LOS ANGELES, CA – While Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a name for himself as a fierce defender and a dynamic threat in the paint with his famous skyhook shot, he also dedicated much of his time to becoming a staunch activist for civil rights and social justice. In honor of his continued work as an activist, the NBA announced the new Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award on May 13.
“It’s nice to see the NBA try to promote social justice awareness, and I am very flattered that they would see fit to name the award after me,” Abdul-Jabbar told ESPN’s The Undefeated. “I know I have some history with this, so I’m happy the way it’s worked out.”
The award will be given out annually during the playoffs and the winner will receive $100,000 from the NBA to donate to an organization or charity of their choosing. The remaining four additional finalists will each be given $25,000 to donate as well.
Each of the 30 NBA teams will nominate a player for the award and the finalists will be selected by a committee composed of former NBA players, league executives, and other activists.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement in which he called Abdul-Jabbar “one of our greatest players” and commended the all-time leading scorer for his work in “advocating for equality and social justice.”
“With this new award, we are proud to recognize and celebrate NBA players who are using their influence to make an impact on their communities and our broader society,” Silver said in a statement via NBA.com.
During his college basketball years at UCLA, he won three consecutive NCAA championships between 1967 and 1969 and made the decision to boycott the 1968 Olympics amid the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the unrelenting mistreatment that African Americans were facing in the United States.
Abdul-Jabbar also co-wrote the book, “Brothers In Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes” with Anthony Walton, which told the true story of the first all-Black armored unit that saw combat in Europe during WWII.
In 1967, Abdul-Jabbar was one of many athletes including Jim Brown, Bill Walton, Willie Davis, and Curtis McClinton who participated in the Cleveland Summit in support of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali who was stripped of his heavyweight title after refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.
Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for 20 years and won his first championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. He would later win five more championships with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1989.
