The NBA’s all-time leading scorer — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — was highly critical of LeBron James on Sunday, saying that the four-time NBA champion should be “embarrassed” by some of the things he’s done. On Tuesday, Abdul-Jabbar apologized, saying he never intended to criticize the Los Angeles Lakers star. 
“All I have to say is this: I was there to give Carmelo Anthony the Social Justice Champion Award. I’ve been talking to the press since high school. That’s 60 years of making statements. And I haven’t always gotten it right. And Sunday was one of those nights,” Abdul-Jabbar said on Sirius XM NBA radio Tuesday, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/story/2022-04-05/kareem-abdul-jabbar-apologizes-to-lebron-james-for-critical-comments">Los Angeles Times</a>. 
“It wasn’t my intention to criticize LeBron in any way,” Abdul-Jabbar continued. “He’s done so much for the black community as well as for the game of basketball. We may not always agree, but I want to whole-heartedly apologize to LeBron and make it clear to him that I have tremendous respect for him. If he can accept that, I’ll be very happy.”
On Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar took aim at James, saying that some of James’ past actions have been “beneath him.” The comments were made to reporters prior to the Lakers versus Denver Nuggets game that day, as he presented Carmelo Anthony with the NBA’s Social Justice Champion trophy for the 2020-2021 season. 
“Some of the things he’s done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see,” Abdul-Jabbar said according to ESPN. “Some of the great things that he’s done, he’s standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he’s committed himself to a different take on everything. It’s hard to figure out where he’s standing. You’ve got to check him out every time.”
Abdul-Jabbar gave credit to James for the work he’s done off of the court, such as providing a path for kids to attend college, but he reiterated that he has not been pleased with some of the things James has done, while also saying that he’d love to speak with James about social issues.  
“I wouldn’t mind doing it if he would take the time. I definitely got the time,” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-04-03/kareem-abdul-jabbar-criticizes-lebron-james-actions-beneath-him">said</a>, according to the L.A. Times. “I admire the things that he’s done that have gotten all our attention. Sending a whole school to college? Wow. That’s amazing. His thoughtfulness and willingness to back it up with his wallet, you got to give him credit for that.”
“So I’m not throwing stones,” Abdul-Jabbar continued. “I just wish he wouldn’t — you know, some of the things he’s done, he should be embarrassed about. That’s just where I’m coming from.”
It’s not the first time that Abdul-Jabbar, a six-time NBA champion, has criticized James. Abdul-Jabbar ripped James in December for posting a meme to social media which appeared to question COVID-19, seemingly comparing it to the cold and the flu. Abdul-Jabbar responded by penning a letter to James, <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">titled</a> “Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme.”
In the letter, Abdul-Jabbar accused James of giving “support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of us worse by postponing our health and economic recovery.” Kareem referenced James’ 106 million followers on Instagram, saying that the number of people who follow James makes his post “politically impactful.” 
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Apologizes To LeBron James: ‘Wasn’t My Intention To Criticize’

