LOS ANGELES – A day after a mob of pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol, Los Angeles Lakers captain LeBron James wondered what would have happened if the insurgent group were mostly black people, and President Donald Trump blamed the chaos.
“We live in two Americas,” James said Thursday after the Lakers 118-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. “And that was a good example of that yesterday, and if you don’t understand or don’t see that after seeing what you saw yesterday, then you really need to take a step back – not even one step, but maybe four or five, or even take 10 steps back and ask yourself, how do you want your kids, or how do you want your grandchildren, or how do we want America to be seen? Do we want to live in this beautiful country? “
James, dressed in a black shirt with the message “Do you understand now?” in block letters, he said he had watched coverage of Wednesday’s riots, which showed that a largely white crowd was being met by a relatively passive police force. He said it made him think about how he and his family – his wife, three children, and mother-in-law, all of whom are black – would be treated in the same situation.
If that was my kind storming the Capitol, what would have been the outcome? And I think we all know, ”said James. “ There’s no if, and or but – we already know what would have happened to my kind if anyone had even gotten close to the Capitol, let alone a storm hit the offices and hallways . ‘
James’ teammate Anthony Davis echoed the sentiment, contrasting how Black Lives Matter protesters were greeted by police across the country during the summer.
“It’s like a double standard,” said Davis, wearing a shirt with the title of Public Enemy’s 1990 album “Fear of Black Planet” stitched on the chest. On the other side, an entire group runs into the country’s Capitol and is escorted to the front door as if everything is okay.
And if I’m not mistaken – well, I’m not mistaken – they took things, and then the Black Lives Matter [movement] was protested, “As soon as the looting begins, the shooting begins.” And as far as I know, if you take anything, you loot. And in that case they were escorted to the front door for them. And it’s just a slap in the face to us. It feels like we are going backwards. We thought we saw change and then this happens. “
In May, Trump tweeted, “ When the looting begins, the shooting begins, ” threatens military action in response to the social justice movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, who was in police custody in Minneapolis when he died by an officer the one on his neck.
James, who has had an audience back and forth with Trump for years, said the outgoing president is guilty of what happened on Wednesday.
“The events that took place yesterday were a direct correlation of the president currently in the chair – of his actions, his beliefs, his wishes,” said James. ‘He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. No one. Absolutely no one. He doesn’t care about this country. He doesn’t care about his family. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. ‘
In 2016, while standing in the dressing room of the Cleveland Cavaliers on the night Trump was elected, James openly wondered if he would be better off leaving the country. He said on Thursday evening that it is a damaging presidential term for the country.
“Four years ago I sat there and said this is the beginning of the end for our country. And hopefully it will only be four years,” said James. But the one thing you can’t get back in life, the one thing you can never get back, and that’s time. You cannot get time back. We’ve literally been gone for four years. recoup that? “
The Capitol breach on Wednesday, which resulted in five deaths and the resignation of the Capitol Police Commissioner, came hours before Joe Biden was officially declared as the 46th President of the United States when Congress passed the Electoral College count. from 306-232.
James said he believed Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris offered hope for the country.
“We took a step forward in November by choosing Joe and Kamala to be in the White House, to have them become the head of our country,” said James. “That’s a step forward.”
Davis said the Lakers and Spurs pre-game demonstration – arms folded in a circle on center court while the national anthem played – was intended to continue to inspire unity during a difficult time.
“We just can’t give up hope. Whatever happens. As a fraternity in the league and as an African American, we can’t allow ourselves to lose hope just because we don’t see change,” Davis said. “That’s what people want. They want us to lose hope, lose faith and let us fade away. Let the idea of change fade away. And we don’t do anything. … We have to stay united and stay in solidarity to make sure that” we stay strong through all of this. “