Not many NBA fans will have heard much about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr, As we can clearly tell from his name, he is the son of NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and is arguably the only child who tried to live up to his father’s legacy. Being the son of an NBA star can be quite a life but also comes with its own expectations.
It might interest members of the basketball community to hear that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 5 children from his three marriages. Being a father to 3 sons and 2 daughters must have undoubtedly been a challenge for Jabbar to handle. Unlike other NBA stars and their children, we have no reason to believe that Kareem ever pressured his children to follow in his footsteps and become NBA stars.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr. is Kareem’s second child and is the only one to have even tried playing basketball at a high level. With that being said, let us take a closer look at the life and accomplishments of Jabbar Jr.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr. played college basketball before starting his acting career
Kareem’s eldest daughter Habiba Abdul-Jabbar is a writer and director. Much like her father, she showed interest in being a social activist. His son Amir Abdul-Jabbar is an orthopedic surgeon in Washington. His other son Adam Abdul Jabbar did time in prison after stabbing his neighbour. Details regarding the other children have not been made clear to the public.
Out of all of the NBA legend’s children, Jabbar Jr. is the only one who tried playing basketball. After all, he certainly got a good share of his father’s genetics and is listed at 6’5. He played college basketball for the Valparaiso University Crusaders as well as the Santa Monica College and Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers.
However, he never became good enough to take his talents to the NBA and found his passion in acting instead. Jabbar Jr. is now quite a well-known actor and has played roles in; The Sarah Silverman Program, Americanizing Shelly, and Monster Night.
Thus, Jabbar Jr. took his own path despite being passionate about playing basketball during the initial years of his life. Although Kareem might have wanted one of his children to play professional basketball, we are sure that he is still proud of the paths that most of them have taken individually.