LeBron James surprised the world when he decided not to wear a message on his jersey when the NBA returns. The league shared a list of messages so players can pick one and wear it on the back of their jerseys, but LeBron didn’t like any of them.
He was very outspoken against social injustice and racism over the last couple of weeks so it’s shocking to see him opting not to wear any message and just go with his name, as usual. Everybody has had something to say about it, including Skip Bayless, who went after Bron for not choosing a message for the NBA return.
He announced he was going to discuss that matter on Monday’s edition of FS1’s Undisputed.
Why I as a white man am disappointed that LeBron will have no social justice message on the back of his jersey. Now on @undisputed
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 13, 2020
Bayless said LeBron has been very active talking against racism, police brutality and social injustices and it wasn’t ok that now he was just going to ‘shut up and dribble’.
“LeBron has been outspoken and he has led the charge. I don’t want him to look like he is just shutting up and dribbling now.”
LeBron is the one player whose message I wanted to see the most. White people need to see these expressions on the back of jerseys. We need to be constantly reminded of what these messages are. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/LrK3IQYYpj
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 13, 2020
He then doubled down his comments, claiming Bron was one of the players whose message he wanted to see the most.
“LeBron is the one player whose message I wanted to see the most. White people need to see these expressions on the back of jerseys. We need to be constantly reminded of what these messages are.”
LeBron explained why he decided not to wear any message on his jersey, explaining that didn’t have anything to do with his mission.
“It’s no disrespect to the list that was handed out to all the players,” James, wearing a More Than an Athlete hat, told reporters on a video conference call Saturday. “I commend anyone who decides to put something on the back of their jersey. It’s just something that didn’t really seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal. I would’ve loved to have had a say-so on what would have went on the back of my jersey. I had a couple of things in mind, but I wasn’t part of that process, which is OK. I’m absolutely OK with that.”
“Everything that I do has a purpose, has a meaning, so I don’t need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission and know what I’m about and what I’m here to do,” James said.
LeBron was one of the players pushing for the league return, despite all the protests going on in the country. He was convinced that he could use his platform to ask for justice. One would’ve believed wearing a message on the back on his jersey was the best way to do so but the King has different plans now.
