Lew Alcindor was a New York prep school legend, then went on to UCLA, where he embellished the legend, and then proceeded to the NBA, where he became one of it's all-time legends.  Pursued by the New York Nets with the No. 1 pick in the ABA draft, the Harlem Globetrotters made a run at him too, but he was drafted and ultimately signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as the biggest no-brainer No. 1 pick in NBA history.  Still the holder of several major NBA career records, Alcindor was also a centerpiece of the first Topps Basketball set in 12 years, the oversized cards perfect for the 7'2" center that would change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.  

Presented here is a nearly-perfect example of Jabbar's highly-prized debut card, a brilliant white frame offsetting the red typesetting and full-color image of the future Hall of Famer, creating a dynamic presentation.  Sharp corners and edges are also evident, a slight top-to-bottom centering issue keeping the card from a perfect gem mint grade but hardly detracting from its overall appearance.  

Among the most important of all basketball cards ever produced, MINT examples of Abdul-Jabbar's rookie card have reached high into the six-figures in recent years.  One of the finer examples we have seen, and certainly the most valuable basketball card we have ever offered.