Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. — retired as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, a record that stood for nearly four decades. His skyhook, an elegant and virtually unblockable shot released from above his 7'2" frame, was the most devastating weapon in basketball history. But Abdul-Jabbar's legacy extends far beyond the court — he is one of the most important athlete-intellectuals America has produced.

Born in New York City in 1947, Alcindor dominated basketball at every level. He led UCLA to three consecutive NCAA championships and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player all three times. After being drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969, he converted to Islam, changed his name, and immediately began using his platform to speak on racial justice, refusing to play for the 1968 Olympic team in protest of American racism.

Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships (one with the Bucks, five with the Lakers), six MVP awards — more than any player in history — and was named to 19 All-Star teams in his 20-year career. After retiring, he became a bestselling author, historian, filmmaker, and cultural commentator. His books on Black history and his New York Times essays on race and politics have established him as one of America's most thoughtful public voices.