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James

Sports

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has never been afraid to criticize the current face of the league — LeBron James. 
On Sunday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once again went after James, saying that some of James’ past actions have been “beneath him.”
&#8220;Some of the things he&#8217;s done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar said according to ESPN. &#8220;Some of the great things that he&#8217;s done, he&#8217;s standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he&#8217;s committed himself to a different take on everything. It&#8217;s hard to figure out where he&#8217;s standing. You&#8217;ve got to check him out every time.&#8221;
In November, James was fined $15,000 for his “<a href="https://twitter.com/SpectrumSN/status/1463698662173802499?s=20&amp;t=86SoZCV6nq31UMSZPLT3Bg">obscene gesture</a>” after hitting a late three-pointer against the Indiana Pacers. Abdul-Jabbar was not impressed, calling the move “childish” in a video posted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nba-legend-shreds-lebron-james-for-stupid-childish-dance-the-greatest-of-all-time-do-not-gloat">Substack</a>. 
​​“LeBron James faced a double whammy this past couple of weeks with his first ever suspension after his elbow clipped Detroit’s Piston Center Isaiah Stewart. Stuart’s attempted retaliation cost him a two game suspension,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Then last week, LeBron was fined $15,000 for doing a big balls dance after the Lakers win over the Pistons.”
“The NBA has been fining players between $15,000 and $25,000 for doing this dance since the 2010-2011 season,” he added. “For me, winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court? It doesn’t make sense. GOATs don’t dance.”
In December, Abdul-Jabbar ripped James for posting a meme to social media which appeared to question COVID-19, seemingly comparing it to the cold and the flu. Abdul-Jabbar responded by penning a letter to James, <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">titled</a> “Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme.”
In the letter, Abdul-Jabbar accused James of giving “support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of worse by postponing our health and economic recovery.” Kareem referenced James’ 106 million followers on Instagram, saying that the amount of people who follow James makes his post “politically impactful.” 
“By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk,” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">wrote</a> after citing that unvaccinated individuals are more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 complications.
Abdul-Jabbar called on James, who has been a vocal advocate for the social justice movement, to also advocate for vaccines.
“One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.”
“While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases,” he added.
On Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar gave credit to James for the work he’s done off of the court, such as providing a path for kids to attend college, but he reiterated that he has not been pleased with some of the things James has done in the past, while also saying that he’d love to speak with James about social issues.  
“I wouldn’t mind doing it if he would take the time. I definitely got the time,” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-04-03/kareem-abdul-jabbar-criticizes-lebron-james-actions-beneath-him">said</a>, according to The L.A. Times. “I admire the things that he’s done that have gotten all our attention. Sending a whole school to college? Wow. That’s amazing. His thoughtfulness and willingness to back it up with his wallet, you got to give him credit for that.”
“So I’m not throwing stones,” Abdul-Jabbar continued. “I just wish he wouldn’t — you know, some of the things he’s done, he should be embarrassed about. That’s just where I’m coming from.”
Abdul-Jabbar made the comments to reporters prior to the Los Angeles Lakers versus Denver Nuggets game on Sunday, as he presented Carmelo Anthony with the NBA’s Social Justice Champion trophy for the 2020-2021 season. 
Later on Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar hopped on Twitter to say that he regretted his “off-handed response.”
“Today a reporter asked me a question about Lebron James and I regret my off-handed response which has been blown out of proportion,” Abdul-Jabbar posted to Twitter. “For years I’ve expressed my deep admiration and respect for LeBron as a community leader and athlete. That hasn’t changed and never will.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today a reporter asked me a question about Lebron James and I regret my off-handed response which has been blown out of proportion. For years I’ve expressed my deep admiration and respect for LeBron as a community leader and athlete. That hasn’t changed and never will. &#8211;<a href="https://twitter.com/kaj33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kaj33</a> <a href="https://t.co/QEWed5YovX">https://t.co/QEWed5YovX</a>
&mdash; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaj33/status/1510814571853856772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In an email to the Times, Abdul-Jabbar explained his earlier remarks.
&#8220;On occasion I have chided LeBron when I thought he was dropping the ball when it came to supporting the community,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-04-03/kareem-abdul-jabbar-elaborates-lebron-james-criticism">wrote</a>. &#8220;But I did so in the spirit of a loving older brother offering guidance, whether wanted or not. So, when I said that he has done some things he should be embarrassed about, that wasn’t a slam or a barb or even a finger wag, it was me recapping some of what I’d said in the past. The Sports Illustrated article was an homage to LeBron for winning the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award for his role in social activism. So, when I think he may be veering from the path that made him win that award, I’ll mention it. I’m a journalist. That’s what I do. But I believe LeBron is strong enough and gracious enough to understand that I have only love for him in my heart.&#8221;
James did not play in the Lakers 129-118 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday, sitting out due to an ankle injury. 
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers

Kareem Takes Shot At LeBron: Should Be ‘Embarrassed’ By Some Of The Things He’s Done, Later Explains Remarks

NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton revealed over the weekend that Gonzaga University suspended his season tickets for defying its mask mandates at home games. 
In an interview with <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">The Spokesman-Review</a>, Stockton said that the university received several complaints regarding his unwillingness to wear a mask at Gonzaga basketball games. 
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
But it was Stockton’s comments on the COVID-19 vaccine in the June documentary “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed,” that caused outrage. 
In the documentary, Stockton made the unfounded claim that more than 100 professional athletes have died from the COVID-19 vaccine. 
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a> in the interview.
The claim was too much for CNN and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 
&#8220;I think statements like that [Stockton&#8217;s] make the public look upon athletes as basically dumb jocks for trying to explain away something this is obviously a pandemic, and the best way to fight pandemics is through vaccination and testing,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar said during a CNN appearance. &#8220;Those are the means by which we identify the problem and do our best to mitigate it.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t understand anyone saying anything else that makes sense. It doesn&#8217;t make sense what he&#8217;s saying,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar continued. &#8220;This is a preventative measure that has been useful in many different circumstances.&#8221;
Abdul-Jabbar went on to implore Stockton to “check the facts out.”
“I think John’s reaction to the vaccine is extreme and not based on reality or facts,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar added. &#8220;And if John could just check the facts out, he would understand that this vaccine is saving lives and preventing people from having serious reactions from the virus. It won’t eliminate the virus overnight, but it will stop people from dying and it will stop people from becoming seriously ill.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s full comments calling out John Stockton on CNN Monday morning. 
🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/guAU5VpWNh">pic.twitter.com/guAU5VpWNh</a>
&mdash; 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1485634397235814402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Abdul-Jabbar has been an advocate for the vaccine since it became available, even receiving his shot on video. He told Rolling Stone in a September article that NBA players refusing the jab are contributing to deaths from COVID-19.
“They are failing to live up to the responsibilities that come with celebrity. Athletes are under no obligation to be spokespersons for the government, but this is a matter of public health,” the Hall of Famer <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/nba-anti-vaxxers-covid-1231988/">told</a> Rolling Stone in an email. Abdul-Jabbar is especially disappointed in athletes of color: “By not encouraging their people to get the vaccine, they’re contributing to these deaths. I’m also concerned about how this perpetuates the stereotype of dumb jocks who are unable to look at verified scientific evidence and reach a rational conclusion.”
Stockton told the Spokesman-Review that he hopes to retain a relationship with the university, despite the suspension of his season tickets. 
“There’s probably a lot of different directions this can go, and I think time will tell on all of that,” he <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a>. “My focus is to maintain that relationship, as is theirs. They’ve made it very clear that we’re important to each other and I don’t think that’s going to change. However, there are some absolute impasses that we’re going to figure out.”
“I’ve been around here a long time, so I don’t expect things to linger, whatever they may be,” he added.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Celebrating America Primetime Special

