LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was recently named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Still, the Hall of Famer’s legacy goes beyond his basketball accomplishments, including six NBA championships and six MVP awards.  

Abdul-Jabbar has been an advocate for civil rights and social justice since the 1960s, and he continues to use his platform to educate and inspire.

Last year, the NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. The honor is given to a player who goes above and beyond in their pursuit of social justice and awards that player $100,000 to donate to a charity that aligns with their efforts. The award’s first recipient was Carmelo Anthony.

“What I’d like to do is inspire all the teams to do more for social justice,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

Some of his personal experiences have served as inspiration for Abdul-Jabbar’s Social Justice Champion clothing line, which he initially launched a few years ago in partnership with vintage clothing company Mitchell & Ness.

Quotes from Abdul-Jabbar’s writing and images of notable events are incorporated into the designs. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Skyhook Foundation.

One photograph that inspired a design features Abdul-Jabbar alongside Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell and Jim Brown as they sit with Cleveland’s first Black mayor, Carl Stokes. Another image shows a young Abdul-Jabbar standing behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while addressing the Harlem media in 1964.

“Because I was in a journalism workshop, they gave me press credentials, and I covered it like any of the other journalists,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “And I got to ask Dr. King a question which he answered for me … it actually happened.”

While Abdul-Jabbar has become an inspiration to others, his pride and passion for furthering a cause greater than himself continue today.

“Social justice issues affect us every day, so it’s important that we take a little bit of time to remind people of what’s important,” Abdul-Jabbar said.