A life lesson with Jabbar

Sports, Islam, Obama and Trump: in his speech at the Oscar Pomilio Forum Blumm, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talked about his career as basketball champion but also as cultural critic, acute interpreter of our times.

He had a long talk about time, or better, the “meantime intended as a field for future projects” (the main theme of the Forum) disclosing his main career highlights. “My sky hook? It came as a result of a growth process and study”. If it is true that the legendary shot of Jabbar has revolutionized basket in 3 seconds (those between project and action), on the other side his career as cultural critic and writer came to life alternating among school and playing field.  He continued: “I approached the journalism since I was a boy, and after completing my professional basketball career, I took several writing courses, thus discovering a new talent. Be courageous and confident: put your hidden talent to the test”.

Of great inspiration have been the words of Jabbar about his Islamic faith. “All the religions spread the message of living with others in harmony and respecting each other. It is essential to distinguish between good and evil. There is no peace without communication”. Talking about politics, he added: “I think that black and white people should collaborate to strengthen our country. During the last presidential campaign terror/fear was spread: fear does not fix anything. The United States should guarantee equal rights. I keep looking forward without losing hope because I want USA not stop growing but become bigger, as it has never ceased to be.”

The event, moderated by the Italian journalist Luca Sofri, was hosted by Pietro Montani, professor of Aesthetics at the Sapienza University of Rome, and Delio Jasse, finalist of the docu-reality -broadcasted by the TV channel Sky Arte - Pomilio Blumm Prize. Their contributions have focused on the relationship among time, new technologies, art and memory.

As usual, at the end of the Forum, it was held the Blumm Prize Next Artists Award ceremony, an art prize for young international talents promoted by Pomilio Blumm.