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: John Stockton’s Comments On COVID-19 Make Athletes Seem Like ‘Dumb Jocks’

COVID

Gonzaga University

Los Angeles Lakers star and face of the NBA LeBron James caused quite the stir last week, posting a meme to social media which appeared to question COVID-19, seemingly comparing it to the cold and the flu. 
James, who informed reporters at Lakers Media Day in September that he was fully vaccinated, was widely criticized on social media, with many viewing the post as downplaying the virus. You can count the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as one who did not appreciate James’ implication in his Instagram post. 
On Monday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned a letter to James, <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">titled</a> “Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme.”
In the letter, Abdul-Jabbar accused James of giving “support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of worse by postponing our health and economic recovery.” Kareem referenced James’ 106 million followers on Instagram, saying that the amount of people who follow James makes his post “politically impactful.” 
“By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk,” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">wrote</a> after citing that unvaccinated individuals are more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID-19 complications.  
James kept his vaccination status private up until Lakers Media Day, saying that he was initially hesitant to receive the jab. 
“I know that for me I can speak about myself,” James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-james-says-hes-vaccinated-refuses-to-tell-others-what-to-do-with-their-bodies">said</a> in September. “I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family, and things of that nature. I know that I was very [skeptical] about it all, but after doing my research, and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited for not only me but for my family and for my friends, and that’s why I decided to do it.”
James was pressed by a reporter if the issue of vaccines was “important enough” for someone with his platform to speak out, to which James said it was not his place to tell people what to do with their bodies. 
“We’re talking about individuals&#8217; bodies,” James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-james-says-hes-vaccinated-refuses-to-tell-others-what-to-do-with-their-bodies">said</a> when elaborating on his decision. “We’re not talking about something that’s political or racism or police brutality or things of that nature. We’re talking about people’s bodies and well-being. So I don’t feel like for me personally that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods.”
Abdul-Jabbar took umbrage with James’ statement in his Monday letter, saying that the topic of the COVID-19 vaccine is in fact about politics and racism, pointing out that black Americans are more likely to die from COVID-19.
“As of December 2020, about 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans had died from COVID-19, a third higher than that for Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double than that for whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000),” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help">wrote</a>. 
“Vaccine hesitancy is higher in the Black community than in any other,” he continued. “While there are certainly justifiable historical reasons for Blacks to be skeptical of the health care system that has routinely marginalized, ignored, and even illegally experimented on them, that is not enough to justify compromising their health and even losing their lives during the current health crisis.
Abdul-Jabbar called on James, who has been a vocal advocate for the social justice movement, to also advocate for vaccines.
“One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. &#8220;Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.&#8221;
“While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena

‘A Blow To His Worthy Legacy’: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rips LeBron James For COVID-19 Meme

COVID-19 Vaccine

Retired NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slammed Los Angeles&#8217; Lakers player LeBron James after James recently gloated over an opposing team by making an &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-lebron-james-fined-15000-for-obscene-gesture-he-made-on-court-warned-over-language">obscene gesture</a>,&#8221; saying that the truly greatest players of all time do not need to gloat.
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA&#8217;s all-time leading scorer, a six-time NBA champion, and the league&#8217;s only 6-time MVP, made the remarks in a video that he posted in announcing that he was launching a new feature for his Substack.
&#8220;LeBron James faced a double whammy this past couple of weeks with his first ever suspension after his elbow clipped Detroit&#8217;s Piston Center Isaiah Stewart. Stuart&#8217;s attempted retaliation cost him a two game suspension,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar said. &#8220;Then last week, LeBron was fined $15,000 for doing a big balls dance after the Lakers win over the Pistons.&#8221;
&#8220;The NBA has been finding players between $15,000 and $25,000 for doing this dance since the 2010-2011 season,&#8221; he added. &#8220;For me, winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court? It doesn&#8217;t make sense. GOATs don&#8217;t dance.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="SUBSTACK COMMENTARY WEEK 1 12.01.21" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mtFZVcraI34?start=80&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR: Hello Substack friends, today I&#8217;m launching a regular feature that after today will only be available to subscribers. In it, I will come in on some of the more interesting sports news items, as well as make a few predictions about NBA games. So, if you like what you see in here, hit the subscribe button. Boston Celtics Center Enes Kanter became an American citizen on Monday and changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom. The 11 year veteran, who was born in Turkey, has been an outspoken critic of China&#8217;s inhumane treatment of the 2 million Uyghurs who have reportedly faced enslavement, torture, and other abuses. Enes has also criticized China&#8217;s policies toward Tibet, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and has asked that the U.S. boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in protest. His protests abroad retaliation from China, who has pulled Celtics games from the streaming site Tencent. I can&#8217;t help but admire Enes&#8217; unapologetic bravery and commitment to the very freedom he celebrates with his name change. China is a big source of money for the NBA, so to criticize their cruelty and inhumanity is a bold step. He is just the kind of courageous American citizen we need. 
In other news, LeBron James faced a double whammy this past couple of weeks with his first ever suspension after his elbow clipped Detroit&#8217;s Piston Center Isaiah Stewart. Stuart&#8217;s attempted retaliation cost him a two game suspension. Then last week, LeBron was signed $15,000 for doing a big ball stance after the Lakers win over the Pistons. The NBA has been finding players between $15,000 and $25,000 for doing this dance since the 2010-2011 season. For me, winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court? It doesn&#8217;t make sense. GOATs don&#8217;t dance. 
Finally, I just like to take a moment to honor the great golfer Lee Elder, who died last week at the age of 87. He was the first African American to compete in the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Lee&#8217;s journey to break racial barriers of Professional Golf was unusual. When he was young, he worked with a noted gambler and golfer known as Titanic Thompson. He would pose as Thompson&#8217;s caddy or chauffeur, find the two best players at a club, and take them on for money. In 1961, the PGA removed this Caucasians only rule and Lee was among a small handful of blacks to play on tour. While playing on a tour he received death threats, was refused hotel rooms, and forced to change clothes in the parking lot because he wasn&#8217;t allowed in the clubhouse. After qualifying for the Masters tournament as his first black player, the death threats increase to the point where he had to rent two houses in Augusta, one under an assumed name. Lee qualified to play in five more Masters, paving the road for all black golfers who came after him.</blockquote>

