PHILADELPHIA — The NBA's all-time leading scorer had some harsh words about Republican nominee Donald Trump's views and ideas pertaining Muslims on Thursday night.
"Donald Trump's idea to register Muslims and prevent them from entering our country is the very tyranny [Thomas] Jefferson abhorred," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said at the Democratic National Convention.
Trump said last month he would ban immigrants from countries with terrorist ties from entering the U.S. The GOP standard bearer has also used anti-Muslim rhetoric throughout his campaign, enraging many on both the left and right.
Abdul-Jabbar kicked off his speech with a joke about Trump, to which the crowd laughed lightly. "I'm Michael Jordan and I'm here with Hillary. I only say that because Donald Trump couldn't tell the difference." However, the short speech quickly turned serious.
"At its core, discrimination is the result of fear. Those who think Americans scare easily enough to abandon our country's ideals in exchange for a false sense of security underestimate our resolve," Abdul-Jabbar said.
Abdul-Jabbar, 69, formerly known as Lew Alcindor, changed his name after converting to Islam.
The 7-foot-2 center had an illustrious basketball career that spanned 20 years, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and, more notably, the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won five of his six championships.