LeBron James calls out media double standard between Jones, Irving

LeBron James is “disappointed” at the double standard from the media when discussing Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner, versus his former teammate Kyrie Irving.

According to the Guardian, in an interview on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers star seemed to accuse the media of applying different standards to different situations. He pointed out that while he was repeatedly asked for his opinion on the antisemitic claims surrounding Irving, they had yet to question him about Jones.

“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 that Jerry Jones photo is one of those moments that our people, Black people, have been through in America,” James said, according to the Guardian.

The Washington Post recently uncovered a photograph from 1957 in which a young Jones stands in the crowd as a group of white boys block six Black students from entering North Little Rock High in Arkansas. The picture was taken just as desegregation in American schools was beginning. 

“And 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, it’s on the bottom ticker. It’s asked about every single day,” James said, the Guardian reported.

Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on the basketball court on Sunday, Nov. 20, after missing eight games and completing a minimum five-game ban, theGrio previously reported.

In a post-game interview after his return, Irving said he was looking for additional information about his ancestry when he published the link for “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on Twitter.

Irving was suspended after refusing to express regret or clarify his religious beliefs. He eventually apologized to anyone who felt harmed or threatened by his actions and said he didn’t stand for “anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race,” according to theGrio.

Jones’ response to athletes, particularly those on his team, kneeling during the national anthem seems to make his past actions even more controversial. The outspoken billionaire made the first public statement that his players would not be permitted to leave the field during the anthem in 2018, saying that he would not back anyone who decided to remain in the locker room.

The controversy started in 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, social injustice, and police brutality.

“Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line,” Jones said when asked if he would support players staying in the locker room, according to theGrio.  

“I obviously wouldn’t dare speak for any of the other owners, much less in general about 31 other owners. As far as the Dallas Cowboys are concerned, you know where I stand. Our team knows where I stand on the issue.”

The Guardian reported that Jones later switched courses and kneeled before a Monday Night Football game with the players.

Still, James claimed in October that he had ceased to support the Cowboys due to Jones’ initial threat to bench any Cowboy who “disrespected[ed]” the flag.

The Post article also criticized Jones, claiming he was only an observer throughout the incident and had no idea what was happening, for his refusal to name a Black head coach for the Cowboys.

“But it seems like to me that 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. OK, we just move on,’” James said, the Guardian reported. “And I was just kind of disappointed that I haven’t received that question from you guys.”

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