• Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Header image

MyNewsLA.comLogo

Breaking news for greater Los Angeles and Orange County

Menu

Skip to content
  • Crime
  • Government
  • Business
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Hollywood
  • Life
  • OC
  • Gardena Police Find Man Gravely Wounded After Being Shot in the Head
  • L.A. County Reports 11,366 New COVID-19 Cases, 108 More Deaths
  • Santa Ana Winds Continue to Increase Wildfire Risk in Riverside County
  • Orange County Reports 1,448 New COVID-19 Cases, 47 Deaths
  • Strong Winds Coming to Southland With Gusts Reaching 75 mph By Tuesday

Home » Government » This Article

LeBron James Says He’s Never Condoned Violence, But Lakers Star Won’t Stop Speaking Out

Posted by Contributing Editor on September 23, 2020 in Government | Leave a response
Share this article:
Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Lakers star LeBron James has responded to comments made by Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who challenged James to contribute to a reward to find the man who ambushed two deputies in Compton on Sept. 12, and criticized James’ previous comments about racial profiling.

Asked about the sheriff’s remarks after Tuesday night’s Lakers loss against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, James said, “I’ve never in my 35 years ever condoned violence. Never have. But I also know what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong.

“I grew up in an inner city, in a Black community, in what we call the hood, or the ghetto — however you want to picture it — and I’ve seen a lot of accounts, first-hand, of a lot of Black people being, I guess, racially profiled because of our color. I’ve seen it throughout my whole life,” he continued.

“And I’m not saying that all cops are bad. Because I actually, you know, throughout high school and things of that nature, I’m around them all the time, and they’re not all bad. But when you see the videos that’s going on, and you can see all over — not only my hometown, but all over America, you continue to see the acts of violence towards my kind, I can’t do nothing but speak about it … But at not one time have I ever said, `Let’s act violent towards cops. I just said that what’s going on in our community is not OK, and we fear for that, and we fear for our lives.”

After the county’s Board of Supervisors approved a $100,000 reward offer on Sept. 15 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman — an amount that was later boosted by multiple private and organizational donations — Villanueva asked James to match it.

“I know you care about law enforcement,” the sheriff said in comments directed at James. “You expressed a very interesting statement about your perspective on race relations and on officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community. And I appreciated that. But likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across all professions.”

Villanueva said last week that he singled out James because of the player’s previous comments after last month’s police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“He symbolized some of the comments we’ve heard from politicians, elected leaders, civic leaders, where they’re making a broad-brush condemnation of an entire profession,” Villanueva said. “I just think we need to put down the broad brushes and re-focus on all the people accountable when they cross the line, as we are doing with law enforcement across the entire nation.”

Like this story? Don’t miss any breaking news from MyNewsLA.com. Sign up here for your free newsletter.

 

James refused to directly address Villanueva, saying: “I have zero comment on the sheriff.”

But he reiterated that “I do not condone violence towards anyone: police, Black people, white people, people of color, people not of color, because that’s not going to ever make this world or America what we want it to be.”

LeBron James Says He’s Never Condoned Violence, But Lakers Star Won’t Stop Speaking Out was last modified: September 23rd, 2020 by Contributing Editor

>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!

Follow us:
Facebooktwitterrss
Posted in Government | Tagged Condoned, He's, James, LeBron, Never, Says, speaking, stop, violence, Won't

Advertisement

Get The Latest News by Email!

Sign up here for our free newsletters. We’ll send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon.

 
FORECAST FOR LOS ANGELES
75°
Clear
Feels like: 75°F
Wind: 5mph W
Humidity: 17%
Pressure: 29.94"Hg
UV index: 0
MonTueWed
81/52°F
68/54°F
77/52°F
Weather forecast Los Angeles, California ▸

Most Popular Today

  • Rosemead Woman Missing over a Week Located 3,600 views
  • Man Rushed To Hospital From Traffic Crash in Laguna Hills 2,200 views
  • Rescue Attempt Underway for Injured Mountain Biker 2,000 views
  • Rape Victim Unconscious, But She’s Dead! Suspect Nabbed, Unclear When Victim Died In Pomona 1,400 views
  • Homeless Man in Pasadena Fatally Struck By Motorist Who Stayed At Scene 1,200 views

©2021 CalNews Inc.

Menu

  • About
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service