Open Court ~ Kareem Abdul Jabbar, LeBron James, Kevin Durant & Tracy McG...

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Welcome to the jump.
I'm rachel nichols and we have a very special show today the great Kareem abdul-jabbar is here with me and Tracy six-time champion a six-time MVP 19 time all-star and open the way he's still the nba's all-time leading scorer well we will get you being here thank you very much which was nice to be this is the happiest I've been on the show Rachel but definitely happy as you've been 24 hours so I know that we're so thrilled the cream is with us and not just because of his basketball greatness but also his contributions to the greater American conversation and that is where we're going to start today I know a lot of you are watching right now because a basketball show is a nice way to escape from politics and trust me we are going to talk a lot of basketball I mean Kareem is here but first we're going to talk a little bit about this size big thing that just happened in our country because sports and athletes do not operate in some separate space from the rest of us.
They're not little Lego figures you just put the drawer when you're not playing with them they are affected by and react to the same world the rest of us do and make no mistake they are influencers of American culture way beyond the courts or the field that they play on now korean has experienced that firsthand in fact he's experienced so much firsthand which is really in concert with what I keep coming back to hear whether you supported Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton this election was so all-encompassing and last night was such a title wave that it's easy to drown in the right now of it all but the truth is that history is long perspective is important.
Sometimes things seem amazing and then they fade and sometimes things seem impossible and then they get better just ask Cubs fans or we can just ask Kareem remember he was part of those great John Wooden UCLA teams during the late nineteen sixties one of the most turbulent times in our country's history in 1968 he was part of the effort to boycott the US olympic team over the treatment of black Americans and all the boys had didn't materialize he didn't end up going to Mexico City in the early seventies he dazzled in Milwaukee changing his name to match his Muslim beliefs as he played right smack in the middle of the heartland and while the country went through the people of the Nixon register resignation and then in the late seventies and eighties as a Laker he was part of some of the greatest teams in NBA history as once again the country around him completely reshape itself over and over again which is why Kareem I want to start with you given everything you have done everything you have seen can you give us perspective on everything over these past 24 hours.
Well we just have to realize that you know there are ups and downs and all of this and there are times when you feel really good about what's happening and then there are times when you don't feel too good about what's happening and we were going through those kind of times right now what's it been like for you in the conversations you had with people uh there's a lot of disappointment yeah and the decision but what can we do i think as people we have to united states together and try to make the best of this waste and sports is always a part of that because they're people who are related today to we have to run over that half our country feels that way and we talk sometimes in clichés about how sports unites people and and sports uniting people it doesn't fix everything right i mean some things are more serious than that but you also have to say that when the Cubs fans are out celebrating five million strong on the shores of Lake Michigan and when the people including we're celebrating that parade after the Cavaliers one there were Republicans and Democrats mixed in those celebrations and they were able to come together exactly and you know looking in here in Los Angeles how unified we were in the raiders won the superbowl when the when the lakers have one when the Dodgers won in 81 and then look what happened.
The Rodney King riots and when we have the potential for both and you know how how do we move forward trying to keep it in a positive mode that that's really what we have to work out what is the connection between athlete and and and the presidential candidate like lebron going up in endorsing Hillary is their relationship prior to him going up there are his people reaches out and just you know how is that how that connects well I'm only imagining this now because I I don't know how they made their relationship or how it started right but for example in my case I went to the White House for a day of jazz are back in the nineties when Bill was president and i got to meet the Clintons and developed a friendship and it went from there but it all depends and sometimes it might just hear about what your politics are all about and say hey we gotta get that guy you know everybody wants to know what LeBron thinks and right certainly I I'm sure he's is he did a good job as a surrogate and that speaks to how athletes are these influencers in our society maybe now as much or more than ever and we saw a bunch of social media posts from a lot of those athletes over the past 12 24 hours LeBron James specifically talked about having hope for the future and that you know sort of continuing on with his message you had JR smith here we see saying gee what am I gonna tell my little girl he was he was you know wondering you have cp3 saying i gotta wake up and go harder you have to borrow Parker feeling very concerned about racism in america and then kevin love you finish up with saying hey I wish coach wouldn't we're still alive which i'm sure it's a sentiment that you share as well talk about leadership you know we got some good leadership there but I i think look I i I'm I'm a black American i'm a muslim and for me to to wake up this morning and find out that my country has embraced a racist as the commander-in-chief that that bothers me you know it makes me wonder about you know where I live and you know what it really is all about it it puts a lot of questions in your mind and I think that really is you know what we all dealt with this morning and what really is going on here.
