Kareem Abdul-Jabbar expressed satisfaction with the current state of the National Basketball Association during an NBRPA event at the NBA All-Star Weekend held in Salt Lake City last weekend.
He said, “I don’t think they have a whole lot of challenges, just to, keep it clean, you know. The league has sold the game, and the players have really impressed athletes around the world.”
“I think that’s an awesome achievement, commission guys who do a great job selling the game around the world now cause it’s indoors.”
Jabbar, the legendary center, played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons. He is a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 19-time All-Star. As a player, he was part of six NBA championship teams.
Jabbar firmly believes that the game of basketball should maintain its authenticity to continue attracting interest and talent from all over the world.
“I don’t think they have a whole lot of challenges, just to, keep it clean, you know.”
He added, “The league has sold the game, and the players have really impressed athletes around the world. I think that’s an awesome achievement, commission guys who do a great job selling the game around the world now cause it’s indoors.”
After playing 20 seasons in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, Jabbar, the renowned center, concluded his career with a remarkable six NBA Most Valuable Player awards and 19 All-Star selections.
As a player, he won six NBA championships and contributed to two more as an assistant coach, earning the prestigious NBA Finals MVP award twice.
“It’s something that doesn’t take a long time to learn if you really wanna learn it,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explained about the game of basketball.
“I look at all of the players from Europe now that are playing in the NBA, and it’s just because they have been teaching you guys the fundamentals. It goes from there.”
He emphasizes that maintaining the authenticity of the game is crucial for its continued success.
“Keeping it authentic [is key],” Jabbar said.
“Becoming a face of the league and [eliminating] a bad element, you know, becoming the face of the league, is good elements. Not a lot of bad things happen.”
Throughout his illustrious career and into his retirement, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been an exceptional ambassador for the sport of basketball. This was evident in his interview during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
