“It's okay for great players to not have a relationship with other great players” – NBA analyst approves Lebron James' remarks on 6X NBA champion; hints the latter dislikes his record broken
All signs point to LeBron James breaking the NBA's regular-season scoring record this year. James has a thousand points until he becomes the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Many have been wondering how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels. His record has stood the test of time and seemed unbeatable. Some have been surprised that the two NBA greats have no relationship.
On "Undisputed with Skip & Shannon," Sharpe broke down a recent comment LeBron James made in an interview. As King James revealed, he and Abdul-Jabbar don't have a relationship.
"It is okay for great players not to have a relationship with former great players," Sharpe said. "What is this notion that all of a sudden LeBron has got to be chummy buddy buddy and bow down to every great player that came before him? ... You can have respect for someone without having the relationship with said person."
Abdul-Jabbar's criticism of James seems to have ramped up in recent years. Specifically, once the NBA great realized LeBron James was approaching his record several years ago.
LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Sharpe's assessment of James and Abdul-Jabbar's relationship isn't far off. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, James posted a meme on his Instagram account that received considerable criticism. Abdul-Jabbar said James was 'uninformed.'
The NBA Hall of Famer admitted that he admires some of the things James does, like creating the 'I Promise' School. However, he thought James should be "embarrassed" over his take on the pandemic. The comments didn't seem to sit too well with James, who at the time declined to respond to Abdul-Jabbar publicly.
That wasn't the only time Abdul-Jabbar criticized James. James was fined for an 'obscene' celebration following a Lakers overtime win. The way Abdul-Jabbar saw it, James shouldn't "stoop" to the level of obscene celebrations. Some quickly point to an old photo of the NBA Hall of Famer giving two middle fingers to an opposing team.
James, of course, isn't the only NBA player Abdul-Jabbar has criticized in recent years. Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving has also found himself in the crosshairs of the Hall of Famer. Irving recently shared a controversial conspiracy theory video from InfoWars. The post prompted a lengthy response from Abdul-Jabbar, who criticized Kyrie Irving.
With just 13 days to go until the start of the regular season, LeBron James becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer seems inevitable. Whether Abdul-Jabbar will be in attendance for the historic feat remains to be seen.