On this date in 1986, Los Angles Laker great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA’s all-time leader in games. He is now in second place thanks to “the Chief” but Kareem is highly regarded as the best centers to ever step on the hardwood and one of the best ever, so the date is still important.
From his collegiate career to his retirement from the NBA in 1989, Kareem wore quite a few brands. From Converse to Pro-Keds and L.A. Gear, he is most known for his long time partnership with adidas. In 1971, while on the Milwaukee Bucks, adidas blessed Kareem with his own signature sneaker named after him. It was one of the first signature models since the Chuck Taylor.
While with the three stripes Kareem of course wore his signature model, which released in highs and lows, but also spent time in classics like the Pro Model and Superstar. Even though he spent time flirting with other brands, adidas has embraced Kareem as one of their own. Just recently, they released the new Jabbar Hi “The Blueprint” and brought back the original Abdul-Jabbar model back as the appropriately renamed Hook Shot.
