Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known as “Cap” in his playing days. A somewhat understated 3-letter word to describe the league’s all-time leading scorer and one of the largest men to ever roam the NBA hardwood.
However, in a Donald Trump administration --should there be a Donald Trump administration-- Kareem will probably be referred to with four-letter words only.
“On Wednesday, a piece in the Washington Post penned by Abdul-Jabbar was clear in its criticisms of Trump, accusing the presidential hopeful of attacking journalists' First Amendment rights with his bullying style and resorting to personal attacks instead of offering substantial answers on issues such as immigration.”
Trump attempted to block Kareem’s political “skyhook,” by telling the NBA legend that he, “doesn’t have a clue what has to be done to make this country great again.”
“And later in the day, Trump apparently responded, as Abdul-Jabbar posted an image of his article to his Facebook page with what the six-time NBA champ claimed to be a message from the candidate:
‘Kareem -Now I know why the press always treated you so badly -- they couldn't stand you. The fact is that you don't have a clue about life and what has to be done to make America great again!’
Best wishes
Donald Trump’”
Along with the image, Abdul-Jabbar shared his thoughts:
"This note from Donald Trump in response to my editorial is the best, though inelegant, support for my claims. Here again he attacks a journalist who disagrees with him, not by disputing the points made but by hurling schoolyard insults such as 'nobody likes you.' But if you look behind the nasty invective, you find the assault still remains against the Constitution in an effort to silence the press through intimidation."
As far as an attack on the media is concerned in the long and terrible international history of media/press suppression, I think “nobody likes you” and “you don’t have a clue” isn’t going to rank awfully high.
It’s also apparent that Kareem wasn’t watching when Hillary Clinton’s people wrangled 10 reporters together with a rope and dragged them down the street on Independence Day. No intimidation or affront to freedom there at all.
Is there, Cap?
