Monday on CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight,” NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar doubled down on the hypocrisy he saw with the NFL’s handling of Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former quarterback-turned activist Colin Kaepernick.
Rodgers had avoided sharing his vaccination status and claimed he was “immunized” against the coronavirus. He later revealed he had undergone homeopathic treatments due to being allergic to some of the vaccines’ ingredients.
On his SubStack page, Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “I can’t help but think of Colin Kaepernick, who was blacklisted by the NFL for passively expressing his frustration with systemic racism – a brave act meant to help his community and save lives – while multi-millionaire Rodgers will continue to play, despite lying to the fans and his teammates and putting innocent lives in danger.”
Host Don Lemon asked the NBA legend if there was a “double standard” with the treatment of Kaepernick, who failed to get a job after kneeling for the national anthem, likening cops to pigs, and praising Fidel Castro, and Rodgers, who hasn’t been vaccinated.
Abdul-Jabbar said there was a double standard and added the quarterback’s “lack of responsibility” and moral character of exposing everyone around him “can’t be ignored.”
“I think there is a double standard,” Abdul-Jabbar replied. “Rodgers is very valuable to the NFL, and he has a lot of fans. And I don’t think they’re going to do anything of a serious nature to discipline him. His lack of responsibility, you know, for his friends, family, team, staff and fans that he lied to and exposed to COVID-19 — it shows the lack of moral character that can’t be ignored.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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