Timehost: Welcome to the TIME room! Kareem is here, so let's go with our first question.

RCar12 asks: Hey Kareem, have you ever had thoughts about coaching? Maybe you should get the Laker's job since Del Hariss is gone.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Hello everybody! I have been coaching recently. I coached high school basketball in Arizona, and I hope that more opportunities become available.

Timehost: We have a related Lakers question:

toddman72 asks: Kareem, what are your views on Dennis Rodman joining the Lakers?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I feel that he has become a problem. He will be more of a problem than an asset. Of course, he can prove me wrong. The Lakers, of course, hope that he will prove his critics wrong. At this point, though, I see him as more of a problem than an asset.

baby_love_99_98 asks: Kareem, I am a basketball player, but I am not a starter very often. Do you have any tips for me on my game?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Fundamental preparation is always effective. Work on those parts of your game that are fundamentally weak.

bigbopper123_99 asks: Hey, Kareem, who was your role model growing up?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Jackie Robinson. As an athlete and as someone who was trying to make a stand for equality, he was exemplary.

filippomiller asks: Do you still remember your first game in the NBA?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Yes, I do. It was versus Detroit, in November of '69. We won it. I remember that!

yawlp asks: Brother Kareem, how difficult has it been to be a Muslim in America and that, too, being African-American?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Well, I think race has been a burden for black Americans, a heavy burden. Being Muslim has also been a challenge because so many people do not understand Islam. I feel that there has been progress made since I was a boy on matters of race, but we have a long way to go. I think more people today understand what Islam is about. To make distinctions about radical people bent on terrorism -- those people come from every background and every religious group.

vtjuice asks: Kareem, I consider you the best center to play the game. As someone who also grew up in New York City, do you feel growing up in NYC aided you while at UCLA and then the NBA?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think the level of basketball in New York City is pretty high, and I think that was a good thing for me to be in that environment where I learned to play the game.

Dolphin1323 asks: Who do you think is the best basketball player in the history of the game?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: It's a very difficult question to answer. The game has evolved a lot. If you consider high school, college and the pros, all three I would have to say Oscar Robertson.

Benny_ST asks: Bernard from Croatia...Greetings. What do you, as a NBA legend, think about European players coming into the NBA?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think European players are an indication of how popular basketball has become. And they have added to the appeal of the NBA.

mcze asks: Did you know you were going to play basketball as a kid?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No, I didn't. I wanted to play baseball.

alkebulan47 asks: Mr. Jabbar, were you ever seriously tempted to come out of retirement, and if so, when and for which team?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Nothing serious has ever developed along those lines.

harrisam1 asks: What are your thoughts of Shaq being named one of the 50 best basketball players? I don't think he should have been on the list. Itıs too soon.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I have to agree with that. I thought a couple of the guys, maybe Alex English, could have been on the team. There are one or two other players besides Alex who also deserved that.

LakersFan33 asks: Kareem, your sky hook was impossible to defend. Why can't any other center develop this shot?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No other center seems to have worked on it long enough. There has been limited success.

eponine911 asks: What do you think about the WNBA and Chamique Holdsclaw?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I donıt watch the women's games, but I am glad that there's a women's professional league. I think that women should have an outlet of that nature.

Timehost: Growing up in New York, you played against some great players who never made it to the NBA. Who was the best?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: That's hard to say. I would have to say Earl Manigault, Joe Hammond, Herman Knowles, Those three come to mind. Tommy Jackson also didn't make it in the pros and he was a great college player at St. John's.

jodigirl8 asks: Kareem, my kindergarten class wants to know what size shoe you wear. :)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: 16.

smohlis asks: Who do you think is the best center in the NBA right now?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Right now, Hakim Olojuwan.

filippomiller asks: Was leaving the NBA a difficult decision for you?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Not really. It was a timely decision.

Cy_is_here asks: What has it been like changing from one profession such as basketball, to another profession like acting? Was the transition difficult?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: The transition was difficult. It's hard to stop something that you've enjoyed and that has been very rewarding.

filippomiller asks: In which ways do you think basketball has changed since the days you began your career?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think the game has basically not changed since I ended my career.

Lilange12U asks: Kareem, my 7th graders often idolize gangsta rappers and strive to be like them. As a teacher, how can I work to help them make better choices?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Well, I would suggest that teachers show their students, give them concrete examples of the negative effects of the actions that gangsta rappers glorify. There are concrete examples every day in our newspapers. So when a rap song glorifies violence, the teacher can show the newspapers the effects of the violence -- the death and the sadness and the loss that's inflicted because of the violence. And there are also rap groups that have a positive outlook in their art. And these groups should be shown as an alternative to gangsta rap.

AzNBreakinGurl asks: Hi, Kareem, you're da bomb. Well anyway...How do you feel about the players of today? What do you think about Kobe Bryant?~Audrey

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Kobe's an incredibly talented athlete, and there are many more like him among today's players. And thanks for your opinion.

rain_93230 asks: What was your most memorable moment with the Lakers?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: My most memorable moment came in 1985 as we beat the Boston Celtics.

kpbest asks: What do you feel is/are you biggest accomplishment(s)?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Well, whatever success that I have had as a parent. The things I did to get me into the Hall of Fame.

chris_a_griffith asks: Did your coach ever recommend any motivational books, as did Phil Jackson often with the Chicago Bulls?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No, he didn't.

