Maryland Conservatarian has the scoop on Abdul-Jabbar’s concern about the den of iniquity that is Whoville:

His concern got me thinking back to his days as a player and how I almost had one more final chance to see him play. I was stationed in Saudi Arabia in the immediate aftermath of the 1st Gulf War when it was announced that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar himself was part of a exhibition Basketball Tour that was coming to various parts of Saudi Arabia, including where I was. Well, this would have been a wonderful diversion but unfortunately the exhibition game was off-limits to women spectators. Our military commanders correctly said then that if it was off-limits to female soldiers, it was off-limits to all soldiers. …but I’m sure all the little Saudi girls who heard about the game from their brothers were clearly impressed by the message he brought.