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The Lakers aren't the only team with a new big man.
The Los Angeles Times just added local icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to their roster of bloggers.
Among his early advice to readers? Shoot the skyhook:
"The 50-plus player can still run with a younger crowd at the park or fitness club, but it's best to avoid knocking around in the mosh pit under the basket. One trick the guys won't see coming? The skyhook ... Think of it as an athletic version of the Hokey Pokey: you put your left foot out, you bring your right arm up, you toss the ball in the hoop, then you shake it all about."
At 7'2", Kareem probably finds that easier than most of us, but we'll give it a try. He's also had some practice, starting with three national championships at UCLA. His professional career (1969-89) included 19 all-star appearances and six NBA MVP awards. He joined the Lakers in 1975 and closed out his career in purple and gold.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer recently wrote his seventh book, stays active in social causes, coaches, and continues to perform on screen -- most recently in a popular video supporting Barack Obama. LAist caught up with the renaissance man to ask about blogging, Barack, Bynum, and, of course, Airplane!
What can readers expect you to blog about on latimes.com?
I’ll be blogging about a variety of subjects. Black history, sports, entertainment, fitness, maybe even some politics, although I’m not sure about my political reach. I want everyone to know that I am writing these blogs myself and only have help uploading them.
How often are you going to be blogging?
I’ll blog five days a week.
When did you discover blogging? Have you ever blogged before?
I’ve just recently become familiar with blogging and have never blogged before, nor read any blogs.
What sort of books do you like to read?
I read history books for information and detective novels for fun. If you would like to know about my favorite authors you can visit my website and look under KAJ Favs.
What advice do you have for other writers?
I would advise other writers to try to get a schedule going and keep to it. That way it can be expanded upon and guided in whatever direction they want. The other recommendation I have is write everyday.
“Yes We Can” has become a big online hit. How did you get involved with the video?
I met will.i.am while doing my audio book based on my latest book On the Shoulders of Giants. He knew of my support for Barack Obama and contacted me to participate in the video. We did a song together with Herbie Hancock and if people want to listen to it they can click here.
You’re very active in social pursuits. You’ve spoken in Los Angeles synagogues about Islamic-Jewish relations, and you’re in “Yes We Can.” Which causes are most important to you?
I try to promote efforts to solve the problems that America is confronted with and I believe Knowledge is Power.
What can people do in their day-to-day lives to make the world a better place?
People should try to affect their spaces – no matter how big or small – with the goal of changing that space in a positive way. The idea that “every little bit helps” can go a long way in bringing about meaningful change.
As of this week, there are a couple new big men in the West. Will the new Lakers lineup be unstoppable?
I think that the Lakers with Bryant, Bynum and Gasol can become a formidable team, and I’m looking forward to this year’s playoff season as a new era for the team.
Is Shaq going to fit in Phoenix?
I can’t tell how Shaq will affect Phoenix because nobody can predict how the pairing will work out. Shaq, at his best, is a dominant player, but for now we’d have to wait and see.
What excites you the most about the current Lakers squad?
The Lakers seem to have put together a competitive nucleus, and we’ll have to wait for the playoffs to see how far they have come.
Airplane is one of our favorite movies! How were you approached to do it, and what did you enjoy about it the most?
The Zucker brothers are from the Milwaukee area and had seen me play while I was on the Bucks. They felt that I would be a good icon to insert into the co-pilot’s role in their movie Airplane. I’ve enjoyed the fact that most people in the airline industry have seen the film and always have a comment to make to me when I get on a plane.
Do you still keep up with your karate?
I don’t do much martial arts these days, however yoga is a discipline that I find very useful at this time.
You’ve been on the cover of Sports Illustrated 29 times. Do you have a favorite issue?
My favorite SI issues are June 1985 “King of the Court” and 1966’s November fold-out issue of me at UCLA.
Editor's Note: This interview was conducted exclusively by email. While that's a departure from most LAist interviews, we felt this was an appropriate and fun way to open a dialog with LA's newest blogger. In the interest of full disclosure, our questions were posed by sports editor Adam Rose, who is also under contract as a blogger with latimes.com.
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