Not getting out of one mess to get into another. That is the motto of the Los Angeles Lakers in a season in which their very poor performance on the court is joined by different off-sports controversies of different degrees. The last, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s criticism of LeBron James. Legend against legend. “Some of the things he has done and said are really beneath himat least from my point of view”, said the former player (informs ESPN), during the delivery of the award that bears his name to Carmelo Anthony, teammate and friend of the King in the Lakers. The award honored the champion of social justice in the NBA in the 2020-21 season.
“He has done great things, but he is on both sides of the fence. I have a hard time accepting that when he has always committed himself to alternative views on every issue. It’s hard to know where it really is. You have to check his stance every time,” continued the leading scorer in NBA history, a coveted post Akron forward. They are first (38,387) and second (37,062), respectively, in the ranking: “You have to give him credit for that, I don’t want to throw stones at anyone. I just wish that… you know, there are things he’s done that he should be ashamed of”.
past reviews
It’s not the first time Jabbar has criticized LeBron this season. The first, after the dance he did accentuating his intimate parts when scoring a triple in the final stretch of an extension against the Indiana Pacers. A gesture that Sam Cassell made popular in the past. “For me winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid, childish dance and disrespect the other team? Has no sense. GOATs (greatest of all time) don’t dance”, he said in December in a video through Substack.
It was also harsh after a Spiderman meme posted by James in which he compared COVID, flu and cold: “It is a blow to his worthy legacy. He does not understand the difference between these three diseases, even after all the information that is presented in the press”, he commented in another video.
Conciliator
“I have my highest expectations of him. I think he has a lot going for him in terms of respect and accomplishments, and shouldn’t stoop to those things”, Abdul-Jabbar stressed when he was reminded of those episodes and assured that he would be delighted to have a closer relationship with him: “If he would take the time, I would have the time. I admire the things that he has done that have captured our full attention. Send an entire school to college? wow. That is awesome. His kindness and his willingness to back it up with his wallet. You have to give him credit for that.”
Before the stir caused by his words, the legend of the Lakers, six times NBA champion, five with the Angelenos, came out through social networks. She wrote a conciliatory message: “I am sorry for my impromptu response which has been exaggerated. During years, I have expressed my deep admiration and respect for LeBron as a community leader and athlete.. That hasn’t changed and never will.”
