Sports Quote of the Day: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Lesson on Winning

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated May 4, 2026 11:45 AM ET

Before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was an all-time great basketball player, he was a standout big man at UCLA named Lew Alcindor. The New York native led the Bruins to three national titles and won National Player of the Year honors three times.

Alcindor was then drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and earned the Rookie of the Year Award in the 1969-70 season. The seven-foot-two, 225-pounder was also the 1970-71 MVP and led the Bucks to a title alongside fellow legend Oscar Robertson.

Alcindor changed his name to Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, which is his Muslim name. Although the superstar earned MVP honors again in 1972 and 1974, he never led the Bucks to another title. The closest they got was in 1974, when they lost the Finals to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

Milwaukee traded Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, and the latter squad won its next championship in 1980. The 19-time All-Star also won the 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988 titles with the Lakers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Learned From Failure

NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Abdul-Jabbar ended his career as the NBA's all-time scoring leader, which stood until fellow Laker LeBron James broke his record in February 2023. However, the six-time MVP is still one of the most accomplished players ever.

At the same time, Abdul-Jabbar's career is a reminder of how even the all-time greats failed constantly. 14 of his seasons ended without winning a title, which is the primary goal.

If someone like Abdul-Jabbar failed more than he succeeded from that perspective, then no one else should feel bad about missteps in their own lives as long as they learn from them. In fact, learning from those moments can directly lead to success.