I thought that former NBA All-Star, and NBA Hall of Famer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, did a fantastic job with this book in telling the story of the history of Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance, whereas that part of the country became a great cultural breeding ground for a lot of excellent African-American talents.
In the book, Kareem interviews well-known personalities like Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and many more. They all give a wonderful oversight and insight into what life was like during the Harlem Renaissance.
A lot of the book takes place in the early 1900s, and this really became a Mecca for black culture in the United States.
Personally, being a former NBA player myself and playing against Kareem for many years, I don’t think Kareem gets a lot of credit for being the intellectual talent (let alone the physical talent) for being one of the most intelligent players to ever play the game. He has gone on to do many great things after his career, being a voice of social consciousness, working with Pres. Barack Obama’s administration, writing daily if not weekly columns for numerous newspapers around the country, and publishing several wonderful books. If you want to know more about the man, and not so much about his basketball talents, take a look at some of his great works.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
