Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

Now in high school and 14 years old, basketball continued to provide Abdul-Jabbar with a safe haven from life’s stresses, and he practiced daily after school. His style of play was “politely passive,” and he wanted to learn how to play with “authority” (60). He was stunned when Coach Donahue offered him a spot on the school’s varsity team. Abdul-Jabbar was thrilled to play on the team, but he felt insecure about his skills compared to the other players. Coach Donahue had an aggressive coaching style and yelled at and insulted the players when they lost games. Abdul-Jabbar felt like Coach Donahue was a big brother figure in his life and was eager to please him. He was also keen to prove himself as a player and show that Black players could excel at the game. While Coach Donahue emphasized the necessity of playing as a team and making safe plays, Abdul-Jabbar wanted to be more ambitious and try plays that were more “innovative.” While he wanted to be a good teammate, he also wanted to push himself and find a way to express himself as an individual.

As his high school team continued to improve and he worked hard on his basketball skills, Abdul-Jabbar was courted by different colleges who wanted him to play for their teams in exchange for scholarships. He and his parents were happy and relieved that he was guaranteed a college education.

Abdul-Jabbar felt that he had to maintain a stoic, indifferent face and persona to protect himself, both on and off the court. He felt judged by his white teachers and classmates. He felt they were ignorant about Black culture and history, and they were largely apathetic to the ongoing civil rights movement. At 14 years old, he was the same age as Emmett Till was when he was murdered. Learning about Till’s death made Abdul-Jabbar feel unsafe since “being black meant being a target” (67). When he took a trip to North Carolina, he experienced segregation in action and was deeply disturbed by it.

Abdul-Jabbar and his friend Wesley went to watch the Rucker Tournament, an outdoor basketball competition in Harlem. This unique tournament brought together amateur and professional players who were renowned for their energetic and creative plays. Before the game, Abdul-Jabbar and his friend approached Wilt Chamberlain, a pro basketball player who, like the author, was also over seven feet tall. Abdul-Jabbar was starstruck to meet Chamberlain and was shocked to learn that Chamberlain had heard of him. Abdul-Jabbar reveals that Chamberlain would soon become a very significant influence in his life.

The Power Memorial High School basketball team was undefeated in Abdul-Jabbar’s sophomore year at the school, and they won the city championship. However, Abdul-Jabbar’s commitment to basketball now felt like a “chore” and the high expectations around the team made him anxious about the possibility of failure. Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar was stressed by his lack of a Black role model to help him shape his identity and relationship with Black culture. He was also frustrated by the lack of understanding his teachers and classmates showed about racism in America. For instance, one of his teachers suggested that Black Americans were impatient about expecting equality and insisted they had to work for it, a claim which Abdul-Jabbar quickly refuted. Coach Donahue, meanwhile, seemed sympathetic, but he suggested that racism would take generations to peter out and that good people had to “wait for justice” (86). The author remembers his immense frustration with this passive, noncommittal approach to the civil rights movement from white authority figures.

He closely followed news from the South and remembers how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for protesting segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. During his time in prison, Dr. King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which he criticized moderate white people who expected Black Americans to be patient and wait for equality. Abdul-Jabbar shared his frustration, but he felt powerless as a 16-year-old. Since he was one of few Black students at his school, Abdul-Jabbar felt the social pressure of being a representative for Black people in general, all while striving for success in a hostile environment. He recalls: “The teachers at Power tried to control my thinking, while Coach Donahue controlled my body” (84).

Abdul-Jabbar recalls his summer break as a 16-year-old. He spent four weeks at Coach Donahue’s “Friendship Farm” basketball camp in upstate New York; however, he found it unchallenging and predictable. He recalls: “Basketball camp was the same old routines. I knew everything we would do and exactly what coach would say” (90). While away at camp, he missed the busy city and playing basketball at the neighborhood courts where people would spontaneously gather and compete. This intense, competitive environment helped Abdul-Jabbar become tougher and more assertive, as he played on concrete against authoritative players who refereed themselves.

In 1963, Abdul-Jabbar began his junior year. Tragically, in early September, the Ku Klux Klan bombed a church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four Black girls as they prepared for a sermon. The author recalls his “fury” at this murder; he remembers how he was the same age as the victims and was also in church at the time of the bombing. Feeling unsafe and unsettled, Abdul-Jabbar spent more time in Harlem to be around other Black people and to learn more about politics and racism in America.

