UCLA to Honor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LOS ANGELES – UCLA graduate and icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be honored this Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Bruins' home basketball game against Arizona after receiving the nation's highest civilian honor – the Presidential Medal of Freedom – this past November. Abdul-Jabbar, who was among 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, earned the award from President Barack Obama for his greatness on the court and societal contributions once his playing days ended.

"The reason we honor Kareem is more than just a pair of goggles and the skyhook," Obama said at the White House ceremony. "He stood up for his Muslim faith when it wasn't easy and wasn't popular. He's as comfortable sparring with Bruce Lee as he is advocating on Capitol Hill or writing with extraordinary eloquence on patriotism."

In recognition of this monumental achievement, UCLA will celebrate "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day" prior to and during halftime of the Bruins' 1:00 pm matinee at Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA will host a pregame reception, one that includes former teammates and members of the Wooden family, in the Pavilion Club before the game. Abdul-Jabbar, who will speak to those in attendance about his experiences surrounding this most recent accomplishment, will also make a handful of items from his own personal collection available for auction. All proceeds will benefit his Skyhook Foundation.

Following the pregame festivities, UCLA will honor Abdul-Jabbar in a halftime ceremony that will culminate with him addressing the entire Pauley Pavilion crowd.

All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day" poster as they enter Pauley Pavilion, and all students in attendance will receive an exclusive "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Day" t-shirt to celebrate their fellow Bruin's lifetime accomplishments.

Abdul-Jabbar starred on the varsity team at UCLA from 1967-69, helping lead the Bruins to three consecutive NCAA titles. Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, he helped UCLA compile an overall record of 88-2 in three seasons and was the only player ever selected Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four three times.

A standout in the NBA, Abdul-Jabbar is the league's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 career points, having played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers from 1970 through 1989. A six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 19-time All-Star, Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers to five championships and the Bucks to another.

In the White House ceremony on Nov. 22, Obama called Abdul-Jabbar "the sport's most unstoppable force" for two decades and quoted his character from the 1980 movie "Airplane!", saying, "He did it all while dragging Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

After retiring from basketball in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar, 69, continued to use his stature to try to change the public's way of thinking on various issues. In particular, the White House commended him on his advocacy for civil rights, cancer research, science education and social justice.

"Physically, intellectually, spiritually — Kareem is one-of-a-kind," Obama said. "An American who both illuminates our most basic freedoms and our highest aspirations."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Notable Accomplishments
Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
8-time New York Times Best Selling Author
Member of President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition
3-time NCAA Champion
3-time Consensus All-American
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1967, 1968 & 1969
First-ever Naismith College Player of the Year
2-time AP, Oscar Robertson and Sporting News College Player of the Year
6-time NBA MVP
6-time NBA Champion
19-time NBA All-Star
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee
NBA All-Time Leading Scorer
Member of NBA 35th & 50th Anniversary All-Time Teams

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UCLA to Honor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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