Days ago, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James posted a provocative tweet about the officer who killed Ma’Khia Bryant, a Black teen, in Ohio, asking for the officer to be held accountable.
Now, James has walked back that tweet a bit, while crediting a Vox article for looking at the shooting from a different perspective.
I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it. Thank you @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi #sayhername #Blacklivesmatter
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 3, 2021
Bryant was apparently holding a knife when she was shot. According to a video of the incident, it appeared she was about to stab someone else at the scene when she was killed.
For this reason, her killing has not sparked the same outcry that the killings of many other Black individuals by law enforcement have.
James’ tweet elicited plenty of negative responses.
A bar in Columbus, Ohio is now refusing to show any NBA games until the NBA “expels” James. The owner of the bar has claimed that business has been great as a result.
In addition, a 24-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department wrote an open letter to James, asking him to gain a better understanding of the danger that officers sometimes face.
The department has even asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver to launch an investigation into James.
