LeBron James on Ferguson: ‘Violence is Not the Answer and Retaliation is Not the Solution’

Like many others around the NBA, LeBron James reacted strongly and emotionally to the grand jury’s decision Monday not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson, in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown three months ago.

LeBron says violence won’t solve anything in this tragic matter, and others like it.

James wouldn’t touch the race issue when chatting with reporters Tuesday.

Per the NOMG:

“In some way, shape or form that has to stop from a pedestrian with a firearm or a cop with a firearm,” James said following Cavaliers practice Tuesday, referring to the Ferguson shooting and the Trayvon Martin shooting from two years ago. “It’s a sensitive subject and it’s a thing that we just can’t continue to go through.”

 

“It’s not just one instance,” he said. “It’s not just Mike Brown or Trayvon Martin or anything that’s going on in our society. I think it’s much bigger than that. Like I said last night, violence is not the answer and retaliation is not the solution. My prayers and best wishes goes out to the families of anyone that loses a loved one, especially a kid today.” […] James said Tuesday that “I don’t have anything against the cop or anything against what’s going on.” When he spoke to CNN in September about the Martin shooting, he spoke about it within the context of race relations. But he declined when asked about race and gun control Tuesday.

 

James also decried the rioting that took place Monday in Ferguson following word that there would be no indictment. […] “Yeah, that’s not the answer,” James said. “What does that do? What does that actually do? Hurt more families, hurt more people, draw more attention to things that shouldn’t even be going on instead of people going to the family’s household and praying with them.”