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I grew up in a home idolizing the Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. And although my father was from the New England area, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was his idol. We had an understanding growing up that you were not allowed to wake dad up unless “Kareem was at the door", as he would say. No, he never rang. But I was recently reminded of Abdul-Jabbar’s idolization in my childhood home last month when Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets broke Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record for most assists by a center.
I always thought the reason my father was such a huge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fan was because of his dominance on a basketball court. He held the record for most career points scored by an NBA player until LeBron James passed him a few years ago. He still holds the record for most field goals made and changed the game with his patented Skyhook shot. However, later in my father’s life, I learned that
Abdul-Jabbar’s prowess on the basketball court was but a blip on the radar screen as to why my dad admired him so much.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was and is a trailblazer. He conquered new frontiers during and especially after his basketball career. He is a prolific intellectual and author of numerous titles that have come under heavy public scrutiny over the years. In a media environment where we have heard the phrase, “Shut up and play,” referring to athletes stepping into social responsibility and public policy, Abdul-Jabbar has tackled new frontiers proving himself beyond worthy of intellectual accolades and public influence. He has published over 20 books, including historical nonfiction, children’s literature, and a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes. In 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom not for his "hoops," but for his lifelong work as a writer, mentor and activist.
After my father passed away, I remember finding several books written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They were about civil rights, race relations, and Native American culture. If you are unfamiliar, I would highly recommend, A Season on the Reservation: My Soujourn with the White Mountain Apache. Abdul-Jabbar was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. But it was the new frontiers he explored and challenged himself with that made him a hero in my father’s eyes and a true legend for the rest of us to admire and follow.
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