Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former basketball player.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. ; April 16 , 1947 ) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers . During his career as a center , Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) , a record 19-time NBA All-Star , a 15-time All-NBA selection , and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member . After winning his first NBA championship in 1971 , he adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at age 24 .