Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 16 February 2018
A talkative Kareem

Abdul-Jabbar reflects

on becoming himself

By JOHN ROGERS sionally heartbreaking, it re-
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. counts the coming of age
(AP) — Kareem Abdul-Jab- of a bright and hardwork-
bar has been a best-selling ing but painfully introverted
author, civil-rights activist, kid, one who was always
actor, historian and one the tallest in class.
of the greatest basketball And although he didn't re-
players who ever lived. alize it until looking closely
One thing Abdul-Jabbar at a class photo taken in
has never been — at least the third grade, he was
not in public — is chatty. often the only black kid in
"I'm not known for being a class, a circumstance that
blabbermouth, you know?" in later years would expose In this Monday, Feb. 12, 2018 photo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar poses in his office, in Newport Beach,
the soft-spoken Abdul-Jab- him to repeated episodes Calif. Abdul-Jabbar has been a best-selling author, civil-rights activist, actor, historian and one of
bar concedes with a smile, of ugly racism, no matter the greatest basketball players who ever lived.
something else he was his fame or success, that Associated Press
never particularly known would leave deep emo- with live audiences, telling championship teams, was to Mycroft and set out to
for during his playing days. tional scars that sometimes him his words would not an assistant coach for two fix that a few years ago.
But, he adds, still smiling, his took decades to heal. only resonate with young others, won a record six His second Holmes book
public can expect to see So he kept his game face people today but pro- MVP awards and is the came out last year, and
that change — and soon. on, both on and off the vide a chance for Abdul- leading scorer in NBA his- he’s working on another.
This fall Abdul-Jabbar will court, and persevered Jabbar to clear up some tory with 38,387 points, a “That and this tour will
embark on a cross-country through setbacks and suc- lingering misconceptions mark that’s never been se- hopefully keep me pretty
tour as part of "Becoming cesses. "I did the book be- dating to his playing days. riously challenged in the 29 busy,” he said as he sat in a
Kareem," a stage show in cause I thought that the The clipped, seemingly curt years since he retired. chair in his spacious office.
which he'll discuss his life, process that I went through answers he often gave dur- He’s written more than a It’s an office filled with
answer audience questions could be very useful for ing postgame interviews, dozen books ranging from memorabilia commemo-
and talk about the key young people right now," for example, frequently children’s adventure nov- rating not only his basket-
mentors he says helped him Abdul-Jabbar told The As- came across not as shy but els to histories of promi- ball career but his African-
achieve his goals. Among sociated Press during a as surly, especially coming nent African-Americans to American roots and his
them: civil rights heroes wide-ranging interview this from someone who stood crime novels featuring the work as a civil-rights advo-
Malcolm X and Martin Lu- week at the offices of the an intimidatingly tall 7 feet, adventures of none other cate. Sitting near NAACP
ther King, his legendary Skyhook Foundation, the 2 inches. “And that was than Mycroft Holmes, older Image Awards are dozens
college coach and lifelong charitable nonprofit he very unfortunate,” Abdul- brother of Sherlock. “I en- of basketballs, many au-
friend John Wooden, and created several years ago Jabbar says softly now. joyed Sherlock Holmes from tographed by members
fellow superstar athletes to provide educational “I think it kept me from a when I was a kid,” he re- of the Showtime-era Los
Muhammad Ali and Wilt opportunities for elemen- head coaching job and calls, adding with a robust Angeles Lakers teams he
Chamberlain. tary school children, the commercials and stuff be- laugh that until high school helped lead to five cham-
The tour was inspired by the same group he targeted cause people wanted to he actually believed the pionships in the 1980s. On
2017 best-seller "Becom- his book for. After its publi- assume the worst.” Not that master detective was a the walls are posters of him
ing Kareem," a memoir of cation, sports broadcaster he hasn’t had a storied life real person. Learning he launching his signature sky-
his years from childhood to Roy Firestone, a longtime and career before and was Arthur Conan Doyle’s hook shot over the likes of
age 24. Inspirational, poi- friend, suggested he share after basketball. Abdul- creation, he concluded Charles Barkley and guard-
gnant, funny and occa- those experiences directly Jabbar played on six NBA the author gave short shrift ing Bill Walton. q

Doris Kearns Goodwin's 'Leadership' coming in September

By HILLEL ITALIE day that the book will fo- popular historians, Good-
AP National Writer cus on four presidents that win has spent much of her
NEW YORK (AP) — Doris Ke- Goodwin has written about life writing about politics,
arns Goodwin hopes her before: Lincoln, Roosevelt, and participating in them.
new book will remind read- Lyndon Johnson and Frank- She is married to former
ers that career politicians lin Roosevelt. Johnson speechwriter Rich-
can become great presi- "Donald Trump's election ard Goodwin and was a
dents. was unprecedented be- White House aide to LBJ.
"Abraham Lincoln and Ted- cause of his lack of experi- Her previous books include
dy Roosevelt had been in ence. And it reflected the "Lyndon Johnson and the
politics a long time," Good- mood of the country be- American Dream," ''Team
win said during a recent cause people were frus- of Rivals: The Political Ge-
telephone interview as she trated by the broken politi- nius of Abraham Lincoln"
discussed her upcoming cal system. But I wanted to and the Pulitzer Prize-win-
book, "Leadership," which write about a time when ning "No Ordinary Time: In this Oct. 7, 2013, file photo, author Doris Kearns Goodwin pos-
comes out in September. experience in politics was Franklin & Eleanor Roos- es for a portrait at her home in Concord, Mass.
Simon & Schuster told The valued," she said. evelt: The Home Front in Associated Press
Associated Press on Tues- One of the country's most World War II." q