47 Famous Quotes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He is a six-time NBA champion, a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Abdul-Jabbar was known for his unparalleled skills on the court, including his signature skyhook shot. Beyond his athletic achievements, he is also a social activist and a bestselling author. Abdul-Jabbar's commitment to social justice and his contributions to literature make him a truly inspiring and multi-dimensional figure. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Biography).
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Famous Quotes
1. "You can't win unless you learn how to lose." (Meaning)
2. "In a typical history book, black Americans are mentioned in the context of slavery or civil rights. There's so much more to the story."
3. "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team." (Meaning)
4. "The word 'leukemia' is a very frightening word. In many instances, it's a killer and it's something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you're going to beat it."
5. "I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice." (Meaning)
6. "I tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I tell them to not let that be their only dream."
7. "You can't win if you don't play as a unit." (Meaning)
8. "When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people. That's a terrible burden."
9. "I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing."
10. "I just like seeing the world, and it doesn't matter where."
11. "Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals."
12. "When I was 17, I worked in a mentoring program in Harlem designed to improve the community. That's when I first gained an appreciation of the Harlem Renaissance, a time when African-Americans rose to prominence in American culture. For the first time, they were taken seriously as artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and as political thinkers."
13. "A lot of young players don't really know much about the history of the game and a lot of them are missing out on what the game is all about, especially the whole concept of sportsmanship and teamwork."
14. "I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify."
15. "You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body."
16. "High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American Dream."
17. "A lot of players think the game is all about individual performances when it's really all about a team game."
18. "Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody."
19. "I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes."
20. "My choosing Islam was not a political statement; it was a spiritual statement."
21. "I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand Islam."
22. "I did a book in 1996, an overview of black history. In that process I became more aware of a lot of the black inventors of the 19th century."
23. "As brilliant an individual that Michael Jordan was, he was not successful until he got with a good team unit."
24. "The type of leukemia that I am dealing with is treatable. So if I do what my doctors tell me to do - get my blood checked regularly, take my meds and consult with my doctor and follow any additional instructions he might make - I will be able to maintain my good health and live my life with a minimum of disruptions to my lifestyle."
25. "I've never been a person to share my private life, but I can help save lives."
26. "You got guys now declaring they're ready to play pro ball in their second or third year of high school. It's crazy! They're missing so much."
27. "I rooted for the Dodgers when they were in Brooklyn."
28. "Practices were tough."
29. "As a parent, I have a job as a role model to my children, and by extension, to other young people."
30. "A team will always appreciate a great individual if he's willing to sacrifice for the group."
31. "If not shown appreciation, it gets to you."
32. "My mother had to send me to the movies with my birth certificate, so that I wouldn't have to pay the extra fifty cents that the adults had to pay."
33. "Music is really something that makes people whole."
34. "Yoga is just good for you."
35. "I've always tried to stay out of the fray and not be an object of controversy."
36. "This is what I would have done if I had to have a real job: I would have been a history teacher."
37. "In athletics there's always been a willingness to cheat if it looks like you're not cheating. I think that's just a quirk of human nature."
38. "I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way."
39. "Sports and entertainment are the only places where inner-city kids see themselves being able to succeed. Their intellectual development is something they don't relate to."
40. "I think a lot of people, if they get the opportunity to do some acting, they think, 'I might be a star.'"
41. "Black people don't have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted."
42. "The extra pass and the extra effort on defense always get the job done."
43. "I'm not comfortable being preachy, but more people need to start spending as much time in the library as they do on the basketball court."
44. "Michael Jordan and Magic and myself all learned how to play the game in college programs that emphasized the team."
45. "I want people to understand that I intend to continue living and doing all the things that I love to do up until the end. And the end is by no means rushing up on me."
46. "One man cannot make a team." (Meaning)
47. "I enjoy seeing new places." (Meaning)
― Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Quotes
* Want to explore more inspiring quotes and their meanings? Head over to this quotes page, where you can find more thought-provoking quotes and their interpretations.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
