Was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990
In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History
The Sporting News named him College Player of the Year in 1968
When he accepted a basketball scholarship at the University of Houston, he became one o the school's first African-American athletes and was one of only 100 African-American students out of a student body of 20,000
First started playing basketball in eighth grade after a teacher put him on the school team, believing it would benefit him even though he'd never shown any inclination toward sports
Though he started his high school basketball career as a benchwarmer, he practiced for long hours over the summer and led his school to the state championship by his senior year
Was the first overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft, in which he was chosen by the San Diego Rockets
Quote: "I'm very honest about myself, and that's one reason I get in trouble․ I speak what I feel․ Other people are more diplomatic, but I don't feel, by doing that, that I'm a man․"
Quote: "My father always taught me to be strong and to have dignity, to not have to bow down or have anyone run over you․"
Known for his trademark turnaround jumper and aggressive defense as an NBA power forward
Out of a 16-year-long career in the NBA, he missed only nine contests, and at the time of his retirement, he was fifth on the NBA's all-time list in games with 1,303