History. It's what professional sports are all about. Fans live to sit around and talk about the great games, the great plays, and the great players of the past. In the movie ?Field of Dreams? James Earl Jones speaks eloquently about the nostalgia of baseball and what it represents in the minds of Americans. The game of baseball, says Jones, has been the lone constant as America has been built up, wiped clean, and rebuilt time and time again. Baseball is certainly a big part of America's past, but over the past century we have seen the game of basketball play a similar role in American culture.

When you think back over the history of basketball there is one name that stands above all others, one man who has come to define the NBA the way Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Cy Young define MLB. The NBA has seen many outstanding athletes come and go, from Jerry West to Larry Bird to Michael Jordan, but when fans sit down to reminisce about the greatest players of all time, there is one name that still holds court above all others. That name is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Where do you start to talk about a legend of the game who has six championship rings, an unprecedented 19 All-Star appearances, six MVP trophies, and enough records to keep any historian busy? Well, it's usually best to start at the beginning.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, was the driving force behind Power Memorial High School, which has been called the best high school team ever assembled due largely to an incredible 71-straight wins. He then went to UCLA, where he was an instant success. He averaged 26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds per game in three years as a Bruin, leading them to NCAA championships in 1967, 1968, and 1969. He was then the first overall pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970, where he averaged 28.8 and 14.4 rebounds per game to walk away with the Rookie of the Year award. The Bucks were 27-55 after the 1968-69 season, failing to qualify for the playoffs. The following year, with Abdul-Jabbar in the mix, they went 56-26 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Abdul-Jabbar's stunning season saw him honored with an All-Star appearance, a place on the All-Rookie Team, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, All-NBA Second Team, in addition to being recognized as the top rookie. It was a fantastic start for Abdul-Jabbar, who is quick to acknowledge that he had some help from his friends when it came down to living the life of a celebrity.

"When I first started playing professional basketball a couple of guys kind of took me under their wings and taught me what professional life was like,? explains Abdul-Jabbar. ?We're talking about Archie Clark, Woody Saulsbury, and Willie Naulls."

The move to Los Angeles made the Lakers a team of destiny. Having just lost Wilt Chamberlain to retirement, the Lakers were looking for another centerpiece around which to build a dynasty. Abdul-Jabbar was all they wanted and then some. Together with later additions Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, and A.C. Green, Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers into an era known as ?Showtime,? when they were consistently the best team in the Western Conference and won championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. When he retired in 1989 Abdul-Jabbar had amassed career records for most points scored (38,387), number of rebounds in a single game (29) and a long list of others. His patented ?sky-hook? was virtually unblockable, and his presence on the defensive end (led the NBA in blocked shots four times) made him a force to be reckoned with. Was he, perhaps, the greatest player of all time?

Having a playing career that spanned nearly 20 years gives Abdul-Jabbar a unique perspective on the history of the game. While many retired players talk about rules changes that involve defense as the most influential changes in the game, Abdul-Jabbar can rock it old school. He takes us back to the days when there was no three-point line. "I think the three-point shot has kind of made today's player kind of like lotto crazy,? says Abdul-Jabbar. ?They want to go for the jackpot shot as opposed to taking higher percentage shots. I think that's really the only aspect of the game that has changed. I think the spectacular abilities of someone like Michael Jordan has certainly made a lot of people want to dunk the basketball, but that's pretty minor by comparison."

? He was named Sportsman of the Year in 1985 by Sports Illustrated and in 2004 he was named the Collegiate Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated as well as numerous other sources.

? He was the first athlete in the world to receive the National Sports Award presented by President Bill Clinton and was inducted into the Presidential Hall of Fame with four other athletes, including Muhammad Ali. Kareem is also in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

? Kareem is committed to community service: He is part Cherokee Indian and worked for a season teaching high school basketball and history on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Whitewater, Arizona, where he served the community by working for a season for only $1.

? In the mid 70's Kareem began doing Yoga to improve his athletic performance and he is recognized as a Yogi Master by Bikram Yoga. Today, his son Amir, is a yoga instructor who is finishing Medical School in August to become a children's orthopedic surgeon. Because of Yoga, Kareem was able to play professional basketball for 20 years and 16 years unprofessional because of his commitment to health and fitness. Today he is still at his game-playing weight.

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