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What I Think About LeBron Breaking My NBA Scoring Record
- Graziano_M 4y agoKareem is a class act.
- georgeecollins 4y agoHe wrote a great book about the 761st, tank battalion manned by African Americans in World War 2. He's a very thoughtful person. Also, I wish Magic had run for mayor of Los Angeles. He'd win in a heartbeat and he is also done a lot for Los Angeles as a business person.
- mindcrime 4y agoLove that reference to the Vision Quest scene. It's a great scene (embedded in a great movie!) and was very on-point for what he was saying. As an aside, if you haven't seen Vision Quest, I can't recommend it highly enough.
- psychomugs 4y agoI’ve never seen the movie, but that excerpt reminded me of crying as I watched Kipchoge break the sub-2-hour marathon.
- jimt1234 4y agoI was on my high school wrestling team when Vision Quest was in theaters. That movie was religion to us wrestlers, mostly, obviously, because it was about high school wrestling. But the movie was much deeper, expressed by that one scene. Kareem did leave out the best line from that scene, though - basically, the summary: "It ain't the six minutes. It's what happens in that six minutes." (Trivia: Vision Quest was Madonna's first movie appearance. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing, though. LOL)
- User23 4y agoOn a Kareem tangent, his cameo in Airplane! is hilarious.
- hinkley 4y agoI was gonna say. Kareem is immortalized in Airplane! He has already won at life.
- emehex 4y agoHis Dave cameo too!
- bcantrill 4y agoI love that cameo ("My dad says you don't work hard enough on defense."[0]), and also found myself thinking about it in reading this excellent piece. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSi6iF9kVBs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSi6iF9kVBs
- LanceH 4y agoThe Glass Onion scene with him was my favorite part of the movie.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- janvdberg 4y ago"It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars. How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning." What a great quote and general outlook on life.
- avelis 4y agoKareem understands that life is a collaborative game, not a zero-sum game. This is extra special coming from an athlete whose career was in excelling in a zero-sum game.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- awb 4y agoTo be fair, it’s much easier to have a collaborative view on life once you’re financially independent or have exceeded your goals. The unpaid college star that couldn’t make the NBA and is now struggling to make ends meet might not see life as a collaborative game.
- dasil003 4y agoThis has some truth to it, but it’s also a cynical middle-brow dismissal. Plenty of rich are ultra competitive and plenty of poor people are collaborative. Also, older are generally a bit mellower and reflective, but even teenagers can demonstrate good team work and community thinking. A viewpoint like Kareem’s should be celebrated, not doused with cynicism.
- za3faran 4y agoHe's a Muslim, and Islam gives you that collaborative and content outlook.
- lib-dev 4y agoNah I think you have it backwards. The ones who make it have that mindset throughout.
- sdwr 4y agoLove that voice, great clear tone.
- jononomo 4y agoLeBron has never struck me as being a great player. Of course, he is very good, but he is too much of a nice guy and doesn't have the unholy drive Jordan had. Jordan was mesmerizing. I also think Luka Doncic is going to leave LeBron in the dust, assuming Luka stays injury free and adopts a low-carb diet.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- emehex 4y agoI'm sorry, but this is just a tremendously bad take. Total points, first 4 years in NBA (including playoffs): LeBron: 9339 Doncic: 7873
- MisterBastahrd 4y agoYou're literally comparing a player who got 4 years in with one who is at his All Star break. Not sure what point you're attempting to make.
- sin7 4y agoLuka is currently playing in his 5th year. He has 4 years behind him. Not the best comparison, but seems fair.
- HDThoreaun 4y agoLebron being the goat while also having a corny, 100% scandal free lifestyle is imo one of his crowning accomplishments. It is unbelievable that his greatness hasn’t gotten to his head ala Kyrie.
- tayo42 4y agoIt did earlier in his career with like the decision and stuff, maybe getting criticized for stuff like that so early on made it easier to be normal for the rest of the his career. He had this kind of attention since he was in high school right?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- sour-taste 4y agoWhat an eloquent writer. Anyone know the vaccine drama that he mentioned?
