LeBron James took a moment to scold the media. During a post-game press conference, James asked the media why he wasn’t asked about a recent photo of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from 1957.
In the photo, Jones, 14 at the time, can be seen with a group of other white teens blocking Black students from integrating Central High School. Jones told reporters that he was only curious at the time. However, Jones has yet to hire a Black coach to lead the Cowboys and he did not want his team to kneel to support Colin Kaepernick’s silent protest of racism.
“I got one question for you guys before you guys leave,” James, who is a fan of the Cowboys, said. “I was thinking when I was on my way over here, I was wondering why I haven’t gotten a question from you guys about the Jerry Jones photo,” James said. “But when the Kyrie [Irving] thing was going on, you guys were quick to ask us questions about that.”
James continued, “When I watch Kyrie talk and he says, ‘I know who I am,’ but I want to keep the same energy when we’re talking about my people and the things that we’ve been through. And the Jerry Jones photo is one of those moments that our people—Black people—have been through in America.”
James shared that he’s seen how the media has reacted to Black athletes who make mistakes.
“I feel like, as a Black man, as a Black athlete, as someone with power and a platform, when we do something wrong or something that people don’t agree with, it’s on every single tabloid, every single news coverage, on the bottom ticker, it’s asked about every single day. But it seems like to me the whole Jerry Jones situation, photo—and I know it was years and years ago and we all make mistakes, I get it—but it seems like it’s just been buried under, like, ‘Oh, it happened, O.K. we just move on.’ And I’m kinda disappointed I haven’t received that question from you guys.”
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