LeBron James steps away from social media platforms
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Los Angeles Lakers star, announced on Wednesday that he is stepping away from social media.
James shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, where he has 52.9 million and 159 million followers, respectively.
The announcement started with James reposting a message from Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant’s longtime manager. In the October 24 post, Kleiman wrote:
“We can all acknowledge that sports is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can’t the coverage do the same? … When the platform is so big, you can make the change and allow us all an escape from real life negativity. I for one find it all a waste of breath.”
James echoed the sentiment by posting “Amen!!” and adding, “Damn shame what it’s come to!” on Instagram, while simply writing “AMEN!!” on X.
The move comes shortly after James addressed criticism he faced online, where he said people frequently accuse him of lying. This happened when he claimed to have watched college games of Dalton Knecht, a player the Lakers drafted this year.
In his farewell post, James wrote:
“And with that said, I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,” ending with peace sign and crown emojis, referencing his nickname, “King James.”
At 39 years old, James remains one of the NBA’s biggest stars. He is a four-time NBA champion, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and continues to lead the Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently on a six-game winning streak with a 10-4 record. Their next game is against Orlando at home on Thursday.
