Speaking Resources
NBA all-time leading scorer, New York Times-bestselling author, and U.S. Cultural Ambassador
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a global icon that changed the game of professional basketball. Since his stellar professional career, he has gone on to become a celebrated New York Times-bestselling author, filmmaker, ambassador of education, and Time Magazine columnist. A sought-after speaker, Abdul-Jabbar recounts in riveting and humorous detail his exciting evolution from street ball player to successful athlete, author, producer, and community activist.
ABOUT KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a six-time NBA champion and the league’s only 6x MVP. He is one of a handful of influential and respected black men in America who has a national platform as a regular contributing columnist for newspapers and magazines around the world, such as The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter where he shares his thoughts on some of the most socially relevant and politically controversial topics facing our nation today. After 50 years as an athlete and activist, he offers his perspectives as a nationally recognized speaker who regularly appears on the lecture circuit. He is the recipient of 2 Columnist of the Year Awards in (2017 & 2018) by the Southern California Journalism Awards.
Currently, Abdul-Jabbar serves as the chairman of his Skyhook Foundation whose mission is to “Give Kids a Shot That Can’t be Blocked” by bringing educational STEM opportunities to underserved communities through innovative outdoor environmental learning. A NY Times best-selling author, he has written 15 books, including two recent memoirs: “Becoming Kareem” for young readers, and “Coach Wooden and Me” about his lifelong friendship with famed UCLA coach John Wooden. His second installment of the Mycroft Holmes series, entitled “Mycroft & Sherlock” was released in October of 2018. The last book in the trilogy “Mycroft & Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage” releases September 2019.
His Emmy Award-winning HBO Sports documentary, Kareem: Minority of One, debuted as HBO’s most watched and highest rated sports documentary of all time. Currently, he is in the writers room working on Veronica Mars for Hulu, and in development on his first original T.V. series for Warner Brothers.
Before leaving office President Barack Obama awarded Abdul-Jabbar The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Basketball Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a global icon that changed the game of professional basketball and went on to become a celebrated author, filmmaker, and ambassador of education. As one of the NBA’s all time greatest players, the 7-foot-2 Hall of Fame center, famous for his indefensible skyhook, dominated the NBA for 20 years and is the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer with 38,387 points. Prior to his stellar professional career, Kareem led the UCLA Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships and is the only player in the 75-year history of the NCAA to be named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament three consecutive years.
Kareem has made a career of defying the odds. His 20 years in the NBA gives him one of the longest careers in professional sports. The fact that he played for two decades virtually injury-free also defies the statistics. Many professional athletes have written books after retiring, but only Kareem has written multiple New York Times best-sellers and only Kareem has written on topics as varied as World War II, the Harlem Renaissance, and the impact of African-American inventors. His co-authorship of the children’s book, What Color Is My World, and the documentary On the Shoulders of Giants earned him two 2013 NAACP Image Awards. He has also continued the acting career he started with Airplane! and Game of Death (with his friend Bruce Lee) by taking comedic roles in New Girl and The Crazy Ones. Currently he is starring in a series of commercials for the State of Wisconsin’s travel & tourism council to help drive tourism into Wisconsin.
In 2012, Kareem was appointed to be the US Cultural Ambassador by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. That same year he and was named California’s After School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Ambassador. He is an inspirational leader who has become a passionate advocate for cancer research and a healthy living style after being diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph + CML) in 2008.
Currently, Kareem is writing more children’s books for Hyperion/Disney, is a contributing columnist for Huffington Post and Esquire Magazine and is filming his bio-pic for HBO. Each year Kareeem helps 22,000 LAUSD school-children attend Camp Skyhook which Gives Kids a Shot That Can’t Be Blocked. The camp incorporates a hands-on 5 day outdoor learning experience in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathamatics) in the beautiful Angeles Forest which is located 40 miles north of Los Angeles.
Iconomy Sample Case Study: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in history, came to Iconomy in 2005. He told us, “I can do more than stuff a basketball through a hoop, my greatest asset is my mind” We sat down with Kareem and asked him what his interests were. “History and education,” he told us. “I want to make history and science interesting to children so they can get a better education and have more opportunities in life.”
Iconomy went to work and since that first meeting, has created many opportunities for Kareem, including:
Books: Literary Agent Services
- On the Shoulders of Giants. A New York Times bestselling book about the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on Kareem.
- What Color Is My World. A New York Times best-selling children’s book about African-American inventors. 44th NAACP Image Award winner.
