April 5, 1984 remains an exceptional date – and yet little known – in the career of the prodigious Kareem Abdul Jabbar. That year, he won nothing. Just a new mention in the All-NBA First Team. The main thing is elsewhere. At the end of the season, the Lakers pivot beat Wilt Chamberlain's career points record during a match against Utah. Record which then stood at 31,419 units. Sublime moment for the League.
For five seasons, the Lakers' interior will continue to improve the brand. In 1989, the date of the end clap, it rose to 38,387 points. Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in turn overtook Chamberlain during their careers. But we will have to wait until February 2023 for the bar passed by Abdul-Jabbar to fall, and it is LeBron James who seized the record to also take it to incredible heights. The most beautiful tribute will also be signed Abdul-Jabbar even though the two have always been very distant.
The episode – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the story on a coin toss
Born Lew Alcindor
Spanning two decades between Milwaukee and Los Angeles, Jabbar's career began in Harlem. Lew (who converted to Islam in 1971) was born in New York on April 16, 1947, two years after the end of World War II. An only son, ultra-protected by his mother but severely shaken by a very strict father. Young Alcindor throws himself headlong into basketball to escape his family environment as quickly as possible. Spotted by John Wooden's special correspondents, he traveled to the West Coast of the United States and landed on the UCLA campus. With the Bruins, he won three NCAA titles in 1967, 68 and 69. Player of the year twice, Alcindor is on the shelves of every scout in the country.
The Bucks chose him in 1st position in the 1969 draft. At the time, Milwaukee was a franchise with only two years of experience. When the 2.18 m giant arrived in Wisconsin, the big men began to desert the League (Bill Russell had just left in Boston) or were getting old, like Wilt Chamberlain who was approaching 35 years old. The door to success opened wide for the Bucks newcomer who started with a Rookie of the Year title, with an average of 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds. Compare to the stats of our national Victor Wembanyama during his rookie year.
Champion in his second year
During the summer of 1970, Milwaukee strengthened with Oscar Robertson and the young Lucius Allen. The effect is immediate. In the wake of Alcindor, who won his first MVP title of the season, Bob Dandridge, Jon McGlocklin and Greg Smith, the Bucks were crowned champions against the Baltimore Bullets (4-0). Kareem has plenty of time to admire himself in his first ring. He will have to wait nine years before winning a new one! He was certainly crowned MVP of the regular season four times (1972, 74, 76, 77) but it was only with the Lakers showtime version that he would experience consecration again.
The divorce with Milwaukee occurred in the summer of 1975. Lew Alcindor, who became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, caused confusion among Bucks fans. We don't understand his religious beliefs. We wonder about their culture, their opinions, their aspirations. Kareem asks for a trade in a big city. Either Los Angeles or New York. There, tolerance and openness are greater, without being exceptional either. A deal is concluded with the Lakers. But it is a bruised man who sets foot on the Pacific Coast. Abdul-Jabbar lost a house and, more importantly, his childhood memories in a fire of unexplained origin. We will have to wait a long, long time to bring a smile to the face of this extraordinary athlete who will win six NBA rings (five with Magic Johnson's Lakers), six regular season MVP titles and two Finals MVP trophies (in 1971). and 85), to cite only the essentials.
The antithesis of Magic Johnson
The image will remain blurred. At the height of his fame with the Angelinos, Abdul-Jabbar described himself as “the baddest of the baddest guys.” Enough to dissuade the most daring of reporters from going to question him. Between Magic Johnson's Colgate smile and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's frozen mask, we quickly made our choice. To Magic the light and adoration, to Kareem the shadow and incomprehension. Pat Riley, who coached Abdul-Jabbar for eight seasons in Los Angeles, refuses to judge this exceptional player who literally put a figure in the basketball textbooks, the “skyhook” (rotation of the body towards the circle and winding of the ball which finishes its perfect curve in the circle).
“Why judge? When a man has broken records, won titles, endured so much criticism and responsibilities, why still want to judge him at all costs? He is one of the greatest players of all time. »
During his last ten years in the League, Abdul-Jabbar won nine division titles. He will be one of the first to benefit from the showtime orchestrated by Magic upon his arrival in 1979. During the 1980 NBA Finals against the Sixers, the LA pivot was already 33 years old. If he wins his sixth and final MVP title of the season (24.8 pts and 10.8 rebounds), he owes his second championship ring to the dashing rookie. Injured during Game 5, Abdul-Jabbar cannot hold his place for the following match. Magic takes over as interim and achieves one of the best performances of all time (42 pts, 15 rebounds, 7 pds and 3 ints). Injury without consequences for the future of a player that Earvin Johnson describes as “the most beautiful athlete in all sports”.
He bows out at 42
How can we explain this longevity which will lead Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to play until the age of 42? We know that in recent years he has turned to yoga and martial arts, while meditation allowed him to manage stress before matches. The 1985 Finals against the Celtics perfectly illustrates how Kareem approached his meetings at that time. Ridiculed by Robert Parish during Game 1, known to posterity as the “Memorial Day Massacre” (the Lakers took a 148-114 correction), Abdul-Jabbar had to be content with 12 points and 3 rebounds.
