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LeBron James: Is he cool playing until the racial injustice is addressed?

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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LeBron James
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) – LeBron James

How might LeBron James react to playing with the current racial injustices?

LeBron James has used his platform to speak out on social injustice as of late. Lakers rumors are leaking that a couple of Lakers players aren’t comfortable playing the rest of the season until the racial injustice is addressed. Lake Show Life continues it’s series covering the Lakers, LeBron James and the NBA involvement in social change.

The common narrative among many sports fans is that sports and politics do not mix. They should stay separate with sports being a positive distraction from what is going on in the world. Well the way things are starting to look in the future, Lake Show Life has some advice.

Get used to it. 

The NBA’s season has been attached to so many political situations this year that have affected current events from the season being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic all the way back to Daryl Morey’s infamous tweet speaking out about China.

Since then, LeBron James has been very vocal using his platforms to get his message out. Lake Show Life has been covering his beliefs every step of the way up until last week’s story about Drew Brees’ comment about kneeling during the National Anthem.

While LeBron James has used his social media platform to get out his own message, he has joined forces with the stars of “All The Smoke” podcast, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes to spread awareness and support of the “Black Live Movement” sparked by the death of George Floyd.

Former NBA veteran Matt Barnes was on Yahoo Sports! digital sports show Dunk Bait stating “key players” are thinking about sitting out the season for a variety of reasons that include.

  • Honoring George Floyd and in protest of social injustice.
  • The aftermath of Drew Brees’s comments over “Disrespecting the flag” that angered many athletes last week. (Since apologizing for the comments, Brees even tweeted to President Trump denouncing the support of his previous comment).
  • The released statement of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell changing his stance on silent protests by NFL players after the league’s biggest stars pleading for help.

Josiah Johnson:

"Guys have literally told you, “Yo, man, we don’t really feel comfortable playing until this situation gets resolved and figured out.” Is that something that has happened?"

Matt Barnes:

"It is. Actually, Snoop hit me the other day too, talking about it. Because I had talked to a few guys, not to mention no names. And he said he had talked to a couple guys from the Lakers and the Clippers, and there’s some whispers about some teams not being comfortable. Some guys want to play. Some guys don’t want to play."

Then ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski sent out a tweet concerning the negotiations to get the season started back on July 31st.

The question that most want to know is, who are the players on the Clippers and Lakers reluctant to play?

With Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokuonmpo, Russell Westbrook and many other NBA players  spotted at protests across the country, this rumor does have enough steam to look at. (Since this tweet, NBA won’t require players to return as some question decision to restart season in Orlando).

Ex-NBA star Stephen Jackson took to TMZ Sports to challenge pro athletes in the NFL, NBA and MLB to call out the people in the front offices.

"“They’re not fighting for us!” “It’s time to hold our owners, GMs, Vice Presidents, everybody at the top accountable,” Jackson said on social media. “They want you to dance They want you to smile, promote, shoot, workout, represent the organization the right way, right? But they’re not fighting for us! I don’t hear none of them.”"

Jackson has made it clear that he will not stop demanding justice and action.

With all of the issues that the world is dealing with, it’s easy to forget that the players are scheduled to report on July 7th. Now that the wheels are turning, more and more parties are starting to speak out about concerns while others have their own opinions.

Most will surround these theories.

  • The COVID-19 pandemic is becoming a new normal that the world will have to deal with. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has already stated to the players union that there are no guarantees that the virus wouldn’t be a factor. 
  • Now that there are protest marches in the streets, any sense of normalcy is gone for the future. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, with the issues being raised are so important with the support of the NBA, how could anyone focus on something as trivial as basketball?

On the other hand. Most will debate with these facts.

  • Despite the pandemic, the country needs to start getting things back to normal and sports will be a valuable first step.
  • Racism has been a problem in the United States for centuries and will be an issue next week, next month, next year and NBA players played while that injustice existed.

Will Lake Show Life be shocked if any players sit out? Yes. The season will continue and negotiations are in effect as of this writing. Talking about not playing is a logical and smart step. It does put pressure on the lawmakers in Washington D.C. to take this seriously.

Lake Show Life takes an in-depth look at opportunities the players could have taken to invoke change, the two Los Angeles Lakers players that led a revolt to change the NBA as we see it and the one player that has the power to push the movement to the next level.