Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Defends Billy Bush’s Hot Mic Moment And Kendall Jenner’s Halloween Costume, Compares It to Chris Hemsworth In A ‘Bedazzled Lakers Jockstrap’
Well that's an image!
Former Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be best known as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but these days, he’s possibly just as noteworthy for his strong opinions, particularly when it comes to movies, TV and pop culture in general. The six-time NBA champion never holds back, previously explaining why he didn’t like Avatar: The Way of Water and disputing how he was depicted in HBO’s Winning Time series. Now he’s turned his attention to Billy Bush’s latest hot mic moment, defending both the Extra host and Kendall Jenner’s choice of Halloween costume with an A+ comparison that involved Chris Hemsworth in a “bedazzled Lakers jockstrap.”
Audio was leaked last week of Billy Bush making a crude joke about Kendall Jenner’s Halloween costume, in which she dressed up as a sexy version of the Toy Story character Jesse. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared his thoughts in his newsletter about the people who claimed Jenner had blemished the image of the animated cowgirl, writing:
Thanks to Kareem for putting that mental image in all of our heads! The visual gets his point across, though, as he argued that The Kardashians star’s costume didn’t taint the Toy Story franchise, in the same way that any NBA-themed Halloween costume wouldn’t have any effect on the sport.
The former Laker also spoke about the backlash against Billy Bush, acknowledging the propensity of some to use humor as justification for insensitive remarks, and the need to speak out when that happens. He wrote:
However, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar questioned whether it was fair to say that’s what Billy Bush was doing in this instance, as Kendall Jenner was being intentionally provocative in the photo she posted. He continued:
Whether you agree with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s take or not, it doesn’t seem like Kendall Jenner has been too put off by the kerfuffle over her Halloween costume. While Kim Kardashian’s little sister hasn’t commented publicly on Billy Bush’s remark, she did take to Instagram this week with photos featuring some bright animal-print lingerie.
Check your local listings to see when to catch Extra in syndication, and you can find Kendall Jenner on The Kardashians with a Hulu subscription. Be sure to also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.
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Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.