Abdul-Jabbar: Hey, Magic, Obama Is No "Rookie"
As noted here the other day, Hillary and Obama got into a skirmish over the significance of Magic Johnson's career after the basketball great cut a radio ad for her suggesting that while Obama might be a hyped "rookie," just as Magic was in his first year, what we need in a president is someone more akin to a team captain.
But as many readers informed us, Johnson's captain during his "hyped" rookie year was none other than Obama supporter Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And now Abdul-Jabbar himself has weighed in on his onetime protege's claims about the presidential race in an interview with The Huffington Post's Nico Pitney.
"I don't think he's a rookie," Abdul-Jabbar said of Obama to HuffPo. "He's served as a senator very capably, and he is very skilled in terms of his ability to organize and lead people. And that's what we need right now."
The rest of Abdul-Jabbar's interview here.
Comments (26)
ladidem wrote on January 22, 2008 4:12 PM:this whole debate kinda makes me want to shoot myself in the head.
Seriously? we're that desperate for debate coverage?
eric wrote on January 22, 2008 4:12 PM:I wonder if Larry Bird is going to do an ad for Edwards.
Greg DeLassus wrote on January 22, 2008 4:12 PM:Anyone else here thinking of the AZA movie Airplane right now? I envision an Obama television spot where "Magic Johnson's Son" goes up to the cockpit and finds Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Barack Obama dressed as pilots...
Greg wrote on January 22, 2008 4:12 PM:comic relief.
grover_rover wrote on January 22, 2008 4:19 PM:Niiiccee. And who says Obama can't play hardball. Take that Clintons! Haha.
I'm making my prediction right now, Muhammad Ali endorses Obama before the 5th.
Bam!!
grover_rover wrote on January 22, 2008 4:22 PM:Oh wait, Clinton(via surrogate)spin: Abdul Jabbar? Sounds foreign. Did he attend that radical Muslim extremist terrorist jihadist training camp madrassa that Obama attended when he was learning to become a crack selling US-infiltrator-president??
Jokes jokes...
...maybe?
Michael wrote on January 22, 2008 4:26 PM:The basketball-related debate has been pretty amusing
Jaz wrote on January 22, 2008 4:32 PM:Abdul??
I can see this backfiring...
demwinger wrote on January 22, 2008 4:36 PM:its nice to see both Magic and Jabbar getting involved in politics.
i wish more black athletes would put their money and power into politics and get more young black men involved in the process.
they are way under represented which would explain the main reason why Obama is the lone black senator.
john mccutchen wrote on January 22, 2008 4:45 PM:How long before the Clintons unleash one of their Greg Sargents with a "Barack Hussein Osama" swift boat?
Kareem Abdul Jabaar? Louis Farrakhan?
john mccutchen wrote on January 22, 2008 4:51 PM:How long before the Clintons unleash one of their Greg Sargents with a "Barack Hussein Osama" swift boat?
Kareem Abdul Jabaar? Louis Farrakhan?
Greg..here's your chance to move up The Clinton's Food Chain
I can almost see it now
"This Week with Greg Sargent and George Stephanopoulos"
CT Voter wrote on January 22, 2008 4:51 PM:Hey, this is a lot more refreshing than Michael "republicans vote too" Jordan's response to politics.
I say get 'em both back on the court, play a game of "Horse", and whoever loses has to campaign for the opponent...
Mike wrote on January 22, 2008 4:52 PM:There's actually some good stuff in that interview. Kareem sounds like a very smart and informed guy. I might have to pick up that book of his.
Abdul-Jabbar saved his sharpest criticism for the Bush administration. "I don't think a country that practices extraordinary rendition and has denied people habeas corpus and has practiced torture, that is not a country I am very proud of," he said. "We need people that can reach out in various directions and make the case for our nation both internally and in terms of foreign policy. I think Obama's the right person to do that."CT Voter wrote on January 22, 2008 4:54 PM:
For those of you thinking that this might backfire because of the "Abdul Jabaar" part...you're showing either your {lack of} basketball knowledge and/or {lack of} age...even this middle-aged white woman from upstate New York knows who Kareem is....
Angry Vet wrote on January 22, 2008 4:55 PM:This is fun. Good comic relief, Greg. I think we all need it after the slugfest last night.
I'm really exhausted. Super Tuesday cannot come fast enough.
Desider wrote on January 22, 2008 5:06 PM:As usual, though, Abdul-Jabbar remains classy.
I pointed out elsewhere that while we all remember Magic rescued Kareem in the last game of his rookie year, 5 years later Kareem rescued Magic in the finals series.
Don't discount the old guy.
Even in the comedy, I'm glad of the side I'm on. Kareem obviously has some gears turning up there, and I'm not really sure I can say the same for Magic. I loved watching him play, but he's a pretty bad basketball commentator, and obviously not too speedy on politics either.
Steve wrote on January 22, 2008 5:17 PM:In the aftermath of his miserable debate performance last night, this is what Obama is left with. He got his clock cleaned in the SC debate, fair and square. The clock is ticking on Obama.
GD wrote on January 22, 2008 5:18 PM:Bird wouldn't endorse Edwards -- need to stick with the Lakers theme.
It would have to be Kurt Rambis or Michael Cooper.
eric wrote on January 22, 2008 5:25 PM:GD wrote on January 22, 2008 5:18 PM:
Bird wouldn't endorse Edwards -- need to stick with the Lakers theme.
It would have to be Kurt Rambis or Michael Cooper.
Well, then, it will have to be Kurt Rambis. Cooper would be a Kucinich guy, as in LOOOOOOOOONG SHOT!
;)
--- Well, then, it will have to be Kurt Rambis. Cooper would be a Kucinich guy, as in LOOOOOOOOONG SHOT! ---
Oh man. Nice. Who's Richardson?
rgo wrote on January 22, 2008 5:29 PM:steve --- interested in your reasons you thought Obama gave a miserable debate performance.
Tim wrote on January 22, 2008 5:40 PM:Magic and Bill can have a contest and see who can keep their pants zipped up the longest.
What the hell does Magic and Chuck Norris
know jack about.
Do you really want has beens like that standing by your side?
Lis wrote on January 22, 2008 7:47 PM:Don't forget Stephen King, Sci-Fi fans! He's declared himself for Obama too!
KYJurisDoctor wrote on January 22, 2008 7:56 PM:Magic must be an IDIOT!
http://OsiSpeaks.com or http://OsiSpeaks.org
TexModDem wrote on January 23, 2008 12:17 PM:. . . he is very skilled in terms of his ability to organize and lead people . . .
And yet he has been utterly incapable or organizing and leading his fellow congress members to a solution to the Iraq war, the single most defining issue of our time and his candidacy according to Obama and his supporters.
A center piece without a table.
The Nader-lite, Ganja Guy, Kumbayah Candidate.
Hey, if it's a good show you want, let's just nominate Queen Latifah and we'll get a twofer!