- Sasquatch in the Paint. The first in a series of middle-school novels from Disney/Hyperion books.
Film: Distribution Services for Television, Films & Other Multi-Media Formats
- On the Shoulders of Giants. A 2012 documentary film based on Kareem’s book of the same name. Kareem is the co-writer and producer.
- The film won 44th NAACP Image Award for best documentary
- The film won (2) Telly Awards in 2012 for best documentary & graphics
- OSG Soundtrack, produced & distributed – nominated for two NAACP wards
- Raised $2M through private investment
- DVD Distribution to Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, iTunes
- Film Distribution to Time Warner, Comcast, Netflix, Showtime, Lodgenet & Showtime Networks
- Foreign Distribution to Turkey & Brazil
TV Appearances:
- The Simpsons -guest appearance
- Iconclasts (KAJ & Chuck D)
- New Girl – guest appearance
- Guys with Kids – guest appearance
- The Colbert Report
- Sesame Street
- ABC’s Reality Show: Splash
- The Crazy Ones – guest appearance
- Guest Commentator on Numerous Sports Shows
Articles:
- Kareem’s articles and columns have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and online such as: Huffington Post, Wired, Fast Company, The Rotary Magazine, Intelligent Collector Magazine & The Los Angeles Times.
- Currently he is a regular contributing pop-culture columnist writing bi-monthly for
Esquire Magazine
Speaking Engagements:
- Kareem is in hot demand as a speaker to many business organizations around the country
as well as internationally. - NYIT Graduation Keynote
- McDaniel College Graduation Keynote
- UCLA Graduation Keynote
- Iconomy prepares his speeches and works with internationally known agencies such as
The Harry Walker Agency, IMG and TED. - Colleges & Universities, Fortune 500 Corporations
- Festival of Thinkers, Abu Dhabi w 15 Nobel Prize Laureates & 129 World Leaders
- US First Robotics – Keynote
- The TED Conference – Keynote
- US News & World Report – Keynote
Endorsements:
- Solicitation & Negotiation of Contracts, Licenses & Endorsement Deals
- Adidas
- Panini Trading Cards
- NBA Global Ambassador
- Novartis Pharmaceutical CML Ambassador
- Wells Fargo
- Lakers Special Asst. Coach
- Flexsure Joint
Event Management:
- Organizing, Staging & Promoting Sports Events
- Staples Center, 6 Month KAJ Exhibit
- KAJ Celebrity Roast 11/2012
- On the Shoulders of Giants Movie Premiere during NBA All Stars 2011
Commercials:
- Negotiated & Produce Commercial Endorsements
- Priceline
- Carl’s Jr.
- Skecher’s
- Turk Cell
- iPhone
Retail:
- Production Distribution, Operation Management Services, Logistics,
Supply Chain & Distribution Solutions - Established AEG KAJ/Skyhook Brand
- Established Adidas – KAJ/Skyhook Brand
- NBA License acquired
Press:
- Public Relations Expertise
- Life After 50 Magazine Cover Story
- Intelligent Collector Magazine Cover Story
- Rotarian Magazine Cover Story
- Madison Square Garden TV 3 Minute Segment
- CBS Sunday Morning News 3 Minute Segment
- NBC Black History Month Feature 3 Minute Segment
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
- NCAA 2013 Campaign
- UCLA 2012/2013 Campaign
- The Katie Couric Show
- Good Morning America
- The New York Times
- The Jimmy Fallon Show
- The Arsenio Hall Show
- American Library’s Magazine Cover Story
- The Colbert Report
Philanthropic:
- Establish, Manage & Create Philanthropic Opportunities
- Skyhook Foundation whose mission is to Give Kids a Shot that Can’t Be Blocked
by enhancing STEM through literacy in under-served communities. - Partnership with Los Angeles School District
- Partnership with RIF (Reading is Fundamental)
- Raised over $1M for Skyhook Foundation
- In January 2011 he was appointed U.S. Global Cultural Ambassador by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Kareem was able to take his message of education around the world as he visited many countries on behalf of the U.S.
- In October 2012 he was named STEM Afterschool Ambassador for California by the California Department of Education
- Established partnership with Governor Quinn/Chicago, Illinois
- Skyhook first annual fundraiser – Celebrity Roast of Kareem
Post Career
- 16ft Bronze Statue in front of Staples Center November 16, 2012
- Received the Rosa Parks Award for Social Studies
- Governor Brown California Hall of Fame Award given to legendary people who embody California’s innovative spirit and have made their mark on history
