No matter how rich you are, being black in America is still tough.

LeBron James is one of the most recognisable men in sport, and his heroics in the 2016 NBA season sealed his place as an all-time great.

That being said, it doesn’t matter if you made an estimated R1,1 billion last year, because haters are are still gonna hate.

So some dickhead(s) went and sprayed the N-word on the front gate of James’ Los Angeles house, with police now investigating it as a potential hate crime.

This meant that James would have to address the issue at some point, which is where his press conference ahead of the NBA Finals fits in.

A little background from the New York Times before you hear him speak:

As he has grown older, and as he has established himself as one of the great athletes in American history, LeBron James has become increasingly willing to address social and political issues. He has, for instance, denounced police killings of African-American men, and he took sides in the 2016 presidential campaign, endorsing Hillary Clinton and making a public appearance on her behalf.

Hence the hate:

Speak out against hate, become a victim of hate – America, 2017.

Thursday night he will take to the court to try and help his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, once again beat the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors.

Chances are he’ll let his ball skills do the talking.

[source:newyorktimes]