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Although LeBron James is likely just one week away from becoming the NBA’s all-time scoring champion, he is being criticized by one of the league’s all-time greats for some of his behavior off the court.
Speaking to reporters during the unveiling of his Social Champion Trophy on Sunday, Karim-Abdul Jabbar praised James’s activism, saying he should be “embarrassed” for some of his work.
“I admire the things he’s done, which has caught our attention. Sending a whole school to college? Wow, that’s amazing. With his thoughtfulness and his desire to back it up with his wallet, again, you have to give him credit for doing that,” said Abdul. Jabbar said before the Los Angeles Lakers’ 129-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
“I’m not throwing stones, I just want him not to … You know he did something he should be embarrassed about, where I came from.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who has advocated the use of the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the epidemic, had previously issued an issue with James in December when he posted a Spider-Man meme with “flu”, “cold” and “covid”. To each other, indicating they are all the same. Abdul-Jabbar called it “a blow to his worthy legacy”.
“The implication of the meme is that LeBron does not understand the difference between these three illnesses, even after all the information presented in the press,” he wrote, “how knowing this difference can save lives, especially in the black community.”
Although he received the COVID-19 vaccine, James stated that he was reluctant to do so and said that it was “not his job” to advocate for it.
In early December, the Milwaukee Box and Lakers criticized legend James for “celebrating Sam Castle”.
Asked if he had raised James to a higher standard in light of his earlier criticism, Abdul-Jabbar replied “absolutely.”
“[I have] According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he said, “I have high expectations because he understands the problems and speaks to them quite forcefully and eloquently.” I think a lot should be done for him in terms of honor and achievement and he shouldn’t lean towards those moments. “
Abdul-Jabbar added that he would not mind meeting with James to discuss their differences over vaccine advocacy, according to Ben Gulliver. The Washington Post.
The legacy of James and Abdul-Jabbar as basketball players has been increasingly linked as James continues his efforts to break Abdul-Jabbar’s record as the all-time top scorer in the NBA. James is currently in second place with 36,072 points, while Abdul-Jabbar is leading with 36.38 points.
Despite James paving the way for Abdul-Jabbar to pass soon next season, the six-time NBA champion says he is not jealous.
“I think the time has come. I’m not going to be jealous of LeBron. He’s got it. It’s a nice thing to see him go through all this and be the top scorer in the end,” he said.