Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Like You've Never Heard Before

On this episode of Showtime With Coop sponsored by betonline.ag, Michael Cooper welcomes Kareem Abdul Jabbar to discuss their legacy on the game and reminisce on their time together. 1:28 Kareem on how his family is doing through the COVID-19 pandemic. 3:26 Kareem's thoughts on the 1980 season after the Lakers drafted Magic. What was it like to have Magic join an established team? 4:27 Did Kareem think Magic was going to be great from the start? 4:00 BOL Ad Read 4:57 What was it like to play for a legendary head coach like UCLA's John Wooden? 6:05 How influential was John Wooden in Kareem's life overall? Not just in basketball, but in life. 7:20 How easy was it for some of those Showtime Lakers teams to defer their personal egos for the betterment of the team? 8:05 Coop: Magic was not a great individual defender, but he was very good defensively at one thing. 8:52 What would The Last Dance or camera crews following around the '87-'88 Lakers look like? Kareem: "I see these guys as my brothers still now, thirty years later. Those guys as my brothers we did something that will last a lifetime." 9:46 The birthday trick Coop and other Lakers played on Kareem in the mid 80's. Kareem: "You sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind." 12:17 Kareem: "Those were good times Coop. I remember one time we had to circle around back a half hour later to pick you up from the airport, because you got left at the airport." 13:01 How Kareem got into jazz and his dad's influence. 14:29 Kareem on the house fire that destroyed his famed record collection and how fans helped him to restore the collection. 15:35 Of the six championships, which one is Kareem's favorite title? Kareem: "We're the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Boston Celtics and they got to live with that forever." 17:10 In the early 80's what was Kareem's favorite memories of the Lakers. 18:38 Kareem's thoughts heading into his final year with the Lakers when Byron Scott got injured before the NBA Finals vs. Detroit Pistons. Coop: "Every game [in that series] getting swept, we were ahead at halftime. They just had more than we did going down the stretch." 19:57 Kareem on his farewell tour and gifts that he received. Kareem: "It was draining in a lot of ways because I had to go out there and be genuine and that will take something out of you." 21:40 Kareem on being an English Major in college and how writing became a big part of his life. Kareem: "When I got into my retirement and realized 'you have to do something creative and positive with your life. You can't just stop living' and writing has always been something I've wanted to pursue." 22:38 Kareem on his relationship with Wilt. 23:43 Kareem on Kobe's passing. Kareem: "Kobe was an incredible athlete and parent. He really set an example in both areas that would be hard to emulate." 24:45 What makes Kareem laugh now. Kareem: "Sometimes I'll go passed the court and people will go: 'Take your shot,' and I can't even reach the hoop man, it's like 'Did I ever do that?'" 26:44 Does he get satisfied more from playing basketball, writing or acting? 27:15 Lighting round: One sentence each Herbie Hancock Bill Russell James Wilkes Barack O'Bama Langston Hughes Larry Bird 30:26 Deborah Morales is Kareem's manager and Coop asked her what it's like to manage his schedule and Deborah shares an incredible story about managing Kareem's schedule. 31:40 What's the oddest request Deborah Morales has ever had for Kareem. Listen and Subscribe to the Showtime Lakers Podcast with Michael Cooper and Ari Temkin on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and the CLNS Media Network mobile app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices