By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Eagle Staff Writer
fjones@theoklahomaeagle.net
Lebron James’ press conference on Wednesday was a bit different, it was much larger than the fact that he is getting ready to play in his 7th consecutive NBA Finals. James wore a white T-shirt emblazoned with a photo of Muhammad Ali’s face. He measured his words and frequently paused to swallow hard. “Obviously,” he said, “you see, I’m not my normal energetic self.”
James’ Los Angeles estate has been vandalized with the N-word spray painted all over his estate fence. James stated his family is safe, “and that’s most important.” But it was very evident that this hate crime obviously rattled him.
James went on to say he thought of Emmitt Till’s mother: “The reason she had an open casket was that she wanted to show the world what her son went through as far as a hate crime, and being black in America. No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough. We’ve got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America.”
James also stated, “I still understand how race plays a part in America. For me to be here and have to answer questions about racism, it just lets me know that it’s still here, and we should all know that. If it takes for someone to spray my gate, and use that derogatory term, that hate, on my family to shed a light on what the real issue is in the world, then so be it.”
He stated further, “At the end of the day, I’ll be focused on, on our game plan, and focused on these games. I’m at a point in my life where my priorities are in place, and basketball comes second to my family. I will be as focused as I can be on the job at hand. This is a situation where, it puts me back in place as far as what’s actually more important. Basketball is not the most important thing in my life.”
“I can’t be home to see my boys right now,” James said. “My little girl is too young to actually understand it right now, but I can’t sit in front of my boys right now, and I won’t be home until next week. So, this is kind of killing me inside right now.” James commented that his wife and mother would speak to the children about the incident after school, and he planned to connect via FaceTime with his sons.
While saying his two sons, ages 9 and 12, love life and have open minds, James stated, “at the end of the day, they’re going to have to walk their own path. And hopefully I give them enough life skills throughout their journey where, when they’re ready to fly, they can fly on their own.” After noting that the vandalism had intruded on “one of the greatest sporting events that we have,” James said that if the incident keeps the conversation about racism alive, “then I’m OK with it.”
We live in a world that money and fame cannot change as the fires of racism continue to burn with the fuels of hatred and fear. America will always suffer, as long as we continue to entertain agendas that don’t enhance diversity and inclusion situations like this will always occur.
This is a very trying time for the United States of America as far as hatred and racism is concerned and, we are flunking big time. In our city of Tulsa, we are memorializing the 96th year of the tragic 1921 race riot, and most recent, in grand fashion, our racist factors made sure we know that racism is alive and well by leaving a noose (rope fashioned to hang a person) at the National Museum of African American History in Washinton D.C.
