Question 1

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969.

Accepted Answer

False. He was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969. He played for the Bucks for six seasons before being traded to the Lakers.

Question 2

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the NBA record for most career points, rebounds, and blocks.

Accepted Answer

False. He leads in points (38,387) but not rebounds (Wilt Chamberlain) or blocks (Hakeem Olajuwon, though blocks weren't officially recorded for part of Kareem's career).

Question 3

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar converted to Islam after winning his first NBA championship.

Accepted Answer

True. He converted in 1971, shortly after his first title with the Bucks. He changed his name from Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at that time.

Question 4

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar learned the skyhook from watching a playground player in Harlem.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually invented the skyhook himself as a teenager in New York, refining it over years. No single playground player taught it to him.

Question 5

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a martial arts actor in the Bruce Lee film 'Game of Death'.

Accepted Answer

True. He played a towering antagonist in a famous fight scene with Bruce Lee. Kareem was a student of Lee's Jeet Kune Do and they were friends.

Question 6

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never played in a single NBA game before turning 22.

Accepted Answer

True. The NBA had a rule barring underclassmen. He turned 22 in April 1969 and debuted for the Bucks that fall. He also played for the Harlem Globetrotters briefly in between.

Question 7

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote a best-selling memoir titled 'Giant Steps' before he retired from basketball.

Accepted Answer

True. He published 'Giant Steps' in 1983, while still playing for the Lakers. It was a candid look at his life, race, and career.

Question 8

True or false: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first NBA player to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

Accepted Answer

False. Bill Russell appeared on Time's cover in 1963, years before Kareem. Kareem did make the cover, but wasn't the first NBA player.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trivia Questions