“He was very, very wrong” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar refuted Magic Johnson’s take on LeBron breaking his scoring record originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson were more than just a pair of teammates. They became very good friends, even like brothers, as their careers went on. But even family members don’t agree on something at one point.
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Such was the case when Magic said that it would be a bitter pill to swallow for Kareem once LeBron James broke his all-time scoring record. Not only would The Cap give up the all-time scoring leader crown to The King, but he’d be handing it over to another player who also donned the Los Angeles Lakers’ iconic Purple and Gold.
“I love Earvin and, after forty years of friendship, he knows me pretty well,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But, in this case, he was very, very wrong. I don’t blame him for thinking that I might be bothered because he knows how competitive I used to be. And, if someone had broken my record within ten years of me setting it, he would probably be right. I might have hobbled out of retirement just to add a few more points on my record. But that ain’t me today. I’m 75. The only time I ever think of the record is when someone brings it up.”
Social legacy over basketball legacy
Kareem was an aloof guy, but if anyone knew him well, it was Magic, who was his teammate for a decade with the Showtime Lakers and with whom he won five NBA championships.
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However, although they remained good friends after retirement, Magic stayed in the limelight and focused on his business. Meanwhile, Kareem chose a much quieter and simpler life.
Since his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar has occupied himself with social activism and used his college degree from UCLA to the fullest, becoming a best-selling writer on various genres, including social issues, fiction and, of course, history.
“Here’s the main reason I don’t care that much about my record being broken,” Kareem went on. “I’m no longer focused on my basketball legacy as much as I am on my social legacy. I’m not trying to build a billion-dollar empire, I write articles in defense of democracy and advocating on behalf of the marginalized.”
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Kareem was in attendance when LeBron broke his record
As for LeBron, Kareem admitted that while he had taken a few jabs at him in the past, those were minor, petty matters that weren’t worth holding a grudge over, especially when weighed against the significance of James breaking the record that stood for almost four decades.
“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,” Abdul-Jabbar concluded.
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Kareem made it clear that there was nothing between him and LeBron despite what people thought because of their lack of a relationship. And even after clearly saying that on paper, he proved he meant what he said by being there when LeBron broke his record.
For most players, that might have been, as Magic put it, “a tough pill to swallow.” But for someone like Kareem, who always prided himself in being a bigger (quite literally) man, it was simply part of the game.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.