In a guest editorial for the Washington Post — an editorial that quotes Camus and accuses Republican presidential candidates of inducing "hellish chaos" — NBA legend and post-career political columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has endorsed Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.
Abdul-Jabbar, who turns 69 today, has transformed his reputation from surly to sage in recent years, largely thanks to his commentary on social issues, Islam and civil rights.
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The Washington Post endorsement does not mince words on the state of The States, as Abdul-Jabbar calls this election a "choice between hell and reason" — a reference to Albert Camus' reaction to the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.
"America was founded on the principles emanating from the Age of Reason, also known as the Age of Enlightenment," Abdul-Jabbar writes. "But today, with the rise of Republican candidates such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, we are witnessing a rejection of these foundational ideals in favor of a hellish chaos of lies, misdirection, attacks on the Constitution and, most harmful to the country, a rejection of reason."
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Clinton, he contends, has a "crucial combination of idealism and pragmatism" to counter that movement. You can see his nuanced reasoning for choosing Clinton over Sanders and the Republican candidates here.
Beyond his 20 years in the NBA (during which he became the all-time leading scorer with six titles and six MVPs on his mantle), Abdul-Jabbar has earned a reputation for stepping into the social and political sphere. And thus, this isn't the first time he and Clinton have appeared in the same headline.
In 2012, Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar a "global Cultural Ambassador," a distinction that involves traveling around the world on goodwill missions on behalf of the United States. Abdul-Jabbar presented Clinton with his Lakers jersey, signed, upon the announcement.