Former professional athletes have been there and done it all, so most of them like to give back to people any way they can. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, and at 71 he decided it was time to get rid of some of the memorabilia he collected. This man was the biggest star in basketball for many years, and something coming from him could be worth a fortune to the right buyer. Here’s how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s charity auction took home millions.

Abdul-Jabbar’s Charity Auction Brings In Millions

The Skyhook Foundation

Abdul-Jabbar created the Skyhook Foundation to help children from economically challenged backgrounds to summer camps. These camps focus on technology, engineering, and science to try and better these young people’s futures. It is something Abdul-Jabbar is passionate about and the reason why he decided to auction off a total of 234 items he collected throughout his life.

Selling Some Big Items

It wasn’t just old socks that Abdul-Jabbar was putting up for auction, there were significant pieces that some people couldn't bear to part with. Of the six championship rings that Abdul-Jabbar won, he auctioned off four of them, all helping to bring in a grand total of $3 million. The highest price that any item received during the auction was Abdul-Jabbar’s 1986-87 championship ring, which was sold for $398,937.50.

He also sold the ball that was used in his final ever NBA game back in 1988 and three of his six trophies. Most of the proceeds raised will go toward the foundation set up by Abdul-Jabbar which is something the retired basketball star is more than happy to help out.

Abdul-Jabbar’s Charity Auction Brings In Millions

What Abdul-Jabbar Said

When asked about selling off some of his memories, Abdul-Jabbar was more than happy to offload them. He said when faced with holding onto a championship ring or changing a kid’s life it was a simple choice. “Sell it all,” he said as he hoped getting rid of his memories would provide the help needed to give some children a better start in life.

It can’t have been easy for Abdul-Jabbar to get rid of his memories, despite what he said. This is a classy touch from the former MVP and the $3 million raised will no doubt change many children’s lives in the future.