Los Angeles Lakers legend and NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's editorial for the Hollywood Reporter has drawn the ire of Ice Cube.
The rapper and BIG3 co-founder took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to decry Cap's piece, as well as the publication that offered it to readers:
Abdul-Jabbar made reference to a series of tweets Ice Cube sent out on June 10, also including anti-Semitic statements made by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DesSean Jackson.
Via the Hollywood Reporter:
Ice Cube’s June 10 daylong series of tweets, which involved some creepy symbols and images, in general implied that Jews were responsible for the oppression of blacks. NFL player DeSean Jackson tweeted out several anti-Semitic messages, including a quote he incorrectly thought was from Hitler (not your go-to guy for why-can’t-we-all-get-along quotes) stating that Jews had a plan to “extort America” and achieve “world domination.” Isn’t that SPECTRE’s job in James Bond movies?
The Lakers legend also reflected on celebrities using statements from Louis Farrakhan, who is the leader of the Nation of Islam and a notorious anti-Semite.
Ice Cube converted to Islam in the early 1990s and — while he never joined the Nation — has defended Farrakhan on numerous occasions, telling CNN's Jake Tapper “Watch your mouth” after Tapper lashed out at Fox for airing Farrakhan content:
Of course, Kareem is also a converted member of the Islamic faith. But it seems he and Ice Cube have different interpretations of Islamic teachings. Though, it would seem Kareem is merely attempting to discourage all forms of hatred and racism.
Unfortunately, it seems there is still plenty of educating to do when it comes to anti-Semitism. This comes after Dwyane Wade faced backlash for supporting Nick Cannon after the latter was fired for anti-Semitic comments.