Jamaal was the CIF-4A Player of the Year at Santa Barbara HS after transferring from Ventura HS for his senior year and led the Dons to the CIF semi-finals. He is perhaps the greatest player to ever come out of the Santa Barbara County area. At Ventura HS, he was the 1969 California Mr. Basketball. He went to UCLA and became a three-year starting forward and a two-time All-American as part of NCAA title teams in 1972 and ‘73 (he was leading scorer in the 1972 title game against Florida State). The Bruins lost in the NCAA semi-finals his senior year of 1974.

He was the first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year as his team won a NBA title in his first season and then he won three more NBA titles when he moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. He left the game after a 12-year pro career with numerous honors, including his #52 jersey being retired. The 6-7 Wilkes was inducted into the Naismith HOF in 2012 and then in 2016 into the College Basketball Hall of Fame after previously being inducted in 1985 into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.