According to Basketball Network, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently revealed that he once spent time hanging out and playing basketball with Michael Jackson during his younger years. At the time, Abdul-Jabbar was a standout player at UCLA and met the Jackson brothers through a mutual friend.

Though their careers took them on very different paths, both Abdul-Jabbar and Jackson went on to achieve global fame in their respective fields. The Hall of Famer recalled how those early connections reflected the unique bonds between sports and music figures.

Abdul-Jabbar also pointed to Jackson’s friendships with other NBA stars, including Magic Johnson. From shooting hoops with him in Los Angeles to sharing meals with Magic, Jackson’s ties with basketball legends highlight how cultural icons from different worlds often found common ground away from the spotlight