Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticized current Lakers center Andrew Bynum in an ESPN interview today, saying the 24-year-old All-Star needs to control his ego.

“Andrew is doing very well on the court,” Abdul-Jabbar said on SportsCenter. “He just needs to try to calm down his ego a little bit.”

Bynum is having a career year, averaging personal bests of 19.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, but his antics off the floor have been a distraction. He’s clashed with coach Mike Brown, skipped out on team huddles and meetings, and unabashedly chucked a 3-pointer, leading to a benching last month.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer suggested that Bynum’s success on the floor has led to his turmoil off it.

“It’s starting to get to him how successful he’s become, maybe,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him, so I don’t know. This is just my observations from afar because I’m no longer coaching with the Lakers. He’s doing very well, and it seems to have gotten to his head a little bit.”

Abdul-Jabbar, who won six championships as a player, worked as a special assistant coach for the Lakers from 2005 to 2011.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl compared his newly acquired center JaVale McGee to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to the Denver Post.

“(McGee’s) length is very impressive. He’s long,” Karl said. “I think he plays a little bit like Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), but he’s a defensive Kareem more than an offensive Kareem. He’s not going to be a power player, but he’s going to be an athletic-length-long player.”

McGee was recently traded to the Denver Nuggets by the Washington Wizards for power forward Nene. Washington’s front office had grown frustrated with McGee’s on-the-court antics which at times distracted from the team.

Through 41 games this season, McGee, 24, is averaging 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest.

At the same age, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 34.8 points and 16.6 rebounds per game. Over the course of his career he averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per contest.

Hall-of-famer and NBA’s all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been named Global Cultural Ambassador by secretary of state Hillary Clinton, according to the State Department.

“I am excited and honored to serve my country as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State. I look forward to meeting with young people all over the world and discussing ways in which we can strengthen our understanding of one another through education, through sports, and through greater cultural tolerance,” said Abdul-Jabar during a meeting today with Clinton.

During the meeting, the two discussed the strong relationship between the people of the United States and Brazil as well as Abdul-Jabbar’s plans to travel to Brazil and meet with underserved youth in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. His mission will include teaching young people on the importance of education, social and racial tolerance, cultural understanding, and using sports as a means of empowerment.

After his hall-of-fame basketball career, Abdul-Jabbar devoted himself to socio-economic justice. He further committed himself to the importance of such issues by creating the Skyhook Foundation, which works to improve children’s lives through education and sports.