What do the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA Hall of Fame and Penn all have in common? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He scored over 38,000 points in his NBA professional career and was a 19-time NBA All Star. Now he comes to Penn as the Connaissance annual fall speaker on October 4 at 8 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium. Abdul-Jabbar will be discussing his experiences in a lecture entitled "Black Profiles in Courage: The Untold History of America." His speech is inspired by his book Black Profiles in Courage, co-authored by Alan Steinberg, a Chicago-based writer. Before Abdul-Jabbar tackled the literary world, he was "sky-hooking" his way to become, arguably, the best basketball player of all time. The No. 1 NBA draft pick in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar spent six years with the Milwaukee Bucks and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. Under coach Pat Riley, Abdul-Jabbar led his team to five NBA titles. In 1989, after 20 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar retired. His accolades include Rookie of the Year, six-time MVP, two-time finals MVP and a spot in the NBA Hall of Fame. In 1993, he became the first basketball player to receive the National Sports Award. Since then, Abdul-Jabbar has dedicated himself to other interests. He has established programs to help young athletes make academics an integral part of their lives as well as worked with various literacy groups. He's also an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers. Connaissance Co-Director Samantha Cohen, a College junior, said the basketball player was a good choice for this year's fall speaker. "We thought it would be really interesting to have a speaker who is coming to talk to Penn students about an important topic that has not be addressed in a while," Cohen said. "His background, combined with the book he wrote about the obstacles he has faced, will make for a great speech." Connaissance co-Director Nishchay Maskay, a College senior, agreed. "He has a lot of experience and although he is known for his basketball background, he has done quite a bit for education and racial equality," Maskay said. "I think that richness will make him a very interesting speaker." Students have high expectations of the basketball legend's speech, as well. "I think that it is great because people tend to view athletes as idiots, and it really shows that some are very intelligent -- like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar," College sophomore Greg Stumm said. "He is a great role model and he should bring a lot to Penn." Men's basketball captain Geoff Owens, a College senior, said, "He's someone I've tried to watch in my game. He's a pretty good choice." "It is nice that a celebrity takes time out of his busy schedule to come talk to college students about issues that are of such importance," College sophomore Alexis Marchio added. Connaissance is hopeful that Abdul-Jabbar will not only give a great speech, but will draw a large crowd. "He will attract people that might not have come to hear other speakers in the past," Cohen said. Recent Connaissance speakers have included Benjamin Netanyahu, Gloria Steinem, Conan O'Brien and James Earl Jones.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
