In 1968 Alcindor stirred controversy when he boycotted the Olympic Games in an anti-racism protest, converted to Islam and privately changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means “noble one, servant of the Almighty”.
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Why did Kareem convert to Islam?
“I was rejecting the religion that was foreign to my black African culture and embracing one that was part of my racial heritage,” Abdul-Jabbar writes.
Why did Kareem wear goggles?
During his junior year, Alcindor suffered a scratched left cornea on January 12, 1968, in a game against Cal when he was struck by Tom Henderson in a rebound battle. … His cornea would again be scratched during his pro career, which subsequently caused him to wear goggles for eye protection.
Did Kareem play power forward?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – One of the Best Power Forwards in History of Basketball.
Was Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the Nation of Islam?
Conversion to Islam and 1968 Olympic boycott During the summer of 1968, Alcindor took the shahada twice and converted to Sunni Islam from Catholicism. He adopted the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, though he did not begin using it publicly until 1971.
Is Kareem Abdul Jabbar sick?
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, now 73, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2008. … Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader for the Miluwakee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, provided no other details about that illness in the piece he wrote for WebMD that first appeared Wednesday.
What is Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s birth name?
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr
Is Kareem Abdul Jabbar still married?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was married to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar, born Janice Brown, and they have three children: Habiba, Sultana, and Kareem Jr. They divorced in 1978. He has another son, Adam, with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl Pistono. He converted to Islam when he was 24 and changed his name from Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.
Does LeBron play power forward?
LeBron James, for his entire career, has been a point forward. He’s often brought the ball up the court, initiated his team’s offensive sets, and been the player most leaned on to quarterback the progressions within those sets to reach a desirable outcome.
Did Hakeem Olajuwon play power forward?
In 1984, he moved to power forward when 7′ 0″ (213 cm) Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted that year.
Why did Grant wear goggles?
Although he eventually received LASIK surgery to correct his sight, he continued to wear the goggles on the court after he had heard from parents that he had become an inspirational figure to children who wore eyeglasses.
What ethnicity is Kareem Abdul?
On May 1, 1971, the day after the Bucks won the NBA championship, he adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Arabic: كريم عبد الجبار, Karīm Abd al-Jabbār), its translation roughly “noble one, servant of the Almighty [i.e., servant of Allah]”. He had converted to Islam while at UCLA.
Why did Kareem retire?
He didn’t score enough or rebound enough or play enough defense. When Kareem broke his record, he called for Jabbar’s retirement, which wouldn’t come for another five years, a time during which Kareem won three of his six NBA titles.
Did LeBron play power forward?
From his power forward position, James averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. By playing James at power forward, that dictated every matchup on the floor in the NBA Finals. Serge Ibaka, the starting power forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, has no shot at guarding James on the perimeter.
Can LeBron play any position?
Since he came into the league in 2003, LeBron James has been stunning basketball fans with his versatility and his ability to fill in naturally at any position on the basketball court. When James gets a head of steam, there is not a player on the court that could slow him down. …
Why did Kareem leave Milwaukee?
This fantastic LA Times piece by Thomas Bonk has great details about the trade, including the now well-known fact that Kareem was the one who decided he would be leaving Milwaukee, because of Milwaukee. The city wasn’t right for Kareem. He felt it was too small, too blue-collar, too far away from his loved ones.
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