Excerpted from Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... Yet, love him or hate him, there was no denying the big man’s talent. How white sportswriters and fans wrestled with Alcindor’s dominance ...

This is the world of “Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... “We were more urban athletic than sexy glamour. There was no fixation on weight. Paying homage to African American hip-hop culture ...

The Milwaukee Bucks' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar takes a shot against the Los Angeles Lakers in an NBA playoff game in April 1974. Abdul-Jabbar and other stars of the 1970s and '80s helped transform the ...

(Paul Shane / Associated Press) This is the world of “Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... “We were more urban athletic than sexy glamour. There was no fixation on weight.