Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Atlantic
Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Past articles by Kareem:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Bill Russell I Knew for 60 Years
I first met the legendary basketball player when I was 14, and he showed me how to be a better player—and a better man. → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kyrie Irving’s Vaccine Refusal Should Be Condemned
NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes in Jacobin arguing that athletes like Kyrie Irving aren’t making a “personal choice” by refusing the COVID vaccine — they’re jeopardizing the public health of all through their platforms. → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: What the NBA Championship Means to Me
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes in Jacobin about the meaning of the Milwaukee Bucks’s victory this year, and his own Bucks championship in 1971. → Read More
Republicans want Black people to disappear. Sports leagues can help stop them
I know from personal experience that protest has its costs. But by banding together we can stop those who would subvert democracy → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Academy Awards and Representation: "This Year, the Oscars Got It Right"
For marginalized groups — in the industry and at home — recognition by the Academy is more than an ego boost or a glamorous diversion but signals to the world that "the lives they live, the struggles they face, are worthy of depicting." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Hollywood Must Do More to Combat Asian Stereotypes
The THR columnist notes that while progress in the portrayal of Asians is real, it has been maddeningly slow: "Hollywood likes to sit back and congratulate itself. But prejudice doesn't relax." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How 'The Bachelor' Went Off the Tracks Dealing With Racism
A season meant to be historic with the first-ever Black Bachelor instead highlighted the need to "remain vigilant to the clueless enablers who allow racism to thrive," writes The Hollywood Reporter's columnist. → Read More
Tom Brady, the Super Bowl and the aging athlete's mind-body problem
Like the Buccaneers quarterback, I played well into my 40s. But eventually you have to confront a future in which your physical skills are no longer enough → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Why Bruce Lee Would Have Loved 'Cobra Kai'
Columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a friend and student of the late martial arts great, watches the Netflix 'Karate Kid' update with him in mind: "He would have loved that the show doesn’t take itself too seriously." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Why I Took Part in the Biden-Harris Inauguration
It is "a return to the Age of Reason," says THR columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who helped introduce President Biden with words from Abraham Lincoln during the inauguration TV special. → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Hollywood Won't Heal American Divisiveness
When figures like Matthew McConaughey accuse liberals of sowing discord, they minimize the issues "that cause the divisiveness" in the first place, writes the THR columnist. → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Hubris of Self-Destructing Stars
No matter their previous achievements, celebrities deserve legacy-killing backlash when they spread ignorance: "Great success in one field can lead to the delusion that all your thoughts are great." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How it feels to be Black in post-election America
Trump's voters aren't all racist. But they perpetuate a racist system. → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Trump and Biden Are Irrelevant in This Election
In a final plea, the Hollywood Reporter columnist urges voters to reject the status quo: "For the first time, an election is not about the content of the candidates’ character, it’s about the content of the voters’ character." → Read More
Amid uncertainty and upheaval, LeBron shows us what an American should be
Watching LeBron motivate his teammates beyond their limits makes him the best on the court, but it’s his commitment to the disillusioned and disenfranchised that truly sets him apart → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Filmmakers Must Be Free to Tell the Stories They Want
The Hollywood Reporter columnist disagrees with director Lulu Wang’s assertion that only a Chinese director should tell the story of classical pianist Lang Lang: "The key for any artist is to find the common humanity we all share." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Real Superpower of Hollywood's Black Genre Heroes
Hollywood's usual reaction to social protest is to produce a few sincere dramas about the African American experience, but "the real measure of a group's acceptance by society is when its people are celebrated in popular culture." → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Chadwick Boseman’s Importance to the Black Community
The Hollywood Reporter columnist reflects on Boseman's legacy: "We saw a whole history of our people’s struggles and triumphs shining in the bright eyes of one indomitable man." → Read More
Hope is a dying ember for black people in the US. Athletes have rekindled it
When I boycotted the 1968 Olympics because of racial inequality I was ostracized. Now white athletes are joining their black teammates in protests → Read More
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Are Amateur Athletic Shows Like 'The Challenge' and 'Titan Games' Fair to Women?
Series such as 'Ultimate Beastmaster' and 'American Ninja Warrior' have been incredibly popular during the pandemic but are wildly divergent in their depiction of female athletes — with real-world consequences. → Read More