From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s blog on the LATimes.com:
One of the common myths about me was repeated last week when a friend of mine was playing in his weekly basketball league and a teammate asked him, “Why was Kareem always so angry?” That’s not the first time I heard this charge. What’s weird about it is that every morning when I get out of bed, bluebirds, squirrels, and deer help me get dressed while we sing “We Are the World.” By the way, squirrels really suck at tying shoes. And deer often mumble the lyrics.
Even that doesn’t make me angry.
What’s interesting about the question is that the person who asked the question is white. In fact, no black person has ever asked that question. That’s because they already know the answer. In the 1960s and 1970s, when the civil rights movement was at its most intense and volatile level, I often used my celebrity to speak out against certain injustices. This seemed to irritate some people who expected black athletes to simply be silently grateful for their opportunities and not rock the boat.
Sigh, America. (via)
“What’s weird about it is that every morning when I get out of bed, bluebirds, squirrels, and deer help me get dressed while we sing “We Are the World.” By the way, squirrels really suck at tying shoes. And deer often mumble the lyrics.”
It’s good to know he hasn’t lost his comedic touch that served him so well on Airplane.
One of my favorite book titles ever was Why Black People Tend To Shout, by Ralph Wiley.
Not least of which because something could happen, either in the news or closer at hand, and I could just say, “You know, this is one of those times when I don’t wonder Why Black People Tend To Shout.”
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Black-People-Tend-Shout/dp/0140168532
I’m just a white guy, but he never seemed very angry to me, maybe people are just mistaking him for captain Murdoch in airplane. That guy was pissed.
Remember the rules, if a white athlete is angry, he’s “intense”, if a black athlete is angry, he’s a bad guy, and dangerously violent. See Bonds, Barry and compare to Clemens, Roger or McGuire, Mark (all pre-steroids, of course).
Did you see him in the 5th Element? Yeah, he looked pissed. But in a good way.