The latest season of "Dancing With The Stars" is now underway, and all the contestants this time around are athletes. One of the most well known of those athletes is NBA legend and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He survived the first week with partner Lindsay Arnold, and ahead of the second week, he took a few minutes to chat with CBS Sports about his experience on the show and the NBA Playoffs.
CBS Sports:So I wanted to talk to you about "Dancing With The Stars." And first, I was wondering how you got on the show? Who called you? How did that come about?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Well the show called my agent, and she asked me if I wanted to do it, and I said yes. She was surprised. She thought I wouldn't want to participate, but I did. I figured I'd give it a shot.
CBS:Had you watched the show before? I assume you're familiar with it.
KAJ: I watched Emmitt Smith and I watched Derek Fisher. I thought that was pretty cool that they would try that. You know it's certainly outside their wheelhouse, but they had the courage to give it a shot. I thought they represented themeselves well. Emmitt did very well, he won the whole thing.
CBS:What it is like being back in a competition setting again?
KAJ: Well it's different from basketball, you know. A team sport is a lot different from an individual thing like dancing competition. The people we work with, the dancers, they're great people. They're very helpful, they try to help you with the choreography, getting your moves down, the right postures to take so that you don't look awkward and everything. It's a lot to learn.
CBS:I read that you and your partner Lindsay Arnold are the biggest height difference ever on the show. What sort of challenges has that presented?
KAJ: Well we try to use our height difference to accentuate the choreography, instead of trying to minimize it. So far, so good.
CBS:You're a pretty big music guy. Do you get any say or influence over the style of dance or the songs?
KAJ: Yeah, we figure out what we might be able to pull off, and then we talk to the people who run the show.
CBS:Is there any style you're looking forward to, or hoping to try?
KAJ: Well, not really, I'm just hoping I don't have to do anything with the ballroom dancing. Because a lot of those require that you be in frame. You know, that the two people have to stay related to each other and not deviate, and that's really hard when you have a great height difference. So we've been lucky we haven't had to do any dances that require that yet.
CBS:So is this dancing stuff all completely new to you? Or have you ever had any lessons or experience with it before?
KAJ: I've had some exposure to various dancing styles, so I'm not completely in the dark.
CBS:That's good. Well I know it's only your second week, but what's been your favorite part of the experience so far?
KAJ: Ah, geez. That's hard to determine. It's nice when you get out there and are able to execute the dance and the people are able to applaud and enjoy it. That interaction with the crowd is pretty neat.
CBS:Yeah that aspect of it I imagine is similar to basketball where the crowd is right there and are reacting in real time to what you do.
KAJ: Yeah, that interaction with the crowd is always something that helps … Well, it helps me. Other people might have a different reaction, but for me it works.
CBS:So, changing the subject a bit. I'm not sure how much time you've had to actually watch the playoffs while doing the show, but I was wondering what you've thought of the playoffs so far as we move into the second round.
KAJ: Well I think they've been pretty interesting. I think Utah has really surprised Houston. Houston has better get it together quickly if they want to go for a world title. Golden State is looking tough. The Celtics look like they're in charge. It's going to be interesting whoever they play, whether it's Cleveland or Toronto. It should be good for the fans.
CBS:I'm not sure if you were able to watch LeBron in Game 2. But I'm just wondering as a former all-world player, one of the best players in history yourself, what is it like to watch LeBron operate on that level -- to watch another player reach the level you were at when you played.
KAJ: Well, LeBron is a special player. He's the best player of his era of the game, I think he shows that on a consistent basis. I'm very respectful of the way he plays the game, and the way he handles himself. He's a class act.
CBS:Lastly before you go, I was wondering who's really impressed you so far in the postseason, whether it's a player or a team?
KAJ: You know James Harden has really impressed me for a couple of years now, he's pretty awesome. And I think Ben Simmons has really come into his own for the 76ers recently. Also the young man for Utah, Donovan Mitchell, he's … wow. For a rookie, he's really showing some talent and leadership.
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