The difference between Russell and Kareem...

[Roy H.]

Here's Kareem's reaction to not having a statue outside Staples center:

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won five world championships as a Los Angeles Laker and remains the NBA's all-time leading scorer, believes the franchise owes him a statue outside Staples Center and feels "slighted" that it hasn't already happened.

There are five statues outside the arena recognizing Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Wayne Gretzky and Oscar De La Hoya. Abdul-Jabbar believes it's high time the Lakers do the right thing and make him the sixth athlete so honored.

"I don't understand (it). It's either an oversight or they're taking me for granted," Abdul-Jabbar told The Sporting News in a recent interview. "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."

The six-time NBA MVP sounded even more offended in a statement released subsequently by his business manager.

"I am highly offended by the total lack of acknowledgement of my contribution to Laker success," Abdul-Jabbar was quoted as saying. "I guess being the lynchpin for five world championships is not considered significant enough in terms of being part of Laker history."

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6563112

And here's Russell's reaction to the fact that he *is* getting a statue:

Speaking at a small engagement prior to the award ceremony that included the Mayor Thomas Menino, Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, and fellow Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn, Russell said the statue's true significance is its relationship to the mentoring program.

“Well, [the statue] makes me a little uneasy, because it seems almost like a tombstone," Russell joked. "I don’t want to engrave my tombstone yet, but it’s tied in with the mentoring program and there’s very little that I would not do for the mentoring program."

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4684142/russell-honored-for-mentoring-program

Russell deflects attention from himself, and gives it to the kids he's mentoring; it sounds like if it were up to him, there wouldn't be a statue.  It especially cracks me up that Kareem demands recognition for his five rings, whereas Russell has over double that and couldn't care less.

[mgent]

  I made that connection too.

Celtics rule Lakers drool.

[OsirusCeltics]

That is a great great read
Thanks for this... TP

[tenn_smoothie]

Here's Kareem's reaction to not having a statue outside Staples center:

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won five world championships as a Los Angeles Laker and remains the NBA's all-time leading scorer, believes the franchise owes him a statue outside Staples Center and feels "slighted" that it hasn't already happened.

There are five statues outside the arena recognizing Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Wayne Gretzky and Oscar De La Hoya. Abdul-Jabbar believes it's high time the Lakers do the right thing and make him the sixth athlete so honored.

"I don't understand (it). It's either an oversight or they're taking me for granted," Abdul-Jabbar told The Sporting News in a recent interview. "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."

The six-time NBA MVP sounded even more offended in a statement released subsequently by his business manager.

"I am highly offended by the total lack of acknowledgement of my contribution to Laker success," Abdul-Jabbar was quoted as saying. "I guess being the lynchpin for five world championships is not considered significant enough in terms of being part of Laker history."

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6563112

And here's Russell's reaction to the fact that he *is* getting a statue:

Speaking at a small engagement prior to the award ceremony that included the Mayor Thomas Menino, Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca, and fellow Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn, Russell said the statue's true significance is its relationship to the mentoring program.

“Well, [the statue] makes me a little uneasy, because it seems almost like a tombstone," Russell joked. "I don’t want to engrave my tombstone yet, but it’s tied in with the mentoring program and there’s very little that I would not do for the mentoring program."

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4684142/russell-honored-for-mentoring-program

Russell deflects attention from himself, and gives it to the kids he's mentoring; it sounds like if it were up to him, there wouldn't be a statue.  It especially cracks me up that Kareem demands recognition for his five rings, whereas Russell has over double that and couldn't care less.

it's funny, i was saying the same thing to a friend about Russell after reading about Kareem's indignation ...... and i talked to my buddy before reading Russell's comments here.

remember when Kareem left Milwaukee because it wasn't culturally progressive enough for his eclectic tastes. what a self-absorbed snob with a fragile ego.

Roy - I like the way you think. you & I seem to share some of the same sensibilities about sports and life, though you are much better at staying on an even keel than I.

[Silent Storm]

Russell is gracious and poised, Kareem is bitter and spiteful. So be it, another win for the Celtics.

[KCattheStripe]

I'll give Kareem this, it's a slightly different scenario when your team is already immortalizing it's players in statues. If I was Kareem and I saw West and Magic and so on everyday when I came into work it would probably eat at me a bit. But since the only person who has a statue is Red ( I think, is there a Bird statue?) it's a slightly different dynamic. That being said, I do like that the Celtic way is your number being hung for the right reasons and that's it. But IF I was a part of the Lakers organization, an organization who goes about celebrating their past in a certain way, and I was as good as Kareem and as integral to their current success as Kareem the coach, I'd absolutely be ticked.

[PosImpos]

They certainly have very different personalities.  However, they are in different situations.  I think it's somewhat understandable that Kareem would feel rather slighted when there are statues of the other Lakers legends and not him -- yet he is absolutely on their level. 

Russell might feel different if there were statues of Hondo, Bird, McHale etc outside the Garden but not one of him.

[PortCelt]

One would expect KAJ to be more humble since he was a Wooden disciple. Could be some jealousy over Russell in terms of skill vs. titles because there was no player more dominant than he in the colligate game, and later in the 70's. In his mind there could be a feeling of being under appreciated because of Magic, and the game came so easy for him at UCLA and then Milwaukee. Sounding more and more like a modern day Chamberlain despite the Shape Ups and Priceline $$$ coming in.

