Loren and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Yahoo image, Kareem and his "sky hook."

Loren's interests ranged far and wide, and sports were among them. He loved most sports--football, tennis, baseball, basketball, golf, even car racing. He knew the history and players of college and professional teams and could site statistics that astounded me. Any question I had about sports, I asked Loren. He always had interesting answers. Always. And so I remember his hero Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

This basketball giant was born Lew Alcinder. His ancestors were slaves on a large plantation in Trinidad owned by a French family. Alcinder grew up in NYC. He was raised a Catholic but converted to Islam in 1969, taking the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, meaning "generous servant of God." His family lineage was Yoruba, something he learned from his father, and it gave him a sense of pride from an early age.

Over 7 feet tall, he was a formidable basketball player from high school through college and into the NBA. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks, then the Los Angeles Lakers. He won 6 NBA championships and many MVPs. Loren thought star players like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neill, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant stood on his shoulders.

“The greatest center of all time,” Loren said.
“Better than Michael?”
"Oh yes, better than Michael. That sky hook was almost unstoppable.”
"Sky hook?"
"Yeah, a great hook shot he perfected, and won many a game with!" Loren laughed at the memory.

But Loren admired Kareem not only for his athleticism, but also for his intelligence and interest in history. Kareem co-authored several books, including his autobiography "Giant Steps," "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey through the Harlem Renaissance:" and "Black Profiles in Courage." I heard Kareem read from that book at the Southern Festival of Books in Knoxville, Tennessee, a few decades ago. He talked thoughtfully about Black history, exuded respect for his cultural heritage, and spoke about how important it was to know our stories and heroes from the past. I bought the book and had him autograph it for Loren. "My brother Loren is a great fan of yours,” I told him. "To Loren, from Kareem," he wrote. It was great! The book was in Loren's collection, but I'm not sure what happened to it. I'm afraid we went through some things so fast it all became a whirl, and the shock of it is still with me.

Whoever has it has a treasure from Loren, and insight into his far-ranging interests. Loren was not a physically tall person, but to me he stood as tall as his hero Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. To me, he was a giant with a heart of gold.