In recent news, Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy, called out LeBron James, insinuating the Los Angeles Lakers player has called for people to be confrontational with the police. In response, LeBron addressed the allegations head-on.
Near the beginning of the month, two officers were shot in an altercation in Compton, California. Amid the press conference, Villanueva called out LeBron James and said he should match the reward money that was posted to help identify the perpetrator.
On his social media account, users were asking LeBron why the sheriff deputy thought it was his responsibility to match the reward money to help find the shooter. James wrote on his Twitter account that he had never said “let’s act violently toward cops.”
LeBron went on to say that he was merely calling attention to what has been going on in the black community. He said the things that have happened to black Americans over the years are “not ok.” Every black person is scared when they get pulled over, whether it’s a young black kid, a woman, a girl, a boy, or a man.
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LeBron was asked if there was anything he wanted to say to Villanueva, and he claimed, “I have no response on the sheriff.” Fans of LeBron know he has been a lot more politically active in recent years, especially after the death of George Floyd.
Earlier this year, LeBron also called attention to the conviction and subsequent sentencing of Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, who was convicted earlier this year following a plea deal.
Reportedly, Lori and Mossimo were given the option of what prison to go to. More importantly, people took issue with the various amenities of the institutions, including things like yoga classes, pilates, saxophone lessons, and more.
LeBron wasn’t the only one who commented on it either. Meek Mill, who has also been an advocate from criminal justice reform, pointed to a case where a woman was put behind bars for years for lying on a school registration form so her children could go to a better school. The rapper suggested had Lori and Mossimo’s skin color been different, their sentence would’ve been far more severe.