
What the World Got Wrong About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2015) - bootload
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/magazine/what-the-world-got-wrong-about-kareem-abdul-jabbar.html
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JohnnyConatus
I am a huge fan of the Kareem/Magic era Lakers. I have read both of Kareem's
autobiographies, Magic's autobiography, Jerry West's autobiography, and
others. But I'm sick of Kareem's shit.

While the article hints at it, I will say directly what they will not: Kareem
endured much racism, as undoubtedly did his peers, but Kareem is also a
petulant and self-absorbed.

Ever since Kareem retired, he's been on a campaign to explain to the world how
they just misunderstand him. For example, here's a NY Times article from 2004
with essentially the same "I'm misunderstood" through-line:
[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/sports/pro-basketball-a-
le...](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/sports/pro-basketball-a-legend-
learns-that-he-needs-to-be-liked.html?_r=0)

Notice that 1) even Isaiah Thomas' was under the impression that "Abdul-Jabbar
supposedly had time for no one", and 2) even after being thankful for the time
Kareem gave Thomas, Thomas said "I never saw that side of him that a lot of
people talk about."

Consider also that no one in the NBA - prior to Thomas in 2004, 15 years after
Kareem's retirement - was interested in employing him as a coach or execute.
To quote the article: "So why has Abdul-Jabbar had only minimal involvement in
the N.B.A. since he began lobbying for a return in 1995? It goes back to his
reputation, which even he admits was somewhat well deserved."

~~~
devoply
Some people have a certain personality and that's only compounded by
environment. You can't say that it was his fault, because though we want to
overcome our flaws we are who we are... we're wired for it at a very young
age. Some development psychologists say at the age of 4 if a child is a
certain way they will remain that way around their peers for life. So...
that's just the human condition.

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pcunite
"Magic (Johnson) made white people feel comfortable. With themselves."

As a child being bullied by black people, seeing Magic Johnson made me believe
what my mother taught me, "There is good in all races". Magic proved to me
that we could all get along. Some of Kareem's comments in the article I find
offensive. However, I forgive you Kareem. I wished you could forgive the white
man and see him for what he is ... simply a man.

Any man of any color or race has the potential to do great harm to anyone.

~~~
3131s
What offended you? I read the whole article and could only find one even
mildly controversial comment:

" _He was certain that racism wouldn’t die until the racists did, and so was
I. What I didn’t tell him was that I hoped it would be soon and that if I
could help them along, I would be delighted. I wasn’t quite ready to pick up
the gun, but I was intimate with the impulse._ "

But that strikes me more as someone being honest about the hateful impulses
that were instilled in him through repeated mistreatment. I see no evidence
from the article that Kareem thinks anything negative about white men in
general.

~~~
mistermann
I got the impression that he has quite a chip on his shoulder regarding race.
I think maybe it's a good thing some people are like this, but maybe not.

~~~
rhizome
When I think someone's got "a chip on [their] shoulder," I try to step back
and check my assumptions. If my rationale includes that many weasel words, I
hope to realize that it may not be a thing that actually exists.

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harry8
There are some people who seem consistenly very different when you watch an
un-edited interview they've given compared to some journalist reporting their
impressions of that person.

Kareem is like this. We can speculate why it's so. It's worth noting that the
NYTimes would never run a story like this about /any/ democrat or republican
politician. The way his discomfort with, well not fans so much as a man (and
his young son) who recognized a famous person's face, was reported seems,
well, to have the potential to be less than a fair reflection. All his sins of
social interaction seem consistent with someone who freezes up a little when
people are straight up rude to his face. The truth is probably more complex;
I'm unlikely to ever meet Kareem or the author to know better. I just feel an
actual transcript of discussion between Kareem and someone who is a little bit
perceptive might be vastly more interesting reading.

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paulpauper
wow...even though I don't agree with with the politics, the article is
exceptionally well written and captures the complexity of Kareem's personality
and life with as much richness as if I were there myself. Read the whole thing
in one sitting without getting distracted, that's how good it was.

~~~
RodericDay
What about his politics do you disagree with?

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i_feel_great
Sportsman, author, columnist and Bruce Lee cannon-fodder in 'Game of Death'.
He was actually pretty good in that movie.

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CalChris
I try not to pay attention to what authors say about themselves. KAJ is very
smart about many other things and I'm interested in that. This article was
only necessary for selling a book.

A buddy ran into him in Milan. He's more than cool in person and OK with that.

------
known
Black parents are homeschooling their children to avoid racism
[http://qz.com/380153/black-parents-are-homeschooling-
their-c...](http://qz.com/380153/black-parents-are-homeschooling-their-
children-to-avoid-racism/)

