Kareem Abdul-Jabbar On Will Smith

Will Smith, also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, rapper, and film producer.

Noted for his groundbreaking work in music, television, and film, Will Smith has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and four Grammy Awards.

Will Smith’s portrayal of Bennet Omalu in Concussion (2015) was positively received, followed by portrayals of Deadshot in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero film Suicide Squad (2016) and Genie in the live-action Aladdin (2019).

For his portrayal of Richard Williams in the biographical sports drama King Richard (2021), Will Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor, but drew widespread criticism for slapping and shouting expletives at presenter Chris Rock over comments Rock made about wife Jada Pinkett Smith moments prior.

Will Smith has since apologized for the incident while Chris Rock has refused to press charges and according to several reports, has rather resorted to making fun of himself as a result of the incident.

A lot of celebrities have also taken their turn to comment on the incident.

Kareeem Abdul-Jabbar has also taken his turn and has indicated that Will Smith’s actions “did a lot more damage than just to Rock’s face.”

In a blog post titled “Will Smith Did a Bad, Bad Thing,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote that “with a single petulant blow, (Smith) advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community.”