NBA star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lebron-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James</a> released a statement supporting Israel after the country experienced one of the deadliest terror attacks in modern history over the weekend.
James&#8217; statement comes after Palestinian terrorists with Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel on Saturday and simultaneously launched a ground invasion in which thousands of terrorists invaded the country and hunted down innocent civilians. More than 1,300 Israelis were murdered and thousands more were injured.
&#8220;The devastation in Israel is tragic and unacceptable,&#8221; James said in a statement. &#8220;The murder and violence against innocent people by Hamas is terrorism.&#8221;
&#8220;The SpringHill Company family sends our deepest condolences to Israel and the Jewish community,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We pray for peace in the region and reiterate our continued commitment to fight hate in all its forms.&#8221;
&#8220;We all must work to ensure this tragedy does not spread even more hate, racism, and antisemitism,&#8221; he added.
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<a href="https://t.co/DvjrsHg6QE">pic.twitter.com/DvjrsHg6QE</a>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1712277442101174438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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James&#8217; statement comes as more than 700 celebrities and entertainment executives <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/celebrities-entertainment-executives-sign-open-letter-support-israel-1235617300/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> onto a letter this week expressing support for Israel.
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The letter said in-part:
<blockquote>
Under the cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately into civilian populations, Hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women, and children. They kidnapped and murdered infants and the elderly. They raped women and mutilated their bodies. They paraded their bodies through the streets and on social media, and cowardly attacked the Supernova Music Festival – bringing death and destruction to an event celebrating friendship and love.
This is terrorism. This is evil. There is no justification or rationalization for Hamas’ actions. These are barbaric acts of terrorism that must be called out by everyone. They are a terrorist organization whose leaders call for the murder of Jews everywhere.
CCFP calls on our friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry to speak out forcefully against Hamas and do whatever is in their power to urge the terrorist organization to return the innocent hostages to their families.
As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda.
</blockquote>
Major figures who signed the letter include Gal Gadot, Jerry Seinfeld, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer, Michael Douglas, Debra Messing, Bryan Lourd, Richard Lovett, Ryan Murphy, Zachery Levi, Sharon Osbourne, Tracey-Ann Oberman, George Lopez, Phil Rosenthal, Mekhi Phifer, Diane Warren, Haim Saban, Irving Azoff, Ynon Kreiz, Jody Gerson, Mark Hamill, Rick Yorn, Howie Mandel, Sherry Lansing, Rick Yorn, Tom Rothman, Julian Edelman, and Antoine Fuqua.

Lakers, Media Day, LeBron James

LeBron James, Hundreds Of Top Celebrities Side With Israel After Terror Attacks

Celebrities

Hamas

Israel

LeBron James

U.S.

Defendants in the beating death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming have so far evaded any manslaughter charges, a jury decided Monday.
Deshawn Stafford Jr., 21, and his brother Tyler Stafford, 20, were both found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Liming&#8217;s death.
Deshawn was found guilty of aggravated assault and assault and a mistrial was declared on a count 1 charge of involuntary manslaughter. Tyler was found guilty of assault and not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Liming was beaten near basketball courts of NBA star and political activist LeBron James’ I PROMISE School in Akron, Ohio, on June 2, 2022. Liming and his friends were playing with SplatRBall water pellet guns before the altercation and the boy&#8217;s death.
The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office found that the teen&#8217;s death was caused by blunt force head injuries and the death was ruled a homicide.
Bill Liming, Ethan&#8217;s father, said last year that his son was trying to defuse an altercation before he was beaten to death, adding that his son’s two friends, who are black, tried to rescue Ethan while he was still breathing, but were chased and assaulted by the perpetrators, who then “finished my son off,” according to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/akron-canton-news/family-of-akron-teen-found-beaten-to-death-plead-for-someone-to-come-forward" target="_blank" rel="noopener">News 5 Cleveland</a>.
“Teenagers were being teenagers, and I don’t want to say too much about the investigation,” Mr. Liming recalled to the news outlet. “But apparently, some of his friends who were with him were fooling around in the parking lot, and some other people didn’t like it, and they went running back to Ethan’s car where he and his other friend were.&#8221;
“Ethan still thought it was horseplay when he got out of the car and was trying to tell people, ‘It’s relaxed. It’s just a joke. It’s a joke,&#8217;” he continued. “And the individuals didn’t like that.”
“One individual attacked him,” he said. “Ethan still tried to tell them it’s just a joke. And then another individual came up behind them, struck him in the head.”
“He was fighting back for his life,” Mr. Liming added. “The detective told me that, ‘Your son fought for his life.’ It was not over like it was like a single punch, he fell down and hit his head. That’s not what happened … he was fighting for his life. And then a third individual came up behind him and they overwhelmed them and they knocked him out on the ground.”
The Stafford brothers initially faced murder charges, however, a grand jury in Summit County issued new, lesser charges.
A third male, Donovon Jones, 22, was arrested last year for his involvement in the death. He had previously pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor assault and was given a suspended sentence of 180 days, <a href="https://www.wkyc.com/amp/article/news/crime/verdict-in-trial-of-2-brothers-accused-in-death-of-akron-teen-ethan-liming/95-61d4899e-2da7-4e70-bf72-3503e8b6857d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to WKWC.
Sentencing for the Stafford brothers has been set for October 26.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/father-of-fatally-beaten-ohio-teen-ethan-liming-says-narrative-surrounding-attack-false-provides-new-details" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Father Of Fatally Beaten Ohio Teen Ethan Liming Says Narrative Surrounding Attack False, Provides New Details</a>

Ethan Liming

Verdict Delivered In Death Of Ethan Liming, Teen Beaten To Death Outside I PROMISE School

Crime

Violent Crime

There was a time, way back in another era, when the goal of the education system was to educate students. Back in those days, this goal was pursued through a merit-based approach. Kids were graded and ranked based on their performance. High performing students were advanced, low performing students were held back. Well behaved students were rewarded, poorly behaved students were punished. This was the general idea.
But this strategy has fallen out of favor in recent years. It was too mean, we were told and racist, too, somehow. Piece by piece, the system of merit-based education in public schools was dismantled, until finally there was nothing left. And into that gap came “equity&#8221; to replace it.
What does &#8220;equity&#8221; mean, exactly? That&#8217;s a question you&#8217;ll never get a real answer to. But in this case, we know what &#8220;equity&#8221; means from a practical perspective. It <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/10/22/school-spending-up-test-scores-down/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">means</a> spending more money for worse schools. It also means creating new schools, from the ground-up — because the only way to guarantee that you&#8217;re not perpetuating White Supremacy is to start from scratch. 
One of these new, non-racist schools was founded five years ago in Akron, Ohio, with help from NBA All-Star LeBron James. This was a big deal, we were assured at the time. NBC Nightly News was on the scene when the school launched:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="NBA Star LeBron James’ I Promise School Opens For First Day | NBC Nightly News" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TAF7zAThTus?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
NBC News touts this school as a &#8220;new approach to fix an old problem.&#8221; The &#8220;most important thing,&#8221; LeBron James says, isn&#8217;t test scores, or grades, or any objective sense of achievement whatsoever. Instead, the key is giving students, &#8220;the sense that someone cares about them.&#8221; But that’s not really an educational approach at all. It’s simply a cliche — and not a new one either. But it&#8217;s one that taxpayers in Ohio have been compelled to fund. As one local news <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2018/08/whos_paying_for_lebron_james_n_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> put it, &#8220;the district will pay more than half the costs [for the school] &#8211; perhaps around 75 percent.&#8221; That total <a href="https://www.outkick.com/lebrons-i-promise-school-posts-shockingly-poor-test-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amounts</a> to nearly $10 million a year, charged to taxpayers.
Yet the experiment was well worth the cost, the media reassured us, over and over. You can go back over the past several years and find many, many media reports gushing over LeBron’s school and calling for more schools just like it. Maybe we should even make LeBron James the Secretary of Education, while we&#8217;re at it. Why not? NBC News would certainly be on board with that. Just a month ago, they were on the scene again to do this glowing follow-up story on the I Promise School. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Inspiring America: LeBron James gives at-risk youths opportunities through I Promise School" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WhLnKw66cdQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
To recap: 1,600 students have attended the school; they promised to make healthy choices; and LeBron James cares about them. Et cetera. It all sounds pretty good.
But wait a minute, NBC News. How are the students actually performing in the classroom? That bit of information was left out of the report, which seems a little odd. Wasn&#8217;t the whole point of the school to help these children? Just a month later, now we know exactly why NBC News overlooked that little detail. A new piece in the Akron Beacon Journal reports that, &#8220;This fall&#8217;s class of eighth graders at the I Promise School hasn&#8217;t had a single student pass the state&#8217;s math test since the group was in the third grade.&#8221;
To restate: They haven&#8217;t had a single student in the eighth grade class pass the state math test since they started at the school in the third grade, five years ago. Well, that&#8217;s not encouraging. And to be honest, it&#8217;s a little surprising, because not all that long ago, the school claimed in a documentary that its students do extremely well on mandatory proficiency tests, including the so-called &#8220;MAP&#8221; standardized test.
The documentary is titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuzDfEEzhfo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Every Child Deserves A Chance</a> and it&#8217;s from YouTube Originals. It&#8217;s quite long, so watch it when you can and see what impression you come away with. We can tell you LeBron James says the students &#8220;destroyed&#8221; the standardized tests. Later in the film, a thrilled administrator says that the students were at the 25th percentile and below — but that now, &#8220;91 percent of students&#8221; are &#8220;meeting their goals.&#8221; They&#8217;re all very happy about this.
But if you parse what they&#8217;re saying carefully, it sounds like an apples-to-oranges comparison. The administrator makes it sound like the students went from 25th percentile in the district to the 91st percentile. But in fact, the 91% number just refers to students who are meeting their &#8220;goals,&#8221; whatever that means and however that&#8217;s defined.
They&#8217;re presenting the data like this in order to suggest — falsely — that their new method of education was working and specifically, enhancing standardized test scores. But in fact it was doing the exact opposite. And in a brief moment at the very end of the documentary, we get some confirmation of that as an official with the school admits that the district isn&#8217;t happy with students&#8217; performance.
Following this? There&#8217;s all this celebration from LeBron James and all the taxpayer-funded administrators about how good the school&#8217;s test results are. And then they admit that, despite this success, the school has somehow received an &#8220;F&#8221; from the district for student achievement. They don&#8217;t elaborate. They don&#8217;t tell you that, in fact, zero of the students in one class had ever &#8220;met their grade-level markers&#8221; for math.
That seems like a significant discrepancy — one that the media, and taxpayers in Akron, would be very interested in, and yet none of the media outlets that have fluffed this school in the past few years have bothered to cover it. That documentary has been out for almost two years. NBC News must have missed it. 
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1194-lebron-james-founded-a-school-based-on-equity-it-is-an-unmitigated-disaster-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
