Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: An American Sports Icon Becomes a Cultural Icon

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Kareem Abdul Jabbar holds the National Basketball Association’s scoring record with an impressive 38,387 career points. For Kareem, it’s no longer about winning the game, but rather about applying the values he learned on the court to the next chapter in his life – and sharing those lessons with the world.

A product of the cultural shift in 1960’s in Harlem and the first person in his family to earn a degree, Kareem has worked within his own community in Los Angeles – and in countries abroad – to spread messages of teamwork, conflict resolution, all while highlighting the importance of STEM – or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – education.

After Hillary Rodham Clinton appointed him as an American Cultural Ambassador in 2012, Kareem went to Brazil to share American values of inclusivity. The trip also gave him the opportunity to focus on the progress that the United States has made as a democracy in the era between struggle for equal civil rights for minorities and the election of the country’s first African American president.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar joined Full Frame’s Mike Walter to discuss the role of sports in bridging cultural gaps and to reflect on his role as a U.S. Cultural Ambassador.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: An American Sports Icon Becomes a Cultural Icon

Kareem Abdul Jabbar holds the National Basketball Association’s scoring record with an impressive 38,387 career points. For Kareem, it’s no longer about winning the game, but rather about applying the values he learned on the court to the next chapter in his life – and sharing those lessons with the world.