Abdul-Jabbar to discuss King, film in Detroit

DETROIT (AP) - Basketball legend and Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said Thursday that a 1964 encounter with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. has motivated him throughout his life.

Abdul-Jabbar told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he plans to share that story and discuss his work on a documentary about the Harlem Rens basketball team when he visits Detroit next week. He is scheduled to give the keynote address Tuesday at Wayne State University's annual tribute to the slain civil rights leader at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.

During the summer between his junior and senior years in high school, Abdul-Jabbar took part in a New York City youth program aimed at improving Harlem. He said he heard King speak and wrote about the civil rights leader's appearance for the program's newspaper.

"It was a very special moment in my life and it has motivated me," he said.

The film "On the Shoulders of Giants," based on Abdul-Jabbar's book by the same title, is due to be released next month. The story of the Rens and the early days of basketball has strong ties to the Harlem Renaissance, Abdul-Jabbar said, and should resonate with a Detroit audience.

"I think it's a great subject, given that Detroit is also trying to have its own renaissance," he said.

Abdul-Jabbar's Skyhook Foundation combines sports and education programs in mentoring young people, and it has developed a program to share the film's educational message.

"It's my intent to be an educator, using the medium of film," he said. "It's a different approach. Young people today are not avid readers, so you have to go an extra step to get their attention."

Abdul-Jabbar is considered one of the greatest to ever play professional and college basketball. He led UCLA to three NCAA titles and won six NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. He scored more than 38,000 points in a 20-year NBA career.

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, another former NBA star, is expected to introduce Abdul-Jabbar at the Detroit event. Proceeds will support Adopt-a-Classroom community partnerships. Last year, Detroit schools received $10,000 from the event.