The truth is that corporate media didn&#8217;t want to look too deep into the data, because it&#8217;s not just bad — it&#8217;s terrible. It keeps getting worse the more you read it. As the Akron Beacon Journal reported, the English scores for the 8th graders weren&#8217;t much better than the math numbers: &#8220;When the school&#8217;s first class of eighth graders graduated from I Promise, just 11% of them tested proficient on the state English language arts test.&#8221;
The article goes on: &#8220;Two of I Promise&#8217;s biggest subgroups of students, Black students and those with disabilities, are now testing in the bottom 5% in the state, landing the school on the Ohio Department of Education&#8217;s list of those requiring targeted intervention.&#8221;
You&#8217;ll often hear the counterargument that this is a school for troubled children, so of course their scores will be low. But that doesn&#8217;t explain why the scores are going backwards. According to the data, &#8220;last year&#8217;s sixth graders lost ground. When they were in fifth grade, 7% were proficient on the reading test. In sixth grade, just 2% were.&#8221;
Now, the point isn&#8217;t to gloat over the failure of this experiment. In some ways it was a noble effort. Admittedly, I&#8217;m not a fan of LeBron James personally. He&#8217;s a woke virtue signaler to such a degree that he pretends to read books about Malcom X. You&#8217;ve probably seen this clip before, but honestly it&#8217;s too good not to share again. Here it is:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Lebron James was asked what his biggest takeaway was from the book ‘The Autobiography of Malcolm X’" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VdOtyUPcRxg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
That&#8217;s the guy who&#8217;s going to re-invent our nation&#8217;s educational system with his bold new approach. The guy who is still failing his book reports at the age of 38. In any event, even if it’s kind of funny to have a school run by a guy who pretends to read books, and even if, aside from that, LeBron James is a reckless liar who regularly promotes BLM propaganda and slanders police officers, I can still respect a rich celebrity athlete at least attempting to do something productive. 
But the reason for the school&#8217;s failure is what&#8217;s instructive here. According to the accepted narrative, kids from &#8220;marginalized groups&#8221; struggle in school, especially inner city schools, because of systemic racism and a lack of funding — two issues, we’re told, which are related. So here is a school founded by a wealthy black man, with an extraordinary amount of funding both from tax payers and LeBron&#8217;s foundation — a school where everyone gets free lunch, and they have access to all of the state of the art educational tools, and everyone graduates with a scholarship, and so on — yet still the kids are failing. When it comes to math, literally all of them are failing.
In fact, they seem to be doing worse than they would in one of those allegedly &#8220;under funded&#8221; schools where the vestiges of systemic racism are still allegedly present. We have data on that. The way I Promise selects students is via a lottery, in which students who place in the bottom 25% of test scores in the district are eligible. But if you compare the I Promise students with kids in the bottom 25% in the district who *did not* attend I Promise, the kids who didn&#8217;t attend are doing better by some metrics.
This tells us a few things — all of them are forbidden truths. The most important is that all of the funding and inspirational platitudes in the world can&#8217;t make up for broken families and bad culture. Poor black kids come from both (and the two are obviously related). You will not be able to measurably improve any aspect of life for these kids — especially their educational performance — without addressing the fact that the culture they come from is deeply sick and their families are in absolute disarray. Talk to any teacher who has experience trying to teach these so-called “marginalized groups.” Very often their behavior and attitude in class isn’t just bad, it’s appalling. These are kids who have not received any kind of intellectual or moral formation at home or in their communities. In many cases their parents do not care about their education, or about anything else. The culture they are brought up in encourages them to act in outrageous ways and reject and disrespect all authority. That’s the fact of the matter. LeBron James can’t solve this on his own, of course, but he could start by at least acknowledging it and talking about it. But he won’t even do that.
As always, the Left seeks to solve problems without addressing the underlying fundamental issues. It&#8217;s like their genius plans to solve homelessness by putting the homeless in hotels or giving them free housing. You can give a homeless guy a room at the Ritz-Carlton and the place will look like a garbage dump within the span of three hours. Soon he&#8217;ll be right back out on the street. That&#8217;s because the homeless guy&#8217;s problem isn&#8217;t that he doesn&#8217;t have a home. Any halfway competent and sober person can manage to find some kind of housing. His problem isn’t a lack of housing, but that he&#8217;s a drug addict, or psychotic, or both.
It would be one thing if some coherent principle was at play here. But there&#8217;s nothing coherent about it. Consider that the Left&#8217;s solution to education and homelessness is to throw money at the problem, but their solution to law enforcement is to do exactly the opposite. Somehow the education system will improve if you give it more money, but the justice system will improve if you give it less money. How does that make sense?
You&#8217;ll never see any contemplation from the Left on this. Instead, they&#8217;ll continue to push the most destructive policies imaginable, only to backtrack when the consequences of their destruction are too obvious to deny. That&#8217;s happening now in Oakland. The president of the NAACP&#8217;s Oakland chapter just announced that: &#8220;Failed leadership, including the movement to defund the police, our District Attorney’s unwillingness to charge and prosecute people who murder and commit life-threatening serious crimes, and the proliferation of anti-police rhetoric have created a heyday for Oakland criminals.&#8221;
Oh, you think? Congratulations, NAACP, you’ve finally realized that crime is bad. A stunning revelation. But of course, they are also incapable of tracing the problem down to its roots. The NAACP supported BLM&#8217;s insanity when it gave them power; now they&#8217;re against it when it embarrasses them. That&#8217;s all there is to it.
What happens next? It&#8217;s possible that, once these people are sufficiently embarrassed by what they&#8217;ve done to public schools in this country, they&#8217;ll stop experiments like the one that&#8217;s going on in Akron. But by that point, as if by design, it&#8217;ll be far too late. LeBron James will have moved on. The children won&#8217;t have that luxury. They&#8217;ll be uneducated, poor, and totally dependent on the government that pretended to care about them. 
Most people would call that a disaster. But our leaders have another name for it. They call it equity.
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Matt Walsh 2

LeBron James Founded A School Based On Equity. It Is An Unmitigated Disaster.

