There has been a lot of back and forth regarding the resumption of the NBA season. It seemed like everybody wanted basketball to come back but now that the league and the franchise finally came to an agreement, the timing seems far off.
That’s why several players – led by Kyrie Irving – think the season shouldn’t restart amid the Black Lives Matter movement. They claim basketball will be just a distraction on a time black people need to be together and continue to make their voices be heard.
LeBron James, however, has made a strong stance about wanting to go back to the hardwood, which has raised a lot of criticism from people who claim he should be leading by example as one of the biggest leaders in the black community.
Even so, an Eastern Conference executive went as far as to tell ESPN’s Tim Bontemps that LeBron only wants the season to resume because he has a shot at a ring and doesn’t want his legacy to be affected:
“LeBron is going to make sure those games [in Orlando] are played, because he knows they could have a huge impact on his legacy. He knows picking up one or two more titles is the potential tipping point, and he’s determined to go for it,” the executive claimed.
James is a competitor and that’s a pretty fair point. In fact, the Lakers are one of the biggest favorites to win it all this season, which would mean The King would have led three different franchises to an NBA Championship.
Still, given how he’s viewed in the black community and how vocal he’s been when supporting minorities, it seems like, far from savaging his legacy with another ring, turning his back on the protests to win a Championship could stain his legacy for good.
