Magic Johnson: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James Tension Is ‘Not That Big of a Deal’

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson downplayed the likelihood of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's criticism of LeBron James becoming a larger issue for the two giants of the game.

"I think they'll work it out," Johnson said to TMZ Sports. "They'll work it out. It's not that big of a deal. They'll work it out."

Speaking with reporters, Abdul-Jabbar praised James' work away from the court, such as covering the college tuition for students from his I Promise School. However, the Hall of Famer added that James "should be embarrassed about" some of his perceived missteps.

"Some of the great things that he’s done, he’s standing on both sides of the fence almost," Abdul-Jabbar told reporters. "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."

Although the former center didn't specify the issues to which he was alluding, he previously criticized an Instagram post from James in which LeBron appeared to compare COVID-19 to the common cold or flu.

Abdul-Jabbar has since apologized for his recent comments, saying on SiriusXM NBA Radio that "it wasn't my intention to criticize LeBron in any way." He added he has "tremendous respect" for the 18-time All-Star:

In the event this becomes a wider source of discord, Johnson would probably be an ideal intermediary to help achieve a detente.