cooper

    A fastbreak history of basketballfrom its humble beginnings to its alltime great playersfeaturing engaging true tales from the court and vivid, dynamic illustrations.Whether it's m...

  • Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors synopsis, comments

    Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors

    James Lovegrove

    An exciting standalone Cthulhu Casebooks narrative, a thrilling tale of mystery and dread, from the New York Times bestselling author.It’s 1929 and an ageing Dr John Watson, consci...

  • The Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities synopsis, comments

    The Cthulhu Casebooks - Sherlock Holmes and the Miskatonic Monstrosities

    James Lovegrove

    It is the spring of 1895, and more than a decade of combating eldritch entities has cost Dr John Watson his beloved wife Mary, and nearly broken the health of Sherlock Holmes....

  • Undefeated synopsis, comments

    Undefeated

    Shaunie Henderson

    Shaunie Hendersonwife, mother, entrepreneur, producer, and creator of the hit TV show Basketball Wivesopens up about finding love, offers advice for raising strong, smart, grounded...

  • The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Gentleman Burglar synopsis, comments

    The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Gentleman Burglar

    Sam Siciliano

    A daring and delightful crossover of Sherlock Holmes and his criminal adversity: Arsène Lupin, the Gentleman Burglar. These superb sleuths will solve intricate riddles and journey ...

  • Black Ball synopsis, comments

    Black Ball

    Theresa Runstedtler

    A vital narrative history of 1970s pro basketball, and the Black players who shaped the NBA Against a backdrop of ongoing resistance to racial desegregation and strident ...

  • The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Defaced Men synopsis, comments

    The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Defaced Men

    Tim Major

    Sherlock Holmes delves into the world of early cinema as motion picture groundbreaker Eadweard Muybridge begs him to solve a mystery that will keep you up all night…1896. A new cli...

  • Sherlock Holmes - Masters of Lies synopsis, comments

    Sherlock Holmes - Masters of Lies

    Philip Purser-Hallard

    A brandnew, brilliantly twisty Sherlock Holmes mystery from 'best kept secret of British genre writing' British Fantasy Society  When investigating what seems to be a su...

  • Showtime synopsis, comments

    Showtime

    Jeff Pearlman

    EL ADICTIVO BESTSELLER EN EL QUE SE HA INSPIRADO LA SERIE DE HBO WINNING TIMEEsta historia empieza en 1979, cuando los Lakers draftearon a un jugador de Michigan State llamado Earv...

  • Hardcourt synopsis, comments

    Hardcourt

    Fred Bowen

    Celebrate seventyfive years of the NBA in this exciting and beautifully illustrated middle grade account of the legendary athletes, coaches, and teams that changed basketball forev...

  • Kingdom on Fire synopsis, comments

    Kingdom on Fire

    Scott Howard-Cooper

    In the tradition of Blood in the Garden and ThreeRing Circus comes a bold narrative history of the iconic UCLA Bruins championship teams led by legendary coach John Woodenan incred...

  • CenterStage synopsis, comments

    CenterStage

    Michael Kay

    From the longtime host of the New York Yankees’ television broadcasts, ESPN Radio’s The Michael Kay Show, and YES Network’s Emmy Award–winning CenterStage comes an “entertaining…gr...

  • Brothers in Arms synopsis, comments

    Brothers in Arms

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anthony Walton

    A powerful wartime saga recounting the extraordinary story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first allblack armored unit to see combat in World War II. “More than a combat stor...

  • Game Face synopsis, comments

    Game Face

    Bernard King & Jerome Preisler

    A memoir by the NBA Hall of Fame player, active from 19771993 and widely regarded as one of the alltime great New York Knicks. NBA Hall of Famer Bernard King is one of the most dyn...

  • Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon synopsis, comments

    Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon

    James Lovegrove

    The new Sherlock Holmes novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin and Firefly Big Damn Hero.It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes ...

  • Golden synopsis, comments

    Golden

    Marcus Thompson

    The #1 national bestseller and inside story of Steph Curry, the greatest shooter basketball has ever seen.Golden is the first book to provide an allaccess look at Steph Curry and t...

  • Legends of N.C. State Basketball synopsis, comments

    Legends of N.C. State Basketball

    Tim Peeler & Mark Gottfried

    The fever that is college basketball on Tobacco Road started from a small outbreak in Raleigh, North Carolina, when Indiana basketball legend Everett Case became the coach at N.C. ...

  • The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Revenge from the Grave synopsis, comments

    The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Revenge from the Grave

    David Stuart Davies

    A brandnew Sherlock Holmes mystery from acclaimed Sherlockian author David Stuart Davies, featuring the return of the sinister Moriarty gang...When Professor James Moriarty plunged...

  • The Boston Celtics synopsis, comments

    The Boston Celtics

    Michael D. McClellan & Volk Jan

    Since the team’s inception in 1946, the Boston Celtics have been at the heart of the culture and history of the city they call home. And as Boston has transformed over the years, t...

  • Mycroft Holmes synopsis, comments

    Mycroft Holmes

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Anna Waterhouse

    A new novel written by NBA AllStar Kareem AbdulJabbar!Fresh out of Cambridge University, the young Mycroft Holmes is already making a name for himself in government, working for th...

  • An African Rebound synopsis, comments

    An African Rebound

    Dan Doyle

    It is 1989, and Jim Keating has hit absolute rock bottom. He’s lost his wife to cancer, his house to bankruptcy, and his job as a college basketball coach to what many outsiders be...

  • The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Haunting of Torre Abbey synopsis, comments

    The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Haunting of Torre Abbey

    Carole Bugge

    A HAUNTED HOUSESherlock Holmes receives a request for aid from Lord Cary, whose family home, Torre Abbey, is seemingly haunted. While skeptical, Holmes believes that the Carys are ...

  • Malia Loves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar synopsis, comments

    Malia Loves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

    Tracilyn George

    Malia loved basketball and her favorite player was Kareem AbdulJabbar. Malia knew many things about the basketball legend and admired everything about him. She thought he was the b...

  • Wish It Lasted Forever synopsis, comments

    Wish It Lasted Forever

    Dan Shaughnessy

    From awardwinning Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, an “entertaining” (The Wall Street Journal) and nostalgiafilled retelling of the 1980s Boston Celtics’ glory years, which ...

  • Sherlock Holmes - The Monster of the Mere synopsis, comments

    Sherlock Holmes - The Monster of the Mere

    Philip Purser-Hallard

    When Watson's holiday in the Lake District takes a sinister twist, he and Holmes must uncover the truth hidden by superstitious locals, folklore and rumours of prehistorical monste...

  • Sherlock Holmes - The Legacy of Deeds synopsis, comments

    Sherlock Holmes - The Legacy of Deeds

    Nick Kyme

    A DARK PAST It is 1894, and Sherlock Holmes is called to a Covent Garden art gallery where dozens of patrons lie dead before a painting of the Undying Man. Holmes and Wat...