Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is imploring college athletes to come together in their fight to unionize and end the system of exploitation where they are “always too broke to do much but study, practice and play.”
In a scathing essay published in Jacobin magazine, the 67-year-old NBA Hall of Famer added “nothing has changed” since his days of starring at UCLA. Jabbar has long been an advocate of college athletes being paid to play.
“Life for student-athletes is no longer the charming American dream of homecoming bonfires and celebrations at the malt shop,” Jabbar wrote in the piece titled College Athletes of the World, Unite. “It’s a huge industry where everyone profits — everyone except the kids aged eighteen to twenty-one who risk serious injuries every game that could end their careers. This kind of unfairness should not sit well with American workers who deal with similar uncertainties daily.”
A three-time National College Player of the Year and a six-time NBA MVP, Jabbar also lambasted the NCAA for its stance of opposition against athletes having the right to unionize.
“The NCAA’s power is further eroding thanks to the push to unionize college athletes, a necessary step in securing a living wage in the future,” he wrote. “Without the power of collective bargaining, student-athletes will have no leverage in negotiating for fair treatment. History has proven that management will not be motivated to do the right thing just because it’s right. Unions aren’t all perfect, but they have done more to bring about equal opportunities and break down class barriers than any other institution.”
[Photo Credit: Andy Stenberg]