“Apologies Should Be 30X Louder”: Lebron James Hails Ex-Illinois Star After Not-Guilty Verdict

Terrence Shannon Jr. was recently declared not guilty for the rape and aggravated sexual battery charges pressed against him. A Kansas courtroom jury cleared him of the charges after a weeklong trial. Following the verdict, LeBron James took to X to congratulate the 23-year-old for getting acquitted by the court. LeBron also added that apologies should be in order for the plight of the young man, and they should be louder than the accusations.

Terrence is a former Illinois men’s basketball star with a glorious future ahead of him. He was being dubbed as one of the key prospects of the upcoming draft class. However, the case ended up casting a shadow on his career and his image as an athlete for a while. Fortunately, his legal team was able to prove his innocence in court which led to his acquittal.

LeBron posted, “To my Young [crown emoji] Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good!”

The 39-year-old further said that the people who framed him in a negative light before the court’s verdict need to apologize to him, openly. But he is aware that it’s not going to happen.

LBJ added, “The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program.”

To my Young 👑 Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program.

Great days ahead! ☀️☀️☀️✨✨✨

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 14, 2024

Regardless of the possible response or even an apology from the other side, LeBron believes that there are only “great days ahead” for the upcoming NBA star. This year has been challenging for Terrence, but the good news is that not only is he a free man, but he is also on the verge of making his debut in the big leagues.

Terrence Shannon Jr. is slated to be a first-round pick

The incident that started it all happened in September at a bar nearby the University of Kansas campus and Terrence was arrested in December for the same. The woman who accused Shannon Jr. of the crime said in her report that it was a tall man who put his hand under her skirt and violated her.

After the alleged incident, she went online to check the roster for the Illinois football and basketball teams. After looking at Terrence’s picture on the website, she went to the police and reported the alleged crime against him.

Emotions in Kansas court as the verdict is read NOT GUILTY for former #Illini Terrence Shannon Jr.

The immediate reaction from his legal team, family and friends in Lawrence pic.twitter.com/bL1bhAGYQ0

— Bret Beherns (@BretBeherns) June 13, 2024

However, the 23-year-old stepped up to the jury and told them, “I never touched, grabbed, pulled over. That did not happen.” Following a weeklong trial, the jury pronounced the former Illinois men’s basketball star as not guilty.

In addition to winning this important case, he is also slated to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. According to several mock drafts, he will be picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves.