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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: ‘More Whites Believe In Ghosts Than Believe In Racism’

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Brendan Bordelon Contributor
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Former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suggested Sunday that Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling’s racism went largely undetected for some time because “more whites believe in ghosts than believe in racism.”

Abdul-Jabbar spoke with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about Sterling’s infamous racial tirade, which prompted the NBA to ban the Clippers owner for life and take steps to force him to sell the team.

“What about the underlying issues?” Stephanopoulos asked. “The idea that the league had for a long time turned a blind eye to his actions, and that the country is still struggling with lingering racism?”

“Well, this is a problem,” Abdul-Jabbar responded. “I did a little bit of research. More whites believe in ghosts than believe in racism. That’s why we have shows like ‘Ghostbusters’ and don’t have shows like ‘Racistbusters.'”

“It’s a — it’s something that is still part of our culture,” he continued. “And people hold on to some of these ideas and practices just out of habit and saying that, well that’s the way it always was. But things have to change.”

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