The majority of NBA teams took the floor on Wednesday evening, mere minutes after a group of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building. In the wake of what was a terrible day in the United States, many NBA figures weighed in on the obvious double standard of how the events were handled. Coaches spoke emphatically on the attempted coup, players from the Heat and Celtics issued a statement of condemnation, Draymond Green referred to the mob as “f*cking terrorists,” and there was a wide-ranging discussion about the hypocrisy on display. A handful of teams were not in action on Wednesday, however, and the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, return to the court on Thursday evening.
Before tip-off against the San Antonio Spurs, James arrived at STAPLES Center wearing a shirt that read “Do You Understand Now?” and went on to share additional thoughts via his Instagram.
James has the most prominent voice in the NBA, and perhaps the entire sports world, by nature of his platform and social influence. As such, his actions carry significant weight, and James stands alongside fellow stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and Jaylen Brown, all of whom have expressed pointed thoughts.
Earlier in the week, James shared a desire to lead a group in purchasing the Atlanta Dream, shortly after Kelly Loeffler, who was repeatedly denounced by players from the organization, lost a senate race in Georgia. While the concept of “Two Americas” has been prevalent in many statements, James’ choice to reference “2 AMERIKKKAS” was also pointed in nature in his statement, and it will be interesting to see what kind of thoughts he shares when speaking to the media at the conclusion of the evening.
