Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Accuses LeBron James of Hypocrisy on Social Justice Issues: ‘Hard to Figure Out’ Where He Stands

Amiliano FragosoApr 4th, 2022, 1:02 pm
 

Rich Fury/Getty Images

With the Los Angeles Lakers on the brink of missing the NBA playoffs after their sixth straight loss Sunday to the Denver Nuggets, the resulting frustration from their lethargic play has manifested itself in on the court and off the court issues — including a high-profile rift between LeBron James, and one of the franchise’s all-time greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

Abdul-Jabbar, who attended Sunday’s game, held court with the media prior to tipoff and criticized James for his stances on certain socio-political issues.

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

The Lakers legend stated that it’s difficult to trust James, as it isn’t always clear on what side of an issue he stands on.

“Some of the great things that he’s done, he’s standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know,” Abdul-Jabbar admitted. “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.”

This is not the first time Kareem has criticized LeBron this season. Back in December, he took exception to James’s celebration after a late-game three sealed a victory against the Indianapolis Pacers, in which James gestured toward his nether reigions.

“For me, winning is enough,” Abdul-Jabbar said in a video posted on Substack in early December. “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.”

Additionally, Abdul-Jabbar commented on prior critiques of the Lakers star, expressing hope that James carries himself to a higher standard.

“Absolutely, (I have) a higher expectation for him because he understands the issues and spoken to them quite forcefully and eloquently,” Abdul-Jabbar stated. “I think he has so much going for him in terms of respect and accomplishment and he shouldn’t stoop to those moments.”

The comments came on a day when Kareem presented fellow Laker, Carmelo Anthony, with the new Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy to honor Anthony as the NBA’s Social Justice Champion of the 2020-2021 season. Anthony was asked about the rift between Abdul-Jabbar and James, and said he hoped to encourage a sit down in the near future.

“In our community, we need those tough conversations, we need those uncomfortable conversations. So if Kareem wants to sit down and talk, if Bron want to sit down and talk, I think that’s a conversation that needs to be had,” Anthony stated.

James recently made more NBA history after passing Karl Malone for 2nd all-time in regular-season points while also entering the 37,000 points club, getting closer to the mountaintop that is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 38,387 points.

 

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