Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 'thrilled' LeBron James broke scoring record

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said he is "thrilled" LeBron James has replaced him as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, comparing the experience to watching someone else win the lottery decades after he had done so, while also acknowledging the dedication that it took both men to reach such an accomplishment.

"It’s not just about putting the ball through the hoop, it’s about staying healthy and skilled enough to climb the steep mountain in ever-thinning oxygen over many years when most other players have tapped out," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a lengthy post to his Substack blog posted Wednesday morning.

Abdul-Jabbar also pushed back on comments former Lakers teammate and longtime friend Magic Johnson made on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast in October, when Johnson predicted that the Hall of Fame center would not "handle it well" when his scoring record was broken.

"I don't think [he'll handle it] well," Johnson said then. "Let's just be honest. If I got to say it, we got to be honest. And the fact that it's a dude playing for the Lakers, too. … I think it'll be a hard pill to swallow."

Johnson's comments came soon after James told reporters earlier that month he had "no relationship" with Abdul-Jabbar and after Abdul-Jabbar had lobbed criticism at James in recent years over actions such as James posting a meme comparing the COVID-19 virus to the flu in 2021 and one of James' on-court celebrations.

Abdul-Jabbar was on hand when James broke his record against the Thunder on Tuesday night, presenting James with a basketball at midcourt and embracing him during the mid-game ceremony honoring James' achievement. 

The 75-year-old addressed both Johnson's and James' words in his Substack post Wednesday, admonishing Johnson and saying he thought his own criticism of James' approach to COVID-19 and vaccines was akin to mild "nudging" between teammates. Abdul-Jabbar wrote that he only ever currently thinks of his scoring record when someone else brings it up, and that he cares far more about his legacy as a social justice activist, his continuing work in that space, and spending time with family at this point in his life.

"Sorry, Earvin. I love you, brother, but this time you got it wrong," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "I’m not the grumpy grandpa on the porch yelling at kids to stay off my lawn. I fret much more over picking the right word in this sentence than my record being broken."

The man still lovingly referred to as "Cap" for his role as a veteran leader during the team's 1980s "Showtime" championship dynasty also confirmed that he does not have much of a relationship with the Lakers' current veteran superstar.

"For that I blame myself," Abdul-Jabbar wrote. "Not for anything I did, but perhaps for not making more of an effort to reach out to him. By nature, I have never been a chummy, reaching-out kind of guy."

In addition to his introverted nature, Abdul-Jabbar also cited the age gap between himself and James, his desire to focus on nurturing longstanding friendships with fellow Lakers luminaries such as Johnson, Michael Cooper and Jerry West instead of making new NBA friendships, and James' bond with the late Kobe Bryant as reasons he did not seek James out more on his own.

Abdul-Jabbar also criticized James during a public appearance in April 2022, saying the four-time NBA champion had done and said things "really beneath him" and was "standing on both sides of the fence" with "a different take on everything." He formally apologized for his words a day later, saying he has "tremendous respect" for James and the 38-year-old "has done so much for the Black community as well as for the game of basketball."

The retired legend continued his praise of the active superstar in Wednesday's article. In comparing himself to James, Abdul-Jabbar said he scored so many points because scoring was not his obsession and being a good teammate was at the core of his philosophy as a basketball player. 

"I think LeBron has the same philosophy," Abdul-Jabbar wrote.

He also referred back to an 2020 Sports Illustrated article nominating James for the magazine's Sportsperson of the Year award, one of what Abdul-Jabbar said are many articles he has written "lavishly praising LeBron."

"My good opinion of LeBron has grown in the two years since I wrote that," Abdul-Jabbar said. "His passion for social justice and bettering his community has only increased — and his athleticism has soared to a whole other level of performance. … That’s why I don’t want my fans to in any way tarnish or equivocate his enormous achievement. This is all about LeBron doing something no one else has done, about scoring more points than anyone has been able to in 75 years. There are no ‘yeah, buts,' just praise where it is rightfully and righteously due.

"Bottom line about LeBron and me: LeBron makes me love the game again. And he makes me proud to be part of an ever-widening group of athletes who actively care about their community."

More coverage of LeBron James' scoring record:

• LeBron James sets NBA's all-time points record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• How LeBron James became the NBA's scoring king
• Love or hate LeBron James, this record isn't up for debate
• Sports stars, celebrities react to LeBron James breaking NBA scoring record

Top stories from FOX Sports:

• Patrick Mahomes is Chiefs' trick play engineer. Here's how they come together
• Pro Bowl Confidential: 27 players pick MVP, most underrated, coaches, other questions
• Greg Olsen's key matchup in Super Bowl LVII? The offensive lines
• Tom Brady is the best thing to happen to the Patriots, even as he retires a Buc
• Is Chiefs DT Chris Jones the NFL's most unheralded elite defender?
• ‘I was blessed to have Damar’: Eagles’ Miles Sanders shares bond with Bills’ Hamlin