Los Angeles Lakers v Indiana Pacers

NBA Legend Shreds LeBron James For ‘Stupid Childish Dance’: The Greatest Of All Time Do Not Gloat

On Monday, NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar slammed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, <a href="https://kareem.substack.com/p/aaron-rodgers-didnt-just-lie?r=ez75a&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_source=">writing</a> up a Substack post that he abused his “position and responsibility, not just to the public, but to other professional athletes’ livelihood.&#8221; He also wrote that Rodgers was the “latest egregious abuser” who “directly and deliberately lied to fans and the public when he assured everyone he was ‘immunized,’ knowing that word would be interpreted as his being vaccinated.”
“He wasn’t vaccinated. And he got COVID-19. And he went maskless during in-person press conferences, which not only <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/11/03/aaron-rodgers-violated-covid-protocol-by-doing-maskless-indoor-press-conferences/">violated NFL rules</a>, but put everyone else’s health at risk,” Abdul-Jabbar continued.
Abdul-Jabbar also lionized former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, claiming the player was “blacklisted by the NFL for passively expressing his frustration with systemic racism—a brave act meant to help his community and save lives—while multi-millionaire Rodgers will continue to play, despite lying to the fans and his teammates and putting innocent lives in danger.”
Abdul-Jabbar referenced Rodgers claiming that a league doctor told him “it would be impossible for a vaccinated person to catch or spread COVID.” He argued, “What’s especially bothersome is that Aaron Rodgers didn’t just lie and threaten the health of those around him, he also damaged professional sports. Many athletes make a lot of money on product endorsements, which depends on the public’s favorable perception of athletes.&#8221;
More of the attack on Rodgers from the article:
<blockquote>Rodgers’ ignorance regarding the science of immunology brings back to life the old stereotype of the big dumb jock. His utter lack of even the most basic knowledge and logic is shocking. In an effort to defend his lying, he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/11/05/aaron-rodgers-fact-check/">stated</a>, “This idea that it’s a pandemic of the unvaccinated, it’s just a total lie … If the vaccine is so great, then how come people are still getting covid and spreading covid and, unfortunately dying of covid?” Those two statements don’t even belong together. Statistics from many sources conclude that around 97 percent of those being hospitalized or who have died in the past several months are unvaccinated. The <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-09-10/cdc-finds-unvaccinated-11-times-more-likely-to-die-of-covid">CDC found</a> that the unvaccinated are 11 times more likely to die than those vaccinated. If he thinks that’s a lie, what credible evidence does he have? None.</blockquote>
“What really sacked his whining stance was his refusal to wear a mask during interviews to protect others from sickness and death,” Abdul-Jabbar opined. “That was merely his hubris and arrogance against what he called the ‘<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/11/05/aaron-rodgers-coronavirus-vaccines/">woke mob</a>.’ In this case, woke means compassion and responsibility toward others. He might also remember that the only reason he is able to play in front of crowds again is because all those suckers got vaccinated.”
“Time will tell whether Rodgers will be judged by the content of his character or the strength of his throwing arm,” Abdul-Jabbar concluded.

pjimage-3

Abdul-Jabbar Slams Aaron Rodgers As ‘Egregious Abuser,’ Lauds Kaepernick’s Protests As ‘Brave Act’

