Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says LeBron James deserves ‘any and all accolades’ when he surpasses him in all-time NBA scoring list
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar achieved a lot of success during his 20-year NBA career. The 7-foot-2 center became the league's all-time leading scorer, but will soon be surpassed by LeBron James.
If everything goes according to plan, the LA Lakers forward could become No. 1 in early 2023. While his Lakers aren't doing great, James is still playing at an elite level, even in his 20th season.
Abdul-Jabbar recently appeared on CNN and was asked to share his thoughts regarding LeBron possibly breaking his record. Here's what the six-time NBA champion had to say:
"Whenever he decides to do it, he serves any and all of the accolades that he has earned," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said in the interview. "He didn't get all those points sitting around on his b**t. He worked hard for it. ...
"Whatever happens, more power to him. He's earned it."
The former Laker has praised LeBron James numerous times, so these comments are not surprising. He's been the league's leading scorer for more than three decades, but now is the time to pass the torch.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar supports LeBron James' efforts to become all-time leading scorer
During his illustrous NBA career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points. Standing at 7-2, he was a great player on both ends of the floor and one of the most efficient scorers in the league's history.
Abdul-Jabbar ended up winning six championships and as many MVP awards. He also led the league in scoring, leading and blocked shots. Thanks to Skyhook, the all-time great center was unstoppable on offense.
You may be interested in reading: Understanding the role of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's height in his domination with signature shot 'Skyhook'
LeBron James, on the other hand, is a fantastic all-around player. He does a little bit of everything and impacts the game in numerous ways.
The fact that James is so close to surpassing Kareem shows how incredible he really is. LeBron is far from being the deadliest scorer in the league, yet he's found himself all the way to the top of the list due to his longevity.
Last season, the Lakers forward was one of the best scorers in the league with 30.3 points per game. This season, he's averaging 24.3 points as a 37-year-old.
LeBron could become the best scorer in NBA history in early 2023
LeBron James has missed only one game so far in the 2022-23 season. If he stays healthy and keeps scoring 24 points per game, he could surpass Kareem in less than four months.
You may be interested in reading: When can LeBron James pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time top scorer in the NBA?
At his current pace, the four-time NBA champion needs to play 46 more games to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Considering that he's off to a slow start, his scoring will most likely improve and he could surpass Kareem by March 2023.
Even if LeBron continues to score 24.3 points per game and misses 25 games, he could still get to the top by the end of the season.