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Kareem,
Thank you for the time and insight you provide in doing this blog.
The NBA has announced the Suns and Nuggets will be playing an outdoor basketball game. Do you have any memories about playing outdoors in Puerto Rico for the Milwaukee Bucks?
I noticed that Bass Reeves is a hero of yours. Are you in any way associated with Morgan Freeman and the movie that he is working on about Mr. Reeves....
As always, a pleasure to read you and hear from you.
As longtime Laker fans may remember, this month marks the 21-year anniversary of your 3 pointer at Phoenix (nothing but net from the corner, as I recall!)
I was wondering if you could share any memories about that shot, and if, as a center who made his living operating close to the basket, you ever longed to fire away from long distance like a shooting guard?
Nice!!!! Looking forward to communicating /w you. Bloggin' is great, you meet a lot of interesting people. Thank Tony Pierce for sending me here :)
He invited me to ask you a question: and then you challenged me.....so I suppose I'd better;
What is your number one reason for beginning this blog aside from the obvious networking capabilities of the internet?? any personal reason for the soul???
With all the movement in the NBA during the last week, who do you see as being a threat during the playoffs this year? Are there any teams that might get knocked out of the playoffs with these trades? Last question, which team do you persoanlly enjoy watching and for what reasons?
I also landed here as a result of Tony Pierce's blog...
Kareem -
What happened to my beloved Bulls this year? Some say the Kobe trade talk distracted the team early on etc etc but this team is clearly out of synch.
How can a team go from being a 50-win type of team to a 30-win team in one season?
I am a sub teacher. I often work in the south central area. Over the years I've witnessed the displacement of the population by Mexicans. There is lot's of animosity on both sides. My question is, where are black people going? I feel so sad when I see these hanger-oners in the school cafeterias and administrators who are now like fish out of water.
Just as black players once had a difficult time getting into pro basketball leagues , do you think white players today are also judged less by their results on the court than they should be? White players seem to be stereotyped immediately by scouts, the media and players (They're the little guys who can hit open threes but don't rebound or play defense).
Kareem:
I was a fellow student at UCLA in the years 1969-1973. We had a couple of classes together and even had coffee once. I am dying of ALS and want to thank you, and all of UCLA basketball, for giving me some of my greatest memories...........even to this day. I pasticularly remember coming to the Freshmen vs. Varsity game your first year, where we were National Champions.....and you were spectacular!
Thanks
In the interest of myself, and to educate my sons, I want to bring them to hear you speak on African-American history on the 15th.
I know this seems like a silly question, but in today's world of "play station and x box" do you think this will hold their interest. I've got to do something, I need to lean more as well although I do educate myself as much as possible about my own culture, been to Africa (Mozambique, or Mocambique as the Portugese spell it),and I am very interested in what you have to say.
Kareem, thank you so much for your years of responsibility to the public. I grew up in New Jersey and my two heroes throughout my youth were you and Mohammed Ali. Like most boys, sports played a huge role in teaching me about life, discipline, work ethic and learning how to move forward with conviction after a "loss" not just in sports, but in life. I watched one of your high school championship games broadcast on WOR in New York and I became a UCLA fan because of you.
The most poignant lesson I grew up with in those times was questioning why, if I loved a man of color such as you or Ali, or Willis Reed, would that same man be denied equal rights, fair pay, admission to the school of his choice, respect and everything about equality that our constitution (“All men are created equal”) promises.
You helped me to not just understand and question racism and discrimination, but you helped me take it to a personal level because of the very personal connection a young sports fan feels toward their hero. This motivated me in ways that Martin Luther King or John F. Kennedy could not. I remember watching an interview of you during your days at UCLA and someone in the room remarked “he sounds very articulate for a black man”. I was 11 or 12 and I stood up and naively, but succinctly asked “Are black men less articulate than white men?” And that set everyone off into arguments. And I felt proud that my hero’s could have any color.
