This is the latest post for an ongoing media project — SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number and highlight an athlete — person, place or thing — most obviously connected to it by fame and fortune, someone who isn’t so obvious, and then take a deeper dive into the most interesting story tied to it. It’s a combination of star power, achievement, longevity, notoriety, and, above all, what makes that athlete so Southern California. Quirkiness and notoriety factor in. And it should open itself to more discussion and debate — which is what sports is best at doing.
The most obvious choices for No. 33:
= Lew Alcindor: UCLA basketball
= Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Los Angeles Lakers
= Marcus Allen: USC football
= Kermit Alexander: UCLA football
= Willie Naulls: UCLA basketball
= Marty McSorley: Los Angeles Kings
The not-so-obvious choices for No. 33:
= Karim Abdul-Jabbar: UCLA football
= Lisa Leslie: Morningside High and UCLA basketball
= Charles White: Los Angeles Rams
= Ollie Matson: Los Angeles Rams
= Eddie Murray: Los Angeles Dodgers/California Angels
= Hot Rod Hundley: Los Angeles Lakers
The most interesting story for No. 33:
Lew Alcindor: UCLA basketball center (1966-67 to 1968-69)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Los Angeles Lakers center (1975-76 to 1988-89)
Southern California map pinpoints:
Westwood (UCLA); Los Angeles (Sports Arena); Inglewood (Forum)
Thirty-three years after his NBA retirement, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar unfolded himself from a court side seat at the Los Angeles Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena, adjusted the black Adidas jacket he was wearing with the words “Captain 33” stitched on the front, and walked over to an area where he was supposed to wait near center court until he was needed.
The 75-year-old had made it to Feb. 7, 2023 in an upright position — nothing guaranteed in a life that saw him battle leukemia as well as a recent diagnosis of atrial fibrillation. The all-time regular-season points total of 38,387 that Abdul-Jabbar amassed during 20 record-breaking seasons in the NBA, the last 14 of them as the Lakers’ center and captain, had just been eclipsed by LeBron James, a current Lakers’ employee.
After the rush of embracing teammates, friends and family on the other side of the court, James made his way over to Abdul-Jabbar, who patiently watched, and waited. He knew this drill.
Continue reading “No. 33: Lew Alcindor / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar”
Tom Hoffarth's The Drill: More Farther Off the Wall 