>>> ATHLETES MAKE TOUGH OPPONENTS FOR POLITICIANS AS
DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN LEARNING
AND ADVOCATING CIVIL RIGHTS IN
THE FIELD, IT WAS TOMMY SMITH
AND JOHN CARLOS RAISED THEIR
FIST AT THE MEXICO CITY OLYMPICS
TO PUT THE MISTREATMENT OF BLACK
AMERICANS IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE
WORLD.
WORLD. MY NEXT GUEST CONTINUES THAT
TRADITION, KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR,.
IN A NEW ESSAY TODAY, HE
RECOUNTS SKIPPING THOSE OLYMPICS
AS A PROTEST, TEAMING UP WITH
MUHAMMUD ALI AND OTHERS TO
ADVOCATE AN END TO THE VIETNAM
WAR.
WAR. MANY OF TODAY’S ATHLETES CITE
HIS EXAMPLE AND CONTINUE THE
MATH.
MATH. YOU HAVE LeBRON JAMES WEARING
THE "I CAN’T BREATHE" T-SHIRT
WHICH DREW ATTENTION TO THE
POLICE STRANGLING AN UNARMED MAN
IN NEW YORK, OR OF COURSE COLIN
KAEPERNICK WHO IGNITED A DEBATE
OVER HIS PROTESTS OF KNEELING
DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
>> OH, AND LeBRON AND KEVIN,
YOU’RE GREAT PLAYERS, BUT NO ONE
VOTED FOR YOU.
KEEP THE POLITICAL COMMENTARY TO
YOURSELF, OR AS SOMEONE ONCE
SAID, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE.
>> I’M NOT SURE WHY IT’S SO HARD
FOR SO MANY NFL PLAYERS TO
UNDERSTAND WHY AMERICANS DON’T
WANT TO SEE THE FLAG AND THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM DISRESPECTED ON
SUNDAY, ON GAME DAY.
>> YOU HAVE TO STAND PROUDLY FOR
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, OR YOU
SHOULDN’T BE PLAYING.
YOU SHOULDN’T BE THERE.
MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T BE IN THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> WE ARE HONORED TO WELCOME
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR TO "THE
BEAT."
BEAT." HE STARTED AN AUCTION OF PEOPLE
RA
RA -- MEMORABILIA FOR AUCTION.
YOU LOOK AT THIS HISTORY YOU’VE
BEEN INVOLVED WITH AND NOW
WRITING ABOUT.
WRITING ABOUT. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE LEGACY,
AND WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR
ATHLETES AND FANS TO DO RIGHT
NOW?
NOW? >> WELL, THE LEGACY IS THE
INCREDIBLE LEGSY OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. THE PROBLEMS THAT COLIN
KAEPERNICK WAS TRYING TO CALL
ATTENTION TO ARE THE SAME
PROBLEMS THAT BLACK AMERICANS
WERE DEALING WITH IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR WHEN,
YOU KNOW, THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT REALLY TOOK OFF AND
GAINED STEAM.
GAINED STEAM. >> IN YOUR NEW ESSAY, YOU
COMPARE THIS TO ’68, WHICH WAS A
BIG YEAR FOR ACTIVISM IN A LOT
OF WAYS, READING A LITTLE KAREEM
TO KAREEM FOR YOU TO BUILD ON,
YOU SAY OUTSPOKEN ATHLETES OF
TODAY FACE THE SAME HOSTILITY
FROM GOOD PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST
IGNORANT OF THE FACTS FROM THOSE
WHO ARE TERRIFIED OF THE GRADUAL
BROWNING OF AMERICA, AND FROM
THOSE WHO PROFIT FROM SOCIAL
DISPARITY.
DISPARITY. CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THAT BECAUSE IN THIS POLARIZED
TIME, I COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE
IN READING THAT YOU ARE
DEFINITELY CLARIFYING THAT THERE
ARE PLENTY OF, AS YOU PUT IT,
GOOD PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE AN
INITIAL NEGATIVE REACTION AND 2
SEEMS LIKE YOU’RE TRYING TO
DIALOGUE WITH THEM.
>> YEAH, I AM BECAUSE WHAT I
DON’T FEEL THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
IS THE ATHLETES WHO ARE TAKING A
KNEE DURING THE PLAYING OF THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM ARE TRYING TO
BRING ATTENTION TO A PROBLEM,
THE FACT THAT BLACK AMERICANS
ARE KILLED UNNECESSARILY AT A
RIDICULOUS RATE.
RIDICULOUS RATE. AND THEY WERE TRYING TO BRING
ATTENTION TO THAT PROBLEM.
THEY WERE NOT TRYING TO
DISRESPECT OUR COUNTRY OR THE
FLAG OR OUR MILITARY, BUT THEY
WANT TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE
FACT THAT AMERICA IS NOT WALKING
IT LIKE IT’S SUPPOSEDLY TALKS
IT.
IT. AND THAT IS WHAT THE ISSUE IS
ALL ABOUT.
ALL ABOUT. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. AND SO HOW DO YOU ALSO SQUARE
THAT WITH THE KIND OF STATUS
THAT SOME FANS AND SOME
AMERICANS SEEM TO WANT TO HOLD
ATHLETES, AND SPECIFICALLY BLACK
ATHLETES
ATHLETES ATHLETES IN?
