UCLA Basketball Top 20 Players of All Time: No. 1

When discussing the greatest player to ever come through the UCLA program, the player at the top spot is almost unanimously agreed upon by both college and professional basketball fans.

In our countdown of the top 20 players in UCLA history, we have finally arrived at the No. 1 spot. With a college and professional resume that is essentially impossible to match, the player in the top spot is none other than Lew Alcindor.

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UCLA Basketball Top 20 Players of All Time: No. 1 Lew Alcindor

Mar 25, 1967: Louisville, KY, USA: FILE PHOTO; UCLA Bruins center Lew Alcindor (33) later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in action against the Dayton Flyers during the NCAA basketball tournament at Freedom Hall. The Bruins beat Flyers 79-64. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lew Alcindor, who later became known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, has by far the greatest resume of any former Bruin, both in college and in the NBA. The combination of individual success and team success he produced during his three seasons in Westwood is hard to match.

In his first of three seasons at UCLA, he averaged 29.0 points and 15.5 rebounds per game, immediately establishing himself as one of the nation’s best players, if not the best. He also led the Bruins to a perfect 30-0 season, winning the National Championship behind his dominant production.

Milwaukee’s Lew Alcindor reaches for a ball on May 1, 1971.Milwaukee S Lew Alcindor Historical May 1 1971 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The next season wasn’t much different. He averaged 26.2 points and 16.5 rebounds per game, and UCLA won the National Championship again with a 29-1 record. He wasn’t done there, however, as he followed it up with a nearly identical season. Again, UCLA went 29-1 with another National Championship victory, behind Alcindor’s 24.0 points and 14.7 rebounds per game averages.

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While at UCLA, he earned numerous awards, including two AP Player of the Year awards,…

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Publish date : 2026-09-28 13:00:00

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