'Winning Time' Where Is Solomon Hughes Now?


Solomon Hughes makes his acting debut as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in HBO's Winning Time. Currently, he is the coach of his middle school basketball team.

Winning Time is based on Adam McKay's 2014 best-seller Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.

Hughes, at 6'11", is successfully portraying the 7'2" Abdul-Jabbar onscreen, towering over the rest of his co-stars. Hughes, like many other fans, was awestruck by the NBA star's iconic skyhook, a leaping, high-arcing shot that never seemed to miss.

Huges was heavily impacted by the athlete since the only thing his father allowed him to watch on television was the Los Angeles Lakers. His father wanted him to see how dominant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was and learn from him.

Hughes, like many other fans, was awestruck by the NBA star's iconic skyhook, a leaping, high-arcing shot that never seemed to miss.

In an interview with Vulture, Hughes also stated that he admires what the pro athlete turned cultural critic has done off the court. "He's been at the vanguard of so many important issues that go beyond basketball," Hughes said.

He also mentioned that the first book he read as a youngster was Abdul-1983 Jabbar's autobiography, Giant Steps. It detailed his early career, 1971 conversion to Islam, and activism.

He was so engrossed in Kareem's life that it seemed as though he was fated to play him onscreen. In episode five, "Pieces of a Man," he worries that his success on the court has prevented him from achieving a larger purpose in a world that would rather he shut up and dribble.

"I was absolutely trying to combine his patience, but also the truth of how unpleasant the continual flood of attention would be," Hughes explained.

Hughes chatted with Vulture about how he learned to be cool, how he unlocked the skyhook, and which Winning Time co-star he'd want to take a MasterClass from.

He also discusses unlocking Kareem's signature move and expresses gratitude for living in a Youtube Era where he can learn Kareem's moves from his videos.

Hughes even went into yoga, focused on breathing and closing out the world around him to attempt to emulate his actions.

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Solomon Hughes Aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar In Winning Time Wikipedia & Net Worth

Solomon Hughes, a 42-year-old actor, is a former basketball player, having played center for the University of California, Berkeley, from 1998 to 2002. 

Hughes's true basketball heritage has proved useful in HBO's Winning Time. He was a member of the University of California's Golden Bears in the late 1990s and early 2000s, serving as team captain at the end of his tenure.

Several members of his squad, including Geno Carlisle, Sean Lampley, Francisco Elson, and Jamal Sampson, went on to play in the NBA.

Hughes, though, opted to leave the sport after spending time with talent scouts and training camps following college. He recalled playing college basketball was machine work. 

He stated, "Because it's a company, it's simple to become disillusioned. It's professional, yet it's disguised as amateurism. At the end of the day, you're on a team where the coach's job is determined by wins and losses."

"That pressure seeps down into how you're feeling. So, despite all the rhetoric such as, 'This is the college experience, and we simply want you to have fun,' everyone is focused on the bottom line. That was one of the reasons I fell out of love with it."

However, working with a variety of individuals that loved the game, writers, producers, and executives, and seeing it through their eyes has just strengthened my admiration for it, Hughes says in an interview with . 

"This experience has helped me fall in love with the game of basketball." This knowledge may aid in the construction of his Wikipedia, which is unavoidable given his continued success.

In 2013, he received his Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Georgia, after which he lectured at Stanford University's School of Higher Education.

His net worth is now believed to be $1.5 million. Which is guaranteed to rise after the sequence of sponsorships and endorsements; he is certain to get following the success of Winning Time.

Is Solomon Hughes Married?

Solomon Hughes is married to his wife and has a daughter. He also coaches her daughter's middle school basketball team.

However, he has remained tight-lipped about his family members. On the other hand, he is very close with his parents, Barbara Hughes and Ronald Hughes.

He stated that his parents have always been supportive of his work and is blessed to have them in his life. 

The details about his personal life will be released soon.