Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Recognized the world over as one of the greatest basketball players who ever played the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a committed social activist and award-winning writer.

As a player, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer for 39 years until his record was broken in 2023 by fellow Laker great Lebron James. A Hall of Famer, he is a six-time NBA champion and the league’s only six-time MVP. TIME magazine dubbed Abdul-Jabbar “History’s Greatest Player” and ESPN and The Pac 12 named him the #1 Collegiate Athlete of the 21st Century.

Beyond the court, Abdul-Jabbar has become a respected figure in journalism, contributing regularly to newspapers and magazines worldwide. His insightful columns delve into socially relevant and politically controversial topics. Recognized as Columnist of the Year eight times by the Southern California Journalism Awards, Abdul-Jabbar offers his perspectives as a nationally recognized speaker who regularly appears on the lecture circuit.

Abdul-Jabbar has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest honor for civilians. He is the recipient of The Ford Medal of Freedom, The Rosa Parks Award, The Double Helix Medal and Harvard University’s W.E.B. Dubois Medal of Courage. Abdul-Jabbar holds eight honorary doctorate degrees and is a U.S. Cultural Ambassador, a title specifically created for and bestowed upon him by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

A New York Times best-selling author of 17 books, he delves into the overlooked history of African Americans, exploring topics from the Harlem Renaissance to forgotten Black inventors, and is the co-author of the children's Mycroft Holmes trilogy, starring Sherlock Holmes' lesser well-known but far more talented older brother. He currently has several book and film projects in development.

An award-winning documentary producer and a two-time Emmy-nominated narrator, Abdul-Jabbar was featured in HBO’s most watched sports documentary of all time, "Kareem: Minority of One," and was a writer/producer on season five of "Veronica Mars." He has appeared in hundreds of iconic and memorable television shows and movies, such as "Airplane," "The Big Bang Theory," "Sesame Street," "Jeopardy," "The Simpsons," and "Billions," among others.

Ensuring his legacy, in 2015 the Basketball Hall of Fame created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar College Center of the Year Award to honor the top college basketball center each year. Additionally, in 2021, the NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award to honor the next generation of athletes who lift up their communities.

Abdul-Jabbar serves as the Chairman of his Skyhook Foundation, whose mission is to “Give Kids a Shot That Can’t be Blocked” by bringing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities. He is also the California STEM Ambassador and serves on the Advisory Board for UCLA Health. At 76 years old, he likes to say: “Only my jersey is retired.”