In 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul Jaber as the NBA’s highest scorer leader of all time.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul Jabber holds a record for 38 years in nearly 40 years.
Given that Abdul-Jabbar has little to do with Cap’s former Lakers teammate Lebron James, Magic Johnson made the “swallow the hard pill” prediction in 2022.
“Try to be honest. And that’s the guy who plays for the Lakers as well. That’s the guy who plays in LA. I think it’s a tough drug to swallow.
Magic made calculated guesses, but Kareem proved he was wrong in 2023 when James finally broke the record.
Lakers legends are always asked about the king who has overtaken him, as he kept records as long as Kareem was doing.
I knew Abdul-Jabbar tried to clear the air the same thing in his Substack blog post entry on February 8, 2023.
“I love Earbin and after 40 years of friendship, he knows me pretty well, but in this case he was very wrong.
“I don’t blame him for thinking I might be bothered because I know I was once competitive,” wrote Abdul Jabbar.
However, Abdul Jabbar has appointed a scenario where Johnson’s predictions could prove correct.
“And if someone broke my record within ten years of setting it up, he’s probably right. I might have been away from retirement just to add a few more points to my record.
“But that’s not me today. I’m 75. I only think about records when someone raises it,” Kaji said.
It’s been more than two years since the fateful day when James surpassed Abdul Jabbar as the NBA’s greatest scorer ever. But it grows from time to time.
Abdul Yabar, for example, recently addressed James’s breaking his record while taking subtle shots to the king. However, the six times the NBA champion also praised James’ NBA achievements.
He did so in 2023. “This is about LeBron doing things no one else has done, getting more points than no one else could have done in 75 years.
So, what is the “final line” about the relationship between the two NBA legends?
“Conclusion about LeBron and me: LeBron will love the game again, and he is proud to be part of a constant group of athletes who are actively caring for their community,” he concluded.
To be honest, it’s great to see that there’s a quiet respect between the two stars. That may be because their competitiveness hinders them. After all, Kaj and LBJ have not done anything that no one has approached in NBA history.