Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says LeBron James’ off-court work has been ‘more important’ than his NBA records on it… despite previously claiming Lakers icon should be ‘EMBARRASSED’ for ‘standing on both sides of the fence’
LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record Tuesday night vs. the Thunder, but the Laker great is even prouder of his successor’s off-court accomplishments.
In 2018, James opened the I Promise school back in his native Akron, Ohio for underserved children, who are eligible to attend the University of Akron for free as part of a 2015 agreement with the LeBron James Family Foundation.
And while Abdul-Jabbar has chided James in the past, he was hugely complimentary of the Lakers star after his 38-point performance on Tuesday.
‘What LeBron has done off the court is more important than what he’s done on the court,’ Abdul-Jabbar told TNT after the game.
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‘He’s sent kids to school, he’s provided leadership and an example on how to live.’
The Hall of Famer’s words come less than a year after he told reporters James ‘should be embarrassed about some of the things he’s done.’
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James embrace after James broke the all-time scoring mark
Abdul-Jabbar took place in an on-court ceremony after the record was broken
‘Some of the great things that he’s done, he’s standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he’s committed himself to a different take on everything. It’s hard to figure out where he’s standing. You’ve got to check him out every time,’ he said.
Abdul-Jabbar, in particular, took issue with James for two things during last season.
First, he condemned James’ celebration after an overtime three-pointer against the Pacers, in which he mimicked the ‘big balls’ dance made famous by former All-Star Sam Cassell.
‘Why do you need to do a stupid, childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court? It doesn’t make sense. GOATs don’t dance,’ Abdul-Jabbar wrote on his Substack at the time in November 2021.
The following month, James was again criticized by Abdul-Jabbar for his social media activity after sharing a Spider-Man meme about COVID.
The meme photo showed identical Spider-Mans pointed at each other with added labels of ‘Covid’, ‘cold’ and ‘flu’ – suggesting that the illnesses were the same.
Abdul-Jabbar believed that post was a ‘blow to [James’] worthy legacy’.
However, the six-time NBA champion later emailed the Los Angeles Times to walk back his criticism of James.
James sealed the record with a fadeaway jumper late in the third quarter vs. the Thunder
The star now has 38,390 points, a total which he’ll look to add to even further in his career
‘LeBron is still the daunting hero I described two years ago,’ the email read.
‘He’s still a major force in improving lives in the Black Community. He’s still one of the greatest basketball players in history. He’s still a man who has earned the overwhelming admiration of millions. And every day he goes out and proves why he deserves that admiration.
‘On occasion I have chided LeBron when I thought he was dropping the ball when it came to supporting the community. But I did so in the spirit of a loving older brother offering guidance, whether wanted or not. So, when I said that he has done some things he should be embarrassed about, that wasn’t a slam or a barb or even a finger wag, it was me recapping some of what I’d said in the past.’
In addition to founding the I Promise school, James has fought voter suppression with his ‘More Than a Vote’ group.
And on the court, Abdul-Jabbar believes the 38-year-old will add to his 38,390 points.
‘He’s gonna extend this record even further, and it’ll be interesting to see how far it goes,’ he said.
