Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court
Time to read: 3 min read
Book Cover
Records are merely steps on a ladder to help the next person move higher.
Review
This covers the pre-NBA years of NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, from his childhood growing up in New York City to his time playing at UCLA.
Judging from the language used, this book is clearly targeted towards a younger audience and I was surprised at how candid Kareem was talking about his experiences with uncomfortable topics such as racism. This is perhaps one of the best accounts of racism I've ever read; instead of overly politicizing or presenting an overly dogmatic view of the problem, Kareem paints an incredibly nuanced picture of racism. He writes about how he was betrayed by those he cared about the most, including his highschool basketball coach Donahue, who called him the n-word. Instead of just vilifying his coach, Kareem analyzed why his coach, who was extremely kind to him and genuinely cared about him, would act in the way that he did. I found Kareem's take on racism very refreshing in its maturity; ultimately, his nuanced take allowed him to find closure with his coach. It was, nevertheless, very sad to read about his lifelong distrust of white people due to his experiences in his childhood.
The book touches on many of his experiences growing up, such as being a reporter for a local newspaper during the Harlem riot of 1964, his experiences with ladies (of course), as well as his experiences with other legendary figures, such as his friendship with Wilt Chamberlain, his meeting with Muhammad Ali, and his training sessions with Bruce Lee. This book is packed full of wisdom; my top three takeaways are:
Throughout the book, except for a few exceptions (such as his claims with women), Kareem is extremely humble; he acknowledges that he is imperfect, and even acknowledges that he was terrible at basketball when he first started.
Another aspect of Kareem I found very inspiring is his compassion towards others; he explains how he was inspired by Mohammed Ali to leverage his victories on the court to empower his community, and he also brings up his philosophical discussions with Bruce Lee, namely to "think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world".
The story of Kareem is ultimately a story of hardwork; he talks about how who he was and who he would become is all dependent on his "determination and discipline". Instead of blaming others for his shortcomings and obstacles, Kareem opted to work harder to overcome them. He especially stresses the importance of preparation and practicing fundamentals, and he also offers more practical advise, such as being wary of the press.
Conclusion
Although it's a book targeted at a younger audience, it's a surprisingly candid take on the early life of an NBA legend.