Education

Matt Walsh

Ohio

Readers Pass

Schools

The Matt Walsh Show

NBA star LeBron James broke his silence on Thursday after his 18-year-old son, Bronny James, suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC basketball workout this week.
&#8220;I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers,&#8221; LeBron James <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1684594877429092352">wrote</a> on Twitter. &#8220;We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love.&#8221;
&#8220;Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!&#8221; he added.
Bronny James was rushed to the hospital by ambulance on Monday after losing consciousness during the cardiac emergency, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/story/2023-07-25/bronny-james-cardiac-arrest-usc">Los Angeles Times</a>. He was later taken out of the ICU after his condition stabilized.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed the news shortly after news broke about the incident.
“Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital,” the James family spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/25/sport/bronny-james-cardiac-arrest/index.html#:~:text=“Yesterday%20while%20practicing%20Bronny%20James,when%20there%20is%20more%20information.">said</a> at the time. “He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.”
“LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes,” the spokesperson added.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game in January, tweeted Tuesday that he is praying for the James family.
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“Prayers to Bronny &amp; The James family as well. 🙏🏽 here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process,” Hamlin wrote.
Bronny, the eldest child of the NBA star, committed to USC as a four-star recruit and a McDonald’s All-American in high school. He is <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37901230/bronny-james-number-six-jersey-usc-basketball">ranked</a> as the 20th-best player and sixth-best point guard in the class of 2023, according to ESPN. Bronny, who is widely expected to play in the NBA in the coming years, has already signed record-breaking name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with companies such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and PSD Underwear valued at $7.2 million, Sports Illustrated reported.

The 2023 ESPY Awards – Backstage

LeBron James Breaks Silence After Son Suffered Cardiac Arrest

Basketball

Sports

NBA star LeBron James&#8217; 18-year-old son Bronny was rushed to the hospital Monday after suffering a cardiac arrest during a basketball workout at the University of Southern California (USC).
A spokesperson for the James family confirmed Bronny&#8217;s medical scare and added that the incoming freshman at USC is now in stable condition and out of the ICU, TMZ Sports <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/07/25/lebron-james-son-bronny-cardiac-arrest-usc-basketball-workout/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Sources told TMZ Sports that a 911 call was made from USC&#8217;s facility at 9:26 a.m. Monday and Bronny was unconscious as first responders rushed him to the hospital.
&#8220;Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital,&#8221; the James family spokesperson said. &#8220;He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.&#8221;
&#8220;LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
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Buffalo Bills safety <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buffalo-bills-gm-gives-stunning-update-on-damar-hamlin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Damar Hamlin</a>, who collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game in January, tweeted Tuesday that he is praying for the James family.
&#8220;Prayers to Bronny &amp; The James family as well. 🙏🏽 here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process,&#8221; Hamlin <a href="https://twitter.com/HamlinIsland/status/1683856662468218883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1683856662468218883%7Ctwgr%5E3d025c8c665de9f1a0ddf9a11635804ebc17e2ea%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fmens-college-basketball%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F38068148%2Fbronny-james-stable-icu-following-cardiac-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Bronny, the eldest child of the NBA great, committed to USC as a four-star recruit and a McDonald&#8217;s All-American in high school. He is ranked as the 20th-best player and sixth-best point guard in the class of 2023, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/38068148/bronny-james-stable-icu-following-cardiac-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN. Bronny, who is widely expected to play in the NBA in the coming years, has already signed record-breaking name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with companies such as Nike, Beats by Dre, and PSD Underwear valued at $7.2 million, Sports Illustrated <a href="https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/bronny-james-nil-deals#:~:text=According%20to%20On3's%20NIL%20100,by%20Dre%20and%20PSD%20Underwear." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Bronny James