ATHLETES IN? WHEN YOU HEAR THIS IDEA THAT
ATHLETES SOMEHOW SHOULD STAY OUT
OF POLITICS, WELL, ALL OF US IN
AMERICA ARE WELCOME TO ENGAGE IN
POLITICS.
POLITICS. BUT AS WE JUST SHOWED,ERS THAT
THIS RICH HISTORY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT KIND OF
VIEW OR EVEN THAT KIND OF
DISCRIMINATION?
DISCRIMINATION? >> I THINK THAT’S ABSURD.
YOU KNOW, BILL BRADLEY CERTAINLY
DIDN’T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT
EDICT.
EDICT. TOM McMILLAN, ANOTHER FORMER NBA
PLAYER WHO HAS RUN FOR OFFICE
AND HAD PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT OUR
POLITICAL SITUATION.
POLITICAL SITUATION. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A CERTAIN
PROFESSION DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE
CAN’T HAVE OPINIONS ON VERY
IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT ARE BEING
DISCUSSED NATIONALLY.
DISCUSSED NATIONALLY. AND, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER SUGGESTED
THAT LeBRON KEEP QUIET, THEY
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. >> MM-HMM.
>> MM-HMM. AND THEN YOU HAVE IN DONALD
TRUMP SOMEONE WHO USED TO MAKE A
BIG DEAL OUT OF HIS
RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROMINENT
BLACK AMERICANS, CERTAINLY
PROMINENT CELEBRITY BLACK
AMERICANS, AND THEN JUST TOTALLY
FLIPPED HIS MESSAGE WHEN HE WENT
INTO RACIST BIRTHERISM AND THEN
2016 CAMPAIGNING.
2016 CAMPAIGNING. TAKE A LOOK.
>> LOOK AT MY AFRICAN-AMERICAN
OVER HERE.
OVER HERE. LOOK AT HIM.
ARE YOU THE GREATEST?
ARE WE GOING TO WORK ON OUR
GHETTOS?
GHETTOS? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE BY
TRYING SOMETHING NEW LIKE TRUMP?
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE?
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO
LOSE?
LOSE? >> I’D SAY IN CONTRAST TO SOME
OF THE FOLKS YOU ADDRESS IN YOUR
NEW ESSAY, DONALD TRUMP,
ACCORDING TO MANY CIVIL RIGHTS
LEADERS, IS NOT WORTH DIALOGUING
WITH AT LEAST AT THIS TIME.
SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE
ABOUT THAT AND HOW TO MAKE
IMPACT?
IMPACT? >> WELL, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE
CAN DO TO CHANGE THE SITUATION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
WE HAVE TO REGISTER PEOPLE TO
VOTE, AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE ISSUES ARE AND APPEAL
TO AMERICANS ON THE BASIS OF THE
ISSUES THAT THEY ALL HOLD IN
COMMON.
COMMON. THAT’S JUST COMMON SENSE.
THAT’S THE WAY THE AMERICAN
POLITICAL SYSTEM WORKS, AND I
BELIEVE THAT’S HOW WE WILL GET
PAST THIS MOMENT.
>> MM-HMM.
>> MM-HMM. LET ME CLOSE WITH SOME OF THE
GOOD STUFF AS WELL.
I WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING WITH
YOUR FOUNDATION, WHICH SOUNDS
REALLY POSITIVE, AND WE ALSO,
WHILE WE’VE GOT YOU HERE ON
SPORTS, WANTED TO KNOW WHAT YOU
THINK ABOUT LeBRON GOING TO THE
LAKERS.
LAKERS. COULD HE EVER BE THE TOP THREE
OR BEST EVER BASKETBALL PLAYER?
YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT
LONG-RUNNING DEBATE?
LONG-RUNNING DEBATE? >> WELL, I’M REALLY THRILLED
THAT LeBRON IS COMING HERE TO
LOS ANGELES TO PLAY.
HE BRINGS A WHOLE LOT TO THE
TABLE, NOT JUST ON THE COURT,
OFF THE COURT, HIS LEADERSHIP,
AND I’M SURE THAT HE’S GOING TO
BE A VERY POSITIVE ADDITION TO
THE LAKER TEAM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS MY
AUCTION IS CONCERNED, I’M
WORKING WITH GOLDEN AUCTIONS.
THE AUCTION STOPS ON OCTOBER
27th, AND PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW
ABOUT HOW THEY CAN GET A PIECE
OF MY CAREER, THEY CAN GO TO
GOLDENAUCTIONS.COM, AND THEY CAN
FIND OUT ALL ABOUT IT.
>> THAT’S FANTASTIC.
I ONLY WISH I GOT TOW HAVE YOU
HERE IN PERSON, BUT I KNOW
YOU’VE GOT A BUSY SCHEDULE.
I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIME FOR
US OUT IN CALIFORNIA, KAREEM.
>> OH, ANYTIME, ARI.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
AND CONTINUE SUCCESS WITH YOUR
SHOW.
SHOW. >> THANK YOU, SIR.