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What stands out most in Gordon’s already one-of-a-kind warehouse gym home are the celebrity icons from different genres. Many are no longer with us. Gordon chose each specifically for daily motivation. A young Obama smoking marijuana. Einstein. Athletes including Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Tony Hawk, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Pele, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Jackie Robinson. Dancer Josephine Baker. Actor and martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Musicians Billie Holliday, Prince, Lauryn Hill, Miles Davis, Bob Marley, Jimmy Hendrix, B.B. King, Notorious B.I.G., Nipsey Hussle, Michael Jackson and Mac Miller. Olympic activists John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Comedian Richard Pryor. Actor Heath Ledger. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. Civil rights activist and Muslim minister Malcolm X. Filmmaker Spike Lee. Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Antiapartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Legendary sports journalist Stuart Scott. Poet Maya Angelou. “I got everybody there from Muhammad Ali to Bruce Lee,” Aaron Gordon said. “You have greatness looking at you. You can’t be [joking around]. It makes you want to not bulls—.”
Trump announced on Thursday the National Garden of American Heroes will include statues of African American icons. This was where he mentioned Bryant as one of the national figures. “Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali. Not a bad athlete, what do you think, Muhammad, not too bad, and the late Kobe Bryant. People love Kobe Bryant. We're going to save Tiger Woods for another time,” Trump said.
NBA on ESPN: CJ McCollum has made a lasting impact on the youth of New Orleans with the McCollum Scholars Program, investing $1.1M to provide scholarships to low income students. McCollum is an @ESPYS finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ZfXLYpP4Sz
Clutch Points: The winner of this year's Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award is Bucks star Jrue Holiday and his wife Lauren 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pWCLA8oYdy
NFL star Maxx Crosby just got a permanent reminder to chase greatness daily ... getting pictures of Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, and Kobe Bryant tattooed all over his torso!! The Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher got the work done last week ... hitting up Andres Ortega at Onder Ink for the massive piece, and check out the images of the artwork -- it came out awesome. Just above his right hip, Crosby got a shot of Jordan in the middle of a free-throw stroke. To the left of that, the football player had an iconic snap of Ali put down. And, just above his left hip, Crosby also got a photo of Kobe mid-celebration inked too.
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Scott Koondel’s Sox Entertainment has partnered with Jon Shapiro’s Ideal Entertainment to co-produce Big Men, a limited series docudrama about the NBA and its stars’ important roles in the civil rights movement. Created by screenwriter Marc Cotter and Joe Bilella, Big Men captures the struggles and strides of the civil rights movement through the lens of two NBA icons, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Their on-court rivalry played a pivotal role in lifting a fledgeling league into a national phenomenon only to be matched by their teamwork off the court in their fight against racial adversity to bridge a segregated America. The series’ narrative will also include the women who influenced them and highlight other Big Men who joined their ranks — including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Muhammad Ali — to change basketball and advance social justice.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls out Kyrie Irving: 'He'd be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren't for his influence over young people'
Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes. When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society—Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russel, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and more—it becomes clear how much Irving has tarnished the reputations of all athletes who strive to be seen as more than dumb jocks.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior. One way to do that, beyond shaking our heads and nasty tweets, is to write to his sponsors and tell them to drop Irving—or you will drop them. Nike has likely decided not to renew his contract past this season. But he is still sponsored by Pepsi and 2K Sports. (Don’t feel bad for Irving: his career earnings at the end of the 2022-’23 season will be $230 million. That buys a lot of Yes-people.)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes. When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society—Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russel, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and more—it becomes clear how much Irving has tarnished the reputations of all athletes who strive to be seen as more than dumb jocks.
Barack Obama on Bill Russell: Today, we lost a giant
Barack Obama: Today, we lost a giant. As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher—both as a player and as a person. Perhaps more than anyone else, Bill knew what it took to win and what it took to lead. On the court, he was the greatest champion in basketball history. Off of it, he was a civil rights trailblazer—marching with Dr. King and standing with Muhammad Ali. For decades, Bill endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for what’s right. I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life. Michelle and I send our love to Bill’s family, and everyone who admired him.
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But the real key to James’ billion-dollar fortune: He’s been more than just a pitchman. James has long structured deals to give him equity in brands he partners with, giving him a cut of the upside instead of a quick paycheck. In 2015, James walked away from an endorsement agreement with McDonald’s, worth an estimated $15 million over four years, to instead gamble on the fast-growing Blaze Pizza chain, where he’s an investor. He’s taken equity in brands like smart gym-maker Tonal and rideshare giant Lyft as well. Then there’s SpringHill, the TV and movie production outfit built by James and business partner Maverick Carter. Last October, outside investors including Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group and Epic Games bought into the venture–which helped produce the $163 million (worldwide box office gross) Space Jam: A New Legacy and HBO documentary What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali–at a $725 million valuation. James, of course, remains the biggest shareholder.
Can you take me back to when you were doing this difficult work during your career? It seems like something, given what was going on at the time with the fight for civil rights, that would take an unbelievable amount of courage given what was at stake. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: It takes courage. But look at the people that went before me: Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson. They had to deal with stuff that was a lot worse than what we had to deal with. So, we can’t be afraid. We have to speak truth to power and hope that people will listen.
"It’s the kind of thing that maybe for too long athletes got away from that activist image. I grew up with Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Guys who were unafraid to take risks, to try to express themselves to move the nation in a better way. It is great to see these young NBA players embracing that heritage and using their voices to bring the nation along. So, as I said, I’m proud of them," Holder said.
Popovich said James' efforts have made a huge difference. "I think he's going to be an iconic figure," Popovich said two weeks ago. "Nobody can be what Muhammad Ali was, as far as sport is concerned. But in that same genre. I'm so proud of this guy and so pleased for him that from the time he came in as a teenager to see his development now -- basketball, sure, fine, but as a human being, as a citizen, as someone who looks at the social issues at our time and is willing to speak out about them.
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