Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Acting

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. (born April 16, 1947) in New York City, grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Harlem in a family of Trinidadian descent, raised in the Catholic tradition and imbued with values such as honor and dignity. An only child, he was quickly marked by his exceptional height: from elementary school onward, he played with the tallest kids, and at fourteen, already over two meters (6'7"), he was able to dunk. His adolescence was punctuated by episodes of social confrontation and learning the art of street basketball, which forged his competitive spirit. Abdul-Jabbar distinguished himself early on at Power Memorial Academy, where he set records for points and rebounds, leading his team to 71 consecutive victories and three New York State high school championships. This period is unanimously recognized as one of the greatest high schoo…