Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Talks New Book, Spat With President Trump

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” last night to promote his new book, “Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court.” Host Trevor Noah noted Abdul-Jabbar is a such a “renaissance man” that being the “NBA all-time leading scorer is No. 6 on your resume.” Abdul-Jabbar: “I go through life and I try to find interesting and meaningful things to do.”

Noah noted Abdul-Jabbar had previously written an op-ed contrasting President Trump and U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), after which Trump “wrote you a personal letter” that read, “Dear Kareem, now I know why the press always treated you so badly. They couldn't stand you. The fact is that you don't have a clue about life and what has to be done to make America great again.” Noah: “What do you do with a personal note like that from the President? Do you frame it or do you burn it?” Abdul-Jabbar: “When I got that, I crumpled it up in a ball and I skyhooked it into a wastebasket” (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 1/11).