✩✩✩ New Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Interview ✩✩✩

[anygivensunday]

^^^ everything that you said would be cool in a perfect world..

But at the end of the day, Lebron, Kobe, Michael Phelps, and every other athlete in the other world are just looking out whats best for them and their families right now

Why would Lebron say something like that and possibly throw $100 million down the drain?

 

[xtapolapacetl]

I agree that LeBron should be more politically active.. Top athletes have been such *%*** in this area ever since MJ's "Republicans buy shoes too" comment.

 

[juan baller]

I feel like y'all are in a cult when a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf topic comes up. This dude wasn't blackballed from the NBA... he stopped getting offers because he was a terribly inefficient scorer. In his last two seasons in the league, he scored 7.3 pts/gm on 8.8 fga/gm and 6.5 pts/gm on 6.0 fga/gm... 14.6 pts/gm on 13.6 fga/gm for his career. That's straight awful...

If he was such an amazing scorer... how come he couldn't get to the free-throw line like Iverson or Monta Ellis? And Abdul-Rauf had limited range... he could only shoot the 3-ball when they moved the line in (1994-95 to 1996-97).

Dude sounds delusional remininscing about his playoff runs... he shot 36% in 15 career playoff games (including only 1 game where he shot better than 45%).

Amazing college player? Yes. Underrated NBA player? No.

 

[parasight21]

I don't think we'll ever have athletes like Ali, Jim Brown or even Charles Barkley who isn't afraid of speak their minds. Only time these athletes speaking their mind so bravely is when they want more playing times or contract is up but other than that I don't think we'll see any athletes coming out and be vocal about social issues. I guess it's different time now 

I don't mind star players of today not coming up progressive with political agenda. That's actually fine with me because we are living in a free country and everybody is entitled to what they do as long as they don't harm another but I feel bit frustrated about an amount of attention (or lack there of) that the players are getting when they do make a political gesture or comment.
T-Mac for example, yeah, yeah, he's not playing right now but NO ONE knows (or cares) why he changed his number from 1 to 3 and it's not because Trevor Ariza wanted to have that number. I know dudes in NT knows what's up with T-Mac but it's kinda frustrating that mainstream media doesn't really talk about this but to portray him as a whining baby who wants to get traded (he may be is 

 but still). Other than Slam Magazine, no one really talked about it, it's kinda sad. 

 

[airmaxpenny1]

My thoughts on Jordan as a person are summed up by "Republicans buy sneakers too."

Is it LeBron, Tiger or any of the other star African-American athletes responsibility to stand up for social causes? No, but it's a damn shame when they don't cause everyone knows these kids hold more weight within African-American communities than anyone else.

And stop just lookin up statistics Juan, cause if you want to play that game dude's career field goal percentage is .44. And those "last two years," one I believe he was injured, and the other was after he came back with Vancouver in the 2000 season after being blackballed the previous year.

 

[in yo nostril]

Originally Posted by Juan Baller

I feel like y'all are in a cult when a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf topic comes up. This dude wasn't blackballed from the NBA... he stopped getting offers because he was a terribly inefficient scorer. In his last two seasons in the league, he scored 7.3 pts/gm on 8.8 fga/gm and 6.5 pts/gm on 6.0 fga/gm... 14.6 pts/gm on 13.6 fga/gm for his career. That's straight awful...

If he was such an amazing scorer... how come he couldn't get to the free-throw line like Iverson or Monta Ellis? And Abdul-Rauf had limited range... he could only shoot the 3-ball when they moved the line in (1994-95 to 1996-97).

Dude sounds delusional remininscing about his playoff runs... he shot 36% in 15 career playoff games (including only 1 game where he shot better than 45%).

Amazing college player? Yes. Underrated NBA player? No.

i brought this up in the last thread about this guy and dudes were heated.

anyway its cool he spoke up and all that but i dont blame lebron for keeping his mouth shut. too much money on the line and lets be honest, dude is probably not very educated.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by Juan Baller

I feel like y'all are in a cult when a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf topic comes up. This dude wasn't blackballed from the NBA... he stopped getting offers because he was a terribly inefficient scorer. In his last two seasons in the league, he scored 7.3 pts/gm on 8.8 fga/gm and 6.5 pts/gm on 6.0 fga/gm... 14.6 pts/gm on 13.6 fga/gm for his career. That's straight awful...

If he was such an amazing scorer... how come he couldn't get to the free-throw line like Iverson or Monta Ellis? And Abdul-Rauf had limited range... he could only shoot the 3-ball when they moved the line in (1994-95 to 1996-97).

Dude sounds delusional remininscing about his playoff runs... he shot 36% in 15 career playoff games (including only 1 game where he shot better than 45%).

Amazing college player? Yes. Underrated NBA player? No.

i brought this up in the last thread about this guy and dudes were heated.

anyway its cool he spoke up and all that but i dont blame lebron for keeping his mouth shut. too much money on the line and lets be honest, dude is probably not very educated.

He put up the best numbers of his career (19 and 7 and 93% FT) in 95-96, the season where the anthem incident took place. He was 26. The following year he gets traded to Sacramento where his playing time and role was reduced. I guess all this is just a huge coincidence... If you're a hater that is.

 

[-Red-]

Originally Posted by DubA169

red mpls wrote:

Imagine is LeBron James, right now, were to embark on a campaign to end sweatshops and child labor in the third world countries.  Imagine LeBron telling Nike that he will refuse to wear Nike apparel until they improve the working conditions in all of the factories that manufacture Nike products.  Imagine him actively speaking out against the corporation until they make substantial strides in doing so.  Imagine LeBron organizing a coalition of all NBA players to do the same for all major athletic apparel companies.  Imagine that movement spreading to the NFL and MLB.  Imagine the pressure that Nike, upon altering its manufacturing practices, would put on its competitors to make the same improvements that it was forced into making.

