Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might have mixed feelings when his scoring record gets broken ... but John Salley says the Lakers legend should ultimately be proud to pass the torch to LeBron James when he passes the Hall of Famer on the all-time list.
The 4-time NBA champ broke it down for TMZ Sports at LAX ... comparing the situation to another sports record that many believe to be impossible to break.
"The same way my boy Eric Dickerson thinks about anybody trying to break his record .