Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Salvador, Brazil

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Announcer: Today, hall-of-famer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, kicked off his service as a Global Cultural Ambassador to the U.S. Department of State in Salvador, Brazil.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I didn’t expect to see such a big city here in this part of Brazil. I had heard about Rio de Janero, and I’ve been to Sao Paulo on my first trip to Brazil, but I didn’t know that they had big cities out here on the coast and it’s quite a place.

Announcer: Meeting at a community center in the pavilion, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar stressed the importance of education as a means of empowerment both in Brazil, and beyond.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: It was very rewarding to me today to talk to the young people about their education because a lot of them did not understand how important it is. So, I was happy to remind them that their education will supplement everything that they try to do as athletes. And they seemed to be open to it. They asked really interesting questions and had an open mind, it seemed, to what I was saying.

Announcer: Throughout Brazil, government officials and local partners are working to establish local police stations to rid these communities of drugs and violence. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar also traveled to Calabar. After discussing education and the opportunities it provides, Mr. Jabbar hit the basketball court to shoot hoops with the kids.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Playing basketball with the young people like this is something that makes me remember when I was a kid. It really reminded me of when I was in grade school and high school and trying to learn the game when all of my ambitions were right out there for everybody to see.

Announcer: Get updates from the road on Twitter as Cultural Ambassador, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, travels to Salvador and Rio de Janero, Brazil.

[jkg]