Aaron Rodgers

Colin Kaepernick

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that it is creating a new social justice award named after former professional basketball player and career activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Social Justice Champion Award will honor players who are making efforts to promote social justice. Each NBA team will be able to nominate one of its players to be considered for the award. Five finalists and one winner will be chosen from the list of people. 
The award will consist of a trophy with Abdul-Jabbar’s name on it, as well as $100,000 that will go to a charity of the player’s choice. The remaining top four finalists will get $25,000 each, which will also go to charity. 
“I’m really proud of what the NBA has been doing all along in terms of activism and their efforts for equality and inclusion,” Abdul-Jabbar said in an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-europe-nba-entertainment-sports-61d7f27674ce867620ac074fa14de2c1">interview</a> with The Associated Press. “I think they’ve done a great job. I’ve always felt that was something important and teaming up with them to be involved in this award is very meaningful.”
“In addition to being one of our greatest players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has devoted much of his life to advocating for equality and social justice,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a release announcing the creation of the award. “With this new award, we are proud to recognize and celebrate NBA players who are using their influence to make an impact on their communities and our broader society.” 
Abdul-Jabbar was involved in activism at a young age and met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was 17 years old. AP reported that Abdul-Jabbar’s great-uncle was a doctor during World War I in England and developed a reputation as the “Black Doctor of Paddington” as he provided treatment to war veterans at no charge. 
“I think it’s just really a family tradition and something that makes sense,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “When you see something wrong you have to speak out about it and try to effect some change.” 
The outlet reported that Abdul-Jabbar praises NBA players for attempting to effect change now as many players have spoken out against the perception of police brutality.
“All of these needs, they have to start with small steps,” he said. “I mean, we can’t just take a big, huge giant step. That usually ends up being a step in the wrong puddle. So, we’ve got to take our time and understand that we need to take all these little steps to get to where we need to go — where there’s justice. We don’t want to make policemen’s jobs impossible. But we don’t want police just arbitrarily killing people. It’s going to take some effort, but we can get there.”
As professional sports players have weighed into social issues over the past year, many have begun to see pushback against their actions. Pro-basketball player Lebron James recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-fueled-the-wrong-conversation-about-makhia-bryant-lebron-james-avoids-responsibility-portrays-bryant-as-a-victim">tried to walk back</a> his actions after posting a tweet that appeared to dox the Ohio police officer who shot Ma’Khia Bryant while in the process of saving another girl’s life. 
“I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it,” James wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her.”
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I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/FabiolaCineas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fabiolacineas</a> for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. <a href="https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi">https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi</a>   <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sayhername?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sayhername</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blacklivesmatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blacklivesmatter</a>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1389331737159770112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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E2E3A8FD-3EBA-44A2-9923-0C60102A5365_1_201_a

NBA Creates Social Justice Award Named For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Social Justice

Social justice activist and former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has called upon Hollywood to fix its preference for &#8220;Asian stereotypes,&#8221; from the submissive servant to the math wiz.
In an article for <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-hollywood-must-do-more-to-combat-asian-stereotypes">The Hollywood Reporter</a> (THR), Abdul-Jabbar recalled his time studying martial arts under Bruce Lee and how the legend &#8220;spoke often and passionately about the harmful way Asian Americans were portrayed on television shows and in movies.&#8221;
&#8220;How having characters like Hop Sing (Bonanza) and Hey Boy (Have Gun Will Travel) shuffling about happily serving their white bosses gave the impression that Asian males were grateful, sexless servants,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Asian women were generally beautiful, demure, sexy servants in need of protection from the gun-toting white males. Bruce did his best to destroy those stereotypes by becoming the virile action hero in Hong Kong movies that Hollywood wouldn’t let him be.&#8221;
&#8220;Flash forward 55 years and, with a few notable exceptions, the demeaning stereotypes remain and have born bitter fruit: The recent mass murder of Asian Americans in Atlanta is only one of the thousands of racially motivated incidents against the AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) community in the past year,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Fueled by moronic politicians’ references to COVID-19 as the &#8216;China virus” or &#8216;Kung flu,&#8217; hate crimes against Asian Americans increased in 2020 by 150 percent and, as daily attacks around the country show, it’s only getting worse. Sadly, the most disturbing part isn’t the increase in violence, it’s how little it takes to trigger that violence — as if attackers are just waiting for an excuse to express their ignorance.&#8221;
Abdul-Jabbar said that some misperceptions about Asians could be solved if only Hollywood would put out more nuanced Asian characters. He also calls for the removal of any and all past stories that featured harmful racial stereotypes.
&#8220;The most egregious ones should be pulled from circulation, and those that have some historical value should come with a warning in the beginning that the content features harmful racial stereotypes, as has been done for films like Gone With the Wind that perpetuated dangerous Black stereotypes,&#8221; he wrote.
&#8220;The real issue here isn’t just adding more Asian American characters, it’s about the kind of characters portrayed,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Two important areas that are deliberately overlooked by Hollywood are Asian Americans as romantic leads and as heroic leads. Few series dare to have an Asian American man as the object of romantic desire, especially by a white woman (are you listening, Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise?). Fewer have Asian American women as leads prized for their intelligence and outspoken strength rather than their svelte figure and flirty smile.&#8221;
Abdul-Jabbar cited three shows that he feels treat Asian Americans well: the Cinemax series &#8220;Warrior,&#8221; &#8220;Killing Eve&#8221; starring Sandra Oh, and the new Netflix series &#8220;The Irregulars.&#8221;
&#8220;In general, portrayals of Asian Americans are often comic-relief sidekicks (House, Prodigal Son), monosyllabic martial arts masters (Wu Assassins), homework-loving nerds, or wizened oldsters with fortune cookie advice,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;We need a commitment to produce more varied portrayals of Asian Americans, but also that more of their stories to be told by Asian Americans working behind the cameras, including writers and directors. The problem is when the industry produces a Minari or The Farewell or Killing Eve, it likes to sit back and relax while congratulating itself.&#8221;

