The Los Angeles Lakers have received plenty of criticism for their performances on the court. And much of it is warranted, they sit just outside of the Play-In positions at 11th in the Western Conference. However, the one player that cannot be faulted for his on-court performance has been LeBron James.
LeBron at the ripe old age of 37 has led the Lakers by example. He has averaged a league-high 30.3 points and leads the race for the scoring title. It will be only his second scoring title after winning it in 2007-08 for the first time. Likewise, he is also averaging 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the 56 games that he has played this season. It’s a pity that his team has not lived up to the pre-season hype to support his stellar performances.
However, despite his performances on the court, he has drawn criticism for his off-court actions. And it is from none other than former Los Angeles Lakers champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Hall of Famer was present at the Crypto.com Arena to present the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice award to its first recipient, Carmelo Anthony.
Here’s to the Inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion: @carmeloanthony ???? pic.twitter.com/jEGQbMynPD
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 3, 2022
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticizes LeBron James
He went on to address reporters before the Lakers’ game and used the opportunity to call out LeBron James on his responsibility.
“Some of the things he’s done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see.”
Furthermore, he went on to elaborate on what he meant and highlighted LeBron’s ambiguity when it came to certain issues.
“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.”
It is not the first time this season that Kareem has fired shots at LeBron. Earlier in the season, LeBron celebrated a clutch 3-pointer against the Indiana Pacers by dancing. That did not sit well with the 5-time Lakers champion.
“For me, winning is enough. 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.”
This rant was further followed by criticism of LeBron posting a meme on his Instagram. To which James responded briefly and avoided further to and fros, “I don’t have a response to Kareem at all.”
While it is not ideal to see two greats of the game, more so champions for the same franchise be on disagreeable terms. It adds an edge to the record that LeBron James is chasing. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record that he has held for 38 years. That would be one way to respond. A classy response.