The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on NBA, Activism, and Personal Growth

Episode Date: February 27, 2023

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar discusses what inspired him to lead a life of activism, handing over his all-time scoring record to LeBron James, and what he learned from his friendship with Bruce Lee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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a realistic list. And I said, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. And I know. Let's, let's pretend this is like a therapy session. I'm your therapist. Now, of course, as everyone knows, LeBron James just broke one of your records and you were so gracious and there and everything. But how did it make you feel? I have to say, I'm pretty glad that my role in it was finished. You know, but LeBron worked real hard for it.

He deserves it. He has spent his adult life as a premier athlete and done an exceptional job at it and his heart is in the right place. I don't know you probably you may or may not know how he sent a whole school district to college. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The whole lot he could be doing with that tuition money, you know? Yeah. He could be on his own island. But you know, that's where it's hard is.

So I got a lot of respect for him. I wish him well. Yeah, you were so gracious and with such a very zen absence of ego. And I heard you say on Jimmy Fallon like you were like oh it's like a burden's been lifted you know like I'm it's done with that I'm done with that you know and it was just I thought that was very interesting and and and you know it's interesting how great the greats you know you're real tall you're gifted at basketball but what people don't realize

is the work that's put into it. You were the kid who had the keys to the gym after everyone went home and worked on that sky hook. You know, and it really is about getting that 10,000 hours and being dedicated and I think that's something that kids don't necessarily put together when they see just a star or someone who's the goat, you know. It's pretty, I know that's not a question. I also want to point out by the way, I'm very happy for LeBron, but I will say that your

points were scored two at a time mostly. You know what I'm going. Thank you. A lot of people don't put that together. Yeah. Thank you. Okay, let me ask you this. I don't even know how to ask it, but my best friend, tall, he's an unironic nickname, he's tall, and he's 610.

And I remember, he's very shy, he's not a performer, and I remember he told me, I know what it's like to be famous because when I walk into a room, people are like, look at that guy, you know, look at all the guy is. You know, as an eighth grader who is seven feet tall, I bet you can relate to what it is to be famous in the way of it being very self-conscious, you know, very kind of, and you know, I remember seeing that like you were 14, you were you were an eighth grader playing with the seniors because you were so tall and you, it was one time you cried and that was what made you put on this game face this kind of stoicism and in a way

that's kind of a survival skill do you think that's part of being this kid that was so tall at such a young age? I think at that time that's how I cop you know because I didn't know how to cope you know and I remember I was that age 14 and I went to Madison Square Garden and see a game and the guy asked me for my autograph. I said you don't know who I am I know I know we are no you don't know who I am. And we went back and forth for it. I said, well, I'll get rid of this guy. And I signed my name. And he said, this is some stupid name you throw it up.

And he threw it away. And you know, talk about crushed egos. But, you know, that's how you learn the ropes. You know, you have to have, I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th th th th th th th th th th you know that that's that's how you learn the ropes you know you got to have to take your licks you know it's not it's not fun but you know being the person that I am and what I wanted to do in my life I've been able to do it since I've retired you know I mean I'm you know I was always a fan of your basketball but I became moved to super fandom when just reading your writing and your pieces and your substack and you know, you, I mean, I think of myself as someone who does odd jobs.

You, I feel very much a kindred spirit with you, you know, you write for Time Magazine and then you've got your substack. And then like you wrote for Veronica Mars. And then, you know, it's so cool. You watch The Bachelor and you write pieces on it for, you would write for a Hollywood reporter. And they were so thoughtful and they weren't just fluff, even the bachelor stuff, because it is so fascinating to watch these people and to think about what's going on in their minds. Well, you know, my manager and friend, Deborah Morales, enabled me to figure out a way to express

all of this and make it work as a living. You know getting paid for doing something that you love is like almost as good as playing basketball and getting paid. So yeah. Yeah. You know there are people there are, it's such a rare gem of a thing when, you know, you know, like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, to the way, you know, like, you, you, you, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, to, to, to, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to, to, to, people, there are, it's such a rare gem of a thing when, you know, like singer-songwriters, like when someone can write beautiful songs and they happen to be great singers. Like, that's just such a wonderful, happy accident. And with you, with writing, you have all this experience, all these ideas, all this, these, you know, progressive thoughts,

you're so introspective. And then on top of it, you're this like, beautiful writer, you know, like the way you put words together, I find, you know, thrilling. But you know, Cole Porter was that talented in that he could write songs and write the lyrics for them and they go together like hand and glove. Very few people like that. Yeah, well you're one of them, that's my point. But I know, I know. I did all, I did all, I did a lot of these. Hold on. I'm not going to do that one yet.

Hold on. Listen, I've got little notes for myself. Of course there's this one. I got to know Robin Williams. You did. Yeah, and you and him have, you share a same, you can, you share a same talent in that you can get people to laugh when they're hurting.

And Robin was exceptional at that. And I'm so sorry he's gone. He was a beautiful man and I miss him. But you've relied good spirit. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Oh, oh, oh, yeah. Yeah.

