why did kareem wear goggles

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wore goggles primarily to protect his eyes from being poked during games. His height advantage at 7'1" meant that shorter opponents often reached up to guard him and frequently poked him in the eyes. After experiencing multiple eye injuries, including a scratched cornea that caused him to miss games both in college and his professional career, he started wearing protective goggles in 1974. The goggles helped prevent further injuries and kept him available to play for his team. He continued wearing them throughout his career, as the eye pokes caused scarring on his corneas and led to a condition known as corneal erosion syndrome later on. The goggles became an iconic part of his image on the court.