Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Autographed Basketball.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, formerly known as Lewis Alcindor, was the kind of player that graces a sport once in a lifetime. The basketball world might never again see an athlete dominate the sport for as long and as thoroughly as Abdul-Jabbar did. From the time he stepped on the court at Power Memorial High School in his native New York City, to the time he retired in 1989 as the NBA's all-time leader in nine statistical categories, the 7-foot-2 Abdul-Jabbar established himself as basketball's most talented and recognizable figure. Kareem was enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame in 1995.