LeBron James continues to speak out against the racism that affected his family in the lead up to the NBA Finals after the Cleveland Cavaliers star was forced to respond to a hate crime carried out at his Los Angeles home on Tuesday night.
Police are still investigating the spray-painting of a racial slur on the front gate of his property but James has already reflected on the incident and his place in America’s dialogue on race.James spoke at length about the incident as well as racism as a whole in America in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, but he also sat down with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols for an exclusive conversation that was published later in the evening.
Much of his thoughts echoed what he said to the media as a whole, but the most striking quote was a moment where James spoke about the true meaning of equality.
“No matter how much money you got, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being a black man in America is vey frightening. And it lets us know that we have so much farther, so much father to go to be equal in this country.”
When James spoke to the media in Oakland, he said: “being black in America is tough.” With Nichols, he expanded: “It’s frightening.”
Economic and educational inequality is a huge component of racism in America, but James spoke directly to an honest truth in today’s society: even those with wealth and opportunities to succeed can feel fear because of racism.
LeBron James is one of the most popular athletes in the world, and his perspective on race is significant to so many. If there’s a positive to take out of this, it’s that James spoke honestly about his role as a person of color in America. He hasn’t shied away from it, and when racism is thrust in his face at one of the most important times in his career, he’s stared down its impact on one of basketball’s biggest stages.