When was the first time you understood your responsibility to the public? When did you understand that this responsibility could be used for even greater good, such as tackling the void of awareness of black history? What advice would you give to the young generation of sports heroes to carry the flame that you so elegantly held high?
Does it bother you that so many of the big men in the NBA today are so clearly on steroids HGH or other illegal muscle buiding supplements? Do you think it chips at the integrity of the game?
I teach American history at a community college and dislike the separation of "Black history" (or "women's history" for that matter) from "History." I think the contributions of African Americans and all notable individuals should be fully integrated into the general curriculum and not treated as special categories. Your thoughts?
Kareem,
First of all, thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I plan on attending your interview at the California African-American Museum in March and maybe I'll bring my friend Tootie Heath along.
My question is in regards to popular music. Your knowledge is pretty astounding and I wonder if there are any artists of this generation, jazz or otherwise, that interest you on an intellectual and soulful level. Right now, I dig Frank Fontaine whose album is titled "Wisdom Rising." I also like what Stevie Wonder is doing with KJLH 102.3FM.
Congratulations to you in all your successes! I've always felt you're the greatest basketball player of all time. Not just of your God given physical abilities but also because of your intelligence and respect for the history of years past.
I would like to know, however, in your martial arts training with the legendary Bruce Lee. How much of Bruce's philosophy and teachings influences you in your life?
To save time and space , you should call the whole thing "Jabblog"........Please send my prize to the Eloy, Arizona, Home for the Emotionally Detached...Thank you.
In view of the work college athletes do (trying to complete their education and play a complete sports schedule), should they receive a salary (when playing) and/or be guaranteed full tuition after their college sport career is complete, so they could finish their degree?
Also, in your view is the college schedule for athletes harder now, then when you were in school?
Kareem,
It is good to read your comments,
If time goes backward in your career what are the things you feel you should have done ?
Second,which coach do you think was the most influential in your professional career achievments?
Third ,which player you felt most cofortable playing with?
Kareem,
It has been quite a while since I last saw and spoke to you. It was your last game in Seattle vs the Sonics. We met after the game and my son, Chris who is a grown man (34)himself still remembers that night. He is married and has one child, Lindsay and another on the way. My daughter, Karen, who is 32 has a 10 year old daughter, Mia. She is quite the athlete already. She plays on elite soccer and fast-pitch softball teams and has started rec basketball. It will be fun to watch her develop. She is also a good student and is president of her fourth grade class. I am sure you would like her immediately as she has that gift of a great smile. Anyway, I loved your ESPN vignette, it brought many memories from our days growing up in Inwood. That was a long time ago. The pictures and story were very good. Since I shared some of those days with you, It reminded me of St Judes School, the speedway, Inwood Park, the cloisters, Fort George Hill, Dykman Street, and more.
I will never forget meeting you in Portland at the airport and at Blazer Games. Chris still tells about how you invited us on the Laker Bus and just sat down and started telling him about his dad. That was a special night for him and myself. I followed your career at UCLA and then the NBA. You deserve all the recognition you have received. I know how hard you worked at developing your skills. I also say, I watched you as a not so well coordinated 15 year old trying to play sports in a mans body. I remember those games in the playground,,hack Lew. Well, you overcame all of that and are one of the great NBA and College players ever. I am proud to say that I knew you and we are friends. I think the BLOG is great. Communication is powerful. Good luck with it.
I would love to get together some day and just chat without distractions. Please call or email me if you have the time. Otherwise I wish you the best.
Regards,
Gordy Burnet
Just to throw some useless info at you since I noticed it is on topic to one of the questions you answered.
As I was channel surfing I saw a bit of a special on the History Channel the other night about prostitution. Storyville was talked about in pretty good detail and even the local governments demolition of it. Even though it would seem negative it was very educational about New Orleans.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is considered by many fans and sportswriters to be the greatest basketball player of all time. The 7-foot-2 Hall of Fame center, famous for his undefensible skyhook, dominated the NBA for 20 years, first with the Milwaukee Bucks then with the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that he was the star of the UCLA Bruins teams that won three consecutive NCAA championships. Kareem was the NBA's MVP six times, a 19-time all-star and set the NBA all-time records in nine categories. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, a record that may never be broken.