We really want to know about that so what should these athletes and some of the guys i mentioned for guys who have grown in their political activism over the past two three four years we've seen this rise of the activists athletes maybe harkening back to more of the beginning of your area and and I think some of them are struggling may be publicly online with what to do right now Tracy if you will Brown James if you were Chris Paul what what would you do sort of with yourself now that you have been politically activated the way these guys have I think you know you have to continue to be that way you know just because things didn't turn out the way that a lot of us wanted to we have to continue to unite we have to continue to win and inspire our youth and and let them know what they're still capable of doing the inspiration to our youth and and I we can't look down just because we disagree what you know what transpired last night and just going to continue to progress and move or and let's leave even last night's election aside with that rise of athlete activism we've been talking about it for months here and I think they just showed the picture cream of you and that famous summit summit with Muhammad Ali in 1967 Carmelo Anthony used that photo at the beginning of the summer when he was sort of describing his desire to become more active and calling on other athletes become more active we saw Colin Kaepernick with his anthem protests in the NFL players who followed along with him.
What have you thought of you as you watch say Carmelo make this statement the guys up at the ESPYs Kaepernick what if you watched as you i thought if you watch that unfold.
Well I'm really happy to see that the understanding of what you have to do in order to participate has started to spread amongst the professional athletes I'm glad to see them becoming involved Michael Jordan has walking up from his long sleep he's receiving some money to the n-double-a-cp Legal Defense one and you know is getting involved and we all have to be involved in this because we all live here this is our country are all people that voted yesterday our fellow citizens we have to figure out how to communicate with them and and make sure that they understand what our issues are not that it takes a day take and I like to add this that you know I appreciate you know these guys you know being their influence that they are are speaking out speaking their mind and speaking to a part of society that may not be paying attention to you know the policy that is politicized they're reaching people in different corners would say maybe it a typical viewer who's watching CNN every day maybe someone is watching it every day and so food is it is a different kind of person so that that's important to you mentioned Michael Jordan you know I'm not gonna let that what did you think over the years as you saw him purposely decide not to get involved and then recently when he did well I thought it was unfortunate that he was so are reluctant to engage in in being involved politically because that is right you know he's an American he has the the first event busy can say whatever he wants to say and have an opinion so for him to not want to do that just because he was worried about his business I thought that he really was limiting himself i'm glad that he's not doing that anymore he has his opinions and we'd like to know what they are a lot of people would and I'm glad to see he's taking the initiative of cotton and start talking about these things because people want to know that's why did you ever talk about it over the years and try to get him involved because you were also involved yourself I haven't seen that I'm spoken michael i think since he retired LOL ok what our parents go different places you know he retired he start to do the things that you always wanted to do and often you don't see the guy yeah alright well Tracy we gotta get that on the calendar for the jump next year we have that panel sky.
Absolutely alright we got to stop there but we have so much more to come here on the jump and when we will return on a scream about the quote demise and I put that in quotes the big man in basketball has that been overstated you might want to stick around for that one that is a clear benefit I mean this is tremendous the finish he makes you pay Lopez gets there a little bit too late i like crap towns faces he was doing that he had serious don't feel well and I ago welcome back to the jump i'm rachel nichols hanging out with you know Tracy McGrady and Kareem abdul-jabbar like it's the same a treacherous yeah I'm not not not too bad not too bad we have some basketball to talk about last night as you see featured a head-to-head matchup of two of the league's best young bigs in demarcus cousins and oh Anthony Davis some good footage of this cream there's been a lot of talk about how big men not as important as they used to be but come on that's been overstated a little bit i think it has been overstated the big man can deliver if he is been prepared and as some moves and capabilities in the paint and if the people get him the ball in in certain spots the big man can score for you and cause the defense to collapse and make those good things for the guys on the perimeter and we will now hear from a perimeter.
I just I just make his it's been over shadow i know but the guard play point guard.
Yeah Carrie Arvin's Steph Curry golden right yeah absolutely we have legitimate big man that can play I mean elite players Anthony Davis know Carla details coming into his own and boogie cousins.
I just think they're overshadow with guard play it also evolved to if you look at the type of player anthony davis is the type of player karl-anthony counters they are different from the traditional big man right absolutely.
These guys are stepping out beyond the three and ice cream before the show why hasn't anybody duplicated his hook shop back that's unguardable you can't guard that right and your answer to that my answer to that was a guy's a teaching the game two kids these days right don't show them how to play with your back to the basket and non-teaching the value of what can be done in that area and you don't have to completely focus on that but kids should learn where where the gold is.
And.
Everybody's that they should avoid thinking about this 3033 coming three how many points 30,000 33,000 right would you like some of those learn how to do this friday with this boy and nobody's nobody's you know duplicated his his move.
Flushing it i didn't have to take a beating but that was the whole thing i did it without getting beat on uh because of the way that I'd I developed my moves in there they really couldn't beat on me I kept moving and avoided all that and i was able to have a longer hits people that a 20-plus years developing is a big man and take the baby still like he could go out there and play well that kind of leads me to the next thing I want to ask you got your 6 which are good you both contracts right every time he comes back to that i miss Shirley much money these guys have been making lately but I did want to ask you how your game you thought you think would translate today you don't see guys doing your shot so could you come into your shot in this game do you think with the rules of today with the way the game is today how do you think if we just smacked you in the middle of it your game with translate what i could get my shot off and score.