On the court, he became more assertive, and his team continued to thrive, undefeated. Abdul-Jabbar knew that he was receiving many offers from colleges, but his parents directed them all to Coach Donahue since they felt that he would know what to do. This made Abdul-Jabbar feel uncomfortable and disempowered, but he continued to work hard to please the coach, since he felt he “held [his] future in his hands” (97). One day, Power Memorial played a much weaker team. Expecting an easy win, Abdul-Jabbar and his teammates did not put in their full effort, and during halftime, Coach Donahue screamed at them and used a racial slur to address Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar remembers the shock and pain of realizing that Coach Donahue could not be trusted. He wondered how he could tolerate playing for him ever again. The coach, meanwhile, did not apologize; instead, he insisted that he had meant to motivate Abdul-Jabbar and that his strategy had worked. A devastated Abdul-Jabbar told his parents what had happened. While they were disappointed, they insisted that he complete his school year before transferring to another school. When he and his team finally completed their year as an undefeated team, Abdul-Jabbar felt no joy, only “bitterness and anger” (105).

That summer, Abdul-Jabbar did not want to attend Coach Donahue’s basketball camp. Instead, he participated in the Heritage Teaching Program for the Harlem Youth Action Project. As a summer reporter, Abdul-Jabbar was paid to participate in the journalism workshop where he would also learn more about Black history and culture. He recalls his excitement at participating in the program. He was starved for education about Black American history, which was not taught at his school. Abdul-Jabbar had always liked writing and was excited and nervous to develop his talent.

However, Coach Donahue begged Abdul-Jabbar to come to the camp, claiming that he was “a draw” to other, paying campers who wanted to play with him. Inwardly, Abdul-Jabbar wanted to confront Coach Donahue about his insulting, racist behavior, but he also felt that he still owed him somehow. He decided to compromise and attend camp for three weeks as a final gesture of goodwill to the coach, and after that he would be “free.”

The Harlem Youth Action Project was hosted by the Harlem YMCA, a building with a rich cultural history as a venue and residence for Black artists and intellectuals such as Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, George Washington Carver, and more. Abdul-Jabbar spent much of the summer in the building’s basement, a dark, damp room filled with typewriters. Dr. John Henrik Clarke, a writer, historian, activist, and teacher, led the program and taught the group about Black history.

Abdul-Jabbar was intrigued by how Dr. Clarke had changed his name from Henry to Henrik, after a Norwegian playwright, and altered the spelling of his last name, as well. He noticed that many other prominent Black Americans, such as Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and Art Blakey, had changed their names, too, and he was inspired by how these men were claiming their own identities rather than settling for those assigned to them. While Abdul-Jabbar had previously been immersed in academics and basketball, which encouraged individual excellence and fame, Dr. Clarke encouraged a sense of community, coaching the teens to become “great African Americans” who would pass on their knowledge and talents (117).

Abdul-Jabbar wrote for the workshop’s weekly paper, which was distributed throughout the Harlem community. He loved doing research at the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, which he remembers as a “peaceful place.” He was amazed at the rich cultural history he had never heard of before, such as the Harlem Renaissance. Abdul-Jabbar’s historical research also fueled his own political and personal development: As the civil rights movement continued, he felt torn between Dr. King’s commitment to nonviolence and Malcolm X’s belief that equality must be achieved “‘by any means necessary’” (119). Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar began working out and playing basketball at the YMCA gym. He struck up a friendship with Wilt Chamberlain, who also practiced there.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited to address the program, and Abdul-Jabbar was allowed to join the press conference afterward and interview Dr. King alongside members of the press. He recalls feeling awestruck by Dr. King, and he felt that the program made him feel like a “serious person with serious goals” (125), determined to contribute to the Black community.

Abdul-Jabbar refers to the 1951 Langston Hughes poem entitled “Harlem,” which asks if Black Americans’ frustration with oppression would become violent. That summer, in 1964, the author witnessed such an event. One Saturday, he decided to attend a Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) protest in order to report on it for the YMCA paper. The CORE demonstrators were angry that a police officer had shot and killed an unarmed Black boy. When the author arrived, he realized that the event had already become violent, with protestors throwing rocks, bricks, and bottles, and breaking store windows. When he heard gunshots, a terrified Abdul-Jabbar joined the protesters in running away. He could relate to their feelings of rage and resentment and considered throwing a brick himself, but he felt that “looting and bricks didn’t create any real change” (128).

The next day, Abdul-Jabbar discussed the protest with his journalist friends, and they interviewed witnesses and participants to get the “human side of the story” that other papers didn’t (130). The rioting continued, leading municipal authorities to ban demonstrations and declare a state of emergency. Abdul-Jabbar accuses the media of portraying Harlemites as “thugs” who rioted to loot stores, rather than focusing on the conditions that they were protesting.

Abdul-Jabbar completed his summer by attending Coach Donahue’s camp, as he had promised earlier. While at the camp, he kept his distance from the coach and the other campers, not wanting to endorse Coach Donahue in any way. He felt that he had become an adult that summer, changing from a “child of the projects to being a citizen of Harlem” (133).