Since retiring as a player in 1989, Kareem has balanced his love of basketball with his love of
history. In 2002 he led a USBL team, the Oklahoma Storm, to a championship. Since 2005, he has
been the special assistant coach for the Lakers, working with Andrew Bynum.
Kareem also remains intellectually active, authoring six bestselling history books intended to popularize the contributions of African-Americans to American culture and history. His books include "Black Profiles in Courage: A Legacy of African-American Achievement"; "Brothers in Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes"; "A Season on the Reservation," which chronicles his time teaching basketball and history on an Apache Indian reservation in White River, Ariz.; and the current New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller, "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance."
His audio adaptation, "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Audio & Musical Journey through the Harlem Renaissance," is a four-volume compilation read by Bob Costas, Avery Brooks, Jesse L. Martin, and Stanley Crouch, and features private and fascinating conversations with dozens of icons, including Coach John Wooden, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones and Billy Crystal.
All images are property of www.iconomy.com unless otherwise stated. All info copyrighted and owned by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not replicated without permission.
The L.A. Times has placed various advertisements on my blog page. The placement of those advertisements does not mean or imply that I approve, endorse, recommend, guarantee or am affiliated or associated with the businesses, products or services included in those advertisements. I am not responsible for your dealings with these advertisers.
Thanks, Kareem
Check the latest news about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
ESPN names Kareem The Greatest Player In College Basketball History
Go to www.kareemabduljabbar.com for more news.
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Kareem,
Thank you for the time and insight you provide in doing this blog.
The NBA has announced the Suns and Nuggets will be playing an outdoor basketball game. Do you have any memories about playing outdoors in Puerto Rico for the Milwaukee Bucks?
Posted by: Andrew Schroeder | February 22, 2008 at 06:33 AM
I'm interested in your thoughts of the greatest big men of all-time? If you had to select five, who would you pick, yourself included?
Posted by: Luke | February 22, 2008 at 09:49 AM
I noticed that Bass Reeves is a hero of yours. Are you in any way associated with Morgan Freeman and the movie that he is working on about Mr. Reeves....
also thanks for the great basketball memories....
Paul
Posted by: Paul Bartlett | February 22, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Kareem,
I was wondering what you see as the ceiling for Andrew Bynum. Does he remind you of any players from the past?
Thanks!
Peter
Posted by: Peter | February 22, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Kareem -
As always, a pleasure to read you and hear from you.
As longtime Laker fans may remember, this month marks the 21-year anniversary of your 3 pointer at Phoenix (nothing but net from the corner, as I recall!)
I was wondering if you could share any memories about that shot, and if, as a center who made his living operating close to the basket, you ever longed to fire away from long distance like a shooting guard?
Keep up the great work!
Posted by: jodial | February 22, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Nice!!!! Looking forward to communicating /w you. Bloggin' is great, you meet a lot of interesting people. Thank Tony Pierce for sending me here :)
He invited me to ask you a question: and then you challenged me.....so I suppose I'd better;
What is your number one reason for beginning this blog aside from the obvious networking capabilities of the internet?? any personal reason for the soul???
CHEERS!
S
Posted by: Suzie | February 22, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Kareem,
With all the movement in the NBA during the last week, who do you see as being a threat during the playoffs this year? Are there any teams that might get knocked out of the playoffs with these trades? Last question, which team do you persoanlly enjoy watching and for what reasons?
Your blog is great reading, very insightful!
Posted by: Chuck | February 22, 2008 at 01:16 PM
I also landed here as a result of Tony Pierce's blog...
Kareem -
What happened to my beloved Bulls this year? Some say the Kobe trade talk distracted the team early on etc etc but this team is clearly out of synch.
