Prime Legacy

2024 has not been kind to the High School Class of 1965. Nolan Ryan, Alvin, TX HS ’65 still holds the career baseball strikeout record, but Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Power Academy, NY ’65 saw his NBA career scoring record that had stood due 40 years, bettered. O.J. Simpson, Balboa, CA HS ’65, the first running back to exceed 2,000 yards rushing in a season, died this week.

Mention O.J. and nearly everyone recalls the murders, the Bronco Chase, and the trial. Movie fans remember his not-so-iconic roles in the Naked Gun movies. Anyone who watched TV in the ’70s marveled at O.J. racing through airports to get his Hertz car. Hard core football fans remember O.J. as an incredibly gifted running back who dominated both the college and the pro game.

These aspects of O.J.’s legacy were mentioned in the many news reports, articles, and podcasts after his death. No one mentioned his Prime Legacy however.

Without O.J., we would not have the Kardashians today. Bob Kardashian was an obscure lawyer in 1994. The Kardashian girls were in elementary school. Bob was lucky enough to travel in the same social circle as O.J. and was the first legal eagle that he contacted. Bob then became famous as O.J.’s spokesman. Inexplicably, his family became even more famous.

Where would 21st century America be without the Kardashians? Thanks for that, O.J.

By Ed Dufton