US-ENTERTAINMENT

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Urges Hollywood To ‘Combat Asian Stereotypes’

Asian American

NBA hall-of-famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lashed out at Donald Trump and called some of his remaining supporters “true believing MAGA puppets” in a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-why-i-took-part-in-the-biden-harris-inauguration">column</a> published Thursday explaining his motivations for taking part in the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Abdul-Jabbar, who is currently a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, said his participation “is a return to the Age of Reason, in which decisions are made based on evidence from reliable expert sources.”
“The last year has been like a horror movie in which a terrified family battles relentless brain-eating zombie all night, but finally emerges victorious into the bright sun of the dawn,” he wrote. “For me, the inauguration of Joe Biden is like that hopeful dawn in which those with brains still intact emerge from the darkness to reclaim our country and everything it stands for.”
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I wrote about my experience &amp; feelings about being a part of the Biden Inauguration for <a href="https://twitter.com/THR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@THR</a> there is the full video of the show at the bottom of the article in case you missed it.. <a href="https://t.co/JyL710PGiT">https://t.co/JyL710PGiT</a>
&mdash; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaj33/status/1352325138277044224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Abdul-Jabbar compared the ceremony to “the relaunching of the ship of state with a real sea-worthy captain at the helm.” Without mentioning Donald Trump, he referred to Biden’s predecessor as “a sea-sick imposter who stole the uniform and bluffed his way into the wheelhouse.”
He was one of several celebrities who appeared on the nationally televised “Celebrating America” special hosted by actor Tom Hanks. Abdul-Jabbar recited a passage from President Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address.
“In 1854, Lincoln spoke of ‘the monstrous injustice of slavery,’ so I couldn’t help but wonder what he might think about a Black man reading his words to the entire nation he so ably defended against insurrectionists,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
He went on to accuse the Trump administration of working “hard to suppress the basic rights of so many groups, including women, LGBTQ+, Muslims, Blacks, Latinx and immigrants.”
Shifting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Abdul-Jabbar claimed Trump’s “lies, foot-dragging and incompetence” led to 400,000 American deaths, many of which Abdul-Jabbar said were preventable.
More from Abdul-Jabbar’s column:
<blockquote>Some are touting the inauguration as a kickstart ceremony to end the divisiveness in America. Even President Biden’s <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/president-joe-biden-conveys-message-of-healing-hope-during-inaugural-address">inaugural address</a> emphasized his goal of unifying America. I’m all for that. But in fact, we are already more unified than reported. The so-called “divisiveness” that is chanted at us daily from every media megaphone across the political spectrum is not as wide or as evenly divided as they would have us think. The rioters who attacked the Capitol Building on Jan. 6 didn’t just vandalize property, kill a cop and call for the lynching of the vice president — they created a deep, ideological chasm between themselves and other conservatives who previously had been all lumped together as &#8220;Trump supporters.&#8221; </blockquote>
He maintained that contrary to popular opinion, the country is not divided in half. Citing Trump’s low approval ratings, Abdul-Jabbar estimated “about a third are true believing MAGA puppets who have been used as unwitting tools by billionaire Republicans.”
“This vocal third is easily manipulated by trigger words like ‘freedom,’ ‘socialist,’ ‘radical left,’” he wrote, calling the terms “so vague as to be meaningless.”
“Trump-supporting governors, judges and election officials have all said there was no voting fraud,” he continued. “Yet, that loyal Trump Third still howl at the election-fraud moon because no evidence will convince them. They will always be divided from the rest of the country because they don’t understand what the country actually stands for. They just want a despot to tell them what to think and do. Truth is, I don’t want to unify with those who don’t share the goals the country was founded on.”

Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition 2015

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Explains Why He Participated In Biden’s Inauguration, Rips Trump And ‘MAGA Puppets’

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has called upon Big Tech social media giants to censor and deplatform conservative celebrities such as James Woods and Jon Voight.
In a lengthy op-ed in <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-the-hubris-of-self-destructing-stars">The Hollywood Reporter</a> (THR), Abdul-Jabbar argued that such conservative celebrities do great harm to the fabric of society and should be silenced.
&#8220;Few are more beloved than J.K. Rowling, whose Harry Potter books make up the best-selling series in history. Yet her anti-trans tweets may not only damage the Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, they could end up tainting her entire literary legacy,&#8221; argued Abdul-Jabbar. &#8220;Even the stars of the movies — Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Eddie Redmayne — have spoken out against her position. John Cleese&#8217;s tone-deaf defense of Rowling left many fans bitterly disappointed, tarnishing his reputation.&#8221;
&#8220;It would be tempting to dismiss this self-mutilation as merely the triggering of overly sensitive &#8216;cancel culture.&#8217; But some of this public braying does immediate harm to the foundation of society,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Giuliani&#8217;s attacks on the integrity of the 2020 elections, without any substantive evidence, has undermined the democratic process. A post-election poll indicated that 77 percent of Republicans think Joe Biden won because of fraud. Since no credible proof has ever been shown, this opinion can only be held because they practice flat-earther, anti-vaxxer cult-think: Someone in authority told me what I want to hear, so it must be true.&#8221;
To those who would charge Abdul-Jabbar with the same crime, given his own celebrity status, he countered that by saying he has &#8220;been writing books and articles about history, culture, and politics for 30 years to establish&#8221; his credibility.
Though the former basketball star appreciates the warnings that social media giants place on a certain celebrity&#8217;s statement, he believes it does not go far enough.
&#8220;Social media companies have begun slapping warnings on some messages that are false, incite violence or cause harm to society,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;But this needs to be done with more consistency and vigilance. Studies indicate that when readers see these warnings, they are less likely to read or believe things. However, as another study showed, there can be a backfire effect in which content that isn&#8217;t flagged, even when inaccurate, is perceived as true.&#8221;
&#8220;Many Americans imbue stars with political and social intelligence they just don&#8217;t have. Great success in one field can lead to the delusion that all your thoughts are great,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t help to be surrounded by fawning people whose job it is to agree with everything you say. The irresponsibility of tweeting irrational and harmful opinions to millions, regardless of the damaging consequences to their country or people&#8217;s lives, proves that those stars deserve the harsh backlash.&#8221;
In March 2019, when Hollywood was threatening to boycott the state of Georgia for instituting an anti-abortion law, the basketball legend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-banning-abortions-turns-women-paul-bois">encouraged the boycotts</a>, arguing that such pro-life laws were a throwback to times where “pretty much everyone who wasn’t a straight, white Christian male was considered a second-class citizen whose rights and future depended on the patriarchs’ whims and largesse.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbars-son-reportedly-arrested-accused-of-stabbing-neighbor-multiple-times">Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s Son Reportedly Arrested, Accused Of Stabbing Neighbor Multiple Times</a>

2019 NBA Awards – Arrivals

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Urges Big Tech To Censor Conservative Celebrities

Big Tech

On Wednesday, rapper Ice Cube appeared to liken NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Biblical Judas after Abdul-Jabbar wrote a column published in <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kareem-abdul-jabbar-is-outrage-anti-semitism-sports-hollywood-1303210">The Hollywood Reporter</a> in which he criticized Ice Cube and other black celebrities for promoting anti-Semitism.
Ice Cube tweeted, “Shame on the Hollywood Reporter who obviously gave my brother Kareem 30 pieces of silver to cut us down without even a phone call.”
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Shame on the Hollywood Reporter who obviously gave my brother Kareem 30 pieces of silver to cut us down without even a phone call. <a href="https://t.co/XRXPu0NRBW">https://t.co/XRXPu0NRBW</a>
&mdash; Ice Cube (@icecube) <a href="https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1283458390790828032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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On June 11, The Daily Beast noted Ice Cube’s recent and not-so-recent forays into anti-Semitism, reporting that he “offered up <a href="https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1270752897899229184">a dog-whistle</a> to his 5.3 million Twitter followers: a Star of David enveloping a black cube. He posted the image above a quadriptych of similar black cubes in four places around the world: California, New York, Denmark, and Australia &#8230; The image in question, what those with vivid imaginations have come to call the &#8216;Black Cube of Saturn,&#8217; has ties to the occult—the entirely unsubstantiated idea being that it’s a sign of chaos. Further, placing it inside a Star of David heavily implies that the Jewish people are stoking the flames.&#8221;
Just prior to the Star of David post, Ice Cube posted a meme showing a mural by the graffiti artist Mear One that The Daily Beast said was “clearly intended to be anti-Semitic.”
“Some of the older white Jewish folk in the local community had an issue with me portraying their beloved #Rothschild or #Warburg etc as the demons they are,” Mear One said of his mural.
“He’s an <a href="https://twitter.com/icecube/status/1259992966128562177">ardent supporter of Louis Farrakhan</a>, one of the world’s <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/louis-farrakhan">most prominent anti-Semites</a>,” The Daily Beast noted, adding, “On ‘No Vaseline,’ a diss track off the 1991 album Death Certificate, the rapper took aim at Jerry Heller, N.W.A’s former manager, who is Jewish. ‘Get rid of that Devil real simple / Put a bullet in his temple / ’Cause you can’t be the N*gga 4 Life crew / With a white Jew telling you what to do…”
In his column, Abdul-Jabbar wrote:
<blockquote>Recent incidents of anti-Semitic tweets and posts from sports and entertainment celebrities are a very troubling omen for the future of the Black Lives Matter movement, but so too is the shocking lack of massive indignation. Given the New Woke-fulness in Hollywood and the sports world, we expected more passionate public outrage. What we got was a shrug of meh-rage …
Ice Cube’s June 10 daylong series of tweets, which involved some creepy symbols and images, in general implied that Jews were responsible for the oppression of blacks. NFL player DeSean Jackson tweeted out several anti-Semitic messages, including a quote he incorrectly thought was from Hitler (not your go-to guy for why-can’t-we-all-get-along quotes) stating that Jews had a plan to “extort America” and achieve “world domination.” Isn’t that SPECTRE’s job in James Bond movies?
These statements would be laughed at by anyone with a middle-school grasp of reason, but then former NBA player Stephen Jackson, a self-proclaimed activist, undid whatever progress his previous advocacy may have achieved by agreeing with DeSean Jackson on social media. Then he went on to talk about the Rothschilds owning all the banks and his support for the notorious homophobe and anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan. That is the kind of dehumanizing characterization of a people that causes the police abuses that killed his friend, George Floyd …
Yes, some of the above have apologized — DeSean Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Chelsea Handler — while others continue to defiantly marinate in their own prejudice. Their arrogant and irrational response to accusations of anti-Semitism, rather than dissuade us, actually confirmed people’s worst opinions. Ice Cube’s response was remorseless: “What if I was just pro-Black? This is the truth brother. I didn’t lie on anyone. I didn’t say I was anti anybody. DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE. I’ve been telling my truth.” His “truth” was clearly anti-Semitic but, like Trump, he believes his truth exists outside facts. As writer Roxane Gay summed it up: “It is impossible to take you seriously with regards to social justice or anything when you post anti-Semitic imagery. What the f*** are you doing?”</blockquote>
He continued, “…celebrities have a responsibility to get the words right. It’s not enough to have good intentions, because it’s the actual deeds — and words — which have the real impact. In this case destructive impact. In 2013, there were 751 reported hate crimes against Jews, but by 2019 the number had nearly tripled to 2,107. That same year, a gunman in San Diego entered a synagogue and murdered one person while wounding three.”
Abdul Jabbar concluded, “The lesson never changes, so why is it so hard for some people to learn: No one is free until everyone is free. As Martin Luther King Jr. explained: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.’ So, let’s act like it. If we’re going to be outraged by injustice, let’s be outraged by injustice against anyone.”

