From Alcindor to Kareem: Faith, Name and Conviction

Kareem was more than a basketball player. Born Lew Alcindor, he formally converted to Islam and became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971. The move sparked huge discussion—a top sports star publicly declaring faith and identity was seen as athletes "reclaiming self."

Behind the name was his path: a Black boy in New York who faced racism young, influenced by Malcolm X and others in college, gradually firming his cultural stance. He refused to sing the anthem at the Olympics (considered boycotting in 1968), an early pioneer blending athlete identity with civil-rights themes.

After retirement he became an author (several books including "On the Shoulders of Giants"), columnist and documentarian, speaking on race, history and education. In 2023 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation's highest civilian honor.

From Alcindor to Kareem, from dunk machine to public intellectual, Kareem modeled another kind of depth: off the court, still a complete, principled person.

Related Reading

• 1980 NBA MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 1976 NBA MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 1977 NBA MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
• 1972 NBA MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks)
• 1974 NBA MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks)