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LeBron James mocks bar owner calling for his NBA expulsion over police tweet

LeBron James is mocking the Ohio-based bar owner who wants the NBA superstar kicked out of the league for his social activism. “If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s

LeBron James is mocking the Ohio-based bar owner who wants the NBA superstar kicked out of the league for his social activism.

“If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub,” Jan Linneman, owner of Linnie’s Pub in Cincinnati, wrote on Facebook, according to multiple outlets. “We will not air them until Lebron James has been expelled from the NBA.”

James, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, caught wind of the boycott.

“Aww Damn!” he wrote on Twitter in a sarcastic post accompanied by a “woozy face” emoji. “I was headed there to watch our game tonight and have a drink! Welp”

Linneman’s stance is that basketball players “just need to play the game and that’s it” because “their opinion doesn’t really matter,” according to MSN.com.

James, 36, is no stranger to criticisms for bringing politics and activism into sports. Fox News host Laura Ingraham once told him to “shut up and dribble” and soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic more recently suggested James should stick to sports.

But this latest round stems from a Tweet that James sent and later deleted about the police officer who shot and killed 16-year-old black girl Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus after responding to a report of a knife attack.

LeBron James
NBAE via Getty Images

James’ tweet included a photo of the officer and the words “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.”

In explaining his intentions, James later wrote, “I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the Tweet down because it’s being used to create more hate. This isn’t about one officer. It’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”

Former president Donald Trump released a statement calling James a “racist,” according to reports.

“LeBron James should focus on basketball rather than presiding over the destruction of the NBA, which has just recorded the lowest television RATINGS, by far, in the long and distinguished history of the League,” Trump said.

“His RACIST rants are divisive, nasty, insulting, and demeaning. He may be a great basketball player, but he is doing nothing to bring our Country together!”

James has missed the Lakers’ last 17 games due to injury but is expected to return to the floor before the playoffs so he can gear up for an NBA title defense.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Ryan Dunleavy

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