HBO Sports and Mandalay Sports Media are joining forces on a documentary of NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The doc, which will premiere on HBO in early 2015, will look at the extraordinary life and career of the 7’1” NBA leading scorer.
“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a legendary figure and an American sports icon,” said Ken Hershman, president, HBO Sports. “While he has lived so much of his life in the media spotlight, his extraordinary story has never been explored in depth, and we are grateful to Kareem and his team for allowing us to bring this story to life.”
Ron Yassen will direct the project with On the Shoulders of Giants’ Deborah Morales set to produce and Mike Tollin, cochairman of Mandalay Sports Media, executive producing.
Tollin said the doc will “reveal the complexity and genius of Kareem both on and off the court. By his own admission, Abdul-Jabbar has had a complicated and occasionally hostile relationship with the media. This is a unique opportunity to tell all sides of his story.”
The film has already begun production in Los Angeles and is being produced in association with Iconomy® Multi-Media & Entertainment.
