LOS ANGELES – The day after a crowd of pro-Trump protesters invaded the United States Capitol, Los Angeles Lakers captain LeBron James wondered what would have happened if the insurgent group were mostly black and blamed the President Donald Trump for chaos.
“We live in two Americas,” said James on Thursday, after the Lakers lost 118 to 109 to the San Antonio Spurs. “And that was an excellent example of that yesterday, and if you don’t understand it or don’t see it after seeing what you saw yesterday, then you really need to take a step back – not even just one step, but maybe four or five, or even ten steps back and ask yourself how do you want your children, or how do you want your grandchildren, or how do we want America to be seen as? Do we want to live in this beautiful country? “
James, wearing a black shirt with the message “Do you understand now?” in capital letters, he said he watched news coverage of Wednesday’s riots, showing a predominantly white crowd being received by a relatively passive police force. He said it made him wonder how he and his family – his wife, three children and mother-in-law, all black – would be treated in the same situation.
“If those were my kind attacking the Capitol, what would have been the result? And I think we all know, ”said James. “There are no ifs, ands or buts – we already know what would have happened to my species if someone had at least approached the Capitol, let alone invaded the offices, inside the corridors.”
James’ teammate Anthony Davis echoed the sentiment, contrasting how Black Lives Matter protesters were welcomed by police forces across the country over the summer.
“It’s like a double pattern,” said Davis, who wore a shirt with the title of Public Enemy’s 1990 album, “Fear of Black Planet” sewn onto his chest. “On the other side, an entire group runs to the nation’s Capitol and is escorted out the front door as if everything is fine.
“And if I’m not mistaken – well, I’m not mistaken – they took things, and when black lives matter [movement] he protested that it was: ‘As soon as the looting begins, the shooting begins’. And as far as I know, if you take something, you are looting. And in that case, for them, they were escorted out of the front door. And it’s just a slap in the face for us. It looks like we’re going backwards. We thought we were seeing changes and then it happens. “
In May, Trump tweeted, “when the looting begins, the shooting begins,” threatening military action in response to the social justice movement triggered by the death of George Floyd, who was in police custody in Minneapolis when he died of an officer kneeling in His neck.
James, who had an exchange of ideas in public with Trump for years, said the president who is stepping down is to blame for what happened on Wednesday.
“The events that took place yesterday were a direct correlation to the president who is in the seat now – his actions, his beliefs, his desires,” said James. “He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Nobody. Absolutely nobody. He doesn’t care about this country. He doesn’t care about his family. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”
In 2016, James, while in the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room the night Trump was elected, openly questioned whether it would be better to move out of the country. He said on Thursday night that it was a damaging presidential term for the country.
“Four years ago, I sat there and said that this is the beginning of the end for our country. And I hope it will only last four years, ”said James. “But the one thing you can’t recover in life, one thing you can never recover from, and that’s time. You can’t go back in time. We literally lost four years. Recover that?”
The violation of the Capitol on Wednesday, which resulted in five deaths and the resignation of the Capitol Police chief, came hours before Joe Biden was officially certified as the 46th president of the United States when Congress confirmed the Electoral College count for 306-232.
James said he believes Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris offer hope for the country.
“We took it a step further in November by electing Joe and Kamala to the White House to be the head of our country,” said James. “This is a step forward.”
Davis said the Lakers and Spurs’ demonstration before the game – arm in arm in a circle on the central court as the national anthem played – was intended to continue to inspire unity during a difficult time.
“We cannot lose hope. No matter what happens. As a brotherhood in the league and as an African American, we cannot lose hope just because we are not seeing changes,” said Davis. said. “This is what people want. They want us to lose hope, lose faith and let ourselves fade. Let the idea of change disappear. And don’t do anything … We have to remain united and supportive to make sure that we remain strong. during all of this. “