Abdul-Jabbar: NBA put public health above self-interest, which is more than Trump can say

In an article on The Guardian, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar praised how the NBA has led by example by putting public health above self-interest in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. Abdul-Jabbar says the sports organizations have acted more patriotic and selfless than the Trump administration.

“What makes the actions of the NBA and other sports so significant is that they are doing this voluntarily, without coercion from the federal government,” Abdul-Jabbar writes. “They could have dragged their feet – as the federal government did – and wrung every last dollar out of the public before closing their doors. But they put public health above self-interest, which is something the Trump administration can’t say. They are leading by example, which is something Trump himself hasn’t done. Just a couple days ago, while the CDC and every other health advisory group was emphasizing not shaking hands, Trump waded into a group of fans to shake their hands.”