NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rips Trump's DEI policies on Jackie Robinson Day: 'Ruse to discriminate'

NBA fable Kareem Abdul-Jabbar utilized his code astatine the Los Angeles Dodgers' commemoration of Jackie Robinson Day to telephone retired President Donald Trump’s policies. 

Robinson was honored, arsenic always, Tuesday connected the 78th day of him breaking the colour obstruction successful MLB. He did truthful with the Dodgers, who had a solemnisation for the precocious Robinson that progressive Los Angeles Lakers large Abdul-Jabbar, who grew up a Brooklyn Dodgers instrumentality successful New York. 

In betwixt telling stories astir getting into fights with New York Giants and Yankees fans arsenic a kid, saying helium ever made definite his Dodgers chapeau wasn’t knocked off, Abdul-Jabbar besides called retired Trump for wanting to "get escaped of DEI," oregon diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

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Former Los Angeles Lakers halfway Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (left) and guardant James Worthy be a crippled betwixt the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers astatine Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)

"I deliberation it’s conscionable a ruse to discriminate," Abdul-Jabbar told the crowd, via The New York Times. "So, I’m gladsome that we bash things similar this, to fto everybody successful the state cognize what’s important. They besides tried to get escaped of Harriet Tubman. But that didn’t work. There was conscionable uproar astir that. But you person to instrumentality that into information erstwhile we deliberation astir what’s going connected today."

Trump issued an enforcement bid past period to terminate DEI offices, positions and programs wrong the national government. It besides terminated equity-related grants and contracts, among different orders. 

The White House provided a "fact sheet" for the enforcement order, saying it is "restoring the values of idiosyncratic dignity, hard work, and excellence."

YANKEES STAY COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID MLB'S QUIET ROLLBACK OF DEI

"President Trump believes that hiring successful each parts of authorities should beryllium based solely connected merit," the information expanse from the White House said.

The enforcement order, however, led to the scrubbing of galore websites wherever DEI was involved, which included the Department of Defense website that highlighted Robinson’s subject service. Abdul-Jabbar besides brought up Tubman, whose leafage with the National Park Service had to beryllium restored, conscionable arsenic Robinson’s with the Department of Defense. 

For Robinson, a communicative titled "Sports Heroes Who Served: Baseball Great Jackie Robinson Was WWII Soldier," was taken down concisely earlier being restored. ESPN initially reported it was taken down, which led the media to pounce connected the enforcement order. 

The DOD released a connection saying a radical was instructed to emblem immoderate pages considered DEI content. They were lone fixed a week to analyse thousands of documents, and quality mistake came into play owed to the condensed timeline. Mistakes were made, including the flagging of Robinson’s article. 

Late MLB icon Jackie Robinson (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

"Over the past fewer weeks, we've taken enactment to place and archive DEI contented from our websites and societal media platforms," Sean Parnell, adjunct to the caput of defence for nationalist affairs, said successful a connection past month. 

"Without question, this task was an arduous but incredibly important undertaking. We enforced an assertive timeline for our DOD services and agencies to comb done a immense array of content, portion ensuring that our unit remains acceptable and lethal." 

But it wasn’t conscionable federal. MLB removed references to diverseness successful its vocation leafage successful the past month, according to the Times. 

Abdul-Jabbar believes what Robinson fought for successful shot is inactive being dealt with today. 

"Jackie had an thought of what we had to confront," Abdul-Jabbar said. "We had to face segregation. And, successful galore ways, we’re inactive confronting it. But it’s worthy it. And it surely makes radical respect america arsenic a state erstwhile they spot that determination is immoderate hostility there, and bully radical are trying to bash the close thing."

The Dodgers were ridiculed by immoderate for visiting Trump astatine the White House to observe their 2024 World Series victory. 

President Donald Trump speaks during a ceremonial honoring the members of the 2024 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers successful the East Room astatine the White House. (Leah Millis/Reuters via Imagn Images)

Manager Dave Roberts explained the team’s reasoning for going to the White House Tuesday. 

"I don’t personally presumption it arsenic talking retired of some sides of our mouth," helium said. "I recognize however radical consciousness that way. But I bash deliberation that supporting our country, staying unified, aligned, is what I judge successful personally. I conscionable judge successful doing things the close way, and I deliberation radical are going to person their opinions connected what we did past week. 

"But I bash cognize that we each basal unified, and we each person antithetic stories and backgrounds and economic, governmental beliefs. But I was arrogant that we each stood together."

Roberts was besides peppered with questions astir Robinson, DEI and much earlier facing the Colorado Rockies Tuesday.

"This state needs a wake-up call," Roberts said. "I benignant of touched connected it a small spot (during the remembrance). This is not a one-day situation. It’s Jackson Robinson’s time for breaking the colour barrier, but this is similar an mundane benignant of mindset, appreciation."

The Yankees stay committed to diverseness and inclusion contempt the nationalist rollbacks of DEI programs. 

Former Los Angeles Lakers halfway Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attends a crippled betwixt the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers astatine Dodger Stadium. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)

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"We are continually moving with the members of our Diversity and Inclusion Committee and are actively engaged with our neighbors and assemblage partners," Yankees elder vice president of firm and assemblage relations Brian Smith told the New York Daily News on Jackie Robinson Day. 

"Our dedication towards these efforts remains unchanged, and our Diversity and Inclusion Committee continues to bash its work."

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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