LeBron to media: Why no Jerry Jones questions?

LOS ANGELES -- After answering questions astir the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-109 win implicit the Portland Trail Blazers connected Wednesday, LeBron James turned things astir connected the reporters successful the country with a query of his own.

Why, James wanted to know, had helium not been asked astir a photograph that precocious surfaced showing Dallas Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones, astatine the property of 14, peering implicit a assemblage of achromatic students who were attempting to artifact six Black students from entering the doors of North Little Rock High School successful 1957?

"I got 1 question for you guys earlier you guys leave. I was reasoning erstwhile I was connected my mode implicit here, I was wondering wherefore I haven't gotten a question from you guys astir the Jerry Jones photo," James said. "But erstwhile the Kyrie [Irving] happening was going on, you guys were speedy to inquire america questions astir that."

On Nov. 5, aft the Brooklyn Nets announced a suspension for his erstwhile teammate aft Irving shared a nexus to a documentary containing antisemitic tropes connected societal media, James was asked wherefore helium believed truthful fewer players astir the league had commented connected Irving's station and consequent comments.

"Me personally, I don't condone immoderate hatred to immoderate kind. To immoderate race. To Jewish communities, to Black communities, to Asian communities. You guys cognize wherever I stand," James said astatine the time. "I judge what Kyrie did caused immoderate harm to a batch of people. And helium has since, implicit the past -- I deliberation it was today, oregon yesterday -- helium apologized. But helium caused immoderate harm and I deliberation it's unfortunate."

On Nov. 23, The Washington Post published a story examining Jones' way grounds of failing to prosecute Black coaches during his tenure owning the Cowboys. Included wrong the communicative was the black-and-white photograph depicting a young Jones observing the harassment of the Black students a mates of yards successful beforehand of him.

Addressing reporters astatine the decision of his postgame quality league Wednesday, James said, "When I ticker Kyrie speech and helium says, 'I cognize who I am, but I privation to support the aforesaid vigor erstwhile we're talking astir my radical and the things that we've been through,' and that Jerry Jones photograph is 1 of those moments that our people, Black people, person been done successful America. And I consciousness similar arsenic a Black man, arsenic a Black athlete, arsenic idiosyncratic with powerfulness and a platform, erstwhile we bash thing wrong, oregon thing that radical don't hold with, it's connected each azygous tabloid, each azygous quality coverage, it's connected the bottommost ticker. It's asked astir each azygous day.

"But it seems similar to maine that the full Jerry Jones situation, photograph -- and I cognize it was years and years agone and we each marque mistakes, I get it -- but it seems similar it's conscionable been buried under, like, 'Oh, it happened. OK, we conscionable determination on.' And I was conscionable benignant of disappointed that I haven't received that question from you guys."

Jones, erstwhile asked astir the 65-year-old photograph, told reporters past week that helium was simply contiguous arsenic a funny onlooker and did not prosecute successful favoritism against the Black students.

"I didn't cognize astatine the clip the monumental lawsuit truly that was going on," Jones said. "I'm definite gladsome that we're a agelong mode from that. I am. That would punctual maine [to] conscionable proceed to bash everything we tin to not person those kinds of things happen."

James grew up successful Akron, Ohio, astir an hr from Cleveland wherever the Browns played their NFL location games, but identified arsenic a Cowboys instrumentality arsenic a child, explaining arsenic an big that helium conscionable wanted to beryllium associated with a victor portion enduring a hard scrabble upbringing. In October, successful an Instagram Live quality with longtime person and concern partner, Maverick Carter, to beforehand "The Shop" partnering with Amazon to supply an alternate telecast for Thursday Night Football, James explained wherefore helium had stopped rooting for the Cowboys.

"I had to beryllium retired connected the Cowboys, man," James said erstwhile asked if helium was inactive a Cowboys fan. "There's conscionable a batch of things that were going connected erstwhile guys were kneeling. Guys were having state of code and wanting to bash it successful a precise peaceful manner. ... The enactment was like, 'If you bash that astir present past you volition ne'er play for this franchise again.' I conscionable didn't deliberation that was appropriate."

Jones, successful 2017 erstwhile galore NFL players began kneeling during the nationalist anthem successful a motion of solidarity for then-San Francisco 49ers backmost Colin Kaepernick's peaceful protestation against constabulary brutality, said helium would not "tolerate" immoderate of his players "disrespecting the flag."