NBA star LeBron James has announced he is taking a break from social media due to increasing negativity in sports coverage.
The basketball legend, who has over 212 million followers across Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), shared the news on Wednesday after reposting a message about negativity in the media.
The message, written by Rich Kleiman, agent of NBA player Kevin Durant, criticized how some sports media focus on negative stories. Kleiman wrote, “With so much hate and negativity in the world today, it confuses me why some of the national sports media still think that the best way to cover sports is through negative takes.”
James reposted it with a simple response: “AMEN!!” Shortly after, he told fans he was logging off social media for now. “And with that said, I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,” he wrote on X.
This is not the first time the 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers player has stepped back from social platforms. In the past, he has done so to focus on basketball.
His decision comes after he faced online criticism. After the Lakers’ win against Utah on Tuesday, where rookie Dalton Knecht scored an impressive 37 points, James spoke about how people doubt him online.
Referring to Knecht’s college career at Tennessee, James said, “Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time,” James said.
“They say I lie about everything. So what am I now? I’ve been said it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot.”
