On Sunday, April 3rd, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in Los Angeles to present NBA’s inaugural Social Justice Champion award to Carmelo Anthony. While talking to the media after a small ceremony, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar commended Lebron James’s initiatives and referred to the many students James helped in getting admission in colleges on scholarship, mentioning his “I Promise” school in Akron, Ohio. However, Abdul-Jabbar added that Lebron James should do more than that.
Abdul-Jabbar told reporters, “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.” On December, 2021, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who happens to be one of the first supporters of the Covid-19 vaccine, called out Lebron James for a social media post which linked coronavirus with common cold and flu.
In an article published on Substack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called Lebron James’s post a damage to his admirable legacy, writing, “While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now.” Abdul-Jabbar stated he has high expectations for James, adding, “Some of the things that he’s done and said are really beneath him as far as I can see. Versus some of the great things that he’s done. He’s standing on both sides of the fence, almost. 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 is standing. You got to check him out every time.”
Recently, LeBron James secured No 2 position on NBA’s all-time scoring list, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but can easily take his place in the next season. Abdul-Jabbar said he is in favor of James breaking his record and if James wants to, then he has no problem talking to him and address his concerns. He further noted, “There’s no envy there. With the issues that I was talking about, the things that really affect the Black community, he should be careful. That’s all I’m asking.”