By Dave Begel Contributing Writer Published Apr 29, 2014 at 2:01 PM Photography: shutterstock.com

I’ve known Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for over three decades.

We’re not friends, but I know him and he knows me. I have always had the highest regard for him, not only for his basketball skills but for his intelligence and thoughtful approach to life.

That feeling was reinforced with the recent publication of a column he wrote for Time Magazine in response to the entire Donald Sterling mess.

This afternoon, new commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA banned Sterling for life and is going to try to force him into selling the team due to his racist rant. The disgust at Sterling has been virtually universal.

But read Abdul-Jabbar’s column here, and I think you will agree that this is a man who understands the world around him, how things both ought to be and how things are.

Dave Begel Contributing Writer

With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.

He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.

Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.