Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the leading scorer in NBA history and a six-time league champion who holds a place in legitimate discussions of the greatest players in basketball history.
He also has played an important role in American society as a social activist.
But to read Abdul-Jabbar’s words, he wouldn’t have developed into the player or person he ultimately became without the powerful influence of Bill Russell. Abdul-Jabbar made that clear in a touching tribute essay to Russell, the 11-time NBA champion who died Sunday at age 88.
Abdul-Jabbar, 75, describes how his friendship with Russell evolved over six decades and how he looked to model Russell’s behavior on and off the court.