You are much like how Robin with what's called. You are much like Robin with what being Billy Crystal started. I can't remember what's called, Comic Relief. You've been very active in activist, you've been an activist for a long time. What was that inciting incident? What got you? Well for me it was the murder of Emmett Till. That bothered me and I couldn't understand it. I asked my parents to explain it. They didn't have the words.

So I've spent my life since then trying to figure out how to get us all to tamp down on the hatred and learn to know and respect and love each other. That's where we got to go. And we've got to get to it. Yeah, I think we all, I think we're so different and we're the same. I always think we're so different and we're the same. I always like we're just like, we're the same as this mug, this table, we're just molecules, we're not different. One people on one planet, we gotta take care of it and take care of each other.

I mean, yeah, I always think like, whenever things get too heavy, I'm just like, come on, we're in fucking outer space. Like, nothing matters. We're gonna blow the place up. Wait a minute. Wait, whoa, you know. Um, you know, I know you've been in a million things and you've been doing, you're, you're so vital, to me, you're in your most vital most exciting years

but this going back to because I watched the the documentary Minority of One which I really loved I hope you're happy with it I thought it was spectacular thank you thank you thank you they were clapping for me just because I asked a question so well but when you did airplane it was a plane it was a. Thank you. Thank you. They were clapping for me just because I asked the question so well. But when you did airplane, it was a kind of... It was transformational for you because you had always been this kind of game-face, stoic dude, maybe protecting yourself in some way. It, uh, airplane enabled me to make fun of my image and laugh about it. dude, maybe protecting yourself in some way. Airplane enabled me to make fun of my image and laugh about it and it got people,

they stopped thinking about that as who I was and it was right around the time we won a world championship. That helped. Yeah. Yeah. But it feels like it unlocked something in you, where you were able to not be how other people define you. Right. And I had like a certain fear of exposing myself at times.

You know, just my inner thoughts and emotional feelings really I was worried about sharing to us and I've gotten over that. We tend to have shame around our own feelings and we forget that's all we are right. We're just people like everyone else you know that's how it works. I want to put my face in your hand but I know that's weird. That's what you can do hands. That's what you're here. I'm pretty much the same. Oh, you want a small star here? Can I think you're so sticulous.

I was just going to end it. I was just going to keep going. But I'll end it. But I'll end it. but I'll end it. It's all I'm going. You know what I really want to ask you about is also your friendship with Bruce Lee. You know, I just, to me that tracks so well, you know? It should because when I met Bruce, I wasn't really, you know, a hot-shot professional athlete,

and he was working as Cato in the Green Hornet. And I just wanted to study Chinese martial arts. And a guy sent me over to him who knew him and said, hey, try and work this with Bruce. And the way he really showed me how powerful his art was, when he had me punch and kick a bag. He get behind, put his weight behind it and said, punch and kick it. And I did. He said, said hmm that was interesting and then he had his wife come out and he told me all right

you put your weight behind the bag and I did and she kicked the bag and my body flew off of it and I said I got to learn that. What is the key to that? Is it about like center of weight or something? No, it has just learning how to control your inner forces in a way that enable you to deal with someone who might be trying something wrong, you know, if you learn how to move and... You can just say you don't know. No, I do.

But I do know. It's harder to talk about it than it is to do it, you know, if you have the time and inclination. I do. You know what's really good that you can do on your own, Tai Chi. Great exercise. There you go. I don't know. I'm just making it up from what I see people do in the part.

But you keep doing that for a couple of months and you'll notice an increase in strength and balance and endurance and stuff. Yeah, I love Bruce Lee. You know what reminds me of you with him is just the idea of be like water. To the name of his movie, yeah, to adjust to any circumstance to sprout where you're planted to, you know, when water is in a teacup it's the shape of a teacup when water is a tea cup. When water it's to any circumstance, to sprout where you're planted, to, you know, when water is in a teacup, it's the shape of a teacup, when water, all that stuff. And Bruce was all about... Well, it's deep. Well, it's deep.

Feeh! Yeah. Yeah. He was all about brotherhood, you know, and for a long time, Chinese people didn't like him to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to.. tape. the tape. the tape. the tape. the tape. toe. toe. toe. 't like him teaching people who weren't Chinese But Bruce said hey, you know, I've learned things from people who weren't Chinese That maybe they might have wanted to keep quiet, but they shared it and that was his attitude about it and it made it possible for the exchange to happen. I know that's how it was with me and him, you know Our friendship was was based on that and it meant happen. I know that's how it was with me and him. Our friendship was based on that. And it meant something.

Those are mitsfas, they're generous. It's a wonderful way to live. A good deed, yes, absolutely. And that's how I think of you, you know, it's Mr. Rogers and you're my top tap. It's true. Enjoy you. Enjoy the today. I am from the Evolution of Excellence Collection. Go to the website below and sign up for Club Skyhook. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show.

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