- selectodude 4y agohttps://kareem.substack.com/p/why-lebron-is-wrong-about-honoring https://kareem.substack.com/p/why-lebron-is-wrong-about-hono...
- breck 4y ago[flagged]
- lern_too_spel 4y agoLebron wasn't talking about data. Kareem's critique of Lebron's comment looks spot on to me and incredibly well argued.
- breck 4y ago> For example, seatbelt compliance is at 88% in the U.S., but that 12% that doesn’t comply results in 47% of car accident fatalities (17,000) and costs U.S. employers $5 billion a year, and those costs are passed on to us. They made the choice, but we survivors are left to deal with the grief and the price tag. Uncited. And poorly argued. > But the real cost is the 700,000 dead, thousands of which could have been saved if they’d followed the CDC protocols and got vaccinated. This is flat out wrong. There is no evidence that the vaccines saved any lives. In fact, from the very first big data dump in December 2020 (https://twitter.com/breckyunits/status/1348080756921303041 https://twitter.com/breckyunits/status/1348080756921303041) in the only randomized control experiment—the gold standard—the death rate is equal. Also, from the very first big data dump in February 2020, it was clear the threat from Covid-19 was overblown (https://twitter.com/breckyunits/status/1228117546974371840 https://twitter.com/breckyunits/status/1228117546974371840). There is a $1 million debate being had later this year (https://blog.rootclaim.com/rootclaim-accepts-500000-challenge-on-covid-vaccine-safety-efficacy/ https://blog.rootclaim.com/rootclaim-accepts-500000-challeng...) as to whether the vaccines killed more people than they saved. I'm not sure how many they killed, but I have high confidence that they saved next to no one, and if I had to bet I'd take the side that it will turn out they killed more than they saved. The CDC was wrong. Kareem was wrong. Lebron was right. I was right. > Vaccine deniers and those who want to “honor” them are like drunk drivers I have a scientific background and numerous published papers. I spent years working in an Epidemiology Department. I was the Senior Software Engineer at Our World in Data who built the Covid Data Explorer used by 100 million people (probably including Kareem). He compares me to a "drunk driver". That's absurd. He was wrong. He was dead wrong. And he spread fear and hate against those that were right. Including Lebron and Draymond. Draymond sensed the proponents of the vaccine were pushing "too hard". Kareem objects to this. But he was wrong and Draymond's gut was right. Important questions were being not answered by people who had billions to gain from pushing the vaccines. Draymond picked up on this. Kareem missed it. He owes him and Lebron an apology.
- tayo42 4y agoI feel like I'm so used to famous people and athletes opening their mouth and saying something insane, that I was pretty surprised that this was well written and pretty well grounded.
- Rebelgecko 4y agoIn general I have a rule of "ignore the opinions of professional athletes when they're talking about things other than sports". Kareem might be the only exception I've found so far.
- jackmott42 4y agoThere is a more general rule which is "ignore the opinions of people who are outside of their domains of expertise. even very smart people". This applies to physicists, maybe especially so! Many pro athletes have more than one domain of expertise, but not all. It takes a lot of time being the pro athlete!
- basch 4y agoClick on his substack, he writes about a lot more than basketball. He has a wise elder statesman vibe. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/kareem-abdul-jabbar-jeopardy-host-matters-1235002645/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/kareem-abdu...
- justin66 4y agoHe writes fiction as well, he cowrote some novels and comics based on the Mycroft Holmes character.
- jackschultz 4y agoThere's a great /r/nba thread[0] on this post too, for those looking to see comments from an NBA community perspective. My couple notes on this post: 1) > For the past 20 years, I’ve occupied myself with social activism, my writing career Kareem is incredibly good at writing, and with the focus of his writing career, which is something that's rare. Many famous people spout opinions, but him putting a label of "writing career" is really cool to see. 2) It's hard to imaging, going back in time to when LeBron was in high school with his games being played on national tv already, and him still blowing all those expectations out of the water. Absurd how someone can do that. 3) When people talk about GOATs, it'll be interesting to see how much the perspective changes in terms of time frames. LeBron still being one of the best after multiple decades without sustaining injuries is incredibly impressive, and I think people will more and more start to consider high quality play over time just as important in determining who is the best as they do with an few year hot streak. [0] https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/10x1c9w/abduljabbar_what_i_think_about_lebron_breaking_my/ https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/10x1c9w/abduljabbar_wh...
