Abdul-Jabbar and James have had a frosty relationship amid a range of public disagreements leaving some to wonder whether the Hall of Famer would want to witness the fall of the record he has held for nearly four decades.
Abdul-Jabbar criticized James for saying that getting the COVID-19 vaccine was a personal choice and has described James's on-court celebrations as "stupid and childish".
Magic Johnson in October said losing the scoring title would be a "hard pill to swallow" for his former teammate, a six-time champion and 19-time All-Star who retired in 1989.
James raised eyebrows in September when after being asked his thoughts on potentially passing Abdul-Jabbar and his relationship with him he offered a curt reply.
"No thoughts and no relationship," James told reporters.
Following the Lakers' win against the Pacers on Thursday, James needs 63 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387.
The Lakers next head to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Saturday before returning to Los Angeles to face the Thunder on Tuesday and the Bucks on Thursday.
James has shown no signs of slowing down in his 20th season. Since turning 38 on December 30th, the four-times champion has averaged nearly 35 points per game.
