Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has hit back at a political ad campaign that he believes has taken one of his previous tweets out of context.
James was referencing a piece in the Washington Post about a site called ‘Protect My Vote,’ which has been publishing and posting ads implying that mail-in voting for the upcoming US election would be corrupt and unreliable.
The tweet at the centre of the issue:
Said it last week about GA. This is SYSTEMIC RACISM and OPPRESSION. So angry man. 😤😤😤 #BlackLivesMatter ✊🏾 #MoreThanaVote 🖐🏾 https://t.co/o9440Ugyzv
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 20, 2020
James’ anger circulates around how his words have been misconstrued – with a long bow being drawn between his stance on social issues in America, and the expansion of mail-in voting ahead of the November presidential election.
“Nobody should be able to use my name (or anyone else name) to lie and deceive about the election,” James said.
One of James’ advisors, Adam Mendelsohn, said that the ads were “shameless” and “reprehensible.”
The Lakers star has always been outspoken about the much-maligned issue of voter suppression, and earlier this year he was one of the instigators in the establishment of a non-profit organization called More Than a Vote.