Lebron calls Celtics fans racist

[gouki88]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

What advantage did they gain?

At risk of Stephen A Smith levels of speculating, which I guess is all we can really do, but I really hate how much of a farce they made out of this, and how I just can't* stand that they are the face of actual issues:

Maybe they want the spotlight, and were acting in bad faith. I feel like that's partly the case for Kyrie. I think there were some reports that his comments were kind of inconsistent (https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/nba-boston-celtics-kyrie-agai/). Kyrie also said what he said in the middle of the Celtics-Nets series in 2021, and later stomped on Lucky, after obviously falling out with the Celtics in 2018 for whatever reason.

I also feel LeBron to some extent wants to feed his own ego. The way he announced going to South Beach, the way he responds to some of the actual issues, then this.

Maybe they genuinely feel they were wronged, but in both cases their versions of the story to some extent don't match up with reality (Lebron especially).

I'm not sure it's possible for LeBron to be given any more spotlight regardless of what he says. Countless other professional athletes across different codes have said similar things about Boston, even Marcus Smart has experienced it!

Just not sure what there is to gain.

Kyrie is a different case altogether. He is a completely irrational person, so it's not quite the same.

More bad publicity to a rival city and franchise is what James gains from this, and he also falsely props himself up as a modern day Muhammad Ali who really “tells it like it is”.

The real question is, what does he have to lose? Absolutely nothing, anytime LeBron James is in position to actually lose something by speaking out, he is totally MIA. He’s an absolute, unremitting clown.

I have far more respect for Kyrie Irving who actually stood for something and lost out because of that stance.

Ah, that makes total sense - positing himself as the modern day Muhammad Ali by calling out a specific fanbase for specific actions towards himself and himself alone. Right.

I know that you respect Kyrie. It falls right in line with some of the other attitudes you've displayed here about not caring for the health of others.

[Kernewek]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

I really dislike that term, it's something Twitter users use when they're losing arguments.

Its definitely a term that gets thrown around way too much online. But it is a definable discussion tactic, and we’ve got a great example of what it actually is in this thread with Smoothie’s post about the “All Lives Matter” discussion.

[JSD]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

What advantage did they gain?

At risk of Stephen A Smith levels of speculating, which I guess is all we can really do, but I really hate how much of a farce they made out of this, and how I just can't* stand that they are the face of actual issues:

Maybe they want the spotlight, and were acting in bad faith. I feel like that's partly the case for Kyrie. I think there were some reports that his comments were kind of inconsistent (https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/nba-boston-celtics-kyrie-agai/). Kyrie also said what he said in the middle of the Celtics-Nets series in 2021, and later stomped on Lucky, after obviously falling out with the Celtics in 2018 for whatever reason.

I also feel LeBron to some extent wants to feed his own ego. The way he announced going to South Beach, the way he responds to some of the actual issues, then this.

Maybe they genuinely feel they were wronged, but in both cases their versions of the story to some extent don't match up with reality (Lebron especially).

I'm not sure it's possible for LeBron to be given any more spotlight regardless of what he says. Countless other professional athletes across different codes have said similar things about Boston, even Marcus Smart has experienced it!

Just not sure what there is to gain.

Kyrie is a different case altogether. He is a completely irrational person, so it's not quite the same.

More bad publicity to a rival city and franchise is what James gains from this, and he also falsely props himself up as a modern day Muhammad Ali who really “tells it like it is”.

The real question is, what does he have to lose? Absolutely nothing, anytime LeBron James is in position to actually lose something by speaking out, he is totally MIA. He’s an absolute, unremitting clown.

I have far more respect for Kyrie Irving who actually stood for something and lost out because of that stance.

Ah, that makes total sense - positing himself as the modern day Muhammad Ali by calling out a specific fanbase for specific actions towards himself and himself alone. Right.

I know that you respect Kyrie. It falls right in line with some of the other attitudes you've displayed here about not caring for the health of others.

that’s obviously not the only time he sounded off on social justice issues. He’s adding another highlight to his woke reel, and gains far more than he loses in the process.

I could say the same for you and your opposition to freedom, but the point was, regardless of topic, he took a stand on something and suffered. That takes courage.

[Moranis]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

“Boston is racist as hell, they had F-LBJ shirts and someone threw a a beer at me after one of the games.”

 

and of course that isn't what he said at all, which I assume was your point.

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

This country has become obsessed with race.
You are your race first and then whoever you are as a person second.
This obsession has just made things worse.

Yes, there is a certain percentage of people who are racist - who judge someone's character based on their race and that alone, when I believe we should be judged on our behavior and the values we hold as important.  There are plenty of people within each racial group who exhibit bad behavior and whose values are atrocious. There are plenty of people on all sides who are racist as well. The double standards that go unchallenged are also part of the problem. People who do speak up face all types of negative consequences.

Speak up for what, exactly? The shut up and dribble take?

No, the "you're fired" take for uttering the words, All Lives Matter.


And Gouk, no, I would not say since the beginning. We have never been so focused on race as the country is now - not even close.
This obsession has created more divisiveness, again from all sides.

I’m pretty sure All Lives Matter takes the cake for least thoughtful response in this thread. I believe that this post is a guaranteed Bingo win, though I’m curious to see how much further people will display white fragility. All Lives Matter may be the greatest example of gaslighting that we have.

I'm not in the States (I'm an Asian who's lived in Asia most my life, where these issues aren't as hotbutton), so hopefully what I'm saying doesn't amount to whataboutism or isn't nuanced or whatnot and I apologize in advance if it is.

But aren't you peeved that Lebron amounts "f--- you Lebron" to racism? Doesn't it cheapen the experiences of people who actually faced racism?

It's kind of like Kyrie trying to rile up people in the middle of the 2021 playoff series.

I guess black people should get the benefit of the doubt to some extent, as we'll never fully understand what they're facing or be able to walk in their shoes. But I feel like to some extent Lebron and Kyrie kind of took advantage of the situation.

What advantage did they gain?

At risk of Stephen A Smith levels of speculating, which I guess is all we can really do, but I really hate how much of a farce they made out of this, and how I just can't* stand that they are the face of actual issues:

Maybe they want the spotlight, and were acting in bad faith. I feel like that's partly the case for Kyrie. I think there were some reports that his comments were kind of inconsistent (https://celticswire.usatoday.com/lists/nba-boston-celtics-kyrie-agai/). Kyrie also said what he said in the middle of the Celtics-Nets series in 2021, and later stomped on Lucky, after obviously falling out with the Celtics in 2018 for whatever reason.

I also feel LeBron to some extent wants to feed his own ego. The way he announced going to South Beach, the way he responds to some of the actual issues, then this.

Maybe they genuinely feel they were wronged, but in both cases their versions of the story to some extent don't match up with reality (Lebron especially).

I'm not sure it's possible for LeBron to be given any more spotlight regardless of what he says. Countless other professional athletes across different codes have said similar things about Boston, even Marcus Smart has experienced it!

Just not sure what there is to gain.

Kyrie is a different case altogether. He is a completely irrational person, so it's not quite the same.

More bad publicity to a rival city and franchise is what James gains from this, and he also falsely props himself up as a modern day Muhammad Ali who really “tells it like it is”.

The real question is, what does he have to lose? Absolutely nothing, anytime LeBron James is in position to actually lose something by speaking out, he is totally MIA. He’s an absolute, unremitting clown.

I have far more respect for Kyrie Irving who actually stood for something and lost out because of that stance.

Ah, that makes total sense - positing himself as the modern day Muhammad Ali by calling out a specific fanbase for specific actions towards himself and himself alone. Right.

I know that you respect Kyrie. It falls right in line with some of the other attitudes you've displayed here about not caring for the health of others.

that’s obviously not the only time he sounded off on social justice issues. He’s adding another highlight to his woke reel, and gains far more than he loses in the process.

I could say the same for you and your opposition to freedom, but the point was, regardless of topic, he took a stand on something and suffered. That takes courage.

You’re equating social justice issues to anti-vax? Does this make sense? I never thought it was ok for people to go out into society unvaxxed and potentially harm complete strangers. This, to me, is the opposite of courage. It is fear and selfishness masked as “freedom”. I’d love to hear how Kyrie is being anything but selfish with regard to Covid. Is he standing up for those that doubt science and think they are equipped to make scientific decisions without, you know, science degrees, experience, or knowledge? Lets not get this twisted- the scientific community is not anti vax. You have to look to Alex Jones et al for this medical advice.

[Roy H.]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

[SHAQATTACK]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

This earned you a TP .

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

I agree. Celtics fans, as a whole, are not racist. The city, and Garden, has enabled racist actions to continue. We are asking Lebron to be nuanced, yet are unwilling to see that we have miles to go regarding race relations in this city.

His words were inaccurate. In my experience, I’ve seen some of what Lebron talks about. However, I’m not going to gaslight and say that someone’s experience did not actually occur. What is the goal of that?

[Moranis]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

It is pretty clear Lebron was p---ed at Morey for making the tweet he made when Lebron and a whole bunch of other NBA players were in China.  As we've seen with Brittney Griner and Russia, some of those foreign countries don't mess around.  That is why Lebron said anything and also why he said Morey should have waited a week.  Lebron wasn't taking a stand on the Hong Kong issue, he was taking a stand about his own safety and the safety of the other NBA players. 

[Roy H.]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

It is pretty clear Lebron was p---ed at Morey for making the tweet he made when Lebron and a whole bunch of other NBA players were in China.  As we've seen with Brittney Griner and Russia, some of those foreign countries don't mess around.  That is why Lebron said anything and also why he said Morey should have waited a week.  Lebron wasn't taking a stand on the Hong Kong issue, he was taking a stand about his own safety and the safety of the other NBA players.

If so, then why not clarify the remarks at a later date?  Why didn't Lebron "wait a week", and tell us why Morey's opinion was misinformed or uneducated?

And, as Lebron's biggest fan on the blog, what's your take on Lebron continuing to do business in a country that he thinks is so dangerous that NBA players will be hurt or kidnapped?

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Roy, do you deny the premise that Morey’s tweet could be problematic for NBA players on Chinese soil? I agree with Morey, but I also agree with Moranis when he states that the timing was dangerous.

Also, what are you specifically asking Lebron to do regarding China? Are you yourself willing to divest any business relationship with China? If we take inventory of the things in our houses, this becomes an impractical standard. Lebron is being called out as a hypocrite as we continue to purchase goods made in China.

[Moranis]

Lebron is complicated, regarding social issues.  He has given back to his community, which I appreciate.  It's hard to knock on a guy who is building schools.  And, good for him for taking a stance, rather than the "Group X buys shoes" mentality.

But, I get frustrated by how little nuance or depth he shows sometimes.  The broad grouping of Celtics fans is one example.  Much bigger than that is his lecture toward Darryl Morey, calling him "misinformed" and uneducated about Hong Kong.  Lebron himself gave a great quote about his own politics, he just didn't realize it:

"I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it," James said. "I have no idea, but that is just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that's just my belief."

""I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I'm not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that," James said in a tweet.

"My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen. Could have waited a week to send it," James added in a second tweet."

Isn't that what Lebron often does?  He spouts off about something he has limited understanding of, ignoring the great power that he has that will affect the lives of others.  The best example of this may be Lebron's "you're next" tweet, where he essentially sent a mob after a police officer who was innocent of wrong-doing.

To use a cliche, with great power comes great responsibility.  Lebron has gigantic power, and he feels a sense of social responsibility.  That should be applauded.  But, he also sometimes shows as much depth and understanding of complicated issues as the 17 year old kid who mows your lawn in the summers.  To some extent, that makes perfect sense:  he's an athlete, not a member of a think tank.  But, I wish he'd take his own advice sometimes, and slow down before making off-the-cuff comments.

It is pretty clear Lebron was p---ed at Morey for making the tweet he made when Lebron and a whole bunch of other NBA players were in China.  As we've seen with Brittney Griner and Russia, some of those foreign countries don't mess around.  That is why Lebron said anything and also why he said Morey should have waited a week.  Lebron wasn't taking a stand on the Hong Kong issue, he was taking a stand about his own safety and the safety of the other NBA players.

If so, then why not clarify the remarks at a later date?  Why didn't Lebron "wait a week", and tell us why Morey's opinion was misinformed or uneducated?

And, as Lebron's biggest fan on the blog, what's your take on Lebron continuing to do business in a country that he thinks is so dangerous that NBA players will be hurt or kidnapped?

He didn't need to clarify it.  It is pretty obvious that was the nature and intent of his tweets.  That is why he specifically talked about the difficult week he and his team had.  Lebron's point was, the timing of Morey's tweet made the actual NBA players in China's lives a lot more difficult.  Which is also why Lebron tweeted when he did as he wanted to make his own life a bit easier in the immediacy. 

Everyone does business with China.  If you didn't you wouldn't do business.  There is no need to increase the risk though and that is what Lebron was pretty clearly talking about.  Even if there was no physical risk of harm, it made the whole trip much more uncomfortable for the players.  None of that is an issue, if Morey doesn't tweet when the players were in China though.  So if Morey waited a week, all of that extra stuff is eliminated and I suspect Lebron doesn't say anything.

[Roy H.]

What players were located in China at the time of the tweet?

And, if the situation was dangerous, why did the NBA continue to play NBA games there?

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

What players were located in China at the time of the tweet?

And, if the situation was dangerous, why did the NBA continue to play NBA games there?

https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2019-10-14/lakers-china-how-nba-defuse-tensions-amid-tumultuous-week

Lakers and Nets.

The NBA should have cancelled/suspended the trip for safety purposes.

Roy, did you see my post? Why is Lebron a hypocrite but we are not re: China?

[Roy H.]

What players were located in China at the time of the tweet?

And, if the situation was dangerous, why did the NBA continue to play NBA games there?

https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2019-10-14/lakers-china-how-nba-defuse-tensions-amid-tumultuous-week

Lakers and Nets.

The NBA should have cancelled/suspended the trip for safety purposes.

Roy, did you see my post? Why is Lebron a hypocrite but we are not re: China?

The average American can’t decline to do business with China.  There simply aren’t viable options for most Americans.  Those Americans, however, don’t self-edit themselves on social media and call out others for being “misinformed”.

Lebron, of course, has the ability to wield influence.  In this area, he takes a “the Chinese buy shoes, too” approach.  I think it’s fair to criticize that.  Moreso, I think it’s fair to criticize his response to Morey.