LeBron James expressed renewed concern about the safety of African-American citizens in the United States following the shooting by police of Jacob Blake.
That incident on Sunday happened in Kenosha, a city close to Milwaukee, and James said his "prayers go to that family." Wisconsin state investigators are looking into that incident to determine whether action should be taken against the officers involved.
James was discussing his feelings about Kobe Bryant on Mamba Day (8/24) and said the shooting of Blake was also affecting him.
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"And at the same time having the emotions with what happened outside of Milwaukee with Jacob Blake. It's what we’ve been talking about and it's what we're going to continue to talk about," James said. "Having two boys of my own and me being African-American in America, and to see what continues to happen with the police brutality towards my kind, continue to see what goes on with the injustice - it's very troubling."
James continued.
"We play a beautiful game which brings so many great families together and people should be able to rejoice and enjoy it," James said. "But at the same never lose track of what’s really happening in our world, especially here in America. My prayers go to that family and hopefully we can have some change."
James said he had watched the video of Blake's shooting that surfaced on social media.
"If you're sitting here telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman, or detain him, or before the firing of guns, then you're sitting here, you're lying to not only me, you're lying to every African American, every Black person in the community because we see it over and over and over," James said. "If you watch the video, there (were) multiple moments where if they wanted to they could have tackled him, they could have grabbed him. They could have done that. Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing? And his family is there. The kids are there. It's in broad daylight ... It's just, quite frankly, it's just f—ked up in our community."
LeBron James speaks on the Lakers win, Kobe Bryant and Jacob Blake. pic.twitter.com/5zDmCkSf3D
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James continued, saying people of color are scared right now.
"I know people get tired of hearing me say it but we are scared as Black people in America," James said. "Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. Because you don't know, you have no idea. You have no idea how that cop that day left the house. You don't know if he woke up on the good side of the bed, you don't know if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
Presidential elections are three months away in the US and James said he believes the time for change "starts in November."
"We have an opportunity to make change but it still doesn't stop there," he said, "even with whoever comes next."