Kareem Abdul-Jabbar To Kids At Fort Bragg: ‘My Dad Was Stationed Here’

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is best known for being the biggest scorer ever in the National Basketball Association. He is also well remembered for his role in the famous Airplane! movies.

It is a little known fact that Abdul-Jabbar’s father was assigned to Fort Bragg from 1941 to 1943. Ferdinand Alcindor Jr. was a jazz musician with the 16th Field Artillery Battalion and his son proudly keeps a photo of his father showing him posing there with his battalion.

The Basketball legend was at Fort Bragg on Thursday on behalf of the children’s literacy organization, Reading Is Fundamental. He spoke to children, parents and educators at the Irwin Intermediate School.

He said: “One of the reasons I wanted to come to Fort Bragg, is my dad was stationed here.” Kareem was dressed casually in a button down shirt, jeans and brown loafers as he emerged from behind the curtain.

He spoke about his recently released children’s book Sasquatch in the Paint saying: “The character has to figure out what he’s going to do with his future.” After speaking about his book, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went on to discuss the importance of education:

“Your education is the foundation of everything that you’re going to do the rest of your life,” he said. “Going on to college and figuring out how you want to participate in the economy is something you’re all going to have to figure out one time or another, so you should start thinking about it now.”

When it was time to leave Abdul-Jabbar simply said to the kids: “I might see you around. If not, all the best.”

Have you read Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s book Sasquatch in the Paint? If so what did you think of it? Share your comments in the feed below.