LeBron James’ Son Suffers Cardiac Arrest During Basketball Workout

LeBron James' Son Suffers Cardiac Arrest During Basketball Workout

Cardiac Arrest

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> said Thursday that he’s “personally” paying for subscriptions to Twitter Blue for three prominent celebrity accounts: Stephen King, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lebron-james">LeBron James</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/william-shatner">William Shatner</a>.
Some Twitter users saw the move as a form of trolling since those three individuals have vowed to not pay for the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> verification on principle. The social media platform recently removed their blue check verification from prominent business and celebrity accounts unless they paid the $8/month subscription fee. 
Following the Thursday update, only government accounts were eligible for free verification on Twitter.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stephen-king">King</a> kicked off the conversation with a tweet that said, “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.” Musk replied, “You’re welcome namaste.”
The billionaire CEO of Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX then <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649173502572765185">tweeted</a> that he was “personally” paying for Twitter Blue for James, Shatner, and King. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m paying for a few personally
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649173502572765185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In October 2022, King expressed his disdain for the concept of Twitter charging users $20/month for verification. “F*** that, they should pay me. If that gets instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” the horror writer posted at the time. “It ain’t the money, it’s the principle of the thing.” 
Musk responded, “We need to pay the bills somehow! Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers. How about $8 [per month]?”
NBA star James tweeted on March 31, “Welp guess my blue [check] will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5,” with the shrugging emoji. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681913061093000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1nSUp7X_GMxrPR-OuaxTA7">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“Star Trek” alum Shatner also directed ire toward Musk, <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1639811930243334145">writing</a> in March, “Hey [Elon Musk] what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter? I’ve been here for 15 years giving my [time] &amp; witty thoughts all for bupkis. Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free? What is this – the Colombia Records &amp; Tape Club?”
Since the updates, certain celebrities, including Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Ellen DeGeneres, and Miley Cyrus, still have their blue checkmarks, though it’s unclear if they paid for Twitter Blue. Other celebrities lost their checkmarks and had various reactions.
“No blue check, still feel like me,” actor Ben Stiller <a href="https://twitter.com/BenStiller/status/1649122472770273302">wrote</a>.
Sesame Street’s Grover also shared his thoughts, <a href="https://twitter.com/Grover/status/1649184292126306304">writing</a>, “My cute adorable blue checkmark is now gone, but I, your cute adorable blue monster, am still here!”
Bette Midler was furious to have her blue check taken away. “Elon took my blue check away! I’m unverified! After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me,” she wrote.
Later in the day, the “Hocus Pocus” star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bette-midler-melts-down-over-losing-blue-check-on-twitter-contributed-mightily-to-your-platform">lashed out</a> again. 
“Elon, deciding that I’m not me, I’m a fake, &amp; obliging ME, who has contributed mightily to your platform, (at least until you “tweaked the algorithm &amp; tanked my metrics”) to pay monthly because you don’t have enough money &amp; you’re humiliated b/c everyone thinks you’re a pathetic douche, is the funniest thing you’ve ever done. Let that sink in. Sorry to hear about your rocket,” Midler said.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk Reveals He’s ‘Personally’ Paying For 3 Celebs To Keep Their Blue Checks On Twitter

Elon Musk Says He’s 'Personally' Paying For LeBron James, Stephen King, And William Shatner To Keep Their Blue Checkmarks

Stephen King

Twitter

William Shatner

After LeBron James broke the record for all-time scoring in the NBA on Tuesday night, former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom, who has blasted James for his political stances before, launched a blistering attack on James on social media.
James scored 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder; raising his career total to 38,390, surpassing the previous total of 38,387 held by six-time MVP and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“38,388 Points 0 Morals 0 Values 0 Principles 0 Empathy 1 Bow Down to #China,” Kanter Freedom — who changed his last name to Freedom when he gained U.S. citizenship in 2021 — tweeted on Wednesday morning. “Congratulations to @KingJames.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
38,388 Points 0 Morals 0 Values 0 Principles 0 Empathy 1 Bow Down to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>
Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingJames</a>
&mdash; Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1623185037737730049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“People get mad when I speak the truth because I&#8217;m the only athlete who actually speaks the truth,” Kanter Freedom added. “I don’t care about your endorsement deals or your dirty money. You can NOT buy me #CCP!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
People get mad when I speak the truth because I’m the only athlete who actually speaks the truth. I don’t care about your endorsement deals or your dirty money.
You can NOT buy me <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CCP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CCP</a>!
Don’t expect me to respect you or your game when your shoes are literally made by SLAVE KIDS
&mdash; Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1623339669961207810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kanter Freedom, who originally hailed from Turkey, referred to James’ reticence to criticize China, which has been widely criticized for its brutal treatment of the Uyghur Muslims.
In 2019, then-Houston Rockers general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for protesters in Hong Kong, sharing a photo that read, “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”
Chinese Central Television (CCTV) suspended NBA broadcasts for over two years.
James <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27847951/daryl-morey-was-misinformed-sending-tweet-china-hong-kong">chimed in</a> after Morey’s actions, “Yes, we do have freedom of speech. But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke.”
“So many people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually,” James continued. “So just be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do, even though yes, we do have freedom of speech  but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that.”
“I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it. I have no idea, but that’ s just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also sometimes social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that&#8217;s just my belief,” he concluded.
Freedom targeted James in October 2021 over his ties to China.
“Nike likes to say ‘Just Do It.’ Well, what are you doing about the slave labor that makes your shoes? That slave labor that makes you rich,” Kanter said in a video. “To the owner of Nike — Phil Knight — I have a message for you. How about I book plane tickets for us, let’s fly to China together. We can try to visit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes. LeBron James and Michael Jordan, you guys are welcome to come too. Nike must be a participant in this. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop the modern-day slavery now.”
In November 2021, Kanter Freedom slammed James, tweeting, “Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss Flag of [China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Money over Morals for the “King” 👑 
Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice
They really do “shut up &amp; dribble” when Big Boss 🇨🇳 says so
Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research? <a href="https://t.co/YUA8rGYeoZ">pic.twitter.com/YUA8rGYeoZ</a>
&mdash; Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1461380967197814785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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At the end of November 2021, Kanter Freedom <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32755256/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him">stated</a>, “I don&#8217;t know if he&#8217;s educated enough, but I&#8217;m here to educate him and I&#8217;m here to help him, because it&#8217;s not about money. It&#8217;s about morals, principles and values. It&#8217;s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.”
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-rips-lebron-james-will-shut-up-and-dribble-when-big-boss-china-says-so/">Enes Kanter Rips LeBron James: Will ‘Shut Up And Dribble’ When ‘Big Boss’ China Says So</a>

