Exemplar of excellence: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar receives the UC Presidential Medal

The place to be last Thursday evening could've been the Hollywood Pantages Theatre to see the beloved musical "Hamilton" or the Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the return of Everclear. But that night, the best seat in town very well might have been in the Legacy Room at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, where a group of about 60 UCLA and University of California dignitaries and others gathered for the announcement of the recipient of the UC Presidential Medal, the university system's most prestigious honor.

Among the tables at the dinner reception was one that included several well-dressed and extremely tall gentlemen in their 60s. Even among that hard-to-miss group, there was one particular, especially imposing and dignified man in his 70s who seemed to stand above the others as the center of attention, a position he has occupied most everywhere he has gone since the eighth grade - the one basketball fans still reverently refer to as "the Captain," or simply "Cap."

Over the course of his life and career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - the night's honoree and, arguably the most famous alumnus of UCLA and the entire UC system - has charted a course that has taken him from the heights of collegiate and NBA basketball greatness to widespread acclaim as a cultural and political commentator, a New York Times bestselling author, and a champion of human rights and social justice.

"From the moment he arrived on campus, he dominated intercollegiate basketball. No one had seen anything like it before," UC President Michael Drake said in presenting the award, recalling Abdul-Jabbar's transformative career at UCLA, during which the 7-foot, 2-inch center led the Bruins to an 88-2 record, captured three consecutive national championships between 1967 and 1969, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament each of those years. To this day, some 55 years on, the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame inductee still holds the UCLA record for the most points in a season, most points in a game and the highest scoring average in a season.

"[UCLA] was the best college to develop you as a human being and a basketball player, that allowed you to be the best in the world at your sport but also receive a world-class education," Drake said of Abdul-Jabbar, who earned his bachelor's degree in history during his playing days. "When I go around the world, it's interesting what [the UCs] are known for," Drake continued. "Most famous around the whole world is UCLA. UCLA athletics is known worldwide. The person who best exemplifies that is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar." The room erupted in applause.

Like Drake, UCLA Interim Chancellor Darnell Hunt was effusive in lauding the achievements of Coach John Wooden's most famous big man.

"He was a towering presence on the court," Hunt said. "And he has been a towering presence in many different fights for human rights, civil rights, racial justice and social justice."

Abdul-Jabbar graciously accepted the medal from Drake and delivered a succinct but poignant speech.

"UCLA wasn't just where I found my footing as a basketball player,"he said. "It's where I found my voice as a person, a Black man and as an American. UCLA taught me how to be a better athlete, but more importantly, how to be a better person."

A champion on and off the court

The medal, Drake said, honored Abdul-Jabbar's transformative advocacy in the areas of education, health and justice, his steadfast work on behalf of his alma mater, and his efforts to inspire student-athletes both in sports and in life.

Clearly, what Abdul-Jabbar has gone on to accomplish since his UCLA career and 20 extraordinary seasons in the NBA transcended his basketball legend. The six-time NBA champion and 19-time NBA all-star once said, "My greatest asset is my mind." He has been an award-winning columnist for the Washington Post and Time magazine (and still maintains a Substack column), has penned numerous books on topics ranging from the Harlem Renaissance and the history of Black inventors to his work coaching basketball on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, and launched the Skyhook Foundationto bring educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, math and the arts to youth in underserved communities.

Abdul-Jabbar, always a strong supporter of his alma mater, has over the past few years helped launch a range of initiatives designed to improve health and prevent disease, including leading fundraising efforts to combat leukemia and lymphoma, and he donated nearly a thousand safety goggles for UCLA Health personnel at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The University of California's motto, fiat lux, means 'let there be light,'"Abdul-Jabbar said. "To me, it demonstrates their commitment to learning as a means to light the way, not just for its students, but for the country. Democracy only thrives when society cherishes education as a means to promote critical thinking and uncensored learning. At a time when democracies around the world are under siege from within, nothing is more important than that commitment."

It's 'Showtime': Kareem's Lakers show their support

Also in attendance that night was a cadre of Abdul-Jabbar's former Los Angeles Lakers teammates, including A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, Michael Cooper and Byron Scott.

"He exemplifies everything you would want in a student-athlete," said Scott, a native of Inglewood, California, who won three NBA titles alongside Abdul-Jabbar. "I think he did UCLA extremely proud. Tonight, they showed their gratitude for the fact that he was really one of the founders of making this university as well known as it is, along with the late great John Wooden."

Michael Cooper, another mainstay of the 1980s "Showtime" Lakers, said he was grateful for the bond he, Abdul-Jabbar and their former teammates still share. "We are very supportive of each other. Kareem is like family."

"It was heartfelt," Cooper said about the evening's speeches. "Kareem spoke so eloquently about his life, the things he has accomplished and the things he wants to continue to accomplish, it almost made me cry. It was special."

Abdul-Jabbar took everything in stride, with his characteristic air of authority, coolness and grace. For the man of the hour, his new medal recognition adds to a handful of similarly prestigious post-playing career honors, in addition to his six NBA championship rings and six NBA MVP trophies. Abdul-Jabbar also received the UCLA Medal, the campus's highest honor, in 1997.

In 2016, President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Abdul-Jabbar has also collected the Double Helix Medal for his leadership in promoting cancer research; the Ford Freedom Scholar Award from the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; and the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, Harvard University's highest honor in African and African American studies.

Cheryl Lott, chair of the UCLA Foundation board of directors and one of the event's guests, expressed her admiration for Abdul-Jabbar's work on and off the basketball court.

"Kareem has always emphasized the importance of education and has gone out of his way with his Skyhook Foundation and writing children's books informing children about the lost history of African American inventors,"said Lott, a UCLA alumna. "That investment that he personally makes in education transforms the lives of not just the student but of their family. This honor is so well deserved. It transcends athletics and goes much deeper into who he is and what he has done ... that has really impacted millions of lives directly."

At the close of the night's ceremony, Abdul-Jabbar said receiving the award "felt great because it's my alma mater, and I really feel that I've done more than just [play] hoops." But for the Captain, the highlight of the evening was the company. "Just seeing some old faces tonight," he said, "it's been great."