“He Shouldn’t Say It Publicly.. They Were Killing You”: Michael Jordan’s Ex-Teammate Calls Out Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for LeBron James Criticism

Lebron James is a name with a common occurrence in the NBA history books. His 20-year illustrious career is marked by several accolades. However, this season, ‘The King’ might be heading toward his grandest achievement. Chasing the most sought-after record in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers forward is steps away from beating the all-time points record. However, as he inches closer, the reigning holder, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been highly critical of the Akron Hammer. And one of Michael Jordan’s ex-teammates believes the Lakers icon shouldn’t speak it to the public.

Patenting the skyhook to his name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most influential players in league history. With a career spanning 20 years, he won it all. Back in 1984, the iconic center broke an unimaginable record. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain to become the all-time leader of points. Since then, there have only been a few threats to the coveted record. That was until LeBron James entered the competition.

James is now just over 1,000 points away from breaking arguably the most impossible and sought-after NBA record. However, it seems the reigning title holder grew a little sour. His constant disses at James have made headlines before. While speaking to NFL legend Shannon Sharpe, John Salley said Abdul-Jabbar is wrong to do so publicly.

Michael Jordan’s former teammate defends LeBron James

Sharpe, a huge fan of LeBron James, brought up Abdul-Jabbar’s constant criticism of him. The former Denver Broncos tight end believes the Los Angeles Lakers legend is feeling threatened with his prestigious record on the line. On the other hand, Salley said the Hall of Famer is wrong to put LeBron James down in the public eye. And it all dates back to the way Kareem Abdul-Jabbar faced the wrath of the media.

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Salley said: “He shouldn’t say it publicly. Listen, I am old enough to remember how they treated Kareem in the media. He should not want to be the person who does that.” Salley added, “They were killing you, killing you. And why would you want to do that to another young cat who doesn’t deserve it? He doesn’t deserve it.” 

Abdul-Jabbar’s first strike at James came after he made an Instagram post confusing a normal cold with the ongoing pandemic. He called out LeBron James and said he was wrong to make such comparisons. In addition, he also blamed him for encouraging vaccine hesitancy. Moreover, there also came a time he picked on the Lakers forward for an obscene celebration. The Hall of Famer felt it was childish of LeBron and said: “GOATs don’t dance.” 

No man is perfect, and James has certainly made some mistakes throughout his long NBA career. However, Sharpe pointed out Abdul-Jabbar’s prior silence over LeBron James. No one perhaps knows the true feelings of the historic Lakers figure. However, it does seems like the six-time champion is a little upset about falling down the list after nearly half a century of holding the throne.

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Do you think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will actually be happy when LeBron James surpasses his record? Let us know your views in the comments below.