No, LeBron James didn’t bring mismatched shoes to play against the Washington Wizards on Sunday. When King James took to the court wearing one white shoe and one black shoe with the word “Equality” stitched on them in gold, he was making a political statement against Donald Trump and racism.
That’s not conjecture by NBA analysts and fans looking for something to talk about. James explained it, although he still won’t use Trump’s name. “Obviously we know where we are,” he told reporters after the road game against Washington. “And we know who’s at the helm here.”
He continued:
Us, as Americans, no matter the skin color, no matter the race, no matter who you are, I think we all have to understand that having equal rights, and being able to stand for something and speak for something and keeping the conversation going. Obviously, I’ve been very outspoken and well-spoken about the situation that’s going on at the helm here. We’re not going to let one person dictate to us, as Americans, how beautiful and powerful we are as a people.
James has been one of Trump’s harshest critics in the sports arena. After the teardrop-shaped tyrant took office, James refused to stay at Trump hotels, leading to the demise of the SoHo New York property, according to many reports.
After Trump tweeted that the NBA champion Golden State Warriors were not invited to the White House, James tweeted:
After Sunday’s game, James added: “I will in my voice, I will in my passion, I will in my money, I will in my resources to my youth and my inner city and outside my inner city to let these kids know that there is hope, there is greater walks of life, and not one individual, no matter if it’s the president of the United States ... can stop your dreams from becoming a reality.”