LeBron James could literally change the scope of international corporate labor practices and the quality of life for millions of destitute people across the globe... IF he took a stand.

So I would argue that yes, it DOES matter.

this would be interesting depending on how far he pushed it. To be honest I think they would just drop him.

I don't know if I agree with your point that a wealthy athlete is obligated to help his people out or whatever. If I was personally in the position, I would help people out but.... I mean I just don't think you can force someone to help. They need to willingly take the platform. Who knows what issues lebron cares about? Is he prepared to take the backlash for his views, whatever they may be? I mean times are very different it's not like anyone needs him to stage a sit in. If he spoke against the wars I wonder what the reaction would be.

If that were to happen, Nike very well might drop him... depending on how he played it though, probably not because imagine the backlash they would face from LeBron, the media, social activists, the rest of the NBA (if Bron had them organized as well), etc.  What if all Nike players who had contracts with Nike took the same stand?  Nike could not ignore it or simply drop all of them... something would have to give and that something would be Nike's manufacturing practices.

But let's say they did drop him; the issue would not stop there.  At that point, Bron could initiate an all-out assault on Nike.  Also, more than likely another company would pick him up and be willing to correct their labor practices because it would be great publicity and a further blow to Nike (the biggest player in the market).  So in the end, I see change as being inevitable if this were to happen.

Originally Posted by anygivensunday

^^^ everything that you said would be cool in a perfect world..

But at the end of the day, Lebron, Kobe, Michael Phelps, and everyother athlete in the other world are just looking out whats best forthem and their families right now

Why would Lebron say something like that and possibly throw $100 million down the drain?

But why can't LeBron play a role in making it a more perfect world?  As for "their families" and $100 million, LeBron's great-grandchildren would be straight even without a single endorsement dollar.  So it's not really a matter of "taking care of" their families, it's a matter of greed and putting money over everything else.

As for why LeBron would risk $100 million to take a stand for what's right... if you can't figure that out, I don't know what to say other than many things in life are more important than money, such as morals, values, integrity, community, family, health, etc.

Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1

My thoughts on Jordan as a person are summed up by "Republicans buy sneakers too."

Is it LeBron, Tiger or any of the other star African-American athletesresponsibility to stand up for social causes? No, but it's a damn shamewhen they don't cause everyone knows these kids hold more weight withinAfrican-American communities than anyone else.

And stop just lookin up statistics Juan, cause if you want to play thatgame dude's career field goal percentage is .44. And those "last twoyears," one I believe he was injured, and the other was after he cameback with Vancouver in the 2000 season after being blackballed theprevious year.

Correct on all fronts.

 

[duba169]

red mpls wrote:
But why can't LeBron play a role in making it a more perfect world?  As for "their families" and $100 million, LeBron's great-grandchildren would be straight even without a single endorsement dollar.  So it's not really a matter of "taking care of" their families, it's a matter of greed and putting money over everything else.

As for why LeBron would risk $100 million to take a stand for what's right... if you can't figure that out, I don't know what to say other than many things in life are more important than money, such as morals, values, integrity, community, family, health, etc.


especially when you already have about 100 mil in the bank (probably more depending on investments and all that). Plus lets say he keeps quiet until he signs one more max contract... i mean dude is set for multiple life times. It gets to a point where it's not about supporting the fam or the entourage. It's pure ago and greed. Maybe in the later years in his life he will be more vocal.

Tiger woods is by far the worst to me though. In that specific sport which is mostly full of wealthy people and "old money" it would mean so much more if he talked openly about the black community and other issues. I mean i'm not even black and he just rubs me the wrong way. Theres a point where you have enough money and you need to use your position to help other people.

Whoever said bron isn't educated I agree that's most likely the root of the problem. He's not dumb, but he wasn't properly educated because it was all about basketball for sooo many years. Plus no college. It's def not all on him, I mean when would he have the time to keep up with current events or read a bunch of history books?

 

[in yo nostril]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by Juan Baller

I feel like y'all are in a cult when a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf topic comes up. This dude wasn't blackballed from the NBA... he stopped getting offers because he was a terribly inefficient scorer. In his last two seasons in the league, he scored 7.3 pts/gm on 8.8 fga/gm and 6.5 pts/gm on 6.0 fga/gm... 14.6 pts/gm on 13.6 fga/gm for his career. That's straight awful...

If he was such an amazing scorer... how come he couldn't get to the free-throw line like Iverson or Monta Ellis? And Abdul-Rauf had limited range... he could only shoot the 3-ball when they moved the line in (1994-95 to 1996-97).

Dude sounds delusional remininscing about his playoff runs... he shot 36% in 15 career playoff games (including only 1 game where he shot better than 45%).

Amazing college player? Yes. Underrated NBA player? No.

i brought this up in the last thread about this guy and dudes were heated.

anyway its cool he spoke up and all that but i dont blame lebron for keeping his mouth shut. too much money on the line and lets be honest, dude is probably not very educated.

He put up the best numbers of his career (19 and 7 and 93% FT) in 95-96, the season where the anthem incident took place. He was 26. The following year he gets traded to Sacramento where his playing time and role was reduced. I guess all this is just a huge coincidence... If you're a hater that is.

or he just wasnt that good. it doesnt take 2 years to get blackballed

 im not saying hes trash, but he was nowhere near elite. who cares anyway, hes done. i respect him speaking out but no one that has hundreds of millions of dollars to lose is going to say anything to jeopardize that.

 

[goldhawkickz13]

nice video, i am glad i learned japanese so i understood everything being said in the video.

 playing for a team from kyoto...kyoto...