“I did a little bit of research: more whites believe in ghosts than believe in racism,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “That’s why we have shows like Ghostbusters and not shows like Racistbusters. It’s something that’s still part of our culture. People hold on to some of these ideas and practices, just out of habit and saying, ‘Well, that’s the way it always was.’ But things have to change.”

“I think all the NBA has to do right now is keep the issue in people’s minds when it’s appropriate,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “It’s not something you can constantly be harping on. But when it’s appropriate, and they see people doing things that don’t line up with how we’re supposed to be feeling about things, then people have to speak up. It’s like watching the temperature. Somebody gets a temperature, something might be wrong. You gotta deal with it quickly.”