- insane_dreamer 4y agoNot to stoke the flames of a religious war but I think this is why ultimately James will be recognized as the GOAT over MJ (until the next GOAT comes along)
- MisterBastahrd 4y agoUltimately he won't, because counting stats aren't as important as being the best in the moment, especially when rules have changed that have turned NBA competitions into glorified 1990s era all star games. Players can literally take an extra step with the ball in their hands that they couldn't 20 years ago. Bigs can no longer crowd the paint. For guy who is as bad a shooter as Lebron, those are crazy benefits.
- insane_dreamer 4y agoLeBron isn't the GOAT because of the scoring title (just like Kareem wasn't the GOAT before him). He's the GOAT because for most of his 20 seasons (and counting), and the 1400+ games he's played so far, he was the best in the moment, as you put it. This compares with Jordan's 15 seasons -- 2 of which were with the Wizards where Jordan was nowhere near his prime anymore -- and 1100 games. The Lakers may be a mess, but LeBron is still a top 5 player in the league in his 20th season, and pretty close to his peak performance.
- ssgodderidge 4y ago> If I had a choice of having my scoring record remain intact for another hundred years or spend one afternoon with my grandchildren, I’d be on the floor in seconds stacking Legos and eating Uncrustables. Amazing. This guy gets it. We worship competitors like Jordan who “always want to win.” But we forget that all that really matters is the time we get with our loved ones. That’s what true winning is. Kareem is wise
- ido 4y agoJordan is almost 20 years younger, let's see what he thinks when he's 75 years old.
- nwsm 4y agoFair, but though I was not alive during his career, he seems to have always been portrayed as level headed and wise.
- gameshot911 4y agoI am seriously blown away at how thoughtful and articulate Kareem is. I had no idea. Even more exceptional that this human is also generationally talented in a whole different arena (sports).
- mcculley 4y agoI don't follow any sports and had no idea of anything about Kareem other than who he is. His interview in Conversations with Tyler really impressed me: https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/ https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/kareem-abdul-jab...
- zetazzed 4y agoVery partial list of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar movie/TV roles or cameos: * Airplane * Fletch * Uncle Buck * A movie called "Matrix" that seems to be unrelated to "The Matrix" * The Critic (yes, the animated one) * Scrubs * Simpsons * Dave (recent TV show not movie) * Glass Onion Also wrote at least on Episode of Veronica Mars. This seems like a MUCH more fun sports retirement than just flying to golf destinations and chugging champagne... (not to mention his extensive philanthropy and personal writing)
- afkqs 4y agoI will always remember him in Bruce Lee's Game of Death
- DrThunder 4y ago[flagged]
- adamc 4y agoEverytime I read something Kareem has written I am reminded how poised and intelligent he was/is. I wish more people in the public spotlight would aim for that.
- listenallyall 4y agoKareem is a smart, thoughtful, introverted guy and a tremendous basketball player who, unfortunately, has sort of been ignored or forgotten. He's rarely listed in the NBA's "Mount Rushmore" or "top 5" of all time, never got a coaching gig, which he desperately sought, never did TV. He is being quite gracious here with Lebron, but inside surely he's thinking, I had to go to college for 4 years! And nobody out here today is playing any defense! Give me 4 extra years against this competition and I'd have 10,000 more points! And I've got 6 titles to your 4, plus 3 more NCAA championships!
- jonstewart 4y agoI don’t think we should really ascribe internal mental state to another person as respectable as Kareem that’s contrary to what he’s just told us.
- hackernewds 4y agoWhy is there a common perception today that the NBA competition is weak? Given the time it has proliferated, now we have players who have been playing since they were 5. And they're absolute physical beasts - in size and athleticism.
