Coming Sunday: Wax on, wax off, wax Kareem
Michael Owen Baker/Daily News Staff Photographer
You try dragging a tape recorder and notepad into a locker room every night trying to interview Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Or, in this case, to a warehouse in Newbury Park, with Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan all within earshot.
(And, yes, that is Rodney Dangerfield trying to look disinterested in the background as well).
We tried, but Kareem, as expected, wouldn't cooperate. Which is understandable. This version of a Kareem action figure, which once appeared in the Hollywood Wax Museum, is about to be sold to the highest bidder in an auction on May 1. His days are numbered.
So, with that glazed-over look in his eyes, and painted-on smile, we tried to find out how he felt about the fact he could just be a conversation piece in someone's rumpus room in the very near future.
This Kareem didn't seem to have an opinion about it either way.
Meanwhile, you can check out the auction on www.profilesinhistory.com. Here's the lowdown on the Kareem figure:
LOT #134
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kareem is posed shooting one of his signature sky hook shots and wears an official Lakers uniform and Adidas basketball shoes. The wax head was sculpted by Logan Fleming and portrait painted in oil. The figure stands a towering 8 ft. 5 in. tall!
$2000 - $3000
Although, in all honesty, he was wearing Nike shoes and wristbands when we met him.
Here's a closer shot of what he really looks like, with us trying to pry at least a smirk out of him.
Read more on Sunday. It'll hopefully be more compelling.
In addition to those five above, the only other sports figures for sale are Joe Montana, Mark McGwire and Hulk Hogan, but they weren't present. Maybe off smoking a cigarette. Or a candle.
The auction also includes an authentic Fernando Valenzuela jersey that once was on a wax statue -- not sure where that one ended up -- and a Wayne Gretzky commemorative framed salute to him, with a game-used stick, which was once in the Guiness Book of World Records museum.
Oh, and in case you were wondering: No. The Kareem figure is not anatomically correct. Think GI Joe.
What does that mean? You're serious (linked here).
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