Jabbar, the all-time leading scorer in NBA history who earned six world titles, boycotted the 1968 Olympics in the wake of social unrest and the aftermath of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In a live interview with the BlackPressUSA, Jabbar said he believes the murder of George Floyd by police and the subsequent protests around the globe, signal a sea change.

“Across America, people of all descriptions got an understanding of what it means to be a Black American, to be singled out and discriminated against,” Jabbar said during the interview, co-hosted by Brandon Brooks, Managing Editor of the Los Angeles Sentinel.

Jabbar commended his fellow athletes for their history of activism, including LeBron James, who has spoken out about Floyd’s murder.

“It is really important for athletes, especially those in African-American communities and communities of color, to speak out because the young people in those communities look up to athletes as the people that set the tone and have the knowledge and courage to do what is right,” Jabbar insisted.