Tag: Trayvon Martin

LeBron James reflects on Trayvon Martin’s death

Trayvon Martin was just 17 – the same age LeBron James’ oldest child, Bronny, is now – when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman 10 years ago this week. James’ response to Martin’s death – including a famous tweet …

Trayvon Martin was just 17 — the same age LeBron James’ oldest child, Bronny, is now — when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman 10 years ago this week. James’ response to Martin’s death — including a famous tweet of the Miami Heat with their hoodies pulled up — was the start of a public commitment to social activism. “Until you know who you are, it’s hard to speak for other people. Or speak for anything. You got to be comfortable with yourself,” James told ESPN earlier this month when asked about Martin’s death. “I think it’s unfortunate that we, as a society sometimes, we want certain people to talk and we want certain people to [take on issues]. Like, ‘Why aren’t you speaking for [this community]?’ I think for me, when I was younger, I wasn’t in that position to do that.”

Source: Dave McMenamin @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

NBA Math @NBA_Math
RPR MVP Predictor:
1. Nikola Jokic: 17.61
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 16.18
3. Joel Embiid: 15.94
4. DeMar DeRozan: 14.87
5. LeBron James: 14.46
6. Luka Doncic: 14.11
7. Trae Young: 13.9
8. Stephen Curry: 13.82
9. Ja Morant: 13.45
10. Chris Paul: 13.17
https://t.co/onGqrEd9sz pic.twitter.com/rmu71sYQ6z – 11:05 AM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
Friday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! Rich Paul lowers the heat on the LeBron-Lakers tension. What lies ahead post-ASB? Which Lakers not named “LeBron” or “Russ” are most important moving forward? #FirstListen @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ric… – 10:54 AM
Alex Kennedy @AlexKennedyNBA
Who are the NBA’s most marketable players? @ActionNetworkHQ analyzed 20 metrics to come up with an overall “Influence Score” for each player. The leaders:
1. LeBron James, 14.18
2. Steph Curry, 10.67
3. Derrick Rose, 9.29 😳
Check out the top-20 players: basketballnews.com/stories/new-st… – 10:37 AM
Yaron Weitzman @YaronWeitzman
This week’s Starting Five, for @FOX Sports News / @FOXSports, on post-All-Star storylines:
🏀 Beasts in the East
🏀 Draymond’s Status
🏀 MVP Race
🏀 What’s Going on With Zion?
🏀 Return of Passive Aggressive LeBron
youtu.be/u-fSv3HxSWY – 10:29 AM
Dave McMenamin @mcten
New story: 10 years after Trayvon Martin’s senseless death, LeBron James spoke to ESPN about his response at the time and his activism since: “Now I understand that my calling is to inspire others and also to give voices to people that don’t have voices” es.pn/3Ioth1h – 10:13 AM
Kyle Ratke @Kyle_Ratke
New pod! Reacting to last night’s W over the Grizzlies & hopping into the LeBron talk from All-Star weekend: open.spotify.com/episode/4lPHhU… – 10:03 AM
Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
DeMar DeRozan is just the seventh player in NBA history to score at least 35+ points in eight straight games.
Here are the other six players in this club:
Wilt Chamberlain
Elgin Baylor
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
James Harden – 9:26 AM
Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
The Hoop Collective with @Brian Windhorst and @Tim Bontemps: Should the Lakers look to trade LeBron this summer? Also: Why it’s so silly for KAT to claim to be the greatest shooting big man ever. m.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAka3… – 9:05 AM
Marla Ridenour @MRidenourABJ
Tribute to King James: LeBron James museum to open in hometown Akron in 2023 @LeBron James @LJFamFoundation beaconjournal.com/story/news/202… via @beaconjournal – 8:57 AM
Chris Sheridan @sheridanhoops
One thing about the #NBA: You never know who comes back from All-Star break ready to play and who does not. Will be interesting to see what the #Lakers look like tonight after making no trades and signing no buyout guys. LeBron questionable again (knee soreness). – 4:51 AM
CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
LeBron James had a major problem with Kobe Bryant’s shot selection during 2008 Olympics, per ‘Coach K’ book …
cbssports.com/nba/news/lebro… – 11:47 PM
Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
A fact that dawned on me while recording Friday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast? The only Laker still on the roster when the Lakers acquired LeBron 3.5 seasons ago is… LeBron. AK – 10:06 PM
Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
Lakers’ status report for tomorrow’s game against the Clippers – LeBron James is QUESTIONABLE, while Avery Bradley is OUT and Melo is PROBABLE. pic.twitter.com/LCzV84EOqW – 6:13 PM

Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
Frank Vogel on LeBron’s comments during All-Star Weekend sparking rumors/speculation: “I learned to let the noise be noise. … I enjoyed the break with my family. That’s just noise.” – 5:22 PM
Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
LeBron James is dealing with a challenging situation that Michael Jordan didn’t dare to touch.
#Lakers #LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/lebron-james-v… – 4:15 PM
Ben Rohrbach @brohrbach
For @The Vertical: Where smoke surrounds LeBron James, there’s always fire, and there’s an awful lot billowing in L.A.
sports.yahoo.com/le-bron-james-… – 3:52 PM
Sam Amick @sam_amick
ICYMI, my look at the LeBron James situation and why no one in Laker Land should feel comfortable right about now, at @TheAthletic
Promo deal right now: $1/month for six months (through the web browser only; not the app)
theathletic.com/3139321/2022/0… – 2:55 PM
LeBron James @KingJames
Yessir!!!! Who’s ready for the Bronny collection that’s coming with @PSDunderwear??!!! Well I know I am!! Need those ASAP son! Thank you in advance. Lol. Congrats Young 🤴🏾 #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾 pic.twitter.com/Qf9mi8tA69 – 2:24 PM

Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @BleacherReport Should Los Angeles Lakers Actually Trade LeBron James? There Are No Easy Answers bleacherreport.com/articles/29538… – 2:23 PM
Bill Oram @billoram
After Magic’s ’91 retirement, @Jeanie Buss prayed to God: “If you ever send us another player like @Magic Johnson, I will never take that player for granted again.” That shaped treatment of Kobe, & will no doubt influence how LA handles LeBron James unrest. theathletic.com/3144921/2022/0… – 1:13 PM
Brad Turner @BA_Turner
The great @Bill Plaschke goes hard in @latimessports on: Plaschke: Lakers must trade LeBron James. It’s their best path forward. latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 12:26 PM
Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
At least one prominent #Lakers insider believes LeBron James will stay with the team beyond his current contract.
#Lakeshow #NBA
sportscasting.com/lakers-insider… – 11:21 AM

More on this storyline

James was 27 at the time and had yet to win any of the four championships he went on to earn with the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. James, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline “The Chosen One” at 17, was drafted with the No. 1 pick out of high school at 18 and had his signature Nike sneakers flying off the shelves by 19, was still figuring out life in the spotlight after his controversial “Decision” made-for-TV special followed by his first season in Miami ending with a disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “I grew,” James said. “I grew. And as I grew to know who I am, to know what I want do with my life, to know the family that I have, now I understand that my calling is to be able to inspire others and also be able to give voices to people that don’t have voices.” -via ESPN / February 25, 2022
“It’s never going to stop,” he said. “It’s never going to stop, but that don’t mean we stop. ‘Can’t stop, won’t stop’ is what Diddy says. At the end of the day, we know the turmoil and everything that’s going on. They’re going to look at Black people how they’ve always viewed us: Smile in our face and [act like] it’s fine. “But at the end of the day, we can’t stop. We can’t stop speaking up for things that are unjust. We can’t stop speaking up about things that we feel are wrong — or things that are right. And calling out people that literally are simply just bad people.” -via ESPN / February 25, 2022
His mother, Nicole, is a longtime educator in the New York area. Education is rooted in his genes. But he said his voice on such matters isn’t always welcomed by many in Utah. “It hasn’t been the most receptive. I won’t lie and say it has,” Mitchell told Yahoo Sports. “But that’s what I meant when I said, like, I’m not going to stop. I think for me, part of creating change is having uncomfortable conversations and being uncomfortable. What you choose to do with the information is up to you. I’m going to continue to speak and give knowledge. -via Yahoo! Sports / February 15, 2022

LeBron James reflects on Trayvon Martin’s death

Trayvon Martin was just 17 — the same age LeBron James’ oldest child, Bronny, is now — when he was shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman 10 years ago this week. James’ response to Martin’s death — including a famous tweet of the Miami Heat with their hoodies pulled up — was the start of a public commitment to social activism. “Until you know who you are, it’s hard to speak for other people. Or speak for anything. You got to be comfortable with yourself,” James told ESPN earlier this month when asked about Martin’s death. “I think it’s unfortunate that we, as a society sometimes, we want certain people to talk and we want certain people to [take on issues]. Like, ‘Why aren’t you speaking for [this community]?’ I think for me, when I was younger, I wasn’t in that position to do that.”