How can a team go from being a 50-win type of team to a 30-win team in one season?
Posted by: Bob Downing | February 22, 2008 at 02:00 PM
You're a New Yorker at heart.
Comment on the Knicks situation.
Posted by: Don | February 22, 2008 at 08:07 PM
I am a sub teacher. I often work in the south central area. Over the years I've witnessed the displacement of the population by Mexicans. There is lot's of animosity on both sides. My question is, where are black people going? I feel so sad when I see these hanger-oners in the school cafeterias and administrators who are now like fish out of water.
Posted by: J. Belmont | February 22, 2008 at 08:54 PM
Just as black players once had a difficult time getting into pro basketball leagues , do you think white players today are also judged less by their results on the court than they should be? White players seem to be stereotyped immediately by scouts, the media and players (They're the little guys who can hit open threes but don't rebound or play defense).
Posted by: Kevin Wong | February 23, 2008 at 04:15 AM
Kareem:
I was a fellow student at UCLA in the years 1969-1973. We had a couple of classes together and even had coffee once. I am dying of ALS and want to thank you, and all of UCLA basketball, for giving me some of my greatest memories...........even to this day. I pasticularly remember coming to the Freshmen vs. Varsity game your first year, where we were National Champions.....and you were spectacular!
Thanks
Posted by: Jeff Marmelzat | February 23, 2008 at 08:23 AM
In the interest of myself, and to educate my sons, I want to bring them to hear you speak on African-American history on the 15th.
I know this seems like a silly question, but in today's world of "play station and x box" do you think this will hold their interest. I've got to do something, I need to lean more as well although I do educate myself as much as possible about my own culture, been to Africa (Mozambique, or Mocambique as the Portugese spell it),and I am very interested in what you have to say.
Te Amo
Marvin
Posted by: Marvin Wadlow Jr | February 23, 2008 at 08:47 AM
Kareem, thank you so much for your years of responsibility to the public. I grew up in New Jersey and my two heroes throughout my youth were you and Mohammed Ali. Like most boys, sports played a huge role in teaching me about life, discipline, work ethic and learning how to move forward with conviction after a "loss" not just in sports, but in life. I watched one of your high school championship games broadcast on WOR in New York and I became a UCLA fan because of you.
The most poignant lesson I grew up with in those times was questioning why, if I loved a man of color such as you or Ali, or Willis Reed, would that same man be denied equal rights, fair pay, admission to the school of his choice, respect and everything about equality that our constitution (“All men are created equal”) promises.
You helped me to not just understand and question racism and discrimination, but you helped me take it to a personal level because of the very personal connection a young sports fan feels toward their hero. This motivated me in ways that Martin Luther King or John F. Kennedy could not. I remember watching an interview of you during your days at UCLA and someone in the room remarked “he sounds very articulate for a black man”. I was 11 or 12 and I stood up and naively, but succinctly asked “Are black men less articulate than white men?” And that set everyone off into arguments. And I felt proud that my hero’s could have any color.
When was the first time you understood your responsibility to the public? When did you understand that this responsibility could be used for even greater good, such as tackling the void of awareness of black history? What advice would you give to the young generation of sports heroes to carry the flame that you so elegantly held high?
Posted by: Greg Nathan | February 23, 2008 at 09:04 AM
Does it bother you that so many of the big men in the NBA today are so clearly on steroids HGH or other illegal muscle buiding supplements? Do you think it chips at the integrity of the game?
Posted by: David Brown | February 23, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Hi Kareem,
I teach American history at a community college and dislike the separation of "Black history" (or "women's history" for that matter) from "History." I think the contributions of African Americans and all notable individuals should be fully integrated into the general curriculum and not treated as special categories. Your thoughts?
Posted by: Roger Hall | February 23, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Kareem,
First of all, thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I plan on attending your interview at the California African-American Museum in March and maybe I'll bring my friend Tootie Heath along.
