1971 Finals MVP: The First Cornerstone of the Skyhook Dynasty
In 1971, the young Milwaukee Bucks center Lew Alcindor—later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—stood atop the NBA world.
It was only his second season in the league. The Bucks roared to 66 regular-season wins, and Alcindor dominated the paint with his unstoppable "skyhook," averaging 31.7 points to claim the scoring title. In the playoffs he was virtually unguardable: a sweep of the San Francisco Warriors in the Western Finals, then a 4-0 sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals.
Across the four Finals games, Alcindor averaged 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds while shooting better than 55%. His skyhook released from such a high point that no defender could contest it—no matter how they challenged, the sweeping hook from above the head always found the bottom of the net.
At 22, he became the youngest Finals MVP of his era, but this trophy was only the first stone of a legendary career. He would go on to win six championships, two Finals MVPs and six regular-season MVPs. The spring of 1971 was the first cornerstone of the skyhook dynasty.
That same year, Alcindor converted to Islam and took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The name changed, but the center's signature move that reshaped basketball history remained forever anchored to its Milwaukee beginning.
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