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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can feel ‘slighted’ no more, as the Lakers are set to give him his own statue
Over a year ago, seemingly in response to the statues given to former Minneapolis Lakers center George Mikan, Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell and Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Jerry West, former Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar moaned a bit about not getting his own tribute from the team he played for between 1975 and 1989. As you'll recall, Kareem was very much put off by the terrible ordeal his former team was putting him through:
"I don't understand (it). It's either an oversight or they're taking me for granted. I'm not going to try to read people's minds, but it doesn't make me happy. It's definitely a slight. I feel slighted."
Kareem can moan no more, probably, because the Lakers very definitely have decided to give the man a statue. Even though Laker spokesman John Black rightfully pointed out that the team wasn't in the business of tossing up a statue "every year," the team has announced that Abdul-Jabbar will get his very own massive stone ideal. It will be unveiled during the 2012-13 season, though no date has been set in stone. Perhaps now the Kareem and the Lakers' relationship will be off the rocks.
Los Angeles Times Lakers beat reporter Mark Medina laid out some of Kareem's frustrations after breaking the news:
But Abdul-Jabbar publicly criticized the Lakers last year, believing the failure to erect a statue of him sooner was a show of disrespect. Similarly, he lamented the Lakers not awarding him playoff shares, and pointed to his reduced role and pay as a special assistant coach for Andrew Bynum from 2005 to 2011. Abdul-Jabbar also mentioned how he often had to sit on the back of the plane on team trips.
The Lakers have maintained there's no set criteria on determining the order of statue inductions, and the other statues associated with the team also have extensive resumes behind them.
"I don't understand (it). It's either an oversight or they're taking me for granted. I'm not going to try to read people's minds, but it doesn't make me happy. It's definitely a slight. I feel slighted."
Kareem can moan no more, probably, because the Lakers very definitely have decided to give the man a statue. Even though Laker spokesman John Black rightfully pointed out that the team wasn't in the business of tossing up a statue "every year," the team has announced that Abdul-Jabbar will get his very own massive stone ideal. It will be unveiled during the 2012-13 season, though no date has been set in stone. Perhaps now the Kareem and the Lakers' relationship will be off the rocks.
Los Angeles Times Lakers beat reporter Mark Medina laid out some of Kareem's frustrations after breaking the news:
But Abdul-Jabbar publicly criticized the Lakers last year, believing the failure to erect a statue of him sooner was a show of disrespect. Similarly, he lamented the Lakers not awarding him playoff shares, and pointed to his reduced role and pay as a special assistant coach for Andrew Bynum from 2005 to 2011. Abdul-Jabbar also mentioned how he often had to sit on the back of the plane on team trips.
The Lakers have maintained there's no set criteria on determining the order of statue inductions, and the other statues associated with the team also have extensive resumes behind them.
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