LeBron James is often someone who is ready to chime in about issues outside the 94 feet of an NBA basketball court. But one of his former teammates who is not as well-known for such statements decided to speak out on racism: Utah’s Kyle Korver.
Korver’s Utah Jazz became a lighting rod last month after two fans were suspended by the team from coming to comes after racist heckling towards Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook was caught on video during their March 12 game.
Korver, who was also teammates with Thabo Sefolosha when the then Hawks forward had his leg broken by the NYPD, realized that he had rarely chosen to spoke up on these issues. He reflected on his reactions to the Sefolosha situation, the Westbrook situation and his own white privilege in an essay on the Player’s Tribune. LeBron James saluted Korver for making the effort to talk about it and opt-in to a conversation he could easily walk away from.
James and Korver were teammates for just under two seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
