LeBron James Responds to Vandalism at His L.A. Home: 'Racism Will Always Be a Part of America'
LeBron James is hoping that his experience with racism will be a lesson to others.
An official with the LAPD confirms to ET that the N-word was spray-painted across the gate of James' private home on Wednesday morning. During a press conference ahead of the NBA Finals in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, the basketball player opened up about the incident, revealing that he hopes it "sheds a light" on the ongoing existence of racism in America.
"My family is safe. At the end of the day, they're safe, and that's the most important [thing]. But it just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America, and you know, hate in America, especially for African Americans, is living every day," James said. "And even though that is concealed mostly at the time, even though people hide their faces and will say things about you, when they see that smile on your face, it's alive every single day."
"No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, you know, being black in America is tough. And we got a long way to go, for us as a society and for us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America," he concluded.
An official with the LAPD tells ET that by the time officers responded to the call, someone had already painted over the racial slur on James' gate. However, the incident is still being investigated. At this time, the LAPD has yet to determine if the event will be investigated as a hate crime or vandalism.
Additional reporting by Steve Wilks.