Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court

Ferdinand Alcindor was Abdul-Jabbar’s father. He was a transit police officer and amateur musician and singer in New York City. The author characterizes his father as an extremely withdrawn and unhappy person who did not engage with him very much while he was growing up. Abdul-Jabbar was disappointed in his father’s lack of interest and affection, and he wished that they could connect over sports, such as basketball. Big Al was happiest when he was making music; he studied at Julliard and was a talented musician. However, most of the time, he cast a “large, cold shadow” over Abdul-Jabbar’s childhood (13). While Abdul-Jabbar felt neglected by his father, he also expresses compassion for him, acknowledging that his life was restricted and strained by anti-Black racism, which prevented him from fulfilling his potential. The author writes: “I started to understand my father’s hard and crusty exterior. I knew he’d always wanted to play in a symphony orchestra but wasn’t able to because he was black” (67). In this way, Abdul-Jabbar comes to understand that his father’s unhappiness and seeming coldness were caused by his unfulfilled ambitions, which were consequences of racism.

Cora Alcindor was the author’s mother. She worked as a seamstress in New York City. She connected with her son by taking him to movies, which they both loved. This prompted Abdul-Jabbar’s lifelong interest in Westerns and Black cowboys in particular. Abdul-Jabbar credits his mother with setting a pragmatic example for him of how to be well-organized, run a household, and survive financially. While Cora was not very open or expressive about her emotions or political opinions, she was the author’s more engaging and involved parent. Abdul-Jabbar recalls how his mother strongly emphasized the importance of education, spurring him to study hard and excel academically, which he did.

Coach Donahue was Abdul-Jabbar’s basketball coach at the Catholic high school, Power Memorial. He was a significant figure in Abdul-Jabbar’s life in high school and features prominently in Part 2 of Becoming Kareem. Abdul-Jabbar characterizes Coach Donahue as an intense and demanding coach who showered his players with validation when they succeeded and verbally abused them when they did not. He initially felt indebted to Coach Donahue for taking him under his wing, giving him rides to games, and taking him to see NBA games. However, Abdul-Jabbar disliked his coaching style, which was very traditional and repetitive. When Coach Donahue lost his temper at a game and addressed Abdul-Jabbar by a racist slur, this fractured their relationship, and Abdul-Jabbar was angry about the incident for many years. Decades later, with the encouragement of Coach Wooden, Coach Donahue apologized to Abdul-Jabbar, who accepted his apology and forgave him.

Dr. John Henrik Clarke was Abdul-Jabbar’s journalism teacher at the Youth Action Project he attended as a teenager in Harlem. The author was impressed with Dr. Clarke’s expertise on Black history and by his profession as a historian, writer, and activist. He was also intrigued about how Dr. Clarke, like many other prominent Black Americans, had changed his name to express a new identity. Dr. Clarke inspired Abdul-Jabbar’s interest in Black history, taught him valuable writing skills, and encouraged him to feel pride in his Black identity and contribute to the Black community. The author characterizes Dr. Clarke as a kind and intelligent teacher who was among his first Black role models during his formative years. Dr. Clarke is the only person Abdul-Jabbar mentions by name in his book’s dedication, in which he thanks him for establishing the Youth Action Project.