Before becoming an NBA Hall of Famer and a 6x champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a rough childhood growing up in New York City. Though he dominated on the court with his then humungous 7 feet frame and was on his way to greatness, he couldn’t escape certain harsh realities of life.
More than 30 years into his retirement, among other things, the Los Angeles Lakers legend often shares his thoughts on contemporary titles and insights through his uber-popular newsletter. Similarly, in the latest issue of the same, the Hall of Famer harped on the grim side of the high school experience.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar laments high school tragedy
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In the latest edition of Substack’s Kareem, the 6x MVP shared his thoughts on the biggest stories from the past week. Likewise, in one of the segments of the piece, the Big Fella reacted to a horrific high school story in Michigan. The news covered the tragic incident that took place between two high schools in Michigan School District. Incidentally, when a player was shooting his free throws, he faced major backlash from the home crowd, and some rampant individuals resorted to taunting and bullying the player. The story made national headlines.?
Consequently, the former Milwaukee Bucks Finals MVP also gave his two cents on the back of his own experience. He lamented the incident and the fact that it happened to him over 60 years ago, and not much has changed.?
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He said,?“….happened to me more than 60 years ago, so it’s disturbing to see how little we’ve evolved. It would be too easy to dismiss this behavior as the result of bad parenting or lax discipline at schools.”?
Moreover, he harped on the school’s system and parents’ involvement in the lives of these rampant kids. He said, “But that actually would be avoiding a much bigger issue here. Sometimes parents are as appalled and disgusted by their children’s behavior as we are. Kids can do really awful things, despite a wonderful upbringing. And schools can discipline these horrible acts without hindering the same behavior popping up elsewhere.”
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Jabbar’s words come from harrowing past experiences as he was a victim of such horrific acts. Consequently, the 19x All-Star ended the tangent by speaking his mind on the issue and calling for action through a passionate monologue.