Lakers Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Says Recent Critical Remarks About LeBron James Were ‘Blown Out Of Proportion’ & He ‘Regrets’ What He Said

April 4, 2022 by Ariel Whitely in Sports with 0 Comments

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James

Lakers Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Says Recent Critical Remarks About LeBron James Were ‘Blown Out Of Proportion’ & He ‘Regrets’ What He Said

Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 74, has never been hesitant to voice his opinion on Lakers star LeBron James, 37.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

On Sunday afternoon (April 3), during an appearance at an NBA event to present a social justice trophy named after him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticized LeBron James once again. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar arrived to the Crypto.com Arena before the Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets game to present fellow Lakers player Carmelo Anthony, 37, with the NBA’s Social Justice Champion Award.

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James

While attending the event, Abdul-Jabbar voiced his opinion on LeBron James’ and his distaste for his social stances. Reportedly, Abdul-Jabbar said,

“Some of the things he’s done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see. 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.”

Abdul-Jabbar previously took a jab at James back in December, criticizing that James “encouraged vaccine hesitancy.” The harsh feedback came after James shared a meme of Spider-man pointing to his Instagram account, comparing the coronavirus to the flu or common cold. Abdul-Jabbar responded to the post with an essay criticizing James’ post, titled: “Dear LeBron: Here’s the COVID-19 Help You Requested in Your Spider-Man Meme,” calling the post “a blow to his worthy legacy.”

LeBron James

Two months before that incident, Abdul-Jabbar criticized James in another essay for “honoring the unvaccinated” and “opinions that contribute to their deaths.” Before he and the Lakers became fully vaccinated, James expressed that he was very skeptical at first of COVID-19 vaccinations. Abdul-Jabbar has been a vocal advocate of COVID-19 vaccines while seemingly striving to decrease skepticism in Black communities.

Everything Abdul-Jabbar said about James over the weekend wasn’t all bad. He also praised the star athlete for some of his philanthropy efforts, such as his “I Promise” school for at-risk students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

“I admire the things that he’s done that have gotten all our attention. Sending a whole school to college? Wow. That’s amazing. His thoughtfulness and willingness to back it up with his wallet, you got to give him credit for that.

So I’m not throwing stones. I just wish he wouldn’t — you know, some of the things he’s done, he should be embarrassed about. That’s just where I’m coming from,” Abdul-Jabbar said, according to the Los Angeles Times.”

However, later that day, Abdul-Jabbar took to Twitter and shared that he regretted the critical things he said about James to the reporter.

James is an inch away from passing Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time scoring leader. Abdul-Jabbar says he’s all for James breaking his record.

“I’m all for him doing it. There’s no envy there. I just — with the issues I was talking about, things that really affect the Black community, he should be careful. That’s all I’m asking.”

James previously had no response to Abdul-Jabbar’s criticism in December, explaining his Instagram post as “trying to figure this pandemic out.” James has not responded to the latest criticism from Abdul-Jabbar.

What are your thoughts on the situation between the two Lakers legends? Let us know below!

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