Jamaal Wilkes

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Jamaal Abdul-Lateef Wilkes (born Jackson Keith Wilkes on June 2, 1953 in Berkeley, California) is an American former National Basketball Association player who played the small forward position and won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

Wilkes was also a key player in the run of NCAA championships accumulated during the John Wooden era of UCLA basketball.

Upon entering the NBA in 1974, Wilkes converted to Islam and legally changed his name to Jamaal Abdul-Lateef, but retained his surname throughout his NBA career. One of the smoothest, steadiest and most productive forwards to ever play in the NBA, Jamaal "Smooth as Silk" Wilkes has won championships at the scholastic, collegiate and professional levels. Wilkes was an All-America Prep player at Santa Barbara High School (his teammate Don Ford also played in the NBA with the Lakers) in Santa Barbara, California. As a two-time All-America at UCLA, Wilkes teamed with Bill Walton to bring UCLA the 1972 and 1973 NCAA titles, and a third place finish in 1974. As a Bruin, Wilkes was part of UCLA teams that won a record 88 consecutive games. In three years at UCLA, Wilkes averaged 15.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg and shot 51.4 percent from the field. Wilkes was named to the 1972 NCAA All-Tournament Team and was a first-team Academic All-America in 1972, 1973, and 1974. In 12 professional seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers, Wilkes was a member of four NBA championship teams - one with Golden State in 1975, the season he was named Rookie of the Year - and three with the Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985). An injury kept him out of the 1984 NBA finals vs. the Celtics and his absence was a key factor in the Lakers' seven game series loss. Wilkes possessed a deadly accurate jump shot from the corner that Hall of Fame Laker announcer Chick Hearn dubbed the "20 foot layup." For his career, Wilkes registered 14,664 points (17.7 ppg) and 5,117 rebounds (6.2 rpg). Wilkes averaged 16.1 ppg in 113 NBA playoff games. He played in the 1976, 1981, and 1983 All-Star Games and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. The Sporting News named Wilkes to its NBA All-Pro Second Team three years.

Currently a resident of Los Angeles, California, Jamaal Wilkes has two sons and a daughter receiving recent media attention. Omar, his oldest son, at six-feet four-inches, is a junior guard for the Cal basketball team. Wilkes' daughter, Sabreen, is a freshman volleyball player at UCLA, and his youngest son, Jordan, is a 7 foot sophomore forward for the Cal team. [1]

Preceded by Ernie DiGrigorio

NBA Rookie of the Year 1975

Succeeded by Alvan Adams

[edit] External link

• Biography @ NBA.com