Two-time NCAA champion at UCLA and the first player to win national titles in college and the NBA in consecutive years.
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef Wilkes was born in Berkeley, California in 1953. He attended UCLA under coach John Wooden and won two consecutive national championships (1972, 1973) alongside Bill Walton. He was an All-American and was integral to the UCLA dynasty that produced an 88-2 record across those years. He averaged 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. His smooth, seemingly effortless style — which earned him the nickname Silk during his professional career — was developed across his three UCLA seasons. Golden State Warriors selected him 11th overall in the 1974 NBA Draft. He won an NBA championship with the Warriors in his rookie year, 1975 — making him one of the very few players to win national championships in college and the NBA in back-to-back years. He went on to win three more championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. His UCLA career — two titles with Bill Walton, under John Wooden — placed him at the centre of the greatest dynasty in college basketball history. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. His four professional championships added to his two college titles give him six total — among the most decorated careers across both levels in basketball history.
National Championship 2x (1972,1973)
Career Honours
- National Championship 2x (1972,1973)
- All-American
- Pacific-8 Conference champion
- First-team All-Tournament