In 2011, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went on the record to express his disappointment in the Los Angeles Lakers organization for not prioritizing his statue unraveling outside the arena. The six-time champion — who won five of his titles with the Purple and Gold — even called out the Lakers on Twitter at the time.
“What prompted me has been a steady diet of disrespect from the supposedly wonderful Laker family,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote via Twitter, as reported by ESPN. ” It’s not about getting a statue because I’m over it – it’s about RESPECT! The Lakers have given me the absolute minimum of respect.”
What took the Lakers so long?
The 19-time All-Star’s initial rage towards the Lakers made sense at first because before his statue was released in 2012, the organization prioritized his teammate Magic Johnson , broadcaster Chick Hearn, and Jerry West’s corresponding statues.
Considering that Abdul-Jabbar was first to arrive on the Lakers before Johnson and was as integral as him during the team’s Showtime era, the two-time Finals MVP ran out of patience even if he was consistently told that his statue ceremony would eventually happen.