Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is known for being vocal about social issues and causes that he is deeply interested in. Naturally, his outspokenness on certain topics also attracts backlash and criticism from some parties, including those who do not agree with his views.
Recently, the future Hall of Famer expressed his concerns on a reported surge of the use of the N-word on Twitter after the platform was taken over by Elon Musk. James said that if the report is true, the issue needs to be taken seriously.
I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech. https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 29, 2022
His statement drew the attention of Jason Whitlock, a sports journalist and columnist who routinely attacks James. Whitlock called out the four-time MVP, implying that he is a hypocrite for his take on the use of the N-word.
LeBron only wants to hear the N-word in rap music. It's a term of endearment in rap. When LeBron dropped the N-word on HBO's The Shop it was a good thing. But now it's scary AF. Gotcha. https://t.co/eP4ICz2QBq
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) October 29, 2022
What Whitlock failed to address, however, is the fact that there are situations where the word is typically accepted. The issue James is likely pointing to in his recent tweet is that there is perhaps an increasing use of the term to discriminate.
For his part, Musk provided James with an explanation for the surge, attributing it to inauthentic accounts.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022
James has yet to publicly respond to Whitlock or Musk, and it is unclear if he plans on ever doing so.
Focusing on the 2022-23 season
What is clear is that the 18-time All-Star is looking for answers to the Lakers’ woes early in the 2022-23 season. Los Angeles is the only winless team in the league at the moment. It has an 0-5 standing so far.
While the Lakers’ defense has been stingy through five contests, their offense still needs a lot of work. They are currently averaging 102.2 points per game, which ranks last in the entire league.
The possible solutions could be out of James’ control because a roster change might be necessary for the team to bounce back. As former Lakers champion Danny Green recently pointed out, the players that Rob Pelinka has surrounded James with do not appear to fit well.
It remains to be seen if the team can recover from such a dismal start.
