There is no doubt about the fact that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the living legends of the ball game.What he did playing almost 40 years still lives up to this day as an inspiration for young cagers around the world. Therefore, when a player of his stature speaks about an issue plaguing society, the world listens.
That is exactly what happened when Jabbar posted a photo on Instagram condemning the situation of the Asian-American community in the country. He posted the photo along with the caption “One of the best friendships that I’ve ever had in my life was with my friend Bruce Lee. There’s no room for Asian hate in this world”
Bruce Lee was another pioneer of the Asian-American movement in the ’60s and ’70s. In fact, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lee forged their friendship when he was studying martial arts at UCLA under Bruce Lee. To see the community his friend belonged to, go through such hardship has truly pained the 73-year-old.
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In an article he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter, The Big ‘A’ talked about what can be done in order to curb the systemic hate Asians face on a daily basis. He said, “Fighting the rising aggression against Asian Americans isn’t just about marching with signs and declaring outrage in the media. That definitely helps because it can prompt increased prosecutions, legislation, and other governmental actions.”
He continued, “The national pattern of violence is a symptom of a deeper malady, which is the degrading perception of Asian Americans by the non-AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders] community.”
Other raise their voice with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Notable players like Stephen Curry and LeBron James have come out in strong denunciation towards this issue. They have made statements in person and on social media to use their position in society to make some change. Even players belonging to the Asian-American community like Jeremy Lin admitted that they were scared for their lives.
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 24: A close-up of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the Milwaukee Bucks game against the Charlotte Hornets
The issue of Asian-American hate is damaging the very fabric of society. This whole problem was exasperated by many reasons. One of which was former President Donald Trump addressing Covid-19 as the “China Virus”. This led his followers to believe that Asians were to blame for the pandemic and thus started the string of endless hate crimes.
One positive thing that made the news recently is that President Joe Biden addressed this issue. He talked about how unnecessary hate can harm the soul of the country. He even admitted that the government is planning to roll out policies in order to help the community. In these trying times, any help coming from the government is appreciated.
