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LeBron James was not among the many NBA players and coaches immediately denouncing the violent mob of President Donald Trump supporters invading the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, but he was definitely watching.
James shared his thoughts on Thursday with a t-shirt and an Instagram post, both asking the same question in all caps: “DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?” In smaller letters, the shirt also contained a slogan used by James in the past:
“In memory of the countless lives of black people lost to police brutality and racial injustice.”
The Los Angeles Lakers star wore the jersey as he entered Staples Center ahead of a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The caption for James’ Instagram post explained what observers are supposed to understand after Wednesday’s deadly events, noting that even a violent mob of whites storming the Capitol was not “shackled, beaten, shot.” James said he believed people still didn’t get it, summing it up as “2 AMERIKKKAS”.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW ??? !! I know the answer to that. You still do not cause no matter what happens you still will not be judged, looked crazy, chained, beaten, shot because of the color of your skin !!! 2 AMERIKKKAS we live in and it was at FULL CAPACITY LIVE Yesterday in our Nations CAPITAL TO CAPITAL !! 🤦🏾♂️😢😢😢. #IPrayForBetterDaysForMyPeople 🙏🏾✊🏾🖤👑
James’ Instagram story contained another mention of the dynamic, reposting a music video of MSNBC’s Joy Ann Reid of Udonis Haslem recalling her coverage of the 2014 Freddie Gray protests and the aggressive tactics used by the Baltimore police. against the demonstrators.
The messages echo what Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers said as the crowd dispersed Wednesday to ask how the scene would have played if black people had stormed the Capitol.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown also spoke on Wednesday.
“It reminds me of what Dr Martin Luther King said. In an America, you are killed sleeping in your car, smoking cigarettes or playing in your backyard, ”said Brown. “In another America, you manage to storm the Capitol. No tear gas, no mass arrests. None of that. It’s obvious. It’s 2021 and I don’t think anything has changed.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler had something similar to say after his game:
Jimmy Butler of Miami echoed Brown: “We see the two different United States that we live in. We came to the hoop conclusion. But we know what it is. You can’t go wrong with us. You are not cheating on anyone else. It’s just sad. Everyone sees it. Everyone knows it now. You can’t say you don’t understand it.
As of Wednesday evening, Washington police announced four deaths, 52 arrests and at least 14 police officers injured as a result of the attack, with an officer who died Thursday evening. The fallout has included the resignation of Capitol Hill Police Chief Steven Sund and House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, as well as calls for Trump’s removal from the White House via impeachment or the 25th Amendment.
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