Book Review of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s essay – Black Cop’s Kid
It is an excellent read; that is not a strong enough phrase to describe this essay. This essay is four stars. I rarely give anything over three stars. I did so without thinking about it. The man destroyed his opponents on the court. So he has my respect as a sports fan. Yet, I wondered if this NBA legend could write. At first, I figured it was a ghostwriter or something. However, this sentiment was the general opinion of my friends.
“Who? the basketball player?” They said in unison.
“He must have had some help.” They said, nodding to themselves as if this was the only way a basketball player could write a book.
“I suppose if he wrote something about basketball … would be alright, hell, it might even be good.” one said.
“Yeah, I’d give it a go … that was the game’s heyday.” said another.
I sat smiling as I agreed with them all in so many ways. I first discovered Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s contribution to writing was an article in Time magazine. A delightful piece if I remember correctly, although I couldn’t tell you the article’s topic for the life of me. But, it was good enough for me to explore further. Despite this, I couldn’t fathom Mr. Abdul-Jabbar could contribute solidly to the craft.
My friends sat waiting for me to continue. I began telling them about Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s journey to becoming the legend we know today and how his relationship with his father shaped him as a player, man, and later a writer. Admiration coated our faces as I told the story, and my friends listened. As I finished the story, we sat for a moment quietly.
“Man, I knew none of that.” one said, still wearing a smile.
“Yep, why not?” said another with a nod of confirmation to his logic.
When I returned home, I started penning notes for this review and remembered Mr. Abdul-Jabbar’s poise on the court and during interviews. Then it became clear. I wondered why I so quickly dismissed the possibility of Mr. Abdul-Jabber’s ability to bring the same level of excellence to writing as he did on the court. After reading this essay a few times, I understand the source of his grace and poise.
As I finished this review, I considered whether my respect for his previous accomplishments fueled my admiration or if he was just that damn good? Honestly, I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter; I thoroughly enjoy the works of Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and recommend you read them with no reservations.
Mangus Khan 
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