NBA superstar Lebron James has apologized for a social media post about “Jewish money”, claiming he thought it “was a compliment”.
James shared the attached selfie with his 45.8 million Instagram followers on Saturday, featuring lyrics from a rap song which references keeping “kosher” and “getting that Jewish money” – a well known anti-Semitic stereotype.
“Apologies, for sure, if I offended anyone,” James told ESPN shortly after his Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“That’s not why I chose to share that lyric. I always [post lyrics]. That’s what I do. I ride in my car, I listen to great music, and that was the byproduct of it,” James added. “So I actually thought it was a compliment, and obviously it wasn’t through the lens of a lot of people. My apologies. It definitely was not the intent, obviously, to hurt anybody.”
ESPN reports the league office has been in contact with James about the post and accepted his explanation that he made a mistake.
The controversy comes just days after the superstar stirred controversy by saying the “old white men” NFL team owners embrace a “slave mentality” to keep control of their players.
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NYS Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) blamed the incident on the failure of fellow Democrats to routinely denounce anti-Semitism.
Hikind charged that James might have had second thoughts before posting the anti-Jewish lyric if fellow elected officials spoke out more forcefully about anti-Semitism.
“Once again, I call on fellow Democrats to open their mouths. So far, there’s been no outcry—just a whimper. If these slurs came from the political Right, they’d be tagged for what they are: classical anti-Semitism without even the smokescreen of an anti-Israel agenda. Wake up, fellow Democrats. We need one standard for everyone. As Dr. Martin Luther King warned us, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,’” Hikind wrote on Facebook.
Surprised LeBron, who makes very few mistakes, put this out. Does quoting lyrics from a song absolve the person quoting from the responsibility behind the words? I’d argue no, especially with a following of 45 million. pic.twitter.com/efv9gkXres
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 23, 2018
Jews make up 1.4% of the US population, so I expect people to not understand why saying “getting that Jewish money” is offensive. That Jews are disproportionately wealthy to their population does not take away from the fact that the term “Jewish $” means Jews are ALL ABOUT $.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 23, 2018
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8 Responses
“If I offended anyone”
So that’s it. No condemnation? No boycotts? No endorsement pulled? No expose by every major news outlet? No statement by the Kenyan?
African Americans can get away with that lame statement. Now if it was the other way around and a WHITE made such an “apology” to blacks, ……………..
I guess the mikubal he was seeing didn’t have a hashbaah on him.
Where are the Yidlibs? Or is it because he’s not David Duke & his ragtag bunch?
Tamika Mallory from the women’s Gestapo group just accused Jews ” of upholding white supremacy..”
Where are the Yidlibs?
I’m no toffended , neither should anyone else, it’s the truth ! Why can’t everyone just be honest !!
Right, and I thought the n word was a compliment. Anyone who says he believes him, read all libs, is lying. But he’ll get away with it.
K people gotta chill.. Why the heck is everyone offended all the time…honestly I thought it was kind of a cool that he wrote that.
Because if we’re rich… It’s kinda like saying Jews are successful and to me that’s a complement..
And what about that comment that Darren Rovell posted about Jews being “disproportionately wealthy?” That sounds kind of scary too!
Stick to basketball, that is as far as your brain can handle, anything else, is way above your capacity…
ah ha, but what if I’m not rich? Then I’m a failure and I’m not Jewish?