Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem kərēm´ ăb´do͝ol jəbär´ [key], 1947–, American basketball player, b. New York City as Ferdinand Lewis (Lew) Alcindor. At 7 ft 2 in. (218 cm), he led the Univ. of California, Los Angeles, to three national titles (1967–69). He was the National Basketball Associations number one