LeBron won’t wear message on jersey during NBA’s restart

“It’s just something that didn’t really seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal.”

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Lakers star LeBron James has had a voice on several social issues.

But James will not display a message on the back of his jersey when the NBA restarts its 2019-20 season on July 30 at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

“It’s no disrespect to the list that was handed out to all the players,” James, wearing a More Than an Athlete hat, told reporters on a video conference call Saturday. “I commend anyone who decides to put something on the back of their jersey. It’s just something that didn’t really seriously resonate with my mission, with my goal.”

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association agreed on several messages, including Black Lives Matter; Say Their Names; Vote; I Can’t Breathe; and Equality.

Nearly 300 players have chosen to put a message on the back of their jersey, The Undefeated reported Wednesday. James is one of a handful of players who will have their name on the jersey.

That doesn’t mean he won’t spread a message through the media, his social media channels and his online media outlet, Uninterrupted.

“Everything that I do has a purpose, has a meaning, so I don’t need to have something on the back of my jersey for people to understand my mission and know what I’m about and what I’m here to do,” James said.

James, whose LeBron James Family Foundation does a great deal of work in communities, said he never considered not playing because of the social justice movement that gained strength and attention following George Floyd’s death.

“I will continue to push the envelope and keep my foot on the gas and create real change for us as people of color in America.”