"Some of the things he's done and said are really beneath him" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar publicly lashes out at LeBron James yet again, mentions he should be "embarrassed" by his actions
"To whom much is given," they say, "much more is expected." This is the basis of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's continuous criticism of LeBron James, a quote the all-time leading scorer strongly believes in. On Sunday, Abdul-Jabbar publicly called James out, stating that he should be a lot more cautious of his actions, given his status.
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The Big Fella, who was on the ground to present the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trophy to Carmelo Anthony for his advocacy in social justice before the Denver Nuggets win over the LA Lakers, questioned LeBron James' leadership. He stated that the forward is held to a higher standard, and as such, some of the things he has done and said are beneath him. He insinuated that, while James has done great things, it feels like he's firmly rooted on both sides of the fence (good and bad/right and wrong).
"Some of the things he's done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see," Abdul-Jabbar stated. "Some of the great things that he's done, he's standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? 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."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has criticized LeBron James' actions in the past
LeBron James is not entirely new to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's "fatherly" advice, as he has had quite a few dished at him in the past. Despite Abdul-Jabbar calling James out a few times, the NBA's all-time scoring leader is a great admirer of the LA Lakers forward. He has been seen singing his praises more often than not, as he roots for him becoming the new all-time scoring champion.
"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."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: LeBron “should be embarrassed” about some actions wapo.st/3DCWLHh
But amid that, Abdul-Jabbar has not failed to express his disappointment with James in a few other scenarios. A particular example was his reaction to the game against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 24, 2021, LBJ did the infamous "big balls dance," popularized by Sam Cassell, after sinking a late three-pointer, an act which found James being fined $15,000 by the NBA. The former Milwaukee Bucks all-time leading scorer didn't find the gesture befitting of a GOAT.
"For me, winning is enough," Abdul-Jabbar said. "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."