Cleveland Cavaliers v New York Knicks

‘38,388 Points, 0 Morals, 0 Values … 1 Bow Down To China’: Kanter Freedom Bashes LeBron After He Breaks Record

Kanter Freedom Bashes LeBron After He Breaks Record

China

Enes Kanter Freedom

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Ex-Twitter Execs Testify
Congress held its first hearing on Twitter’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-twitter-executives-account-for-censorship-actions-before-house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged</a> censorship of conservative viewpoints on Wednesday. Several former high-level executives testified, including the Former Head of Trust &amp; Safety at Twitter, Yoel Roth, as well as legal counsel Vijaya Gadde and Jim Baker. The hearing centered around Twitter’s decision to censor the New York Post’s 2020 story about Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell&#8221;:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yoel Roth on the Hunter Biden laptop story:
&quot;Twitter made a mistake &#8230; I have been clear that in my judgment at the time, Twitter should not have taken action to block the New York Post&#39;s reporting.&quot;
Read more, via <a href="https://twitter.com/alanagoodman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@alanagoodman</a>:<a href="https://t.co/ziaOkl63Pu">https://t.co/ziaOkl63Pu</a> <a href="https://t.co/ljW4DwwcIf">pic.twitter.com/ljW4DwwcIf</a>
&mdash; Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) <a href="https://twitter.com/FreeBeacon/status/1623377627091243042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Former FBI official/Twitter counsel Jim Baker can&#39;t answer if he talked to the FBI about Hunter&#39;s laptop: &quot;I don’t recall speaking to the FBI sitting here today.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/SJoZR5ivWS">pic.twitter.com/SJoZR5ivWS</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1623356959998058496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Chinese Spy Balloon Part Of Larger Program?
U.S. Intelligence has reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinas-spy-balloon-reportedly-part-of-global-surveillance-system-photos-from-wreckage-released" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked</a> the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down this past weekend to a vast surveillance program being conducted by the Chinese military against numerous foreign nations. According to a Washington Post report, the balloon surveillance program has targeted military assets in several rival countries including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Syrian Rescue Teams Continue Search
Rescue teams in Turkey and Syria continued searching rubble Wednesday following the world’s deadliest earthquake in over a decade. More than 11,000 have been confirmed dead. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the especially hard-hit Hatay province, where more than 3,300 people died and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Residents there have criticized the government’s response, saying rescuers were slow to arrive.
Did The U.S. Bomb The Nord Stream Pipelines?
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reported today on substack that U.S. Navy diving teams bombed the Nord Stream pipelines in coordination with Norway in September. According to Hersh, the plan to attack the Nord Stream was initiated prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A White House spokesperson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/government-denies-bombshell-report-claiming-united-states-blew-up-nord-stream-pipelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> within hours, calling the report “false and complete fiction.” A CIA spokesperson said the claim was “completely and utterly false.”
Zelenksy Meets With British Prime Minister, King
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to London today to meet with the British prime minister, as well as King Charles III. Zelensky is requesting dozens of fighter jets from the West in order to fight the Russian aggressors. Zelenksy will also meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris on Wednesday.
Gender-Neutral God?
The liturgical commission of the Church of England has <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/church-england-explore-gender-neutral-174833873.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">begun</a> looking into changing prayers and other parts of the liturgy by referring to God in a gender-neutral way. Currently, the Christian church refers to God in the masculine form, but leaders told the media that might need to be changed to better reflect God’s essence.
“Christians have recognized since ancient times that God is neither male nor female, yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship,” a church representative told British media.
AMC Theatre Introducing New Ticket Pricing Structure
Many critics, including celebrities, are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elijah-wood-others-cry-foul-over-amc-theatres-new-seat-pricing-method-says-it-will-penalize-people-for-lower-income" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weighing in on the new AMC Theatres</a> pricing structure, which would charge more for better seats at the movies. For example, “Lord of the Rings” actor Elijah Wood recently commented on the situation, saying he believed charging more for preferable locations was unfair to individuals with less discretionary income.
“The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all,” Wood tweeted. The pricing change, he said, would “essentially penalize people for lower-income and reward for higher income.”
A spokesman for AMC responded to the criticism, saying every seat “delivers an amazing moviegoing experience,” but the tiered pricing allows customers to choose a specific seat.
LeBron Breaks Scoring Record
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record Tuesday night in a loss to the Oklahoma city Thunder. Kareem Abdul Jabar, the now former record holder, was in attendance for the historic night. James now stands alone with 38,390 points in his career. Here’s the radio call of the bucket that put him on top:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here is another look at the radio call from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lakers</a> when LeBron James broke all time points record in <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> history, radio broadcast courtesy of 710LA ESPN Radio <a href="https://t.co/olK8liUyVl">pic.twitter.com/olK8liUyVl</a>
&mdash; Braydyn Lents (@LentsBraydyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/LentsBraydyn/status/1623192460317843456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Twitter execs

Wednesday Afternoon Update: Ex-Twitter Execs Testify, Zelensky Goes To Britain, LeBron Breaks Scoring Record

