It's been nearly three decades since NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar squared up against Michael Jordan on the hardwood, but the former Los Angeles Laker recently fired a few shots at His Airness on a very different playing field — politics.
"You can't be afraid of losing shoe sales if you're worried about your civil and human rights," Abdul-Jabbar told NPR. His comments were made in response to an infamous Jordan quote — "Republicans buy sneakers, too" — that dates back to 1990, which, although some say was exaggerated, has never actually been disputed by the man himself.
"He took commerce over conscience. It's unfortunate for him, but he's gotta live with it," Abdul-Jabbar said.
In the past, we've covered Michael Jordan's refusal to speak up against sneaker violence, and while this is a different beast altogether, Abdul-Jabbar's "commerce over conscience" statement rings true in both situations. Hopefully the G.O.A.T. will clap back sooner than later.
