Kareem Abdul-Jabbar critical of LeBron James, explains remarks

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was critical of LeBron James and the way the Los Angeles Lakers star chooses to use his heightened platform.

The Basketball Hall of Famer made his comments before the Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets and then expanded on his remarks after they captured the spotlight of social media.

"Some of the things he's done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see," he told ESPN. "Some of the great things that he's done, he's standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he's committed himself to a different take on everything. It's hard to figure out where he's standing. You've got to check him out every time."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

NBA Legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 22nd Annual NBA Legends Awards on Feb. 20, 2022 at Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. (David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Abdul-Jabbar, who has been critical of James in the past for some of his actions on and off the court, said he has high expectations for James.

"Absolutely, [I have] a higher expectation for him because he understands the issues and [has] spoken to them quite forcefully and eloquently. I think he has so much going for him in terms of respect and accomplishment and he shouldn't stoop to those moments," he said.

In an expanded statement to the Los Angeles Times, Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged he expressed his admiration for James when he wrote about him for Sports Illustrated’s "Sportsperson of the Year" in 2020. He said his respect for the basketball star has only grown since then.

WILL SMITH’S CHRIS ROCK SLAP ‘PERPETUATED STEREOTYPES