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Donald Trump Accuses LeBron James Of 'Racism' After Targeting Police Officer In Controversial Tweet

Donald Trump Accuses LeBron James Of 'Racism' After Targeting Police Officer In Controversial Tweet

Former US President Donald Trump insisted that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is "doing nothing to bring our country together."

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Donald Trump has hit out at 'racist' LeBron James and suggested he "should focus on basketball" after he controversially targeted a police officer in a now-deleted tweet.

James, 36, slammed Columbus police officer Nicholas Reardon after he shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant last week.

According to reports, Bryant appeared to attack two other people with a knife in Columbus, Ohio, during an incident on 20th April.

Reardon arrived on the scene and shot dead the black teenager, which sparked massive outrage in the US.

Bryant's death occurred around the time that ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted for the murder of George Floyd.

James sent out a tweet targeting Reardon as he posted a picture of him with the caption "YOU'RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY" alongside an hourglass emoji.

Twitter

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been hit with major backlash on social media as furious fans have called for a boycott of his sponsors and Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Former United States President Trump, who was permanently banned from Twitter, issued a statement saying that James' "racist rants are divisive, nasty, insulting and demeaning."

PA

PA

The 74-year-old American said: "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.

"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 later revealed that he took down the controversial tweet "because its [sic] being used to create more hate."

The four-time NBA champion insisted that it "isn't about one officer" as it is "about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism."

Reardon, who has been a Columbus police officer since 2019, has been placed on leave during the investigation around the incident involving Bryant.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Basketball, NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Donald Trump, lebron james