Following the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, and amid the NBA’s walkouts in response, LeBron James has been extremely vocal this past week.
“Four years ago on August 14, 2016, I began protesting against systemic racism and social injustice,” Kaepernick wrote to James. “Truth is what I sought. Solidarity is what you showed me. Love is what moves us forward.
James shared the letter on his Instagram story on Friday afternoon.
“Standing/kneeling right next to you brother! Appreciate you,” James wrote on the story.
A walkout on Wednesday afternoon was first staged by the Milwaukee Bucks after Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot in the back multiple times by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police on Sunday as he tried to get into his car. He is now paralyzed from the waist down.
As several other major sports leagues, every other team in the league quickly followed the Bucks’ lead and the players held a contentious, emotional meeting later that night. James, along with the Lakers and Clippers, was reportedly ready to walk away from the season entirely at that point, too.
Yet after a call with former President Barack Obama and another series of meetings on Thursday, the league is set to resume play on Saturday.
While there wasn’t ever any doubt that Kaepernick would be behind them — they are fighting for the same cause, after all — the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is now officially the latest prominent figure in the sports world to offer his support to players in the league.
