Which basketball player is widely credited with inspiring NCAA to temporarily ban slam dunks?

It's rare for the NCAA to make a rule change for just one player, but that happened back in the 1960s. It decided to ban the slam dunk solely because of one player. That player was NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Before emerging as a star for the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Lakers, Lew Alcindor was an unstoppable force in the NCAA while playing for UCLA. Standing at 7-foot-2, Kareem was able to dunk over his opponents with ease. This led to a leaguewide ban of the slam dunk in college basketball.

While the NCAA never came right out and said it, this rule was put in place because of Kareem. Sportswriters at the time even dubbed it the Lew Alcindor rule. The ban ended up lasting for 10 seasons starting in 1967.

Because of this ban, one of basketball's most unstoppable moves was formed. Since he was not allowed to dunk in games anymore, Kareem began working on his skyhook. This ended up being his go-to move in the NBA as defenders were unable to reach his outstretched arm.

---

How did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar perform following the NCAA ban on dunking?

Even though he wasn't able to dunk, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still one of the most dominant players in NCAA history. Along with putting up big numbers, he won a national championship in each of his three seasons at UCLA.

In terms of scoring, Kareem had his best season as a freshman. His first college season ended with him averaging 29.0 points and 15.5 rebounds across 30 games. The future Hall of Fame center followed that up with averages of 26.2 points and 16.5 rebounds as a sophomore.

Kareem finished off his college career as a junior, where he posted 24.0 points and 14.7 rebounds in 30 games. Along with his three championships, Kareem also won the Naismith Award and was a two-time AP Player of the Year.

Following his junior season, Kareem entered his name in the 1969 NBA Draft. He was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. The seven-foot phenom ended up playing in the NBA for two decades, mainly as a member of the LA Lakers. Kareem racked up a long list of accolades that has cemented him as one of the five greatest players to ever play the game.

If there was any doubt to just how great Kareem was, the ban college basketball put on him is a prime example.