Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most respected players in NBA history for his contributions both on and off the court. On the court, Kareem is one of the greatest players to have ever lived and is currently the all-time scoring leader in the NBA.
However, there is a player that is closing in on Kareem’s scoring record and that is LeBron James. James is estimated to become the sole owner of the all-time NBA points record next season, but there are topics that are creating tension between LeBron and Kareem right now.
ESPN released a story on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s opinion of LeBron James as a public spokesperson, where KAJ said that he felt LeBron has embarrassed himself in public with many of his takes. This isn’t the first time KAJ has taken an issue with LeBron this season, previously criticizing a LeBron celebration and a joke LeBron made about COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, Abdul-Jabbar has clarified on Twitter that his comments were overblown and that none of them serve to disrespect LeBron, who Kareem admires deeply as well.
Today a reporter asked me a question about Lebron James and I regret my off-handed response which has been blown out of proportion. For years I’ve expressed my deep admiration and respect for LeBron as a community leader and athlete. That hasn’t changed and never will. –@kaj33 https://t.co/QEWed5YovX
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) April 4, 2022
Kareem is accurate, as only one negative quote about LeBron became the main talking point from the piece. The article also has a glowing quote from Kareem about his admiration of LeBron’s ‘I Promise’ School and the kids he has sent to college. However, Kareem also wants to talk to LeBron 1-on-1 so they can better understand each other, as Kareem maintains that he doesn’t like the way LeBron represents himself.
The master of the Skyhook is going to be ready to congratulate LeBron if he becomes the all-time leader in scoring. However, it will take a lot more to align these two titans of the sport on their humanitarian endeavors, as Kareem has expressed his dislike for how LeBron presents and carries himself.