The 1985 championship Lakers team reunites to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their games being t

Ice Cube Appears To Compare Kareem Abdul-Jabbar To Judas For Condemning Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism

Ice Cube

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a pointed message for celebrities who speak out against racism, but turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism, particularly that of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan: you must acknowledge all forms of discrimination.
Abdul-Jabbar penned a scathing column in the Hollywood Reporter Wednesday, taking celebrities like Ice Cube, NFL player DeSean Jackson, and, most recently, television star Nick Cannon to task for embracing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories while publicly speaking out about anti-black racism.
According to Abdul-Jabbar, the &#8220;blind eye&#8221; many celebrities and sports figures are turning towards anti-Semitism puts the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole at risk, and those who fail to correct figures like Jackson, who faced only a minor punishment from his team, are allowing discrimination to flourish.
&#8220;Recent incidents of anti-Semitic tweets and posts from sports and entertainment celebrities are a very troubling omen for the future of the Black Lives Matter movement, but so too is the shocking lack of massive indignation,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar wrote. &#8220;Given the New Woke-fulness in Hollywood and the sports world, we expected more passionate public outrage. What we got was a shrug of meh-rage.&#8221;
“When reading the dark squishy entrails of popular culture, meh-rage in the face of sustained prejudice is an indisputable sign of the coming Apatholypse: apathy to all forms of social justice,” Abdul-Jabbar went on. “After all, if it’s OK to discriminate against one group of people by hauling out cultural stereotypes without much pushback, it must be OK to do the same to others. Illogic begets illogic.”
Among the top offenders, Abdul-Jabbar also lists Chelsea Handler and other white celebrities who recently posted a video from one of Louis Farrakhan&#8217;s speeches as a way of proving they&#8217;d received instruction in how to be better allies to minorities facing oppression.
&#8220;June continued to bust out all over with anti-Semitism when performer Chelsea Handler, herself Jewish, posted videos of Farrakhan to her 3.9 million followers,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That means almost 4 million people received a subliminal message that even some Jews think being anti-Jewish is justified.&#8221;
Abdul-Jabbar does not mention Nick Cannon, likely because Cannon&#8217;s rant, which was both anti-white and anti-Semitic, aired after Abdul-Jabbar had already turned in his column. Regardless, Cannon now finds himself out of a job after ViacomCBS terminated their relationship with the reality television star.
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating anti-Semitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him,” Viacom said in a statement. “We are committed to doing better in our response to incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry. ViacomCBS will have further announcements on our efforts to combat hate of all kinds.”
Abdul-Jabbar reached the same conclusion.
“No one is free until everyone is free,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As Martin Luther King Jr. explained: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.’ So, let’s act like it.&#8221;

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