I really hate the NBA, Lebron James might be the biggest reason why I have to be honest with you.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is facing intense backlash over a now-deleted tweet targeting a Columbus police officer involved in the shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant.
Bodycam footage released late Tuesday showed Bryant being shot as she was attacking another Black teen with a knife.
However, like many other public figures, James suggested that the Columbus shooting was unjusitfied coming on the heels of the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd.
“YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY,” the NBA icon wrote with an hourglass emoji over an image of one of the officers at the scene of Bryant’s shooting.
James was accused by critics of leveraging his massive Twitter following to target the officer.
“Lebron James is inciting violence against an Ohio police officer. This is disgraceful and dangerous. Is the NBA okay with this? Is Twitter?” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. asked.
“On behalf of pro athletes, current and former, I apologize for how #LeBronJames just showed his inner Maxine Waters and made a very real, ongoing threat to the life of the officer who quickly acted to prevent a knife attack from becoming worse. Many of us appreciate what LEOs do!” former Major League Baseball player Lenny Dykstra wrote.
“LeBron James doxes [sic] police officer who saved a teenage girl from being stabbed to death, demands officer be held accountable, sets new record for athlete stupidity,” OutKick founder Clay Travis tweeted.
“Reported threatening violence,” journalist Emily Miller wrote, flagging the tweet to Twitter.