[housecall]

I'll give Kareem this, it's a slightly different scenario when your team is already immortalizing it's players in statues. If I was Kareem and I saw West and Magic and so on everyday when I came into work it would probably eat at me a bit. But since the only person who has a statue is Red ( I think, is there a Bird statue?) it's a slightly different dynamic. That being said, I do like that the Celtic way is your number being hung for the right reasons and that's it. But IF I was a part of the Lakers organization, an organization who goes about celebrating their past in a certain way, and I was as good as Kareem and as integral to their current success as Kareem the coach, I'd absolutely be ticked.

TP,Agreed...if there was a Cous statue already in place there might possibly be a different reaction by Russell.

[jambr380]

I'll give Kareem this, it's a slightly different scenario when your team is already immortalizing it's players in statues. If I was Kareem and I saw West and Magic and so on everyday when I came into work it would probably eat at me a bit. But since the only person who has a statue is Red ( I think, is there a Bird statue?) it's a slightly different dynamic. That being said, I do like that the Celtic way is your number being hung for the right reasons and that's it. But IF I was a part of the Lakers organization, an organization who goes about celebrating their past in a certain way, and I was as good as Kareem and as integral to their current success as Kareem the coach, I'd absolutely be ticked.

This is very well stated - tp. Obviously Kareem's reaction isn't the one people want to hear because he sounds selfish, but he has a real point and he probably just wants to be recognized. It's a lot easier to sound gracious and humble when you are being immortalized in statue-form, just as it is easy to sound like a jerk when you complain about not getting one. Russell is a real class act and that has always been the case, but I don't hold Kareem's attitude against him.

[GreenFaith1819]

I'll give Kareem this, it's a slightly different scenario when your team is already immortalizing it's players in statues. If I was Kareem and I saw West and Magic and so on everyday when I came into work it would probably eat at me a bit. But since the only person who has a statue is Red ( I think, is there a Bird statue?) it's a slightly different dynamic. That being said, I do like that the Celtic way is your number being hung for the right reasons and that's it. But IF I was a part of the Lakers organization, an organization who goes about celebrating their past in a certain way, and I was as good as Kareem and as integral to their current success as Kareem the coach, I'd absolutely be ticked.

Agreed.

And at the core of it all, I believe the deeper issue is more about respect than just a statue.

Kareem has always seemed as though he's a deep thinker and not shallow by any means. There has got to be more to this than we all know.

[Boris Badenov]

I don't understand the argument. Kareem has never been interested in shameless self-promotion, and he doesn't seem like an egomaniac. By most accounts, he's an intelligent, deeply private and decent person whose one downfall was aloofness with the media and fans. That should sound pretty familiar to all the Russell fans.

Perhaps Kareem feels, for whatever reason, that he's not getting the respect he deserves. Any proud individual has a right to feel that way and express that opinion.

The fact that Russell has a different style with this sort of thing doesn't make Kareem's actions wrong, in my mind.

As an aside, my two favorite basketball autobiographies are "Second Wind" by Russell and "Giant Steps" by Kareem. I think anyone who reads both will be struck more by the similarities between the two men than by their differences.

[paulcowens]

Russell is being patently disingenuous.  He made it perfectly obvious that he wanted a statue.  Do you really think Obama sprung that statue plug on him?  You have to be pretty naive to think that, I would say.   Jabbar is just being more honest.  And both are being ridiculous egomaniacs. I'm really sick and tired of these horrible sports statues.  Think about it - why would you go to some very modestly talented sculpture to do a statue of a great athlete, and expect that the great subject will lead to a great statue?  There is virtually nobody doing figurative public art who is any good at it.  Usually they either do that stupid cliche of the lifesize figure sitting on a fake bench, or they do something that is based on some photograph.   See how that doesn't make any sense?  If you want a photograph, then install a photograph.  There are ways to transfer photographs to permanent media.

But puhleeze, can we not praise Russell for being more of a politician than Jabbar?

[Boris Badenov]

Russell is being patently disingenuous.  He made it perfectly obvious that he wanted a statue.  Do you really think Obama sprung that statue plug on him?  You have to be pretty naive to think that, I would say.   Jabbar is just being more honest.  And both are being ridiculous egomaniacs. I'm really sick and tired of these horrible sports statues.  Think about it - why would you go to some very modestly talented sculpture to do a statue of a great athlete, and expect that the great subject will lead to a great statue?  There is virtually nobody doing figurative public art who is any good at it.  Usually they either do that stupid cliche of the lifesize figure sitting on a fake bench, or they do something that is based on some photograph.   See how that doesn't make any sense?  If you want a photograph, then install a photograph.  There are ways to transfer photographs to permanent media.

But puhleeze, can we not praise Russell for being more of a politician than Jabbar?

I see your point, but there is now a *norm* for great players to get statues, and these guys are not responsible for that.

It's a lot more egotistical if no one else has a statue and you say "I demand a statue." What Kareem is saying is "If these other guys deserve one, I do too."

[Fafnir]

Kareem has always had a chip on his shoulder about Magic's higher place in the Laker's heirarchy. Both in fame, aclaim, and also business side of things. They didn't offer Kareem partial ownership or a role with the team until Bynum specifically requested it.

This statue reaction is just a reflection of that.