Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: LeBron James' Legacy Is 'Extraordinary' After Lakers' Title

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar admires what LeBron James has done on the basketball court, but the Basketball Hall of Famer thinks it's James' off-court work that sets him apart from his peers.

"If [basketball] is his only legacy, it's extraordinary. But he's done a lot more than that, both on the court and off the court. That's why I have a lot of respect for him. The way that he's involved politically and socially, sending all those kids to school. He's an amazing individual," Abdul-Jabbar said Tuesday on ESPN's First Take.

James became the first player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP for a third team Sunday night, and his four total Finals MVPs rank second only to Michael Jordan. At this point, James' resume is almost impenetrable.

He is, by every objective measure, one of the three greatest players in NBA history. Only Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar, often the strangely forgotten figure in GOAT debates, have a legitimate argument against LeBron in the all-time debate.

James has more than 1,500 more postseason points than any other player. Only Magic Johnson has more assists. He's sixth in rebounds. Couple that with the fact that James will, barring injury, become the game's all-time leading scorer in the regular season, and the bad-faith arguments against his all-time standing fall by the wayside.

To Abdul-Jabbar's point, James has also been among the most active players in the community throughout his career. His public I Promise School provides disadvantaged children an education along with free tuition to the University of Akron. He also launched More Than a Vote this year, an organization that will work to fight voter suppression and increase awareness in the Black community.