Party for Abdul-Jabbar Benefits Children’s Group

Retirement could be the best thing yet for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

On what other occasion would such a basketball legend be the recipient of countless gifts and tributes from fans?

Even after his final regular season game Sunday, at which he received a Rolls-Royce, the accolades and presents keep coming.

The latest was a black-tie benefit for Athletes & Entertainers for Kids at the Century Plaza on Monday night. The organization, which supports and provides services for seriously ill children, gave the 42-year-old outgoing Laker center a six-hour-long send-off that included a cocktail reception, dinner, entertainment (taped to be shown in May on NBC) and an after-dinner party.

The charity, however, took a back seat to the Kareem adoration fest. That began with a pre-dinner photo opportunity where he was given a watch, a Fender guitar and a bronze statue of himself, caught in mid-sky hook.

$1,000 Per Ticket

Abdul-Jabbar never even made it into the VIP reception, where guests who had paid $1,000 per ticket (the regular price was $500) mingled to the tune of a live jazz ensemble. Those included Esai Morales, Jonathan Prince, Angie Dickinson, Scott Valentine, Carl Weathers, Jasmine Guy, Laker coach Pat Riley, Billy Crystal and Ryan White, this year’s junior chairperson for the event.

White is the Indiana teen-ager who was banned from his school after being infected with the AIDS virus from a blood transfusion. Last year his name went on the Ryan White National Foundation for AIDS Education.

But many of the dinner speeches explaining the background and purpose of Athletes & Entertainers for Kids were lost due to a bad sound system and the drone of more than 1,000 guests in the ballroom.

Still, the children did benefit.

That’s due to the decision of the charity to allow about 250 children from hospitals, homeless shelters and rehabilitation centers to see the show.

Said Athletes & Entertainers for Kids founder and executive director Elise Kim: “We thought midway through planning the event that, gee, this is a great event for the adults, but since this is the only retirement gala in town, we wanted the kids we serve to attend.”

A Guiding Philosophy

Kim admitted that inviting the children meant cutting down on profits. They expect to net $100,000 to $150,000; less than half of what they would have made had they sold those tickets. “It’s more important,” she said, “to stick to our basic philosophy, and that’s trying to include the kids in our events.”

The children made use of their opportunity, carrying cameras and programs into the center of the room for snapshots and autographs of the Lakers, Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O’Neal, Whoopi Goldberg, L.A. Raiders’ Howie Long and Marcus Allen, Debbie Allen, Bruce Willis, Elliott Gould, Quincy Jones, Martin Mull, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Patrick Duffy, Michele Greene, Joan Van Ark, James Caan and Peter Scolari, almost all of whom had some part in the show.

Not everyone in the line-up has earned a reputation as a Lakers fan (as one guest noted, “Did Joan Van Ark play a big part in Kareem’s life?”), and conspicuously absent from the roster were die-hard supporters Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon.

Danny Glover recalled meeting Abdul-Jabbar 22 years ago at a student conference while he was attending San Francisco State University.

‘I’ll Miss the Artistry’

“This was a guy who didn’t have to be involved with the students,” he said. “And ever since that time, I’ve been a Kareem fan. I’ve followed him every year. And you know, I’ll miss the artistry and the beauty (of his playing). You remember a run, a sky hook, and it’s very succinct in your head. It’s more than sports. You’re just gonna miss it.”

Martin Mull described himself as “The ultimate fan” of the Lakers (it’s likely several people thought they had that distinction) and added, “There is no other basketball (team).”

Any spontaneity the show might have had was lost in cue cards, long pauses and second takes. But there were some bright spots: Jackee singing “Your Feets Too Big” with the other Lakers as backup singers, Billy Crystal’s comic reminiscences of his stint on his Long Island high school basketball team, a humorous biography recited by Elliott Gould and the pre-telecast performance of “Kareem’s Dream Jazz Band,” featuring Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Stanley Jordan. Unfortunately, they only got in one number.

Abdul-Jabbar’s thank-yous were quick, and he acknowledged just about everyone. “Between yesterday and today,” he said, “you guys have worn me out.”

Don’t worry. There’s probably another tribute next week.