- jackmott42 4y agoIt is just the standard "kids these days" effect. Players today would absolutely steam roll the players of the past. Even if the rules and enforcement were done in the old school ways, the new players would adapt fine. Basketball is popular world wide now, the talent pool is immensely larger than it was.
- glompers 4y agoWell, because even from commentators who justly praise LeBron, you find acknowledgments that, for instance, "And then there's D'Angelo Russell, who, in short, is a valuable defensive player only when he isn't really tasked with guarding anybody. Last season, the Timberwolves were surprisingly effective defensively because they used Russell on the worst opposing perimeter player and allowed him to serve as a back-line communicator. That's a valuable role. The Lakers know this because that's how they use LeBron. Unless James is willing to take on a higher-effort defensive role with Russell easing his ball-handling burden, Russell is going to have to start playing some point-of-attack defense." https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-trade-grades-lakers-timberwolves-dont-move-needle-much-jazz-come-out-big-winner/ https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-trade-g...
- ergonaught 4y agoI'm pretty sure he meant to write, "The hell I don't! LISTEN, KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!"
- ihatepython 4y agoHave you ever been in a Turkish prison?
- windowshopping 4y agoLMAO
- jppope 4y agoWhat a beautiful human being, and what a well written essay
- ElijahLynn 4y agoThat was a great article. And, right at the end was an ad, which kinda took away from it. I think the article would be better without the ad.
- paulpauper 4y agoGreat article, I felt like I was a part of the moment too even though I don't follow basketball.
- aaroninsf 4y agoI don't care about sports, but this I will bookmark as an example of what it looks like when someone of exceptional talent also has exceptional grace. Almost makes me care about the record!
- tptacek 4y agoI fret much more over picking the right word in this sentence than in my record being broken. I love this person.
- myroon5 4y agoWish the jacket pitch had been left out at the end, out of place
- say_it_as_it_is 4y agoI'm sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot.
- kerpotgh 4y agoInteresting, I would not expect such an engrossing and relatable writing style from an athlete.
- ripvanwinkle 4y agoJust superbly written - I don't know how he could have written that piece better. I want learn more about his life. Any recommendations for biographies about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- sizzzzlerz 4y agoWhat a man! I've followed Kareem since his days winning NCAA titles at UCLA and championships at Milwaukee and with the Lakers. You could always see that he was driven to be the best he could be. Very few professional athletes have his skills, dedication, commitment, and social awareness. And, as his article so clearly shows, he is articulate, intelligent, compassionate, and, he writes very, very well. LeBron has many of these same qualities. Let's see how they hold up 40 years after he retires.
- jimmydddd 4y agoI still remember when KAJ's house burned down and he lost his entire collection of over a 1000 jazz records. Fans from all over the world started sending him records to restore the collection. Not many folks are liked in that way.
- wtfkareem 4y ago[flagged]
- sonofaplum 4y agowhat are you talking about
- morgango 4y agoIt seems like you are conflating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Karl Malone. They are completely different players from completely different eras. Kareem broke his scoring record the year before Karl joined the league. This analogy is inappropriate at best, and deceptive and racist at worst. Other than race and vocation Karl and Kareem share very little in common. Different eras, different positions on the court, different lives, completely different people. Kareem has been a class act, a gracious, accomplished athlete and a devoted activist for all of his long life. You should really think deeply about why you would conflate the two, even if mistakenly. The fact that you created a new user name specifically for making this comment leads me to believe you probably knew what you were doing. For the record -- from Wikipedia: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_Abdul-Jabbar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kareem_Abdul-Jabbar) Abdul-Jabbar met Habiba Abdul-Jabbar (born Janice Brown) at a Lakers game during his senior year at UCLA.[235] They eventually married and together had three children: daughters Habiba and Sultana and son Kareem Jr., who played basketball at Western Kentucky after attending Valparaiso.[236][237] Abdul-Jabbar and Janice divorced in 1978. He has another son, Amir, with Cheryl Pistono. Another son, Adam, made an appearance on the TV sitcom Full House with him.[238]