Cheryl Pistono is an American woman from LaSalle, Illinois, known for her seven-year relationship with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from 1977 to 1984. She introduced him to Buddhist philosophy, never married him, and had one son together — Amir Abdul-Jabbar, now an orthopedic surgeon. She has lived privately in Los Angeles since.
Cheryl Pistono didn’t choose public life. But public life found her anyway — first through a seven-year relationship with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and again in 2022 when HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty brought her story to a new audience.
She was 21 when she met Kareem. She introduced him to Buddhism. They never married. And when it ended, she walked away from the spotlight and never looked back.
Here’s what’s actually known about her life.
Quick Bio
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Cheryl Pistono |
| Date of Birth | September 9, 1956 (unconfirmed) |
| Birthplace | LaSalle, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Known For | Relationship with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1977–1984) |
| Children | 4 — Amir Abdul-Jabbar, and three with Steven Jenkins |
| Current Residence | Los Angeles, California (reported) |
Note: Several biographical details about Cheryl Pistono — including her birth date, education, and net worth — are unconfirmed. They circulate widely online but have no verified source. This article notes where information is unconfirmed rather than presenting it as fact.
Early Life and Move to California
Cheryl grew up in LaSalle, Illinois, in a working-class household. She has four siblings: Kay, John, James, and Jeffery. Her parents were John Joseph Pistono Jr. and Sylvia Ann Waclaw.
By her mid-teens, she had left Illinois and moved to California — a significant step for someone that young. The exact circumstances of that move are not publicly documented, but California is where her adult life took shape.
It was there that she encountered Buddhism, which became a lasting part of her personal philosophy. The specific tradition she practices has not been publicly confirmed, but her influence on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s spiritual development is documented — Kareem himself has written about this period in interviews and public statements.
Education and Career
Cheryl’s educational background is not fully verified through public records. Multiple sources cite UCLA and a focus on nursing, but UCLA has historically not offered a standalone undergraduate nursing degree, so this detail should be treated with caution until confirmed.
What is consistent across sources is that she built a working career across nursing, legal, and accounting environments. As of recent reports, she is self-employed and lives in Los Angeles.
She has not pursued media attention, business ventures tied to her public profile, or any visible presence that would suggest she has traded on her connection to Kareem.
Cheryl Pistono and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
They met in 1977, during the height of Kareem’s run with the Los Angeles Lakers. By Cheryl’s own account — referenced in various reports — she was not a basketball fan and was initially uninterested. Kareem was roughly nine years older.
What connected them was Buddhism. Kareem had converted to Islam in 1971, but his interest in broader Eastern philosophy developed during this period, and Cheryl was a meaningful part of that. He has credited her with encouraging a more thoughtful, inward approach — both personally and as a teammate and leader.
They were together for seven years. In 1980, their son Amir was born. By 1984, the relationship had ended. They never married.
The reasons for the split are not something either has discussed at length in public.
How Winning Time Portrayed Her
In 2022, HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty dramatized the 1980s Lakers era. Actress Sarah Ramos played Cheryl Pistono across the show’s run.
The show was a dramatization — not a documentary. It took creative liberties with multiple figures’ stories, including Cheryl’s. It did, however, bring her name to a much wider audience.
Winning Time was cancelled by HBO after its second season in 2023. The renewed interest in Cheryl’s story is largely a product of that show’s cultural footprint, even after its cancellation. Life After Kareem
In 1985, Cheryl married Steven Jenkins. They have three children together: Jesse, Taaj, and Brianna. Details about Steven’s background and their current relationship status are not public — by design.
Cheryl has maintained a private life in Los Angeles. She has a minimal online presence and has not given interviews or made public statements about her past relationship.
Her Son, Amir Abdul-Jabbar
Amir Abdul-Jabbar, Cheryl’s son with Kareem, became an orthopedic surgeon. He completed his medical training at the University of California, San Francisco, and has been affiliated with Swedish Issaquah Hospital in the Seattle area, where he focuses on spinal surgery.
Amir’s relationship with his father has been publicly complicated at points — this is documented in reporting on Kareem’s family life — but Amir has built an independent professional identity in medicine.
What Is Cheryl Pistono Doing Now?
As of available reporting, Cheryl continues to live in Los Angeles. She is self-employed, maintains a low public profile, and has not sought media attention.
Beyond that, the honest answer is: not much is publicly known. She has not given interviews, published anything, or surfaced in any documented way. For someone connected to one of the most famous athletes in American sports history, that level of sustained privacy is itself notable.
FAQs
Who is Cheryl Pistono? Cheryl Pistono is an American woman from LaSalle, Illinois, best known for her seven-year relationship with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar between 1977 and 1984. She is a Buddhist practitioner and the mother of orthopedic surgeon Amir Abdul-Jabbar.
Was Cheryl Pistono in Winning Time? She was not literally in the show — she was portrayed by actress Sarah Ramos in HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which ran from 2022 to 2023 before being cancelled.
Did Cheryl Pistono and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar marry? No. They were together from 1977 to 1984 and had one son, Amir, but never married.
What happened to Cheryl Pistono after Kareem? She married Steven Jenkins in 1985, had three more children, and has lived privately in Los Angeles since. She has not re-entered public life.
What is Cheryl Pistono’s net worth? There is no verified information about her net worth. Figures that appear online ($400K–$1M) are estimates without any confirmed basis and should not be taken as reliable.
