"Couldn't reconcile myself to Christian ideology" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once gave insights on factors that made him embrace Islam

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most recognizable players in league history. Most people know him for his talent and accolades as a basketball player, but some know him as one of the most famous people who practices the Islamic faith.

Abdul-Jabbar wasn't always a Muslim. He grew up with a Christian faith, and only transitioned into Islamic beliefs when he was already playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. He talked about why he chose to follow the Muslim faith back then and gave his reasoning behind it.

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"Islam is a very personal thing. I never did it to be political," Abdul-Jabbar said, "I did it because I couldn't reconcile myself to the Christian ideology anymore. I didn't do it to tweak society's nose either.

"It was a reaction to what I found about the Catholics and Christians, their involvement in the slave trade, their destruction of cultures and suppression of people throughout the world. Those were the things that moved me to become a Moslem.

"Islamic morality is based on the Judeo-Christian mold. Those are our fundamental beliefs also, there's not a lot more in common between what Islam is about and what the Jews and Christians practice than is evident. All the problems have to with politican situations."

With his conversion to Islam, he chose to change his name as well. Originally, he was named Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. Now, the name that most people know him for has a deep meaning. His name reportedly means "noble one, servant of the Almighty."

You might also be interested in reading this: "Violence will not solve the complex problems" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who converted to Islam in 1971, breaks silence on Israel-Palestine conflict

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar believes the preseason games in the Middle East can have a serious impact

This season, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks had two preseason games in Abu Dhabi. For some, they see it as just a form of promotion by the NBA to attract a new audience. While that's not entirely wrong, there could be other serious impacts because of how they presented the league.

Former LA Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talked about what kind of impact the league will have after the preseason games. Kareem believes that the new multi-year deal between the NBA and Abu Dhabi can have a "very serious impact on basketball in the Middle East."

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"Because the way that the world is connected now, through the internet, is going to make it possible for fans here in the Middle East to tune in when your favorite team plays,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “And that goes across the board.

"I think that interconnectivity will definitely affect fan viewership, helping it to spread."

After the two preseason games, fans could expect more in the coming years.

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