1. "A team will always appreciate a great individual if he's willing to sacrifice for the group."

2. "Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals."

3. "Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody."

4. "I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes."

5. "It's hard for young players to see the big picture. They just see three or four years down the road."

6. "You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body."

7. "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team."

8. "I've had enough success for two lifetimes, my success is talent put together with hard work and luck."

9. "I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing."

10. "The first time I shot the hook, I was in fourth grade, and I was about five feet eight inches tall. I put the ball up and felt totally at ease with the shot. I was completely confident it would go in and I've been shooting it ever since."

11. "I can do something else besides stuff a ball through a hoop. My biggest resource is my mind."

12. "I'm not comfortable being preachy, but more people need to start spending as much time in the library as they do on the basketball court."

13. "Fundamental preparation is always effective. Work on those parts of your game that are fundamentally weak."

14. "I didn't really seek attention. I just wanted to play the game well and go home."

15. "I tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I tell them to not let that be their only dream."

And there you have it -- fifteen Kareem Abdul Jabbar quotes that prove the man is more than just a great basketball player. He's also an intelligent individual who makes a great role model for all of the young would-be basketball players of the world. Let us use these Kareem Abdul Jabbar quotes to celebrate the birthday of one of the few good role models left in today's society.