Congress

General

Joe Biden

Morning Wire

Podcast

NBA superstar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-hold-back-lebron-james-after-fan-taunts-him-over-receding-hairline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James</a> is used to doing superhuman things on the basketball court, but recently confided he wishes he could do things “regular people” do when off the hardwood.
James, who is on the verge of breaking the all-time career record for points scored and has been outspoken on social issues, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/04/sports/basketball/lebron-james-lakers-record-career.html?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> that being one of the most recognizable athletes in the world has a price.
“I don’t want to say it ever becomes too much, but there are times when I wish I could do normal things,” James said. “I wish I could just walk outside. I wish I could just, like, walk into a movie theater and sit down and go to the concession stand and get popcorn. I wish I could just go to an amusement park just like regular people. I wish I could go to Target sometimes and walk into Starbucks and have my name on the cup just like regular people.”
James, whose net worth has been estimated at over $1 billion, seemed to acknowledge that self-pity might be a bad look for a star, especially one who has earned nearly as many jeers for his woke hectoring as cheers for his skills.
“I’m not sitting here complaining about it, of course not,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But it can be challenging at times.”
In October, James warned Twitter CEO Elon Musk after a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/10/28/musk-twitter-racist-posts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> claimed that since Musk took over Twitter there had been a 500% increase in the use of the n-word. “I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech,” James tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech. <a href="https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC">https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC</a>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1586431561041293312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk responded by quoting Yoel Roth, Twitter&#8217;s Head of Safety &amp; Integrity, who <a href="https://twitter.com/yoyoel/status/1586542287416217600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a>, “Nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic. We’ve taken action to ban the users involved in this trolling campaign — and are going to continue working to address this in the days to come to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone.”
James’ outspokenness has included posting a photograph on social media of the police officer who  shot and killed a 16-year-old girl who was about to stab another child in Columbus, Ohio, according to police. He wrote, “YOU’RE NEXT. #ACCOUNTABILITY.” The photograph was accompanied by an emoji of an hour glass, apparently indicating that time was running out.
Last July, James<a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1548085657272143874" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> called</a> Boston sports fans “racist as f***.” The same month, he said WNBA star Brittney Griner, who at the time was being detained in Russia, should rethink whether she wanted to return to America freed from Russia, stating, “Now, how can she feel like America has her back? I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’”
James has also been heavily criticized for his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">silence on slave labor in China</a>, where the NBA has lucrative deals for programming and apparel.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-james-posts-photo-of-cop-who-protected-black-girl-from-being-stabbed-youre-next">LeBron James Posts Photo Of Cop Who Protected Black Girl From Being Stabbed: ‘YOU’RE NEXT’</a>

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns – Game Two

LeBron’s Lament: ‘I Wish I Could Do Normal Things’

Officials held back Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during a game this week against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The incident happened on Tuesday night as the 38-year-old was headed toward the locker rooms during halftime at the Crypto.com Arena.
“Hey Bron! Hey Bron!” the man shouted at James. “You better get this s*** together! With that receding-ass hairline!&#8221;
“Look, he mad! Look at him!&#8221; the man shouted while laughing. &#8220;You sick!”
James stopped, faced the man, and appeared ready to engage before security held him back and prevented the situation from escalating further.
The Clippers went on to beat the Lakers 133-115.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LeBron James had to be held back because he was taunted over his hairline. 
 <a href="https://t.co/caFup1f9r7">pic.twitter.com/caFup1f9r7</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1618651769642569729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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James got a couple of fans tossed from his team’s overtime win against the Indiana Pacers back in November 2021 after serving a one-game suspension for punching a player in the face.
CBS News reported at the time that it was not clear why James was mad because no obvious incident occurred.
“It’s not entirely clear what got LeBron upset,” CBS Sports reported. “There was no obvious incident like throwing an object or coming on the court, so you’d have to guess that one of the fans said something.”
James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-lebron-james-gets-fans-ejected-after-returning-from-suspension-for-punching-player-in-face">grabbed</a> the officials and led them to the people he claimed were acting up. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-video-shows-what-happened-in-moments-before-lebron-james-had-fans-thrown-out-of-game">Video</a> of the incident captured moments before appeared to show one of the two people waving their arms in James&#8217; direction. About 10-15 seconds later, James is seen grabbing an official by the arm, bringing the official to where the fans were seated, and pointing at the individuals in question while yelling: “It’s right f***ing here!”
The two people were quickly escorted out of the game.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LeBron unhappy with some fans courtside in Indiana <a href="https://t.co/1Ud3B69G1E">pic.twitter.com/1Ud3B69G1E</a>
&mdash; Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ActionNetworkHQ/status/1463701481308123139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During post-game remarks, James was asked what the fans did that made him “uncomfortable” during the game.
“I mean nothing is uncomfortable for me, but there’s a difference between cheering on your home faithful, booing opponents and things of that nature or not wanting your opponents to be successful, and there’s then moments where it goes outside the line with obscene gestures and words that shouldn’t be tolerated in our game from nobody,” James responded. “I would never say it to a fan and a fan should never say it to a player.”

