Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Apologizes to LeBron James Following Criticism of Lakers Star

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NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar issued a public apology to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James for making some critical comments regarding some of his past actions.

Abdul-Jabbar, who made the criticisms Sunday when he was in L.A. to give Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony the NBA Social Justice Champion Award, said the following on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Monday (h/t ESPN’s Dave McMenamin):

“All I have to say is this: I was there to give Carmelo Anthony the NBA Social Justice Champion Award. I’ve been talking to the press since high school, that’s 60 years of making statements. And I haven’t always gotten it right. And Sunday was one of those nights.

“It wasn’t my intention to criticize LeBron in any way. He has done so much for the Black community as well as for the game of basketball. We may not always agree, but I want to wholeheartedly apologize to LeBron and make it clear to him that I have tremendous respect for him. And if he can accept that, I’ll be very happy.”

Abdul-Jabbar, who gave the award to Anthony on Sunday before the Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets, told reporters that he thought some of James’ previous comments were “beneath him.”

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

Abdul-Jabbar previously wrote an article on his Substack last December criticizing James for his COVID-19 Spider-Man meme, which in essence compared COVID-19 to the common cold and flu:

“LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality. But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other—one labeled ‘covid,’ one labeled ‘flu,’ one labeled ‘cold’—with his message: ‘Help me out folks’ was a blow to his worthy legacy.”

Earlier that month, Abdul-Jabbar also criticized James for his rendition of the “Sam Cassell” celebration, which earned him a $15,000 fine.

After the most recent criticisms, Abdul-Jabbar notably wrote an email to the Los Angeles Times on Sunday in which he called James a “daunting hero.”

Abdul-Jabbar, who wrote a Sports Illustrated article after James won the magazine’s 2020 Sportsperson of the Year award, followed up on that piece in the letter:

“In the two years since I wrote that, my respect and admiration has only grown for LeBron as I watched him champion worthwhile causes while maintaining his status as an elite athlete. As he closes is on my all-time scoring record, I have been a cheerleader urging him on, happy to pass the mantle to someone so worthy as an athlete and a person.”

Abdul-Jabbar holds the all-time scoring record at 38,387 points per game. James is second with 37,062 after recently surpassing former Utah Jazz star Karl Malone for second.