Highlights
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James, two NBA legends, have had a complicated relationship filled with criticism and disagreements.
- Abdul-Jabbar has called out James for not advocating for vaccines and for his celebratory dance after a clutch shot.
- Despite mutual admiration and respect, James and Abdul-Jabbar are not friends and have no relationship, something Abdul-Jabbar takes responsibility for due to his lack of effort to reach out.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James, undoubtedly two of the biggest names in the NBA, have traversed remarkable milestones in their careers. Bursting into the scene as high school phenoms, the two went on to hoist multiple MVP awards and championships, ultimately ascending to the top of the NBA all-time scoring list.
With such incredible parallels, it's natural to assume they'd share a special bond. However, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth, as the two have frequently butted heads, with Abdul-Jabbar criticizing James for everything from vaccine hesitancy to doing a "stupid" celebration after a clutch three-pointer against the Indiana Pacers. With James having surpassed Abdul-Jabbar in the NBA all-time scoring list, have the two finally found a way to mend their fraught relationship?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And LeBron James Have A Complicated Relationship
Though two of the NBA’s biggest legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James have frequently found themselves at odds. Back in 2021, social media erupted after LeBron James chose not to leverage his platform to advocate for vaccination, and shared a meme comparing COVID-19 to the common cold. Unexpectedly, one of the most vocal and critical voices against this decision was none other than Abdul-Jabbar.
"While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote on his Substack page, “he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now.”
Though he refused to address Abdul-Jabbar’s comments directly, James took a defiant stance, doubling down with yet another controversial statement. "It's flu season, so people have forgotten about the flu. People have forgotten about common colds," he said. "That happens, especially with a lot of our kids in school. My daughter is in first grade, so a lot of these kids are getting, like, common colds and getting the flu. But no, I don't have any response to Kareem — at all."
Abdul-Jabbar later criticized James for celebrating his clutch three-point shot against the Indiana Pacers with what, according to him, was a “stupid, childish dance.” "It doesn't make sense," he said. "GOATs don't dance."
Where Do Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And LeBron James' Feud Stand Today?
Back in April, shortly after chastising James for “standing on both sides of the fence” and doing some things that “are really beneath him," Abdul-Jabar issued an apology claiming that, despite the occasional criticism, he still holds James in considerable regard.
“On occasion, I have chided LeBron when I thought he was dropping the ball when it came to supporting the community," he said in a statement.
"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.”
LeBron seemed to echo these sentiments while discussing his pursuit of the NBA all-time scoring record during his September 2022 Media Day availability.
"Obviously Kareem has had his differences with some of my views and some of the things that I do,” he said. “But listen, at the end of the day, to be able to be in the same breath as a guy that wore this same uniform, a guy that was a staple of this franchise, along with Magic [Johnson] and 'Big Game' [James Worthy] over there for so many years, especially in the [1980s], a guy that does a lot off the floor as well, I think is just super-duper dope for myself to be even in that conversation."
However, despite the mutual admiration, James and Abdul-Jabbar are no closer to being friends; a fact that James made abundantly clear when asked to share his thoughts on his pursuit of the NBA all-time scoring record and his relationship with Abdul-Jabbar in October 2022. "No thoughts — and no relationship," he said.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Blames Himself For His Strained Relationship With LeBron James
Not long after catching wind of LeBron's brief yet cutting remark about their relationship, Abdul-Jabbar took to his Substack page, and addressed the issue at length. Much to everyone’s bewilderment, the NBA legend took full responsibility for the rift, admitting that he’d not made much of an effort to reach out to James.
"LeBron said we don't have a relationship. He's right — and for that I blame myself," he wrote. "Not for anything I did, but perhaps for not making more of an effort to reach out to him. By nature, I have never been a chummy, reaching-out kind of guy (as the media was always quick to point out). I’m quiet, shy, and am such a devoted homebody that you’d think I have agoraphobia. I like to read, watch TV, listen to jazz. That’s pretty much it."
Aside from preferring to lead a pretty toned-down life, the NBA alum also attributed the lack of rapport with James to their massive age difference, as well as his retired status from the NBA. " When he started to make a name for himself, I was already pretty removed from the NBA world," he wrote.
"Except for certain gala events, I was just like any other fan, watching games on my TV in my sweatpants while munching on too many unhealthy snacks,” he continued. “That disconnect is on me. I knew the pressures he was under and maybe I could have helped ease them a bit. But I saw that LeBron had a friend and mentor in Kobe Bryant and I was just an empty jersey in the rafters. I couldn't imagine why he'd want to hang with someone twice his age.”
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