Donald Trump Slams NBA Great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for Writing Critical Column
”The fact is that you don’t have a clue about life and what has to be done to make America great again!“ presidential candidate tells former L.A. Lakers player
Donald Trump picked on someone way bigger than himself when he went head-to-head with NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday.
The GOP presidential candidate responded to the 7’2” former Los Angeles Lakers star’s criticism of his campaign, saying he doesn’t “have a clue what has to be done to make this country great again.”
Trump’s scathing comments came after Abdul-Jabbar wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post comparing him to Bernie Sanders.
The NBA Hall of Famer — who became a U.S. global cultural ambassador in 2012 — called out Trump for going after Fox New’s Megyn Kelly, saying the Republican committed the “political crime” of “attacking the First Amendment’s protection of a free press by menacing journalists.”
Rather than tweeting his disgust, Trump went straight to the source and sent Abdul-Jabbar a handwritten message, which he subsequently posted on his Facebook page.
“Kareem — Now I know why the press always treated you so badly — they couldn’t stand you,” Trump wrote over a copy of Abdul-Jabbar’s article, which he neatly signed. “The fact is that you don’t have a clue about life and what has to be done to make America great again!”
In Abdul-Jabbar’s Facebook réponse shared with his 806,000 followers, he wrote: “This note from Donald Trump in response to my editorial is the best, though inelegant, support for my claims.
“Here again he attacks a journalist who disagrees with him, not by disputing the points made but by hurling schoolyard insults such as ‘nobody likes you.’ But if you look behind the nasty invective, you find the assault still remains against the Constitution in an effort to silence the press through intimidation,” he said.
Game 1 goes to Abdul-Jabbar, who wins home court advantage.
9 NBA Stars Who Took a Shot at Hollywood (Photos)
Michael Jordan
It's only fitting that the greatest basketball player in history would star in the biggest basketball film of all time. His Airness plays himself in "Space Jam" as he comes out of retirement to save the Looney Tunes from being kidnapped by giant aliens.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
After pretending to just be an airline pilot named Roger Murdock in "Airplane!," the famous basketball player angrily responds to one of his critics in the form of a young boy in one of the film's many zany moments.
Gheorghe Muresan
For 1998's "My Giant," Billy Crystal cast NBA center Gheorghe Muresan for the role of Maximus, the titular big man. Crystal plays a huckster who tries to use Maximus' height for his personal advantage. Crystal based the film on the relationship he developed with Andre the Giant while filming "The Princess Bride."
Ray Allen
Just two years into a record-breaking career, Ray Allen turned in a critically-praised performance in "He Got Game" as Jesus Shuttleworth, a high school senior who is pressured by his father (Denzel Washington) into playing for a certain college that can pull some strings and get him out of prison.
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal has played a genie ("Kazaam") and a superhero ("Steel") as well as cameoing in many of Adam Sandler's comedies. But he got his start by playing a college basketball player in 1994's "Blue Chips," acting opposite Nick Nolte as his coach. O'Neal was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst New Star for his performance.
Dennis Rodman
Hollywood took one glance at Dennis Rodman and decided, "There's a star." The Chicago Bulls forward starred with Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1997's "Double Team." The acting may have been subpar, but the writers were able to mix it in with some truly awful one-liners. Rodman won three Razzie Awards for his performance in the film.
Larry Bird
One of the NBA's all-time greats appeared as himself in "Space Jam," wisely telling Bill Murray that he should stick with acting and give up his basketball dreams. Bird also cameoed in "Celtic Pride," which starred Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd as die-hard Celtic fans who kidnap an opposing player to help their team.
Rick Fox
Arguably the player with the most successful transition from the court to the big screen, Rick Fox has participated in films ranging from "He Got Game" to "Meet the Browns," as well as playing a baseball player in a memorable cameo from "Holes."
Darius Miles
Drafted out of high school, Darius Miles rode his early NBA stardom to a role in "The Perfect Score." Acting alongside Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, he played a high school basketball player who was desperate enough for a high SAT to join a band of students intent on stealing the answers.
1 of 9
From the hardwood to Hollywood: TheWrap takes a look at some of basketball’s finest who have dabbled in acting
Michael Jordan
It's only fitting that the greatest basketball player in history would star in the biggest basketball film of all time. His Airness plays himself in "Space Jam" as he comes out of retirement to save the Looney Tunes from being kidnapped by giant aliens.
