'He's more realistic about it now' - KAJ accepted his son wasn't good enough to follow in his footsteps

Among Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's three sons, it was but fitting that his namesake child wanted to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. He was literally the next Kareem.

Kareem Jr. was one of the Los Angeles Lakers legend's three children with his first wife, Habiba. He was born the year when his dad won the fourth of six NBA MVP awards and was 12 years old when the "Showtime Lakers" won the second of back-to-back titles in 1988.

Having seen his old man's success and fame, Junior wanted to be like his dad when he grew up. Unfortunately, he wasn't as good as him.

"When he was in high school, I think he had kind of an idea that he was genetically endowed to play in the NBA," said the elder Abdul-Jabbar. "He's more realistic about it now."

Kareem Jr. did not receive any offers

Junior generated interest from Division I schools during his early years. But the longer he played, the more obvious it became that he wasn't going to be like his father. And so, despite helping Brentwood High to a 21-7 record as a senior, not one big school sent him an offer.

So Kareem Jr. ended up going to Valparaiso, a small Division I school in Indiana that offered a quality education in addition to the opportunity to play. During his redshirt freshman season, the younger Abdul-Jabbar earned a 3.82 grade-point average as a Psychology student.

"He enjoys playing college basketball and doing well at school, and I can't ask for anything more," the six-time NBA champion said in 1995. "I tried to do my part in not putting any unrealistic expectations on his shoulders. All he has to do is be himself and realize the potential he finds within himself."

His potential was in the movies

The 6'6" son of the legend ended up playing 16 games as a reserve forward for Valparaiso and averaged 1.9 points per game. Kareem Jr. transferred to Western Kentucky after one season and played two years for the Hilltoppers. He did better there, putting up 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 36 total games. Still, he wasn't good enough to make it to the NBA.

After college, KAJ Jr. was drafted 76th overall by the Los Angeles Stars in the now-defunct American Basketball Association but never played a single game for the team. He was also part of the Lakers' 2003 Summer League team, but that didn't get him far either.

The potential that his father talked about turned out to be acting. Kareem Jr. made appearances on shows like "Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz" and "Half & Half". He also portrayed his dad in a 2008 episode of The Sarah Silverman Program and had several roles in various TV shows.