“He meant excellence”- Ex-basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pays tribute to MLB’s first Black player Jackie Robinson

On Tuesday, players and staff members associated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies gathered around MLB legend Jackie Robinson’s statue to remember his legacy. Robinson was the first Black player to play in Major League Baseball. He was the first player ever to break the color barrier 78 years ago with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Every year, people honor the historical impact Robinson brought to the game.

Big names like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and rookie Roki Sasaki — along with members of the Colorado Rockies, on Tuesday, gathered around MLB legend Jackie Robinson’s statue at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, as part of Jackie Robinson Day, which is celebrated across all MLB teams to remember his legacy. The players paid a tribute to the changes Robinson brought to the baseball world.

Even Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had joined the Dodgers and Rockies players to honor Robinson. Kareem shared a beautiful core memory from his childhood in Manhattan, when he had proudly worn a Brooklyn Dodgers cap. He even joked that he used to get into fights with Yankees and Giants fans but no one could knock off his cap because he was so tall.

When Kareem was young, he was inspired by Jackie Robinson throughout his life. He taught him how to be excellent, work hard, and ignore negativity.
He said:
"He meant excellence, giving your all, giving your best, and for all the detractors that are out there, just ignore them and keep on."

On Tuesday, every team that was playing decided to wear the No. 42 jersey, which is the only number universally retired in the majors.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts and Ron Washington of the Los Angeles Angels are the only Black managers in the MLB. Roberts said:
"It's not just a one-off day, We understand what this man did for our world, our country. This is how you go about life. This is something for me, keeping his legacy burning."
He added:

“One of the things Jackie obviously nailed is he realized from an early time that life was going to be hard, he was special and he was put in this certain position to rise above and know that it's not just about the game of baseball. It's bigger than him."
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