LeBron James is preparing for one of the biggest games of his career.
Cleveland Cavaliers play the first game of the NBA Finals on Saturday night against Golden State Warriors.
But, instead of worrying about trying to overcome Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, he has had to deal with a racial attack.
A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Police Department revealed that an unidentified person vandalised James’ home by spray painting the ‘N-word’ on the front gate and the incident is being investigated as an act of vandalism and possible hate crime.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, James responded to the attack on his family home in a defiant way.
“As I sit here on the eve of one of the greatest sporting events we have, race and what is going on comes again.
“On my behalf, family’s behalf, I look at this as if this sheds a light and keeps the conversation going. My family is safe, that’s most important.
“Just shows that racism will always be a part of the world, part of America. Hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day. It is hidden most days. It is alive every single day. I think back to Emmett Till’s mom and the reason she had an open casket, she wanted to show the world what her son went through in terms of a hate crime in America. No matter how much money you have, how famous you are, how much people admire you, being black in America is tough.”
“We got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African-Americans until we feel equal in America.”
LeBron James responds after 'racially motivated slur' found spray-painted at home. "Being black in America is tough" https://t.co/hiR6yglvns pic.twitter.com/CcZsiFUdBQ
— ABC News (@ABC) May 31, 2017
James’ reference to Emmet Till is one that will resonate with the African-American community. Till became a symbol of the Civil Rights movement in America when he was brutally beaten to death back in 1955. The 14-year-old’s mother wanted an example to be made of what happened and held an open-casket funeral for her son.
