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.
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.
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.
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.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka reportedly wants a “grinder” to be the next…
With the 2024 NBA Draft set to commence next month, NBA insiders in Shams Charania…
The Los Angeles Lakers’ decisions to hire Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham as their last…
In 2016, the Los Angeles Lakers got who they probably thought would be their small…
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly would like to bring back reserve Max Christie and perhaps…
The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported that the Los Angeles Lakers will be "aggressive" as well…