Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I needed to go to class; I needed to go to practice; I needed to have a life away from basketball.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I love basketball, but playing basketball doesn't fully define who I am. I was always a good student, too.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I didn't really seek attention. I just wanted to play the game well and go home.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

What we need are positive, realistic goals and the willingness to work. Hard work and practical goals.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I did a book in 1996, an overview of black history. In that process I became more aware of a lot of…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When you're a coach you've got to go up the ladder, you've got to be ready to travel. That's the nature of…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When I was a kid, no one would believe anything positive that you could say about black people. That's a terrible burden.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Fundamental preparation is always effective. Work on those parts of your game that are fundamentally weak.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Either because I was an athlete or because I was black - probably both - there seemed to be a clear assumption…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

My English teacher, Dr. John Lindstrom, taught me an appreciation for the written word. Until his class, I'd dabbled in journalism and…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[Albert] Hoxie, my Western Civilization professor. I had him in my freshman year and he opened up an extraordinary world to me…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Elgin's game was an incredible performance, also. I don't think there's any comparison. Elgin did it without three-point lines. His game was…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Ken Heitz got drafted by the Bucks the same year I did. He went to their camp just for the experience, then…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The '80s made up for all the abuse I took during the '70s. I outlived all my critics. By the time I…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

A lot of young players don't really know much about the history of the game and a lot of them are missing…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I want people to understand that I intend to continue living and doing all the things that I love to do up…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I would suggest that teachers show their students concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

We want to show how hip-hop, which kind of fuels today's basketball stars, is directly related to jazz.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

This is what I would have done if I had to have a real job: I would have been a history teacher.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I think the NBA players have to be held accountable in a reasonable way, just like any other professionals.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Video games just can't compare with the variety and intensity of reading.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

If I hadn't become a professional basketball player, I would have become a history teacher. There's so much to learn from history.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I feel like I've always been a full-time historian, but nobody knows it.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I think race has been a burden for black Americans. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I've always tried to stay out of the fray and not be an object of controversy.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The disconnect lasted too long. I think people got the idea I was sullen and couldn't communicate, which wasn't true.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics endured for about eight years, and the interest grew each year.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

“The person who has some awareness of the past knows how to fashion a rudder and which direction land is.”

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I always thought I could do a good job coaching, but the opportunities have not presented themselves.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Jackie Robinson, as an athlete and as someone who was trying to make a stand for equality, he was exemplary.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

If not for the success that medicine has made, I might be part of a much different story right now.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

You got guys now declaring they're ready to play pro ball in their second or third year of high school. It's crazy!…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I think people that are, you know, voting in the blind are doing a disservice to America by not being better informed.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

It's hard for young players to see the big picture. They just see three or four years down the road.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Reporters used to ask me the same inane questions year-in and year-out, city-to-city, and it would drive me crazy.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I want to do as little as possible when I finish playing ball - just spend a lot more time with my…

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I felt that a number of people might have questioned my loyalty, but I continue to be a patriotic American.

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar