LeBron James is one of the most vocal cop-haters in all of pro sports.
But even James knew he went too far.
And LeBron James made a confession about police that no one saw coming.
LeBron James set off a firestorm by attacking a police officer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant to prevent Bryant from stabbing another girl to death.
James tweeted out a picture of the cop that shot Bryant with a caption reading “you’re next!”
The Los Angeles Lakers star came under heavy criticism for inciting hatred and violence against police officers before deleting the tweet.
After refusing to back down on his attacks against police officers James tried to deescalate the situation by retweeting an article from the left-wing website Vox and claiming he started the “wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant.”
“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,” James wrote.
Critics slammed James for ignoring the fact that the police officer saved a girl’s life.
Bryant was about to deliver a potentially fatal blow to another girl, giving the officer in question just a split second to act.
The correct conversation James could have led was how in these situations no one should jump to any conclusions, wait until the facts are in and don’t demonize people based on preconceived notions.
Instead, James violated all of those principles by attacking the police officer involved and assuming his guilt.
And while James faced no official sanctions from the NBA or his sponsors for the tweet, the damage to his reputation among many Americans was incalculable.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.