ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith applauded Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James for holding the media accountable for not asking him a question about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
James, who is often asked to comment on many issues in the world, including the recent controversy with Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, was not asked about a troubling photo of Jones from 65 years ago.
"I feel like, as a black man as a black athlete, as someone with power…when we do something wrong…every single news coverage, it’s on the bottom ticker…Seems like to me that the whole Jerry Jones situation…seemed like it just been buried under.” pic.twitter.com/qs2r4HubmF
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 1, 2022
Jones was seemingly among a group of people trying to stop desegregation at a school back in 1957.
Here's the photo that LeBron just ranted about.
Jerry Jones is seemingly a part of a white crowd trying to prevent desegregation from happening at a school. pic.twitter.com/EbWCg3wZIW
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 1, 2022
It’s clear that James is frustrated that he is asked about certain issues, such as Irving posting an anti-Semitic documentary on his Twitter, but that the media is seemingly picking and choosing which ones it wants him to comment on.
James is one of the most famous people in all of sports, and his thoughts on matters certainly carry lots of weight. Smith commended him for calling out the media.
“I can’t applaud LeBron enough for what he said,” Smith said. “I 1,000 percent agree with LeBron James because that wasn’t about Jerry Jones if you’re listening. … What LeBron was talking about is unavoidable. The media — [Donald] Trump says something, they ask LeBron about it. … LeBron James has been subjected to question after question after question, but suddenly when it came to Jerry Jones, you didn’t ask? ‘Cause I assure you, if I was in that press room, I would have asked LeBron about it.”
Smith continued to support James by comparing the Jones photo to the incident surrounding Irving earlier this season.
“The fact that he wasn’t asked that question, and he had waited, and he had to bring up the subject to a media in the year 2022 gives credence and buffers the argument that Kyrie Irving was making when Kyrie said, ‘Where’s the intensity when our peoples going through stuff?’” Smith continued. “… That’s what LeBron was calling out.”
James clearly knows how much influence he has, and he surely wants to be able to bring to light all injustices rather than just the ones that are handpicked for him to talk about.
It’s nice to see that Smith came to James’ defense and explained why he believed the Lakers superstar was advocating so heavily for the media to ask him about Jones.
There are certainly a ton of off-court issues that need to be addressed throughout all of sports, but the bright side for Lakers fans at the moment is that James and the team have begun to turn things around this season.
After starting the season with a dreadful 2-10 record in their first 12 games, the Lakers have improved with six wins in their last eight matchups. The team’s most recent win came on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
James finished that game with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field. He added seven rebounds, eight assists and one block to his stat line.
The four-time NBA champion is playing at a high level once again this season, and the Lakers suddenly have life in the Western Conference as a potential playoff team. Los Angeles currently holds the No. 13 spot in the conference, but the team is just three games back of the Sacramento Kings, who are in sixth place.