My question is in regards to popular music. Your knowledge is pretty astounding and I wonder if there are any artists of this generation, jazz or otherwise, that interest you on an intellectual and soulful level. Right now, I dig Frank Fontaine whose album is titled "Wisdom Rising." I also like what Stevie Wonder is doing with KJLH 102.3FM.
Sincerely,
Danny Santacruz
Posted by: Danny Santacruz | February 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Hello Cap!
Congratulations to you in all your successes! I've always felt you're the greatest basketball player of all time. Not just of your God given physical abilities but also because of your intelligence and respect for the history of years past.
I would like to know, however, in your martial arts training with the legendary Bruce Lee. How much of Bruce's philosophy and teachings influences you in your life?
Keep up the great work!
Posted by: David Fausto Jr. | February 23, 2008 at 11:54 AM
To save time and space , you should call the whole thing "Jabblog"........Please send my prize to the Eloy, Arizona, Home for the Emotionally Detached...Thank you.
Posted by: Bob Arbogast | February 23, 2008 at 05:52 PM
Kareem
In view of the work college athletes do (trying to complete their education and play a complete sports schedule), should they receive a salary (when playing) and/or be guaranteed full tuition after their college sport career is complete, so they could finish their degree?
Also, in your view is the college schedule for athletes harder now, then when you were in school?
Thanks
Posted by: Richard Geith | February 23, 2008 at 06:55 PM
Kareem,
It is good to read your comments,
If time goes backward in your career what are the things you feel you should have done ?
Second,which coach do you think was the most influential in your professional career achievments?
Third ,which player you felt most cofortable playing with?
Thanks
Posted by: Nabeel | February 25, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Kareem, you are the greatest basket-ball player af all time, I became a Laker and UCLA fan because of you.
Mark From France
Posted by: Mark | February 25, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Kareem,
It has been quite a while since I last saw and spoke to you. It was your last game in Seattle vs the Sonics. We met after the game and my son, Chris who is a grown man (34)himself still remembers that night. He is married and has one child, Lindsay and another on the way. My daughter, Karen, who is 32 has a 10 year old daughter, Mia. She is quite the athlete already. She plays on elite soccer and fast-pitch softball teams and has started rec basketball. It will be fun to watch her develop. She is also a good student and is president of her fourth grade class. I am sure you would like her immediately as she has that gift of a great smile. Anyway, I loved your ESPN vignette, it brought many memories from our days growing up in Inwood. That was a long time ago. The pictures and story were very good. Since I shared some of those days with you, It reminded me of St Judes School, the speedway, Inwood Park, the cloisters, Fort George Hill, Dykman Street, and more.
I will never forget meeting you in Portland at the airport and at Blazer Games. Chris still tells about how you invited us on the Laker Bus and just sat down and started telling him about his dad. That was a special night for him and myself. I followed your career at UCLA and then the NBA. You deserve all the recognition you have received. I know how hard you worked at developing your skills. I also say, I watched you as a not so well coordinated 15 year old trying to play sports in a mans body. I remember those games in the playground,,hack Lew. Well, you overcame all of that and are one of the great NBA and College players ever. I am proud to say that I knew you and we are friends. I think the BLOG is great. Communication is powerful. Good luck with it.
I would love to get together some day and just chat without distractions. Please call or email me if you have the time. Otherwise I wish you the best.
Regards,
Gordy Burnet
Posted by: gordon burnet | February 25, 2008 at 10:49 PM
hey kareem, you're the greatest!
what book would you suggest for me to read next?
Posted by: Richie Starr | February 26, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Just to throw some useless info at you since I noticed it is on topic to one of the questions you answered.
As I was channel surfing I saw a bit of a special on the History Channel the other night about prostitution. Storyville was talked about in pretty good detail and even the local governments demolition of it. Even though it would seem negative it was very educational about New Orleans.
Posted by: BluesCityRef | February 27, 2008 at 12:16 PM