American · New York City, New York, USA · Born 16 April 1947UCLA center, then known as Lew Alcindor, who won three consecutive national championships and is widely regarded as college basketball's greatest player ever.
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born on 16 April 1947 in New York City, and arrived at UCLA in 1965 already the most celebrated schoolboy player in the country, having led Power Memorial Academy to 71 consecutive wins. Freshmen were then ineligible for varsity play, but Alcindor's freshman team famously defeated the UCLA varsity - the defending national champions - in an exhibition game before he even suited up for Bruins coach John Wooden. Alcindor scored 56 points in his first varsity game in 1966 and proceeded to dominate college basketball for three seasons, going 88-2 with UCLA and winning the national championship all three years (1967-69), the only player in NCAA history named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in all three of his tournament appearances. His dominance directly led the NCAA to ban the slam dunk after his sophomore year - nicknamed the 'Alcindor Rule' - forcing him to perfect the skyhook shot that would define his professional career; the rule was rescinded in 1976. Alcindor was a unanimous first-team All-American in all three of his varsity seasons and won the inaugural Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1969, along with AP Player of the Year honors twice. He led the nation in scoring efficiency and rebounding across his college career, and UCLA's 12-0 NCAA tournament record with him on the roster remains one of the most dominant title runs in the sport's history. After graduating in 1969 with a degree in history, he converted to Islam and was renamed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, going on to a 20-year NBA career with six championships and the league's all-time scoring record.
Leading UCLA to three consecutive national championships while going 88-2, widely considered the greatest college basketball career in history
How They Played
Dominant, technically flawless center whose combination of height, mobility, and skill overwhelmed opponents; developed the skyhook after the dunk ban to remain nearly unstoppable
Lasting Impact
Regarded by many as the single greatest college basketball player ever, whose dominance was so complete it forced the NCAA to change its rules, and whose UCLA dynasty set the standard for sustained excellence in the sport
Career Honours
- 3x NCAA National Champion (1967, 1968, 1969)
- 3x NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player - only player in history to achieve this
- Inaugural Naismith College Player of the Year (1969)
- 3x Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969)
American Athletes