Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the record straight on his feelings about LeBron James surpassing him as the NBA's all-time leading scorer Tuesday night with a letter he wrote for his Substack on Wednesday.
He praised James for his "unbelievable drive, dedication, and talent to survive in the NBA long enough to rack up [38,390] points when the average NBA career lasts only 4.5 years."
Magic Johnson, a former teammate of Abdul-Jabbar, said in October 2022 that he believed the NBA great wouldn't handle the occasion well.
Abdul-Jabbar emphatically shut down that rumor.
"So much was written about how I would feel on the day he sank that record-breaking shot that I had to laugh," Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
"It's as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars...His winning in no way affects my winning."
He also reacted to comments by James during the preseason when he curtly said he had no relationship with Abdul-Jabbar.
"I blame myself," Abdul-Jabbar said when it comes to not having a relationship with James. In his defense, he notes he's "quiet, shy, and am such a devoted homebody that you'd think I have agoraphobia. I like to read, watch TV, listen to jazz. That's pretty much it."
Throw in some wine and tacos, and James and Abdul-Jabbar might become best friends.
In 2021, Abdul-Jabbar criticized James for his cautious support of the COVID-19 vaccine, and he also addressed that in his post, likening it to "the kind of nudging one teammate does with another."
James should be able to relate.
When LeBron James finds out that JR Smith has been leaving the bubble every night to go clubbing in Orlando: pic.twitter.com/fcItFz7HGD
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 24, 2020
Abdul-Jabbar ended by praising James for making him "love the game again" and lauding him for carrying the torch of athletes using their voices to promote social change.
The Hall of Fame center is in the mood to bury perceived grudges, first going on "Inside The NBA" to speak with Shaquille O'Neal to put to rest any tension between the two.
"All I wanted to do was impress you, sir. ... I will never ever have beef with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar"
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 8, 2023
This exchange between Shaq and Kareem ❤️ pic.twitter.com/j73ZEd5oGQ
The NBA has a new points king, and in James's first order of business, he successfully united several generations of NBA greats.
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