Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says LeBron James’ controversial COVID-19 meme was a ‘blow’ to his legacy

Last week, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James shared a controversial meme to Instagram suggesting that COVID-19 is just like the flu and common cold.

The post caught the attention of Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who called James out for the meme. Abdul-Jabbar believes James’ post was a “blow to his worthy legacy.”

“LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other — one labeled ‘covid,’ one labeled ‘flu,’ one labeled ‘cold’ — with his message: ‘Help me out folks’ was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is still causing issues across the country, globe and sports world. According to the CDC, the virus has claimed more than 800,000 lives in the U.S., so it’s clear why James’ post is being met with its fair share of pushback.

Throughout the pandemic, Abdul-Jabbar has been very outspoken about his feelings on COVID-19. A few months ago, he called out all unvaccinated NBA players and staffers. He also called out James in October for saying that taking the vaccine should be a personal choice.

It’s clear that Abdul-Jabbar hasn’t exactly been a fan of some of James’ decisions recently. It’ll be interesting to see if James responds to Abdul-Jabbar’s latest remarks.