Kareem Wants UCLA Job

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wants the coaching job at UCLA.

The former NBA great has been lobbying for the job, currently held by Ben Howland, and is hoping to hear back soon.

Kareem told Fox Sports’ Jay Mohr: “I’ve been lobbying for the job and I want the job… Hopefully I’ll find out in short order what’s going on there.”

Abdul-Jabbar played with the Bruins from 1967-69 and won three NCAA titles. He then went onto the NBA where he won six NBA championships and six MVP awards. He is also the league’s all-time leading scorer. His coaching career, however, hasn’t been as successful.

Still, Kareem wants the job at UCLA.

Abdul-Jabbar said: “Like all Bruin supporters. The recent trend at our school hasn’t made me happy. The players don’t seem to be learning how to play, and haven’t been graduating. We can do better.”

This isn’t the first time that Kareem has talked about coaching UCLA.

Jabbar told Jimmy Kimmel this week: “I certainly would be interested in coaching at UCLA. It would be great to have an opportunity to restore the program to what it was… UCLA is still putting out fine scholars, but the basketball program has suffered a little bit. To restore that part of the tradition would be great.”

Of course, Jabbar would have to give up his new reality TV career if he was going to coach UCLA. But that seems like something he’d be willing to do.

Of course, UCLA has to ask him first.

Yahoo Sports notes that Jabbar’s only real coaching experience comes from the USBL when he lead the Oklahoma Storm to the title in 2002. Jabbar was also a special assistant to the Lakers to help coach Andrew Bynum and has recently expressed some interest in coaching the Milwaukee Bucks.

Do you think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will get the job at UCLA?