UCLA basketball: 5 best seasons in Bruins history, ranked

21 Nov 2000: Former Coach John Wooden of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins watches the action during the game against the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) Matadors at the Pauley Pavillion in Westwood, California. The Matadors defeated the Bruins 78-74.Mandatory Credit: Jeff Gross /Allsport /

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(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

4. Lew Alcindor leads 1966-67 UCLA Bruins to the title

Ho hum, another undefeated UCLA Bruins’ team makes the list of the top five seasons in program history. There would not have been a sustained UCLA dynasty without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is arguably the greatest college basketball player who ever lived.

Known as Lew Alcindor back then, Abdul-Jabbar made headlines when he debuted with the freshmen team the year prior and upset UCLA’s varsity squad. Freshmen weren’t allowed to start on the varsity in that era so there was immense excitement for Alcindor to make his debut.

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That came in 1966 as a sophomore when Alcindor joined a team motivated to get back to the winner’s circle after coming up short in the previous tournament. Alcindor helped the Bruins dominate through his prodigious use of the slam dunk, which was banned after the season due to concerns it gave UCLA too much of an advantage.

UCLA wasn’t really pushed much throughout the season, winning by double-digits on all but three occasions. The NCAA Tournament was also a formality for the Bruins, who stampeded through the dance to win their third national championship in four years.

This would be just the beginning for Alcindor, who won national titles in all three years he was eligible to play for the varsity team. This also won’t be the last time on this list we discuss Alcindor as a key contributor to UCLA’s greatest teams.