Ultimately we also depend on what the coach started about how they wanted to score but when you can score inside like that and you're a good passer you understand the game like that you get double team the guys on the perimeter are open and they have more space they can get in a little bit closer it really makes it the game easier for everybody when you have that type of versatility wanted to piggyback off of him absolutely he can you know play in today's game and play it and how it slows the pace down you control the pace when you plan these things that likes to get up and down got a big guys should go to any given time at the game in and control the pace and photo ball inside I mean that's any error right for me and say what about your gang committed to completing this arrow you know these guys get up and down and shoot threes i can remember couple times where i had a like eight breeze and a half against like only be easier for you to get those shots sure when they're worried about what's happening inside and high percentage shots it being shot inside you guys on the proof I have more space to do your thing and look great they're talking to dad I don't either way but i do think it would be interesting when you say let's take this part to that part what do you think about the state of the game overall though because it is a very different-looking game in the race we've talked a lot on this story about right so that is the players were ment of the 90 players of the nineties in the early 2000s g today is soft because it obviously the defensive rules are different checking rules are different there's so much different about what they allow and what they don't there's fans and people like me who are just sitting here watching it say I like this more this style i like watching the office has got you know I think the real essence of how the game's changed has to do with the three-point shot ok 1985 the best team I played on probably in my pro career from the beginning of the season to the last game of the playoff we made 93 points got Steph Curry's boys 400 no no no it wasn't 2015 they made 1077 lat equation friends do you like that wish to you like which wasn't I friends love it right all right and kids learning the game they love it.
No you know it it's changed the game i think probably for the better but I still miss Steele.
Yeah i love the pace of the game thanks very exciting we have you know very exciting players in my game I don't like I think it's over officiated that you know of a lot but the pace in the style is very exciting for our families it opens the game up so may be a greater variety of kids wanting to play and feeling like they could play because you now have a greater physical inner you can have different physical attributes and play in this style of today's game okay yeah there they were arguing about you know Steph Curry and how he would have done against people like Oscar but he could have scored all those things because they didn't have a three-point shot.
That's the math problem right there you have hit on that problem with that and I'm no different yeah absolutely well coming up we're gonna ask him what he thinks of this year's warriors first we do want to look back on this date in 2007 are distant replay those ideas to step right.
[Applause].
That kids an athlete JR smith can shoot the three in his athletic question for his career is an adult party guys I want to get your perspective on some of the major storylines of this season we know LeBron James got one for the land this June historic NBA finals performance now the question is does LeBron have anything left to prove and if you asked LeBron he started bringing up Michael Jordan and summer so I guess he's trying to give himself something more to prove what do you think i think that the UM brunch just be satisfied with what he's achieved because no one else can can do what he's done and he doesn't have to compare himself to anybody he's made a remarkable name for himself and has had a incredible career he should be satisfied that just try to get as many trips as you possibly can individually he's accomplished pretty much everything right right well they they were good so far this season people who just gave it to the Warriors need to watch some cleveland games and that is what i want to ask you is when Kevin Durant pick the Warriors there were a lot of people who just gave them the championship.
What do you think of this team as its put together and Kevin's decision to go there.
Well they have to prove themselves over season they have to survive all the injuries they got a lot on their plate they should be quiet and just go about it day to day because we start talking about what's gonna happen in future that that that doesn't make any sense yeah fastest Israeli Harrison Barnes Andrew Bogut like three pivotal no key guys for that team on a championship run who's gonna fill those shoes I mean you added Katie but you know those guys were very key parts for that championship team will see you know interesting when Harrison Barnes Andrew Bogut go back there and have someone shut out to Harrison Barnes many plant well bro I guess from creditors tracy has not been easy on him and he is he's showing up i do want to talk about James Harden who is averaging 32 points 13 assists this season he was asked by the vertical who is the best player is right now hard and responded best point guard or best player Michael either vertical said either and hard and said I am Tracy do you agree.
Well he's a hell of an office of talent if he gets his team up with the elite teams in this league.
I don't know how you could deny it you know 32 and you're putting that number one overall of all the players playing ray no no no i said it 15 up with the elite teams in this league you know you have to be bigger you yeah that is a bigger because they don't want any defense right you win a championship to be that conversation right.
Hey guys it's a new year and you can you have to have it not be able to enforce a game at both ends of the court you know at the offensive end at the defensive it a lot of guys they think all we have to do a score right and i think that fell so you gotta be able to do something at the other end of great great outfits of talent though.
Yeah absolutely when we talk about greatest players is throwing around sometimes somewhat casually I actually wanted to get your take on that there's just the sort of Oh Michael Jordan greatest player of all time you have the scoring record you have six championships you had 19 all-star appearances six MVPs where are you on this bill russell has a living right ok so that's your that's your number one about 98 championships in a row 11 rings come on you know it's about winning the game it's not about this data that's that already made a incredible dunk it's about all the success that we had and it's over a period of time and in those guys did it.
Um you know other guys have to prove themselves alright well that's the final work Koreans does it then that's that's where yet and Bill rather there you go green thank you so much it's going together today.
Tracey wants to shoot a shot he's afraid you were going to black it there but you know.


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