Los Angeles, CA — LeBron James versus civil rights attorney Leo Terrell and Outkick’s Jason Whitlock. You’ll never see that matchup on the basketball court, but the liberal-turned-conservative lawyer showed up on Twitter late Monday night to dunk on LeBron with a dose or two of reality.
Proving once again that LeBron should stick to playing basketball — or as I like to put it, “Shut up and dribble, LeBron” — James on Monday commented about the Sunday police shooting of a black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin — clearly devoid of a single fact that led to the shooting of Jacob Blake.
In the following tweet from ESPN —yet another professional sports-related entity to prostrate itself before the Black Lives Matter altar — the sports network described LeBron’s comments as “a powerful message on Jacob Blake and what it’s like to be African American in America.” Here is that “powerful message,” America.
Let’s revisit part of that.
“If you’re sittin’ here telling me there was no way to do, that gentleman. Or, detain him — before the firing of guns, then you’re sittin’ here and you’re lyin’ to not only me, you’re lyin’ to every African American — every black person in the community. Because we see it over and over and over.
“If you watched the video, there was [sic] multiple moments where they could’ve tackled him. They could’ve grabbed him. They could’ve done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?”
I’m not a police officer but many in my family are. LeBron James most definitely isn’t. Law enforcement officers are trained specifically on how to approach an unknown individual who is resisting arrest, ignoring commands, and in this case, steadily walking towards a car in which they had no idea what he might be intending to do — or grab.
Part of that training dictates officers should avoid, if possible, “tackling,” “grabbing,” “detaining,” or otherwise making physical contact with someone who may or may not be carrying a weapon. The answer to “Why does it always have to get to a point where we see guns firing?” is simple, and can be answered with another question:
Why does it always have to get to a point where we see — “over and over and over” — these guys ignoring commands, attempting to fight or otherwise threaten police officers, pointing tasers or guns of their own at officers, and exacerbating interactions with law enforcement?
And this part?
“We are scared as Black people in America […] Black men, Black women, Black kids. We are terrified.”
This is a pathetic, ignorant, and obnoxious comment made from someone that hasn’t the foggiest idea of what’s going on. Really, LeBron? Are you “scared in America”? Are you “terrified”? Are your wife and kids terrified, as well? Of course not.
It’s not because you’re a billionaire and the second-best basketball player to walk the planet, but rather you, like millions of other Americans regardless of color, don’t do the thing Jacob Blake did. The things George Floyd did. The things any number of other people did — be they black, white, brown, or glow-in-the-dark.
Outkick’s Jason Whitlock was a bit blunter with James.
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I’m black. I’m not scared. I’m not terrified. Neither is LeBron James. He’s lying. He and the political activists controlling him want black people to immerse themselves in fear. Fear is a tool used to control people. https://t.co/mPMWHbeN0y
Civil Rights attorney and former Democrat, Leo Terrell, had a few words for LeBron, too.
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Please stay quiet. You have absolutely no facts whatsoever to speak about the shooting. May I suggest you have a conversation with @HerschelWalker and @SenatorTimScott !!!!! @realDonaldTrump @BernardKerik https://t.co/QPX4YTiji7
Incidentally, Leo was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning as he watched the convention while appearing on “Hannity.” Terrell suggested to James that he “have a conversation” with Herschel Walker and Senator Tim Scoot.
Both Walker and Scott delivered powerful messages to the convention; messages that Leo and other black conservatives wish more black Americans would listen to, understand and believe.
Neither I nor Leo Terrell is suggesting that overzealous — or worse — cops don’t sometimes commit crimes against minorities. I’m also not suggesting that Jacob Blake deserved to be shot.
What I am saying is the facts in many if not all of these cases are ignored by those who rush to judgment over a police action — exactly as LeBron James did in the case of Jacob Blake.
We don’t know all of the facts and, most importantly, none of us were there. James couldn’t see inside the car, he didn’t see what Blake could have been reaching for. Moreover, he doesn’t even know what Blake might have been saying or threatening to do.
It is clear he was not complying with the officer’s commands imploring him to comply. The belligerence of Blake is appalling especially since there were kids in the car. Blake wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place as his ex-girlfriend called the police because he was in violation of a restraining order.
The Kenosha Professional Police Association said in a statement on Thursday, as reported by Kenosha News:
“Anytime deadly force is used, our hearts go out to those affected by it. We assure you an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.
“Until that investigation is completed, we ask that you withhold prejudgment about the incident and please the let process take place. Governor Evers’ statement on the incident was wholly irresponsible and not reflective of the hardworking members of the law enforcement community, not to mention the citizens of the City of Kenosha.
“As always, the video currently circulating does not capture all the intricacies of a highly dynamic incident. We ask that you withhold from passing judgement until all the facts are known and released.
“We, along with the citizens of the great City of Kenosha, ask for peace and to let the process play out fairly and impartially.”
The bottom line: Facts matter. And until we know what those facts are? We should all “shut up and dribble.”
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