Sports Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA debut captivated the country 50 years ago October 14, 2019JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal SentinelComments Off on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA debut captivated the country 50 years ago Then known as Lew Alcindor, his debut on Oct. 18, 1969, was the highly-publicized first step in one of the greatest careers in NBA history.