Lew Alcindor's Dominance: The UCLA Years

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, known as Lew Alcindor during his college years, is undoubtedly one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Larry Bird himself acknowledged this on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series. Whether known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Lew Alcindor, he was a winner at every level. His journey to basketball stardom began long before his professional career, with a dominant run at UCLA that cemented his legacy.

Early Life and High School Dominance

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was born on April 16, 1947, weighing in at a significant 12 pounds, 11 ounces, and measuring 22½ inches. His parents, Lew Sr. (6-3) and Cora (5-10), foreshadowed his future height. By age 9, he was already 5-8 and experimenting with his signature hook shot. In eighth grade, he stood 6-8 and could dunk.

Before his legendary UCLA career, Alcindor established himself as a force to be reckoned with at Power Memorial Academy in New York City. As the Associated Press described him, he was "a towering and talented youngster who is the most celebrated schoolboy basketball star ever developed in this teeming hotbed of basketball." He led Power Memorial to three consecutive New York City Catholic championships and a 71-game winning streak. As a sophomore, he averaged 19 points and 18 rebounds. In his junior season, Power remained undefeated. It was during this year that he expressed anger, saying, "I wish you didn't have any white in you at all!" In his senior year, Alcindor averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds, shooting 75 percent from the field while playing only about 16 minutes per game. Despite receiving over 100 scholarship offers, his coach, Jack Donohue, clarified that "actually, any college with a basketball team would want him." The 72-game winning streak came to an end when Power lost to DeMatha Catholic High School of Maryland 46-43, with Alcindor held to 16 points.

The UCLA Dynasty

Alcindor's arrival at UCLA in 1965 marked the beginning of an unprecedented era of dominance for the Bruins. Although freshmen were ineligible to play on the varsity team at the time, Alcindor made an immediate impact.

Freshman Year Showcase

In the first game ever played at Pauley Pavilion, Alcindor's freshman team faced off against the two-time defending champion varsity team, which was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. The freshmen, boasting four high school All-Americans, delivered a stunning 75-60 victory. Alcindor dominated with 31 points, 21 rebounds, and seven blocked shots. As a freshman, Alcindor averaged upwards of 33 points and 21 rebounds. The Wisconsin State Journal noted that most of UCLA's freshman team's wins that season came by 50 to 75 points. The Corvallis Gazette-Times quipped, "This looks like the year to get at UCLA in basketball or wait for four more seasons."

Varsity Triumphs: 1966-1969

From 1966 to 1969, with Alcindor as their star center, the Bruins achieved a remarkable 88-2 record. He led UCLA to three consecutive NCAA championships (1967, 1968, and 1969) and became the only player to win three Most Outstanding Player awards at the Final Four.

In his first varsity game, he set a UCLA record by scoring 56 points, later followed by a 61-point performance. During his first season, he averaged 29 points and 15.5 rebounds with a .667 shooting percentage, leading John Wooden's Bruins to a 30-0 record. Notre Dame coach Johnny Dee famously said, "The only way to beat Alcindor is to hope for the three Fs."

The Houston Game and Revenge

As a junior, Alcindor suffered a scratched left eyeball eight days before UCLA's highly anticipated matchup against undefeated Houston. He missed the next two games and struggled in the game against Houston, shooting 4-of-18 in a 71-69 loss before a record crowd of 52,693 in the Astrodome. UPI's Milton Richman described the game as "the most exciting college basketball game in the past 10 years."

Alcindor and the Bruins gained revenge at the NCAA Final Four, defeating Houston 101-69. Alcindor scored 19 points with 18 rebounds, while Houston's Elvin Hayes was held to just 10 points.

Senior Year and Final Championship

UCLA lost only one game in Alcindor's senior season, a 46-44 defeat against USC, who used a stall tactic. In the NCAA final, Alcindor scored 37 points on 15-of-20 shooting and grabbed 20 rebounds as the Bruins defeated Purdue and Rick Mount 92-72.

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In the 1967 national championship against Dayton, Alcindor scored a team-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, along with 18 rebounds. The Tennessean reported, "During this streak, it was the towering Alcindor who smothered Dayton's attack time and time again. He blocked four of their shots, and when he didn't have his hand spread across the battle, the Flyers obviously were looking for him." In the next season's title game, he put up 34 points on an efficient 15-of-21 shooting performance, plus he had 16 rebounds.

Alcindor's Game

Alcindor arrived at UCLA standing at 7-1, eventually growing to 7-2. As a center, his game was centered around the basket. "Almost all his shooting is inside, hooks, stuffers and tap-ins," reported the Associated Press when Alcindor was a senior in high school. However, Alcindor had more to his game than just height. "Although he towers over his opposition, Alcindor has much more than height," reported the AP. "The 235-pounder is supple and moves well, and is a good passer." His offensive arsenal included dunks, a fadeaway jumper, and his signature towering hook shots. He could shoot well with either hand, too. The dunk was outlawed after Alcindor's sophomore year, with the national rules committee citing player injuries and damage to equipment.

College Statistics and Accolades

According to the NCAA, UCLA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stats include a tournament record of 12-0. He played a total of 88 games between 1966 and 1969, averaging 26.4 points per game and shooting with 63.9% accuracy. He was College Player of the Year in 1967 and 1969.

Transition to the NBA and Name Change

After graduating from UCLA in 1969, Alcindor was drafted into the NBA by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year. In the fall of 1971, Alcindor legally changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He had been a Muslim since his college days. He publicly announced in 1971 that he would like to be called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, his Islamic name, when he was the NBA's Most Valuable Player with the Milwaukee Bucks.

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