21 Quotes & Sayings By Kareem Abduljabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor on November 16, 1947 in New York City, the son of Earl and Juanita Alcindor. He came from a family of musicians and educators and was raised in Harlem. He attended Manhattan's prestigious Professional Children's School but did not make the basketball team. After graduating from high school in 1965, he attended John F Read more

Kennedy High School in Los Angeles, California. He played basketball for the school and at nearby Occidental College, where he was a two-time All-American and won the college's scoring championship. He also played football, and was a two-time letterman and two-time team captain.

In his senior year at Occidental, Alcindor had a 26.7 points per game average and led his team to win the national championship. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks from 1971 to 1975 before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1976 NBA Draft. After being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft, he became one of only four players to both play in an All-Star Game AND win an NBA Championship ring in the same year (the other three are Michael Jordan, LeBron James & Shaquille O'Neal). After being traded by the Lakers to the Phoenix Suns in 1980, he became an NBA All-Star for six consecutive seasons (1980–1985) while becoming one of only seven players to win both an NCAA Championship (PhiSci) AND an NBA Championship (Lakers). He also joined Oscar Robertson as one of only two players to average 20+ points per game for their entire career. He retired following his 13th season with the Lakers in 1989 after winning five championships (1982–1985). During his career he also owns numerous records including: most points scored in a game (68), most points scored in a season (3,197), most points scored in a quarter (57), highest field goal percentage (.610), highest three point field goal percentage (.476), highest free throw percentage (.919), highest scoring average (27.0 ppg) , most total rebounds (2,769), most offensive rebounds (1%), fewest turnovers ever by a player with more than 2,000 assists (368) & most blocks ever by any player with more than 4,000 rebounds (625). Following his retirement as a player he has become one of only 10 players to have their jersey

You have to be able to center yourself, to let...
1
You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go. Don’t ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body. Kareem AbdulJabbar
2
Many of the people I write about were deliberately left out of the history books that we were forced to read in school. For me, that history was "written wrong" and needed to be corrected. My intention was to make them visible so they could be role models for others. To show how each, in his or her own way, dribbled gracefully around that obstacle in the narrow corridor. Kareem AbdulJabbar
3
Many people are born into their religion. For them it is mostly a matter of legacy and convenience. Their belief is based on faith, not just in the teachings of the religion but also in the acceptance of that religion from their family and culture. For the person who converts, it is a matter of fierce conviction and defiance. Our belief is based on a combination of faith and logic because we need a powerful reason to abandon the traditions of our families and community to embrace beliefs foreign to both. Conversion is a risky business because it can result in losing family, friends and community support. Kareem AbdulJabbar
4
If there is moral insanity, " he said in a conspiratorial whisper, "then there may be the reverse, immoral sanity, if you will, that comes upon one suddenly, like a fever. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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Today's youth are told to get rich or die trying and they really shouldn't take that attitude forward with them. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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I tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I tell them to not let that be their only dream. Kareem AbdulJabbar
7
You can't win unless you learn how to lose. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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Sports and entertainment are the only places where inner-city kids see themselves being able to succeed. Their intellectual development is something they don't relate to. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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Islam is about finding your own space. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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This is what I would have done if I had to have a real job: I would have been a history teacher. Kareem AbdulJabbar
12
Jackie Robinson, as an athlete and as someone who was trying to make a stand for equality, he was exemplary. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing. Kareem AbdulJabbar
14
When I was 17, I worked in a mentoring program in Harlem designed to improve the community. That's when I first gained an appreciation of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans rose to prominence in American culture. For the first time, they were taken seriously as artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and as political thinkers. Kareem AbdulJabbar
15
A lot of young players don't really know much about the history of the game and a lot of them are missing out on what the game is all about, especially the whole concept of sportsmanship and teamwork. Kareem AbdulJabbar
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In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story. Kareem AbdulJabbar
17
When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people. That's a terrible burden. Kareem AbdulJabbar
18
What I have is P.H. positive chronic myeloid leukemia, which is an aberration in your white blood cells. Kareem AbdulJabbar
19
I am highly offended by the total lack of acknowledgement of my contribution to Laker success. Kareem AbdulJabbar
20
My grandfather and my uncle both died from colorectal cancer, my dad almost died from it and I have the gene for it. Kareem AbdulJabbar