Kareem Abdul-Jabbar worries followers with wheelchair look at Jackie Robinson Day
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shocked some followers by showing at a Jackie Robinson Day tribute at Dodger Stadium in a wheelchair.
The NBA’s second all-time main scorer was proven arriving on the statue honoring Robinson being pushed in a blue wheelchair earlier than getting up and posing for photographs.
A blonde girl carrying a beige coat rushed over to assist regular the 78-year-old as he acquired out of the chair.
The Lakers legend had profitable hip surgical procedure simply 15 months in the past after falling at a live performance.
“One of many goats… hate seeing the bigfella who performed into his 40s being fragile,” one fan commented.
“Poor Kareem. Dude is such a legend,” one other wrote with a crying emoji.
Standing at 7-foot-2, Abdul-Jabbar attended UCLA 25 years after Robinson did, and the 2 had a relationship earlier than Robinson died in 1972.
“Individuals who had been excited by that knew that one vital facet of segregation had simply been eradicated, and Black People had been happy with it,” Abdul-Jabbar stated by way of MLB.com. “My mother didn’t know a lot in regards to the recreation. However due to all the eye that Jackie acquired, we began listening to the video games on the radio after I was about 2 years outdated. And it was crucial to me that Jackie’s group gained.”
Abdul-Jabbar recounted a narrative throughout Robinson’s navy time the place he refused to maneuver to the again of a bus, leading to a court-martial and eventual acquittal.
After leaving the navy, the Lakers legend stated that Robinson “began on the point of do what he needed to do on the sphere for teenagers like me.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers fan in NYC, made his skilled basketball debut in 1969 whereas a member of the Milwaukee Bucks earlier than forcing a commerce to the Lakers in 1975.
In his post-NBA profession, Abdul-Jabbar has spent his time within the arts, writing on Substack, whereas additionally working as a Hollywood Reporter columnist.