JAYisYOUR1man asks: Being a Muslim, you are well aware of the no-pants-above-your-knees rule. Isnıt it Haram to wear shorts while playing basketball?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think that this question is about the fact that in the Western standards of modesty there are different guidelines.

chris_a_griffith asks: Did you ever have an interest of reading? If so, who are your favorite authors?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: My favorite authors are Raymond Chandler, Walter Moseley, Alexander Dumas, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Rudyard Kipling

locteach asks: What advice would you give to 6th to 8th grade students who are just starting out in the world of basketball?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I would tell any aspiring player to master the fundamentals, try to play all the positions. That's the best way to learn the game.

Sunny0603 asks: You must have millions of fans. How do you deal with all of them?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I donıt have to see them all every day. That helps tremendously.

imjohne asks: Do you think that it is your "job" to serve as a positive role model for minority youth? Do you think that it is your responsibility to prove that black men can succeed despite being discriminated against?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think that, as a parent, I have a job as a role model, to my children, and by extension, to other young people. And I think that black Americans expect too much from individual black Americans in terms of changing the status quo. But as far as my own personal responsibility, I do feel a sense of trying to affect those within my own circle.

filippomiller asks: How did you feel about the NBA strike?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: It had to do with the labor problems that had to be resolved. As far as I'm concerned, those were the issues.

coldfront444 asks: I have two questions: 1)What was your reasoning behind taking a job at such an obscure place as an assistant? 2) Have you or are you going to contribute to Dikimbe Mutombo's fund to build a hospital in Congo?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I took the job in Arizona because I had personal contact with the tribe over a period of years. Second, I was not aware of Dikimbe's hospital project. Tyonline asks: Do you have any more cameos coming up?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Not at present.

mavman29 asks: Why did you choose to be a Muslim?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.

Re_no asks: Kareem, in that game against Elvin Hayes and the Houston Cougars, the one that UCLA lost, how bad were your injuries and why did you play in that game with those injuries?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I had blurred vision. It affected my ability to play basketball. And I hadn't worked out for 10 days, I was at a disadvantage. But I wanted to see if I could help my team win -- that's why I played.

girl_good1 asks: Hi, Kareem, any suggestions on making a 10-year-old feel comfortable on the court? He is a good player, but freezes up during a game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think someone should explain to the child that it's OK to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes. Donıt worry about the mistakes. Everyone makes them.

Kala21_31 asks: What has been the most dramatic change in the NBA since you decided to retire?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I donıt think there have been any dramatic changes since I retired. I do think the constant expansion has diluted the talent. Other than that, it's still the same game.

Shaggs2Dope_ICP_69 asks: Do you watch college basketball, and if so, who do you think the national champions will be this year?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I have watched some college basketball. and it's too close to call.

Timehost: In a related question, how does the current UCLA coach compare with Coach Wooden?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think it's unfair to Coach Wooden, a man who was a legend. I think Coach Lavin does a good job.

armondo21 asks: Kareem, Iım a big fan and just want to know if you ever play ball a lot anymore?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar::

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No, I donıt.

payasito_000 asks: If you were offered a job at UCLA, as coach, would you take it?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: It would be very tempting, if such a prospect develops.

Crazy23 asks: I heard rumors of you and Michael Jordan joining the Globetrotters. Is that true?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Not true.

jask_1998 asks: Will the NBA survive without Michael Jordan?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think the NBA will certainly survive without Michael Jordan.

dhubbard_98 asks: Who in the NBA today reminds you the most of yourself in your playing days?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No one.

filippomiller asks: Do you think that the positive models involved in basketball and other sports can really make a difference against racism and discrimination?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think every little bit helps. I think it helps people's sensitivity to the subject, and, though it may not be very overt, every little bit helps.

samlam_bball asks: Who was your favorite player to play with?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Oscar Robertson.

jodigirl8 asks: What kind of music do you like? :)+

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I listen to jazz mainly. Mainstream jazz.

Shadow723 asks: What do you think about NBA stars being suspended for hitting their coaches and being drunk in public?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I think the NBA players have to be held accountable in a reasonable way, just like any other professionals.

Rang7 asks: Did you have any other dreams besides playing basketball?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Yes. I hope to be involved in a successful movie script.

RHYMNE asks: Jabbar vs O'Neil? What would happen?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: O'Neill would find out.

MidnughtRyder asks: Were you ever discriminated against on a ball team?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Not that I know of.

love_masterg asks: Do you think we will ever see a team dominate in college like UCLA did?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I doubt that will happen again. Players donıt stay in college long enough for any one school to dominate in that fashion.

Gones583 asks: Did you enjoy playing with Magic Johnson before you retired?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: Yes, I did.

Basketball_superhunk asks: Kareem did you ever get intimidated when you went up against better teams?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: No, when we went up against teams that were better, I just hoped that we could steal the victories. That happens from time to time.

skystarlove asks: Kareem, if you could say one thing to kids in relationship to education and basketball as a career, what would you tell them?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I would tell kids to pursue their basketball dreams, but I would tell them to not let that be their only dream. You should have dreams as students in addition to having dreams as athletes. They should have goals. Give both sides time and a chance to evolve.

MrNathanael asks: Do you still have that awesome hook?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: It's probably pretty rusty these days.

Timehost: Thanks, Kareem. Any closing thoughts?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:: I thank everyone for your attention, and I wish everyone the best.

TIME.com Special Report: Black History Month

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