One day before the NBA Finals were set to kick off, LeBron James and his family were given a cruel reminder of racism in America.
According to reports by NBC Los Angeles, James’ home was vandalized with a racial slur. On the morning of May 31, LAPD responded to a call of vandalism in the Brentwood neighborhood. When police arrived, they noticed a racial slur painted on the gate of the residence.
James recently responded to the racism aimed at Baltimore Orioles star Adam Jones. Jones was called the N-word several times by White racist fans at Boston’s Fenway Park.
“It’s a delicate situation,” James told reporters about the incident involving Adams. “Racism, we know, exists. You try not to put yourself in a position, for me as a father, I try to give my kids the blueprint on how life is gonna be. But at the end of the day, I can only tell them so much, and they have to go out and live it themselves. For me, I just try to be respectful, for one, respectful to others, and I feel like if you do that consistently, then I believe the karma will come back to you.”
James also revealed his thoughts on playing in Boston, a city known for racist antics.
“With the Adam Jones situation, I don’t know who said it or what happened, the whole community in Boston, whatever the case may be, and I’ve heard a couple athletes say that you expect that when you go to Boston,” James said. “For me, I’ve been to Boston and I’ve played in Boston a lot, I just try to have tunnel vision when I play. I can’t recall ever hearing something that was racism toward me.”
James and the Cleveland Cavs will face-off against the Golden State Warriors on June 1.
