If you’re getting bored of playing 2K and want to do something else, read “Becoming Kareem” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It is the NBA legend’s memoir.
Reading isn’t normally an activity that many basketball fans want to do. After all, we’re self-proclaimed jocks who only want to play and watch basketball (and play 2K, of course).
And that’s absolutely fine.
But if you’re getting bored of doing the same thing and want to expand your horizons, I highly suggest you read a book.
“What kind of book would a basketball fanatic like me want to read?”
Well, not to be condescending, but you would probably enjoy basketball-themed books a lot.
So, here is one of the best basketball books you can read (and one that I think all basketball fans should check out).
The book is called Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld.
Why You Should Read Becoming Kareem
And as interesting as his NBA career was, Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t just a basketball player; he did so many other awesome things.
For instance, did you know that he was friends with Bruce Lee? Or that he skipped out on the Olympics to protest social injustice? Or that he was a really nerdy kid who loved to read and write?
Did you know that he’s a big yogi (yoga practitioner)?
Neither did I until I read his memoir.
Additionally, you should read it because Becoming Kareem is a story of one of the greats. It’s also a story that talks about the struggles of growing up and finding our place in the world (something that many of us can relate to).
Above that, this book is just an entertaining story with a lot of good life lessons.
Highlights from the Book
For example, here’s a quote of him talking about how he found that thing that made him special. And how, by finding it, he learned to be a hard, disciplined worker:
“Through basketball, I found my superpower. My power wasn’t in being a great player, but in loving something enough to work hard at being better. I had a passion for playing, and that passion powered me like a generator…
“Who I was and who I would become didn’t depend on my parents or on others who yelled insults at me. It depended on my own determination and discipline.”
And here’s a quote from one of my favourite parts.
It re-tells the time when Abdul-Jabbar’s high school basketball coach, a person he trusted and looked up to, called him the N-word.
I like this quote because he does a great job at describing the feeling he felt and the thoughts he had at that moment in time:
“And then he turned his anger on me. His face red with fury, he pointed at me. ‘And you Lew! You go out there and don’t hustle. You don’t move. You don’t do any of the things you’re supposed to do.’ He glared with burning eyes. ‘You’re acting just like a n—-r!’
“A sharp pain pierced through my heart as if he’s just stabbed me with a butcher knife. My throat tightened as if he were choking me with his other hand. The skin on my arms and legs was ice-cold, but my face burned with unbearable heat. I looked him straight in his angry face, but I was too shocked to say anything. An image came to me of my ex-best friend Johnny yelling ‘N—-r!’ in my face.”
Final Thoughts
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a legend of basketball.
He is someone who has not only accomplished a bunch in the sport but has also influenced tonnes of other great players with his skill and style.
And his story is something that all basketball fans should know because it tells a piece of the history of the sport.
So, click here and grab a copy from Amazon.
(And to be totally transparent with you, if you use this link (which is an affiliate link) to buy something, I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. So thanks in advance.)
P.S. I lied about not knowing Abdul-Jabbar was friends with Bruce Lee before reading the book.
I’m an Asian who loves basketball –of course, I knew Lee taught him martial arts.