Los Angeles Lakers v Detroit Pistons

Officials Hold Back LeBron James After Fan Taunts Him Over ‘Receding Hairline’

Officials Hold Back LeBron James After Fan Taunts Him Over 'Receding Hairline'

Los Angeles Lakers

The government of Turkey has put a $530,000 bounty on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/enes-kanter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enes Kanter Freedom</a>, the pro-America former NBA star who has been an outspoken advocate of human rights.
The athlete, who was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, has been an outspoken critic of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-biden-tells-turkish-president-erdogan-he-will-recognize-armenian-genocide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, prompting Ankara to brand him a “terrorist” and offer the reward for anyone who helps put him behind bars.  Freedom has referred to the strongman as the “Hitler of our century.”
&#8220;Because of my platform, whenever I say something, it goes everywhere, and the Turkish government hates that,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/12/ex-nba-star-enes-kanter-has-500k-turkish-bounty-on-his-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom told the New York Post</a>. &#8220;They’re really sick of it, and they said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and doing whatever they can to shut me up.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Former NBA player Enes Freedom is now a wanted “Terrorist” in Turkey for speaking out against the government and has a $500,000 bounty on his head 😳 <a href="https://t.co/HFyD5NLxHG">pic.twitter.com/HFyD5NLxHG</a>
&mdash; Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1614022921978105856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In a separate interview, Freedom, who legally changed his name from Enes Kanter and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, said Ankara regularly puts the lives of dissidents in danger.
“I’m not the only one,” Freedom <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/01/10/activist-nba-player-enes-kanter-freedom-has-a-bounty-on-his-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Turkish Minute</a>. “There are so many innocent journalists, academics, athletes, activists, and educators on this list. Now their lives are in danger because of the Turkish government.”
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In addition to criticizing his homeland, Freedom has blasted the NBA for its close dealings with China. He has clashed with NBA superstar LeBron James, who has been highly critical of the U.S., particularly during the Trump administration, but has defended Beijing’s human rights record. Freedom’s supporters believe his willingness to call out the league is the reason the 30-year-old athlete has not been on a team for over a year.
In 2021, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom criticized James</a> and others for staying silent on China, where Uyghur slaves are used to manufacture shoes and apparel, while they “pretend they care about social justice.”
“I don’t know if he’s educated enough, but I’m here to educate him and I’m here to help him because it’s not about money,” Freedom said. “It’s about morals, principles, and values. It’s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and [their] grandkids and [their] grandkids can have the best life ever.”
Freedom has played 11 seasons in the NBA, with stints playing for the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trailblazers, and, most recently, the Boston Celtics in 2021-22. The six-foot, 10-inch center has averaged 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and earned over $100 million. He was the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Freedom played for the Turkish national team from 2008-2015, but later became disillusioned with the country, which has become more authoritarian under Erdogan.
Freedom told the Post he fears the bounty will make him a target of anyone wishing to collect a fortune.
“That makes it so dangerous,” Freedom said. “Before the bounty, Turkish intelligence was after the people on the list, but now everyone is after them because they want the money.”

Los Angeles Clippers vs Boston Celtics

Turkey Puts Bounty On America-Loving Ex-NBA Star Enes Kanter Freedom

World

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unvaccinated-dallas-cowboys-wide-receiver-fined-for-not-wearing-mask-at-mavericks-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas Cowboys</a> quarterback Dak Prescott responded Thursday to recent remarks from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-james-why-does-media-ask-me-about-recent-nba-scandal-but-not-about-photo-of-nfl-owner-from-1957/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James</a> about a new revelation that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was present during a racially charged, historic 1957 confrontation between white students and black high school students.
James, the Los Angeles Lakers forward and NBA superstar, chided reporters at a press conference for quizzing him about a recent anti-Semitic scandal involving a former teammate, but not seeking his opinion on Jones. The Washington Post last week revealed that Jones, as a 14-year-old Arkansas schoolboy 65 years ago, was present when a throng of white students tried to block black kids from integrating into their school.
Asked about James&#8217; remarks, Prescott gracefully declined to pile on the owner of the team for which he plays.
&#8220;Obviously we can be more empathetic and give grace to one another, regardless of race, from the times we&#8217;ve come from to where we are now, thinking about the growth we&#8217;ve had,&#8221; said Prescott, who grew up in Louisiana and played college football at Mississippi State.
Prescott noted that his mother, who died when Prescott was in college, was white and his father is black, giving him a unique perspective on race relations in America.
&#8220;That&#8217;s who I am, how I think &#8211; optimistic,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean [as] a guy who is completely biracial, black and white, it&#8217;s easy for me to speak on race on one side or another,&#8221; Prescott said.
The jarring photo unearthed by The Washington Post is &#8220;on Jerry to address,&#8221; Prescott said. But he said what Jones has done since the photo was taken more than half a century ago is important context.
&#8220;In the same sense, it&#8217;s 65 years ago and how times have changed,&#8221; Prescott said. &#8220;I mean, look at the man&#8217;s resumé since then, right? As I said, I give grace.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m here for growth and giving grace and trying to make this world a better place,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s who I am at my core and what I believe in. Unfortunate things come up from the past, pictures, and they show har far we&#8217;ve come, but at the same sense, they&#8217;re a reminder of how short of a time that was ago.&#8221;
Prescott said he prefers to focus on the progress made since the time of the black and white photo, and again declined to speak for or condemn Jones.
&#8220;That wasn&#8217;t that long ago that we were all sitting on different sides, and we weren&#8217;t together,&#8221; Prescott said. &#8220;But as I said, I wouldn&#8217;t be here if it were still that way. So I believe in grace and change. Those are questions for Jerry, for y&#8217;all, honestly, that I don&#8217;t have quite the answers for.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was asked today about 1957 Little Rock photo of Jerry Jones, which LeBron James has also discussed.
&quot;I’m here for growth and giving grace and trying to make this world a better place,&quot; Dak said.
His full response: <a href="https://t.co/BAzSNC787k">pic.twitter.com/BAzSNC787k</a>
&mdash; Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoriEpstein/status/1598422073331924992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Responds To LeBron’s Remarks About Photo Of Dallas Team Owner From 1957

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Responds To LeBron's Remarks About Photo Of Dallas Team Owner From 1957

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