blog of the week: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Did you know that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a blog? I sure didn't. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon his Los Angeles Times-hosted blog site. Kareem is one of those celebrities/sports stars that I didn't know much about, except by reputation. One of the UCLA basketball greats, and later a legend with the Lakers. So it's a real treat to hear it from the horse's mouth.
The thing, is, it's not just that he is famous, but that his blog is actually pretty entertaining and thought-provoking. He has a wide variety of interests, ranging from the Lakers (he is on the inside as a manager and consultant, I think) to music (Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone), to politics. One the best topics he's covered, and one of his favorites, is staying in shape as you age. Obviously it's something he's going through personally, but he always writes in such an accessible manner that you don't have to be a legendary 7'2" athlete with a sky hook to appreciate it.
Kareem is quite an interesting character study. He is smart and intellectually active. He's also fully conscious of the unique position he occupies in society, how he got where he is, and the nature of his celebrity status. Yet at the same time, he's incredibly modest. He acknowledges his sports achievements in a matter-of-fact manner, but clearly refuses to be limited by them. (Tongue in cheek references to the Sky Hook abound in his blog.) He reads his comments and seems to genuinely appreciate hearing from his fans across the world.
One of the most interesting tidbits mentioned in his blog is his association with a company called Iconomy, which he describes as "representing celebrity icons in their quest to achieve more than momentary success." What a great idea. Take that momentum and run with it. Certainly, he's written six best-selling books on African American history, among other things. So already, one can easily label him a historian, not just a basketball player.
Not that I agree with everything he puts up. His recent post on "Horton Hears a Racist" is a bit off the mark. For one, it would be more aptly named "Horton Hears a Sexist"; and anyway, it's such a trivial nitpick at the Dr. Seuss movie adaptation that I don't know why he bothered. Still, his heart is in the right place.