Basketball Hall of Famer and six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just auctioned his title rings and memorabilia for about $2.8 million. The auction for his prized possessions closed Sunday, according to Goldin Auctions.
In a published statement from Abdul-Jabbar himself, called “Why I’m Auctioning My Sports Memorabilia (It’s Not What You Think),” Jabbar defended his choice to auction his memorabilia and rings.
His statement said that fans usually think the worst of their heroes when the latter decide to go to auction. “What kind of Dickensian hard times have befallen our beloved hero that they are forced to part with the bejeweled rings, shiny trophies, and other glittery flotsam…?” Abdul-Jabbar’s statement reads.
Abdul-Jabbar states that, nope, Dickensian hard times have not in fact befallen him. Instead, his passion for charity has driven his choice to auction his goods.
In his statement, Abdul-Jabbar says: “Much of the proceeds from my auction will go to support my charity, the Skyhook Foundation, whose mission is to ‘give kids a shot that can’t be blocked.’ We do this by sending children from economically challenged schools to five days in the Angeles National Forest to experience the wonders of nature and learn the basics about science, technology, and engineering.
“Camp Skyhook is an immersive hands-on experience that takes kids out of school for five days and four nights. They go from auditory learning to utilizing all of their senses in the great outdoors. Our hope is not just to get them out of the city to commune with the outdoors, but to stimulate an interest in the sciences that might lead them to fulfilling careers.”
Abdul-Jabbar also announced the auction on his blog at KareemAbdulJabbar.com.
Abdul-Jabbar, 71, is etched in NBA history as one of the league’s most accomplished players.
Abdul-Jabbar, during his basketball career, had been named an All-Star a whopping 19 times, earned All-NBA honors 15 times, and snagged a total of six league MVP awards, according to Sports Illustrated.
Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar was voted as Finals MVP on two occasions. When it comes NBA championships, Abdul-Jabbar won five with the Los Angeles Lakers and a singular title with the Milwaukee Bucks.
When Abdul-Jabbar retired, he did so as the highest-scoring player in NBA history with a total of 38,387 points scored, as reported on SI.com.
“Looking back on what I have done with my life, instead of gazing at the sparkle of jewels or gold plating celebrating something I did a long time ago, I’d rather look into the delighted face of a child holding their first caterpillar and think about what I might be doing for their future,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “That’s a history that has no price.”
Since much of Abdul-Jabbar’s auction’s proceeds will go to his Skyhook Foundation, it is of note that his foundation has one solid goal: to send about 80 students a week to the Angeles National Forest for five days.
“A lot of them live in areas where they can see it, but they’ve never been there,” Abdul-Jabbar reportedly told the Orlando Sentinel. “We get teachers from the LA inner-city district to interact with them and do hands-on STEM experiments. Talk to them about gainful employment. We have people talk to them—doctors, technicians.”