Cheryl Pistono is not a celebrity in the usual sense. She never sought fame, and for most of her life she has stayed away from cameras and interviews. Still, her name comes up often because of one important relationship: she used to date NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their bond even inspired a character in HBO’s show about the Los Angeles Lakers, “Winning Time.” This article looks at what is known about Cheryl Pistono’s life, her time with Kareem, and what she has done since then.
Quick Bio For Cheryl Pistono
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Cheryl Pistono (later Cheryl Pistono Jenkins) |
| Date of Birth | September 1956 (exact day varies by source) |
| Birthplace | LaSalle, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | LaSalle-Peru High School |
| College | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Known For | Former girlfriend of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| Relationship with Kareem | Began around 1977, ended mid-1980s |
| Son with Kareem | Amir Abdul-Jabbar |
| Current Husband | Steven Jenkins |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Portrayed By | Sarah Ramos in HBO’s “Winning Time” |
Early Life in Illinois
Cheryl Pistono was born in 1956 in LaSalle, Illinois, a small town along the Illinois River. She grew up in a working-class family and went to LaSalle-Peru High School. Some reports say she left home around the age of 16, moving out to California in search of new experiences. Life in a small Midwestern town was very different from what she would later find in Los Angeles.
She eventually enrolled at UCLA, one of the top universities in California. It was during this period of her life, according to several sources, that she developed a strong interest in Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. This spiritual side of her life would go on to matter a great deal, since it lined up closely with interests that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also held.
It’s worth noting that detailed, verified records about Cheryl’s early years are hard to find. Most of what circulates online comes from entertainment sites written after “Winning Time” brought new attention to her story, so some small details, like her exact birth date, differ slightly from one source to another.
Meeting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Cheryl and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar met around 1977. At the time, Kareem was already one of the most famous players in the NBA, having won championships and MVP awards with the Milwaukee Bucks before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. He was known for his incredible skyhook shot and his quiet, serious personality on and off the court.
Kareem had just gone through his marriage to Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (also known as Janice Brown) coming to an end. Cheryl came into his life around this time, and the two quickly built a close connection. Friends and later reports described their relationship as deep and thoughtful, built on shared conversations about spirituality, philosophy, and personal growth rather than just the glamour of Kareem’s basketball fame.
Cheryl was said to be warm, outgoing, and easy to talk to, a contrast to Kareem’s more reserved public image. This difference in personality is actually one reason the pairing caught people’s attention, and it’s also how the character is written in “Winning Time.”
Their Relationship and Son
Cheryl and Kareem stayed together for several years through the late 1970s and into the 1980s. During this time, Kareem was at the height of his basketball career, leading the “Showtime” Lakers alongside Magic Johnson. Behind the scenes, Cheryl was often by his side.
The couple had a son together named Amir Abdul-Jabbar. Sources differ slightly on the exact birth year, with some saying 1981 and others saying 1984, but most agree the relationship came to an end not long after their son was born. Even though Cheryl and Kareem’s romantic relationship ended, they both remained involved in raising Amir. Like his mother, Amir has kept a low public profile and has not sought media attention as an adult.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has spoken publicly over the years about fatherhood and his children, but he has generally avoided going into detail about his past relationships, including the one with Cheryl. This is part of why so much of the story remains private.
Life After Kareem
After she and Kareem parted ways, Cheryl moved forward with her own life. She later married a man named Steven Jenkins. Steven has kept an extremely low profile, and not much is known about his career or background beyond his role as a husband and father. Together, Cheryl and Steven built a family life away from the spotlight.
Different sources give slightly different accounts of how many children Cheryl has in total, with names like Jesse, Taaj, and Brianna mentioned alongside Amir. Because Cheryl has never given detailed public interviews about her family, it is hard to confirm every detail with full certainty. What does seem consistent across sources is that she settled in the Los Angeles area, where she has lived a quiet, private life for decades.
Some reports mention that Cheryl has worked in fields such as nursing, legal support, or accounting, and that she has been involved in community-based work. However, there is no strong, verified record of her professional career, since she has chosen not to speak publicly about her jobs or business activities.
Her Connection to Buddhism
One detail that keeps appearing across different accounts of Cheryl’s life is her interest in Buddhism. This spiritual path is something she is believed to have picked up during her college years in California, a place and time when many young Americans were exploring Eastern religions and alternative lifestyles.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has also spoken publicly, at different points in his life, about exploring different belief systems and personal philosophies. While he is widely known for converting to Islam early in his adult life, those close to him during his relationship with Cheryl suggested that she encouraged him to keep an open mind and explore ideas beyond basketball. This part of their relationship is often highlighted as one of the more meaningful, less publicized sides of their time together.
Why Winning Time Brought Her Back Into the Spotlight
For many years, Cheryl Pistono’s name was known mostly to hardcore basketball fans and to those who followed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s personal life closely. That changed with the release of HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” a drama series created by Adam McKay. The show is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book about the 1980s Lakers and covers both the on-court success and the personal lives of the players.
Actress Sarah Ramos, known for her role in the TV show “Parenthood,” was cast to play Cheryl Pistono in the series. The show describes her character as warm and outgoing, which lines up with how she has been described by people who knew her during her real relationship with Kareem. Because “Winning Time” reached a large audience, many viewers became curious about the real Cheryl Pistono, which is why articles about her have appeared more often in recent years.
It’s important to remember that “Winning Time” is a dramatized television series. While it is based on real events and real people, some scenes and conversations are written for entertainment purposes and may not represent exactly what happened in real life.
A Private Life By Choice
What stands out most about Cheryl Pistono is how consistently private she has stayed. Unlike many people connected to famous athletes, she has not written a memoir, given major interviews, or built a public career off her past relationship. She appears to have made a deliberate choice to live an ordinary, family-centered life in Los Angeles.
This privacy means that a lot of the information floating around online, including some of what appears in this article, comes from secondary sources rather than from Cheryl herself. Readers should keep in mind that small details, like exact dates, may not be perfectly accurate, simply because she has not confirmed them publicly.
Final Thoughts
Cheryl Pistono’s story is a reminder that not everyone connected to a famous person wants to live in the public eye. She shared several important years with one of basketball’s greatest players, helped raise their son, and by most accounts played a meaningful role in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s personal growth during a pivotal time in his career. After their relationship ended, she chose a quieter path, building a private family life that has stayed out of the headlines for decades. With “Winning Time” bringing new attention to the 1980s Lakers era, her name has resurfaced, but the woman behind the story remains, by all accounts, someone who values privacy over fame.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Cheryl Pistono?
Cheryl Pistono is an American woman best known for her relationship with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
2. When did Cheryl Pistono and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar start dating?
Their relationship is generally reported to have begun around 1977, not long after Kareem’s marriage had ended.
3. Do Cheryl Pistono and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have children together?
Yes, they had a son together named Amir Abdul-Jabbar.
4. Is Cheryl Pistono married now?
Yes, reports indicate she later married a man named Steven Jenkins and has lived a private family life since then.
5. Where does Cheryl Pistono live today?
She is believed to currently live in Los Angeles, California.
6. Why is Cheryl Pistono in the news again?
She gained renewed attention because actress Sarah Ramos plays her character in HBO’s series “Winning Time,” which is about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.
7. What does Cheryl Pistono do for a living?
Her exact profession is not well documented, though some sources mention past work in fields like nursing, legal support, or accounting.
8. Is Cheryl Pistono active on social media or giving interviews?
No, she has kept a low public profile and has not given detailed public interviews about her life or her past relationship with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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