Power Memorial HS. 1963-1964 Inducted in 2000

Team Inducted in 2000
Power Memorial Power Memorial HS. 1963-1964, Inducted into the NYC Hall of Fame in 2000
Photo credit: (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Power Memorial Academy 1963-1964, an all-boys Catholic high school in New York City that was a basketball powerhouse, producing a record 71-game winning streak. The 1963-64 team was named "The #1 High School Team of The Century" by National Sports Writers and was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame as the team of the century. 


In 1961 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) freshman Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) joined the basketball team. Alcindor led the team to 27 consecutive victories and the 1963 CHSAA championship. The winning streak continued as the team went undefeated and won the CHSAA in 1964. The streak finally ended at 71 games on January 30, 1965, when DeMatha High School of Hyattsville, Maryland defeated Power, 46-43. That was one of only 6 losses in Alcindor's high school career (96–6).