For anyone who has been paying attention to the media the past few days, interviews of Lebron James have been omnipresent. But it’s not questions about how he feels going against giants Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry to defend his Championship NBA title that he’s fielding. He’s been responding to questions about his Los Angeles home being vandalized with a racial slur.
At a news conference, LeBron says:
“No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being Black in America is tough. We have got a long way to go as a society and for us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America.” Then he adds, “Obviously, you see I’m not my normal energetic self. It will pass. That’s fine. I’m figuring it out. I’m thinking about my kids a lot.”
It’s interesting because every time I see his response, I’m left a little unsettled. I mean, okay, I get it, being Black in America is tantamount to being a space alien. Tough can’t even begin to describe our day-to-day. And obviously, it’s not cool to see LeBron or anyone’s home being vandalized by some racist cowards. But, the more I saw the footage of LeBron on the verge of tears it finally hit me. Wait a minute, You’re m-therf-cking LeBron James! You’re the same one who rose up from the ashes of poverty in Akron’s inner City. The same LeBron who left a cushy gig with the Miami Heat to return to Cleveland to bring home a Championship title. MAN UP.
What I would’ve loved to hear out of his mouth is, ‘This is some distracting bullsh-t designed to knock me off my game. Next question.” Seriously, LeBron, the first game of finals in tonight and this is how you’re spending your time?
If you’re worried about your kids get them a bodyguard. And while it’s true that no Black kid is safe in America, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that your kids are significantly less vulnerable than the majority of African American kids in this country, so let’s keep it in perspective. This vandalism was likely done by some ignorant, jealous white person/s who wish they had a fraction of what you have. They wish they could do what you have done. So what do they do? They spray paint your home with a racial slur like cowards in the night. They distract you by reminding you that there’s no equality for a Black man in America. And sadly, it appears to have worked because we’re watching what appears to be a defeated LeBron.
I guess, if anything, what this incident and LeBron’s response to it shows is not that there’s no equality for Black people in America. That’s a given. What is does show is how easily we all, King James included, get distracted by race. It’s the easiest way to knock a person down. And it’s happening to so many of us on a daily basis. Race has America by the balls, due in-part to the encouragement of our current president and his racist administration. But the question is what are we going to do about it? Are we going to pout about the inequalities that have existed since enslavement or are we going to stay on top of our game? Because the truth is people don’t come for people who ain’t doing sh-t. We’re obviously doing something right.
So let’s hope LeBron James figures this out by game time.
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