James was 27 at the time and had yet to …

James was 27 at the time and had yet to win any of the four championships he went on to earn with the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. James, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the headline “The Chosen One” at 17, was drafted with the No. 1 pick out of high school at 18 and had his signature Nike sneakers flying off the shelves by 19, was still figuring out life in the spotlight after his controversial “Decision” made-for-TV special followed by his first season in Miami ending with a disappointing NBA Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks. “I grew,” James said. “I grew. And as I grew to know who I am, to know what I want do with my life, to know the family that I have, now I understand that my calling is to be able to inspire others and also be able to give voices to people that don’t have voices.”

“It’s never going to stop,” he said. …

“It’s never going to stop,” he said. “It’s never going to stop, but that don’t mean we stop. ‘Can’t stop, won’t stop’ is what Diddy says. At the end of the day, we know the turmoil and everything that’s going on. They’re going to look at Black people how they’ve always viewed us: Smile in our face and [act like] it’s fine. “But at the end of the day, we can’t stop. We can’t stop speaking up for things that are unjust. We can’t stop speaking up about things that we feel are wrong — or things that are right. And calling out people that literally are simply just bad people.”

Mark Cuban: George Floyd’s loss of …

Mark Cuban: George Floyd’s loss of life, it modified me. It actually did — listening to our African-American gamers discuss private experiences and seeing the ubiquity of all of it. Like, after Trayvon Martin’s loss of life, I talked about strolling down the road and the way I might cross to the opposite facet if I noticed a black child with a hoodie or a white bald man with tattoos coming towards me. That was my method of claiming: “I don’t see color. I try to evaluate each person individually, but I have prejudices that all people have.” I received’t say that anymore. Colorblind isn’t the best way to be. You’ve bought to acknowledge the variations. When folks discuss Black Lives Matter, they’re not saying white lives don’t matter; they’re saying that black folks and completely different ethnicities have been mistreated. And while you see any individual who’s mistreated, you assist them. That’s what I got here to comprehend.

LeBron James’ ‘More Than a Vote’ to help ex-felons in Florida vote

LeBron James’ new nonprofit is trying to help ex-felons have their voting rights restored by paying down legal fines and fees.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and his new ‘More Than a Vote’ nonprofit geared towards helping disenfranchised voters have more access to American democracy is already making an impact in a swing state, where LeBron and the Lakers are hoping to stay for the next three months as they chase a championship.

POLITICO reported on Friday that LeBron’s ‘More Than a Vote’ will be donating $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which is dedicated to helping ex-felons register to vote. Florida has been a notoriously terrible state when it comes to voter suppression have recently added even more obstacles to people who were in prison to vote, making felons pay outstanding fines in order to be able to vote. Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, a lifelong Floridian, who is part of ‘More Than a Vote,” made a statement about how these laws affect people, particularly Black and Hispanic citizens.

“Your right to vote shouldn’t depend upon whether or not you can pay to exercise it,” Miami Heat forward and More than a Vote member Udonis Haslem said in a written statement.

In addition to this latest effort in Florida, James has also been vocal in having sports teams offer their stadiums as polling places for the coming elections in the fall.

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Austin Rivers wants to use Rockets jersey to honor Trayvon Martin

With his customized Rockets jersey, Rivers said he “would love to honor [Martin] and his family, and help keep his name alive and strong.”

Last week, the National Basketball Players Association and NBA reached an agreement on several social justice messages that could be placed on the nameplate of jerseys once the league restarts later this month.

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers would like to expand that list.

On his Instagram, Rivers said he wants to use his jersey to honor Trayvon Martin. Martin was a 17-year-old Black child who was fatally shot in 2012 by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, upon walking to the home of his father’s fiancée from a nearby convenience store.

In an extended “story” message, the 27-year-old Rivers wrote:

I appreciate the NBA giving us an opportunity to change our last names on our jerseys. Small things like this can matter and go a long way. But options are really limited! I’m from Orlando, Florida, 25 minutes away from where Trayvon Martin was innocently shot and murdered. To this day, that anger and pain from that senseless hate crime still resonates in our country… but especially in my home city of Orlando.

With the jersey, Rivers said he “would love to honor [Martin] and his family, and help keep his name alive and strong.” He continued:

I want Trayvon on my back as I head to go lace ’em up in Orlando! It would mean a little something to all the people down there, especially his family and friends. He’s gone but never forgotten. All little things matter in this fight for BLM [Black Lives Matter].

As of Monday night, the NBA had yet to respond to Rivers’ request. The Rockets are scheduled to depart Houston this Thursday, July 9, for the Disney “bubble” complex, located near Orlando.

The Rockets will play three scrimmages starting July 24, and their 2019-20 regular season will resume on July 31 versus Dallas.

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