Shaq and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are two of the greatest centers to ever play in the NBA. Overall, they are considered to be top five players in the history of the league, although Kareem more so than Shaq. Either way, there is no doubt that these two men are legends in their own right. They both played for the Lakers, and they both won a ton of championships with the franchise. However, there was seemingly this sense that Kareem and Shaq had beef during his time in L.A. It was one of those narratives that could never be confirmed, although it certainly weighed on the big man.
As for Kareem, he was in Los Angeles last night as he watched LeBron try and break his scoring record. James was just 36 points away from the record, and fans were skeptical as to whether or not he would do it. In the end, however, James was able to come through with a special game. He managed to tally 38 points and broke the record at the end of the third quarter. As you can imagine, it was a very special moment in the arena.
Shaq & Kareem Speak
Following the match, Shaq and Kareem got to speak together as part of a post-game segment on TNT. During this segment, Kareem addressed Shaq and revealed to him that he never meant to diss him during his time with the Lakers. In fact, Kareem praised the NBA legend for his dominance during that era. Subsequently, Shaq gave some praise right back to The Captain, making for a very sweet moment between the two. Kareem even told Shaq to continue representing the beautiful game. Overall, if you are a Lakers fan, you couldn’t help but be touched by this moment.
Abdul-Jabbar is now second on the all-time scoring list, which is going to be hard to get used to. For decades, Kareem held a record that many thought would never be broken. Now, however, LeBron holds the title and he will likely hold that record for decades as well. By the time everything is said and done, James could have upwards of 42-45,000 points.
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