Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most important athletes of the last century. He is a top-five player in NBA history, winning a record six MVP seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and laying the foundation for one of the greatest basketball dynasties in history. Statisticians would be hard-pressed to argue with his six — five with Los Angeles and one with the Milwaukee Bucks — and statisticians can’t ignore his decades as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader (LeBron James) This record was eventually broken) in 2023). His playing style is nearly indestructible, raising the ceiling of what centers in the league can do on the court. Abdul-Jabbar’s status as one of the most important activists and civil rights icons of our time is more remarkable than anything he accomplished in the courtroom. Even before joining the League, he was doing this literally, writing about racism and police brutality as a regular contributor to the Harlem Youth Action Project newspaper. He converted to Islam in 1969 and, despite protests from the league, remained an outspoken and visible Muslim for the rest of his career. As his fame grew, so did his criticism of racism in the United States and around the league. After retirement, he continued to write, study, and educate the masses. Nowadays, you can even receive weekly letters from his Substack containing his commentary on current events and literature—a cooler way to retire than owning a liquor brand or arguing on sports radio.
In the midst of all this, it’s easy to forget Abdul-Jabbar also Has a huge legacy in the sneaker world. He was the first NBA player to sign with European sportswear giant Adidas, a 1971 deal that made him the brand’s on-court spokesperson. Seven years later, they made history with the launch of the brand’s first basketball player signature sneaker, the Adidas Jabbar. It’s hard to understate the importance of this initiative. At the time, basketball was far from the most popular sport in the country, and at the beginning of the Lakers era, the playoffs were known for being tape-delayed. Every signature shoe in today’s game, from Jordan to Kobe to the AE1, is based on Kareem’s original model – and these players will be the first to thank Abdul-Jabbar The era’s groundbreaking basketball players were the ones who elevated the sport to the level they once had. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn’t exactly locked away in the adidas vaults, but they don’t get reissued as regularly as other iconic sneakers. That changes this month, with the shoe making a massive return to stores.
