Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is often overlooked in the debate over who is the greatest NBA player of all time as names like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant dominate the discussion.
FILE PHOTO: NBA basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabaar waves before speaking on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoHis inscrutable nature, which led him to shun the spotlight early in his career, made it easy for some to discount his jaw-dropping on-court production.
The 7-foot-2-inch center gained national recognition in college, where he scored 56 points in his varsity debut at UCLA en route to a 30-0 season and a national title. That led the NCAA to ban the slam dunk in an effort to contain him. He was selected first overall in the 1969 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and in his rookie season averaged an astonishing 29 points and 15 rebounds per game, an unthinkable feat for any first-year player in today’s game.
He averaged 28 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks per game and won the MVP award despite the Lakers missing the playoffs that season.
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