During the two days of break which precede Match 2, he follows a specific preparation, at the same time of matches, by launching into a real marathon focused on the work of an interior player. In this Game 2, Parish no longer knows where he lives: Abdul-Jabbar plants 30 points on his head, captures 17 rebounds, delivers 8 assists and blocks three times. Lakers win 109-102. Needless to say, LA's pivot is decisive not only in this match but also in the series, won 4-2 by the Californians. The MVP title is for him. Moreover, it is always this 1985 Final that he highlights. A final won at the Boston Garden, which had never happened to him in his career. The previous year, the Celtics had sent the Lakers back to their beloved studies, like many other times during the reign of Bill Russell.
Read: Kareem-Abdul Jabbar responds to DNA of Sports readers
Although he won two new NBA titles in 1987 and 1988, Abdul-Jabbar was not fooled when it came time to retire. American society had evolved. She no longer looked at him like a curious animal. But the distrust towards this definitively different player was still there. “Since I retired, everyone sees me as a venerable institution. Things change… “, he laughs today. Without ever really leaving the shadows.
We saw him as assistant coach with the Clippers for a few months in 2000 (looking into the Michael Olowokandi case…) then head coach of Oklahoma, a minor league team, in 2002. Returning to the Lakers, he was responsible for 'frame the pivots. He worked with Kwame Brown, he does the same with Andrew Bynum. But he was rarely seen chatting with Phil Jackson or his assistants… Few or no interviews, as always. A true lone wolf even if 10 years ago, he agreed to respond to the readers of DNA of Sports!
During a transit through Houston Airport a few years ago we saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the basketball player with all kinds of titles, buying an ice cream like an average traveler before taking a flight to Los Angeles. Alone with his gear, like a globetrotter. And obviously without being bothered by anyone. A strange sequence to say the least. As if this exceptional player, author of thrillers in these lost hours, reflected the image of ordinary mortals. There will always be a blur between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and America, even if today an award bears his name: the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. It recognizes the player who stands out for his actions for social justice, and he presented his trophy to Carmelo Anthony in 2021, Reggie Bullock in 2022 and Stephen Curry in 2023.
PALMARES
NBA titles : 1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
MVP titles: 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980
Rookie of the Year : 1970
Finals MVP : 1971, 1985
All-Star : 19 selections (1970 to 1977, 1979 to 1989)
All-NBA First Team : 10 selections (1971 to 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986)
All-NBA Second Team : 5 selections (1970, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1985)
| Kareem Abdul Jabbar | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 1969-70 | MIL | 82 | 43 | 51.8 | 65.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 28.8 | |
| 1970-71 ★ | MIL | 82 | 40 | 57.7 | 69.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 31.7 | |
| 1971-72 ★ | MIL | 81 | 44 | 57.4 | 68.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.6 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 34.8 | |
| 1972-73 | MIL | 76 | 43 | 55.4 | 71.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 16.1 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 30.2 | |
| 1973-74 ★ | MIL | 81 | 44 | 53.9 | 70.2 | 3.0 | 11.0 | 14.5 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 27.1 | |
| 1974-75 | MIL | 65 | 42 | 51.3 | 76.3 | 2.0 | 11.0 | 14.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 30.0 | |
| 1975-76 ★ | LAL | 82 | 41 | 52.9 | 70.3 | 3.0 | 13.0 | 16.9 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 27.7 | |
| 1976-77 ★ | LAL | 82 | 37 | 57.9 | 70.1 | 3.0 | 10.0 | 13.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 26.2 | |
| 1977-78 | LAL | 62 | 37 | 55.0 | 78.3 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 12.9 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 25.8 | |
| 1978-79 | LAL | 80 | 40 | 57.7 | 73.6 | 2.0 | 10.0 | 12.8 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 23.8 | |
| 1979-80 ★ | LAL | 82 | 38 | 60.4 | 0.0 | 76.5 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 24.8 |
| 1980-81 | LAL | 80 | 37 | 57.4 | 0.0 | 76.6 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 10.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 26.2 |
| 1981-82 | LAL | 76 | 35 | 57.9 | 0.0 | 70.6 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 8.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 23.9 |
| 1982-83 | LAL | 79 | 32 | 58.8 | 0.0 | 74.9 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 21.8 |
| 1983-84 | LAL | 80 | 33 | 57.8 | 0.0 | 72.3 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 21.5 |
| 1984-85 | LAL | 79 | 33 | 59.9 | 0.0 | 73.2 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 22.0 |
| 1985-86 | LAL | 79 | 33 | 56.4 | 0.0 | 76.5 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 6.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 23.4 |
| 1986-87 | LAL | 78 | 31 | 56.4 | 33.3 | 71.4 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 17.5 |
| 1987-88 | LAL | 80 | 29 | 53.2 | 0.0 | 76.2 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 14.6 |
| 1988-89 | LAL | 74 | 23 | 47.5 | 0.0 | 73.9 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 10.1 |
| Total | 1560 | 37 | 55.9 | 5.6 | 72.1 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 11.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 24.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
