In celebration of HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, we’re taking a looking at the real-time characters behind the show. This is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an actor and an author. He’s a cultural ambassador and public speaker. He was awarded the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom. And yes, he’s one of the three or four most important players in NBA history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is third in total career rebounds, third in total blocks, and first in points scored. He was a six time champion and six time MVP. He went to an unbelievable nineteen All-Star games. Lew Alcindor entered the NBA with three NCAA titles to his name, and still shattered expectations.
In 1979, as LA was getting ready to select Magic Johnson, Kareem was already a five-time MVP and an NBA champion. With the birth of the Showtime Lakers, though, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went from superstar to truly a fixture on the NBA’s Mt. Rushmore.