How Life Comes Full Circle – You, me and Kareem

Growing up in Los Angeles I would regularly attend UCLA Bruin basketball games when Kareem, the it was Lew Alcindor, was playing on the historic John Wooden teams.  Sometimes, I would sit court side, chatting with his girl friend and experiencing that amazing period of Bruin basketball dominance.  If you have a recollection of Kareem in his prime, you will really enjoy this article.  I think in someways I admire him more now, because he is just like all of us.  Then he was a basketball phenomenon, today he is just like us, except a whole lot taller.

“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Three Rules of Retirement” appears in the February 2014 edition of The Rotarian, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

“My retirement years have been the most exciting and rewarding of my life,” writes Abdul-Jabbar. Think about that statement: This is a man who was on top of the world during his 20-year career, hailed by many as the greatest hoops player of all time. He still holds the NBA record for most points scored (38,387), and he led his teams to six championships.

Since he retired, Abdul-Jabbar has faced multiple challenges. He was frustrated in his attempts to obtain a high-level coaching position, and he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008. Yet his retirement years have topped the excitement of his playing years.

“I cherish those times of intense competition, team camaraderie, and fan appreciation,” he writes. “But those 20 years, which make up less than a third of my lifetime, are only a part of who I am.”

Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has delivered another spectacular slam dunk, 25 years after retiring his jersey. At age 66, he has written an article bursting with insight and inspiration for his fellow aging baby boomers. “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Three Rules of Retirement” appears in the February 2014 edition of The […]

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