Happy Birthday to the Greatest Center Ever, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

From his dominating days at Power Memorial High School in Manhattan, to the championships won at UCLA, all the way to the Hall of Fame career in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has always been the best at what he does.

Jabbar, who was born and raised in New York City, played for the Power Memorial Academy and led the team to three consecutive NYC Catholic championships and an incredible 71-game win streak. His tall stature, great leadership, and basketball skills landed him in the No. 1 basketball school in the nation, the University of California, Los Angeles.

Even though the pressure grew, Jabbar didn't shrink. During his time at UCLA, he was not only the best player on the team, but the best player in the country. It was during this time that Jabbar left no doubt who was going to take over the NBA in the near future. In his three full seasons spent at UCLA as a starter, Jabbar led the Bruins to three national titles and was named Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA tournament all three times.

It should also be mentioned that because of Jabbar's dominance, the slam dunk was temporarily banned in college basketball.

What made Jabbar so dominant was that he could beat opposing defenders in any way. Jabbar could shoot over you, go through you, use his famous sky-hook shot, and he could even hit free throws. Aside from offense, Jabbar was an elite shutdown defender that could play one-on-one against any other center.

Jabbar's entrance into the NBA couldn't have come at a better time. The two most notable centers before his generation, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, were retiring and the NBA needed a new superstar center. With the No. 1 overall selection in 1969, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Jabbar as the face of the franchise. An obvious selection that paid off for the next six years with the team, Jabbar would win Rookie of the Year and three Most Valuable Player awards with the Bucks. Just two seasons after being picked first in the draft, Kareem led the Bucks to a victory in the 1971 NBA Finals. His time with the Lakers was even more impressive. Jabbar would lead the Lakers to five NBA Championships and he would win an NBA record (which still stands today) six MVP awards. College and pro combined, Jabbar would win nine Championships, all at the highest level and against the toughest competition in the country.

Kareem is still the all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 38,387 points. For a player to play at that high of a level for 20 long grueling years, until the age of 42, in the NBA is incredible. Many great players have come close, but no player can compare his basketball portfolio to Jabbar's and come out even.

Jabbar has also lived a full life off the court as well. He has appeared in multiple shows and movies as well as written many books. He has also been involved with NBA team front offices, and even helped the Lakers win two NBA championships as an assistant working with players. There's no doubt, Jabbar has lived a full life.

Happy 67th birthday, Kareem.