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UCLA Basketball: The 25 Greatest Bruins of all time

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 21: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to fans as he arrive to attend the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats college basketball game at Pauley Pavilion on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Abdul-Jabbar was honored at half-time after recently receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 21: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to fans as he arrive to attend the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats college basketball game at Pauley Pavilion on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Abdul-Jabbar was honored at half-time after recently receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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6. Keith Wilkes, F (1971-74) – aka Jamaal Wilkes

Why Wilkes is on this list:

Keith Wilkes was a much sought-after recruit in high school and eventually decided to play for John Wooden at UCLA. That might have been one of the best decisions of his life as he was part of several great runs in college basketball history.

Alongside such greats as Henry Bibby, Greg Lee, Tommy Curtis, Larry Farmer, and Bill Walton, Wilkes and the Bruins were not only part of Wooden’s stretch of seven consecutive championships, but he was also part of UCLA’s unmatched 88-game win streak (in men’s hoops, Connecticut women’s basketball broke that 111 wins between 2014 and 2017). The Bruins came in third place in the NCAA Tournament in his senior year, but the legacy was already in place. For all of his achievements, Wilkes had his jersey retired in 2013.

UCLA Career Stats

  • FG%: .514
  • FT%: .750
  • Rebs/gm: 7.4
  • Total Rebs: 663
  • Pts/gm: 15.0
  • Total Pts: 1349

Key Accomplishments

  • NCAA Championships: 1972, 1973
  • Pac-12 Champs: 1972, 1973, 1974
  • All-American: 1973, 1974
  • UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Member: 1985
  • #52 Jersey Retired: 2013
  • One of only 40 Players to Win an NCAA and NBA Championship

Wilkes continued playing at a high level when he got into the pros. In 1974, he was selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors, where he would not only play three seasons in the Bay Area, but he would also help them to their third NBA Championship in his first season in 1975. He was also named Rookie of the Year.

In 1977, he would head south to join the Los Angeles Lakers and helped out what would be known as the “Showtime Lakers” and aided them to 3 championships (1980, 1982 and 1985). Wilkes, who changed his name to Jamaal Abdul-Lateef (but was better known as Jamaal Wilkes) in 1975 for religious purposes, is one of three players that has his jersey retired by both UCLA and the Lakers.