UPDATED 4/23, 11:40 a.m. ET: Donald Trump decided to take more jabs at one of his longtime targets, using LBJ’s comments as opportunity to send a statement moaning that the NBA champ is racist.
“LeBron James should focus on basketball rather than presiding over the destruction of the NBA, which has just recorded the lowest television RATINGS, by far, in the long and distinguished history of the League,” read the statement, shared by political reporter Ben Jacobs. “His RACIST rants are divisive, nasty, insulting, and demeaning. He may be a great basketball player, but he is doing nothing to bring our Country together!”
See original story below.
On Wednesday, LeBron James posted a photo of Nicholas Reardon, the police officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday. James’ post, which has since been deleted, was captioned, “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.” It also featured an hourglass emoji.
Bryant was killed at around the same time Derek Chauvin was found guilty on three counts by a Minneapolis jury in the murder of George Floyd. The former Cleveland Cavaliers player was born in Akron, Ohio, which is about 125 miles from Columbus.
After taking the tweet down, James offered his reasoning behind the move.
“I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police,” James wrote. “I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This isn’t about one officer. it’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
In an earlier tweet, James wrote, “ANGER does any of us any good and that includes myself! Gathering all the facts and educating does though! My anger still is here for what happened that lil girl. My sympathy for her family and may justice prevail!”
