Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Says Donald Trump Wants To 'Discriminate'

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies before Tuesday night's Jackie Robinson Day game, and predictably, criticized President Donald Trump.

Jabbar, like so many other liberals, has conflated ending exclusionary DEI policies with racism and discrimination. And left-wing sports media ate it up.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Jabbar's comments with a glowing, cringe-inducing tone of acceptance.  

"Trump wants to get rid of DEI, and I think it’s just a ruse to discriminate," Abdul-Jabbar said, per the Times, telling the gathered group of left-wing reporters his opinion at the base of the Jackie Robinson statue in center field at Dodger Stadium.

"You have to take that into consideration," he continued, "when we think about what’s going on today."

There is, of course, literally zero comparison between Jackie Robinson and what he went through, and ending the nonsensical, discriminatory DEI policies of today.

LOS ANGELES - Kareem Abdul Jabbar remembers Jackie Robinson as the LA Dodgers host its annual day honoring the groundbreaking player at Dodger Stadium on April 15, 2025. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Has Little Original To Add

Jabbar also said it's "absolutely important" to continue Jackie Robinson's legacy, and while that's inarguably true, it has nothing to do with Trump or DEI policies.

The Times though, ate it right up.

"Since President Trump returned to office in January, his campaign against diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives has had direct cross-overs with Robinson’s legacy, as well as Major League Baseball’s public communications," it wrote. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, at least, fought back against criticisms that the Dodgers couldn't visit the White House and celebrate Jackie Robinson Day.

"I don’t personally view it as talking out of both sides of our mouth," he said. "I understand how people feel that way. But I do think that supporting our country, staying unified, aligned, is what I believe in personally."

It's all absurd - the conflation of ending DEI policies with discrimination and acting as if Donald Trump wants to discriminate against black people. The obsessive politicization of every single thing that happens across sports, and the ridiculous focus of sports media on uncritically promoting Abdul-Jabbar's nonsensical comparisons.

Yes, it's important to celebrate Jackie Robinson. No, ending DEI has nothing to do with discrimination or racism. It's really not that hard.