With the clock ticking less than a minute before halftime in the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday, LeBron James passed two defenders about halfway down the court to knock down a transition hammer.
When James pulled Jerry West’s waist apart as he rushed through the huge NBA logo in the starting circle, viewers could see three words in capital letters printed on the court at the top of their screens above him: “LA BLACK LIFE MATTERS. “
The phrase, which entered the public lexicon after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the 2013 murder of Trayvon Martin and became the title of the social action that has been ubiquitous in recent months following the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud. Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others Black Americans is something James says should be considered permanent, not fleeting.
“A lot of people use this analogy, talking about Black Lives Matter as a movement. It is not a movement,” James said after scoring 12 points in 15 minutes in the Lakers’ 108-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “When you’re black, it’s not a movement. It’s a lifestyle. We sit here and say it’s a movement and, OK, how long is this movement going to last? ‘Don’t stop the movement.’ No, this is a path. of life. When you wake up and you’re black, that’s what it is. It shouldn’t be a movement. It should be a lifestyle. This is who we are …
“I don’t like the word ‘movement’ because, unfortunately, in the United States and in society, there has been no damn movement for us. There has been no movement.”
Right now, James, 35, finds himself as more than just a basketball player trying to overcome old legs and a global pandemic to rack up another title on his Hall of Fame resume.
He is a success story from humble beginnings, well aware of the pitfalls he dodged to get where he is today. Arguably, he’s not only the best player in the league – Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks would like a word, but he’s certainly his most shocking voice.
“When he talks, a lot of people listen,” said teammate Anthony Davis.
So after James played his first game in an NBA uniform in more than four months, his post-game comments focused on more important issues than how the Lakers defense handled Luka Doncic or what JR Smith made first impression.
“First of all, I want to continue to shed light on justice for Breonna Taylor and her family and everything that is happening with that situation,” James said in an opening statement.
He wrote “# Justice4BreonnaT” on the marker on his sneakers for the game and was asked what steps he wanted to take to deliver that justice. Taylor, a black emergency medical technician, was killed in Louisville, Kentucky, after plainclothes officers executed a “do not touch” order related to a narcotics investigation and shot the 26-year-old at least eight times, according to reports. No drugs were found.
“We want to arrest the police officers who committed that crime,” James said of the three Louisville police officers involved.
Detective Brett Hankison was fired. Jon Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the other officers serving the order, were placed on administrative reassignment.
“We as the NBA, and we as the players, and I as one of the leaders of this league, I want your family to know and I want the state of Kentucky to know that we feel that, and we want justice.” James said. “That’s what it’s about. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. And this is a wrong situation that is happening in my eyes and in many other eyes, not only here in the United States but, I bet in the world , too.”
He noted the irony of how “lucky” it was that Floyd’s death, caused by a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck, was captured on video, because the tragedy was undeniable.
“I mean, is that what we need to see, a video of Breonna’s death to realize how bad the situation is?” he questioned.
James joined the uproar from players who drew attention to Taylor’s case, as the NBA invited 22 teams to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to restart the season after a long hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
James said he hoped other players, individuals who would normally feel “scared” of possible consequences, would feel empowered to continue talking while in Orlando.
“Because it is a time when we are heard,” he said. “If you really care or not, they are listening to us. But that is the most important thing.”
Beyond his thoughts on Taylor, James spoke to a broader scope when he addressed journalists for nearly 15 minutes, roughly double his normal post-game session, describing the systematic challenges he sees blacks in this country.
“We know that for a step that someone else might have to take, or for a yard that someone else might have to take, we know we have to take five more steps,” James said. “We know we have to take 10 more yards to get to the end zone. I mean, we understand. We know. But it is also what makes us so strong, makes us so powerful, makes us so unique and unified that we had a lot of difficulties In our life.
“It’s heartbreaking, man. You don’t understand. Unless you’re a person of color, you don’t understand. I understand you might feel it, but you could never really understand what it is to be Black in America.”
James was asked if he had felt any progress since July 2016, when he, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul opened ESPYS calling for social change.
“I mean, 2016, Barack [Obama] he was our president, “said James.” We know what is happening now. So is that that progress? I don’t think, I think we can all see and say that this is not progress. “
Progress, in James’s estimation, will begin with communication and the willingness and urgency to understand each other.
“If you could just sit there and talk to someone, look at someone face to face and say how you feel, regardless of whether they like it or not, you can respect them,” he said. “Someone might not agree … But if I can look you dead in the eye and you can look at me and say: ‘Listen, each one of them, I do not agree with that’, then I can respect you for that. people can’t even have that conversation. “
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