(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Speaking at a media event in Oakland for the NBA Finals on Wednesday, LeBron James addressed the racist graffiti that was painted on his Los Angeles home.
LeBron said the crime shows ‘racism will always be part of the world and part of America.’
“As I sit here on the eve of one of the greatest sporting events we have, race and what is going on comes again,” he said. “On my behalf, family’s behalf, I look at this as if this sheds a light and keeps the conversation going. My family is safe, that’s most important.
“Just shows that racism will always be a part of the world, part of America. Hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day. It is hidden most days. It is alive every single day. I think back to Emmett Till’s mom and the reason she had an open casket, she wanted to show the world what her son went through in terms of a hate crime in America. No matter how much money you have, how famous you are, how much people admire you, being black in America is tough.”
The incident comes almost a month after LeBron spoke out about race and sports in America. After the Adam Jones racial incident in Boston, LeBron was asked about his thoughts:
I’ve heard a couple athletes say ‘you expect that when you go to Boston.’ For me, I’ve been to Boston, I’ve played in Boston a lot. I just try to have tunnel vision when I play. I can’t recall me ever hear anything that was racism towards me. But I think it was great that other guys spoke up for him, not even on his own team, I think the guys from the Red Sox spoke up for Adam Jones.
It’s a delicate situation. Racism, as we know, exists. you try not to put yourself in a position to—me as a father. I just try to give my kids the blueprint on how life is gonna be. But at the end of the day, I can only tell them so much. Then they have to go out and live it themselves. For me, just try to be respectful to others. And I feel like if you do that, consistently, then I believe that karma will come back to you.
James, who bought the 9,440 square foot house in 2015 for about $20.9 million, said that is family is safe, and that’s all that matters.
LeBron and the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers kick off the NBA Finals against the Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors on Thursday, June 1, with Game 1 in Oakland.
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