Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named Thursday as the keynote speaker for the UCLA College graduation ceremony.
Abdul-Jabbar is considered one of the all-time greatest basketball players and holds the record as the leading scorer in NBA history.
The basketball center first played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks and then for the Los Angeles Lakers for 14 years. He graduated from UCLA in 1969 after winning three NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships and played for coach John Wooden.
No university officials were available for comment Thursday.
L.A. Mayor and UCLA alumnus Antonio Villaraigosa will be presented with the UCLA Award by Interim Chancellor Norman Abrams at the ceremony.
According to the UCLA Special Events and Protocal Web site, the UCLA Award “was created to honor those individuals who have made extraordinary and distinguished contributions to their professions, to higher education, to our society, and to the people of UCLA.”
Villaraigosa, who was the keynote speaker at the College graduation last year, graduated from UCLA in 1977 with a degree in history.
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Compiled by Sara Taylor, Bruin senior staff.