James advocates stronger laws on assault weapons
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James is among those wondering how someone under the legal age to drink alcohol can purchase an assault rifle.
The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar offered this thoughts on last week’s Stoneman Douglas High School shooting during his media availability at NBA All-Star Weekend.
“It’s a tragedy,” James said. “We’ve seen these schools and these tragedies happen in America, and there’s been no change to gun control. I don’t have the answer to this. Let’s just sit here and have a round table right now because I don’t have the answers right now. But we have to do something about it.”
James, who played four seasons with the Miami Heat, was mostly concerned with how 19-year-old accused shooter Nikolas Cruz was able to purchase a firearm that was used to kill 17 students and teachers and injure 16 more.
“We have a kid who wasn’t legally [able] to buy a beer at a bar, but he can go buy an AR-15? It doesn’t make sense,” James said. “I’m not saying it should be legal for him to go buy beer. But how is it possible that we can have minors go buy a gun? I don’t have the answer to it. But to the families in Parkland, down in Broward County, it’s sad and I’m sorry and it’s just a tragedy and I hope we don’t continue to see this because it’s too many in the last 10 years with guns.”
James, like so many others, offered his condolences to the friends and family of those who were affected by
the tragedy. No plans for new format
The league altered the makeup of the All-Star game this season, but commissioner Adam Silver said there have been no discussions of making it permanent. This year, teams consisted of players from each conference instead of the West versus East. The teams were chosen by captains LeBron James and Steph Curry.
“No, because in terms of the All-Star Game itself, it would require a lot of changes,” Silver said.
Commissioner backs players
Silver also addressed the debate of players publicly expressing their opinion on social issues. It was once again at the forefront after Fox News host Laura Ingraham last week told James to “shut up and dribble” after criticizing President Donald Trump.
Silver said he will always support players speaking their minds on any issue. He mentioned a story of how Hall of Famer Bill Russell won most valuable player of the 1963 All-Star Game and then led the Boston Celtics to the NBA title. A few months later, Russell was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gave his “I Have a Dream” speech.
“So to me there is this direct through-line from players like Bill Russell, here it was roughly 55 years ago, to LeBron and Kevin Durant speaking out today on issues that are important to them,” Silver said. “So as I’ve said before, to me as Commissioner of the NBA, this is a legacy of important work that I’ve inherited, that I continue to encourage, and it doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with everything that’s said at any given moment, but the fact that these players are not just basketball players, they’re multi-dimensional, they care about their communities, and they care about what’s happening in their country.”