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In the context of the NBA's push for social justice and against police brutality on black people, there was another incident last night. Jacob Blake, a father of five children, was shot 7 times in the back by policemen as he attempted to enter his own car after resolving a fight between two women.
LeBron James lambasts police brutality
The incident has now gotten widespread national attention. LeBron James sent a tweet about it ahead of the Lakers' game with the Blazers today.
LeBron James' frustation with the establishment is palpable. The Black Lives Matter movement reached a crescendo this summer with many NBA players participating in the protests across USA. While LeBron James stayed aloof from public appearances, he has had a crucial role to play behind the scenes.
While LeBron James may in the past have chosen to concentrate on the basketball side of things, this marks a moment in history when a player of his stature needs to come out and express their dissatisfaction with the status quo. LeBron James is as much a victim of casual racism as any other black man in the country.
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While LeBron James faced a lot of flak before the start of the season for his comments against Daryl Morey, his work for the BLM movement continues as is. James's Twitter has been a hotbed of pro-social justice posts over the summer.
LeBron James isn't the only player who's voiced their dissent towards police brutality with regards to this incident. His teammate Kyle Kuzma, Utah Jazz All Star Donovan Mitchell and the Milwaukee Bucks organization are among the other prominent voices for this travesty of an incident.
The brutality and the unreasonable nature of the police assault on an unarmed civilian is on the same level of horror as George Floyd's death. Why police officers had to take 7 shots on the back of Jacob Blake is a question only they can answer. But it falls exactly in line with the prejudiced nature of the average white policeman in the USA.
Racial discrimination and power misuse are real phenomena that affect black lives in ways that they shouldn't be in the 21st century, when we're all pretending that everything is headed in an upward trajectory. Systemic discrimination and the overuse of police power to cause violence on black people is one of the biggest evils of USA.
Guess the Lakers players!