The author remembers continuing to play street basketball in Harlem, and as a result, becoming closer friends with Wilt Chamberlain. Abdul-Jabbar admired Chamberlain’s determination on the court and the humility he showed when he was successful. Chamberlain invited him to visit his nightclub, Big Wilt’s Small Paradise, and Abdul-Jabbar was thrilled to be included in his friend group. As he joined Chamberlain at restaurants, jazz clubs, and horse races, he was amazed by Chamberlain’s lavish lifestyle and the safety and respect that Chamberlain enjoyed as a celebrity. Abdul-Jabbar enjoyed his time with his friend and was excited at the thought of living that way himself in a few years.

Abdul-Jabbar admired how Chamberlain attracted kind, beautiful, and friendly women, and he wondered how to have similar romantic success. While his friends advised him to treat girls poorly and play hard to get, Abdul-Jabbar didn’t want to be disrespectful, and he was generally polite and passive with them. Upon self-reflection, Abdul-Jabbar felt that American culture had “brainwashed” him into valuing a white standard of beauty, such as his idol Sophia Loren, and he tried to open his mind beyond this.

Abdul-Jabbar began seeing his classmate Cheri, but he kept his relationship secret to avoid gossip. When his friend Kelly claimed he was dating Cheri, Abdul-Jabbar abruptly broke off their relationship and avoided Cheri. Months later, she confronted Abdul-Jabbar about this, and he realized that she had never had feelings for Kelly. He had acted on “male pride” and ruined their relationship for nothing, learning a “valuable lesson” in the process (145). The two resumed their relationship, which continued into Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career.

In Abdul-Jabbar’s senior year of high school, he felt impatient to graduate and be done with high school and his basketball coach. In his free time, he continued to pursue one of his main passions, jazz music, by frequenting jazz clubs nightly with his friends and hosting large parties in rented venues. He kept all of this a secret from his parents, who had given him a bit more freedom due to his success in school and basketball.

The Power Memorial High School basketball team remained the strongest team in the city, and it was undefeated in Abdul-Jabbar’s senior year until they lost one game to DeMatha High School. While the team was disappointed, they went on to enjoy another string of victories and became the city champions yet again. While Abdul-Jabbar continued to resent Coach Donahue and kept his distance from him, he had friendly relationships with his teammates and felt that they played with a “mystic unity” on the court.

Abdul-Jabbar was eager to start university. He not only wanted to play basketball but was also excited to learn more about history and practice his writing. He knew that a career as a professional athlete was somewhat precarious since injury could derail his career at any time, so he intended to study hard in case basketball didn’t work out. Beginning college also meant that he could move out of home and feel more independent from his parents. Having watched how the civil rights movement had unfolded, he knew that he did not want to attend school in the South. So, he narrowed down his options to four schools: UCLA, Columbia, St. John’s, and the University of Michigan.

The author flew to California to meet with UCLA’s basketball coach, Coach Wooden, who surprised him by emphasizing academics over athletics and telling him “basketball is temporary. Knowledge is forever” (158). Abdul-Jabbar felt that Coach Wooden cared about his players and wanted them to have “long-term happiness” and not just fleeting success on the court (159). When he returned home, Abdul-Jabbar knew that he wanted to attend UCLA, but he needed his parents’ approval.

Weeks later, Coach Wooden and Assistant Coach Norman visited the Alcindors at their home to speak with Abdul-Jabbar’s parents. They felt that Coach Wooden was a “gentleman” and that he wouldn’t exploit their son’s talent. Abdul-Jabbar was thrilled when his parents agreed with his decision and he was formally enrolled into UCLA, remembering, “my heart was lighter with the knowledge that I was just a few short months from freedom” (162).

Abdul-Jabbar visited Coach Wooden, who revealed that his friend Coach Donahue had always regretted how he treated Abdul-Jabbar. Wooden told him that when Abdul-Jabbar was a teenager, Coach Donahue had gone to great lengths to evaluate UCLA and meet with the coaching team, since he knew Abdul-Jabbar was extremely interested in the school. Coach Wooden implied that Coach Donahue regretted his mistake and always had Abdul-Jabbar’s best interests at heart. As a result of this conversation, Abdul-Jabbar reflected on his relationship with Coach Donahue and felt less resentful toward him.

Later, Abdul-Jabbar spoke with Coach Donahue on the phone and then met with him at his house. Coach Donahue apologized, and Abdul-Jabbar accepted his apology and forgave him, letting go of his resentment toward him. He was grateful to Coach Wooden for helping him grow as a person and practice forgiveness, and he was also relieved that he made up with Coach Donahue, as he passed away from cancer shortly after.