mobile app bar

‘LeBron James’ $1 billion net worth achieved by using slave labour’: NBA Twitter points out Lakers star’s ‘equality’ shoes’ hypocrisy

Arun Sharma
Published

‘LeBron James’ $1 billion net worth achieved by using slave labour’: NBA Twitter points out Lakers star’s ‘equality’ shoes’ hypocrisy

LeBron James is now officially a billionaire – but not every dollar he’s earned has come through fair means.

Congratulations to LeBron James for making it to the magical number of $1 billion are in order. To be a millionaire is every regular man’s dream, but to have 1000 of them is crazy to think about. The only other NBA athlete to ever reach that status, albeit after retiring is Michael Jordan.

But there is one particular aspect of reaching that number that not many people speak about. All the regular posts and messages about them are how they worked extremely hard to achieve that status, and rightfully so. But behind that hard work, is something that lurks in the shadows, spoken about in hushed tones.

Enes Kanter was the only one to bring it up in such a vocal fashion – about slave labor. Along with Nike, a lot of the big-name brands have been accused of exploiting labor in the lesser developed parts of the world. While Michael Jordan may be the number one name on Nike’s books, LeBron isn’t far behind at no. 2.

Also Read: “LeBron James can get to $1 billion without gambling every day, take notes Michael Jordan!”: NBA Twitter reacts as Forbes grants the Lakers superstar billionaire status

LeBron James is a vocal man about a lot of ill in the society – but somehow remains mum about the problems that make him money

Clay Travis, a famous writer/sports analyst adds to these claims. In 2017-18, LeBron James was on the 16th iteration of his line. It was also one year after Donald Trump assumed the presidency. Bron, a supporter of Hillary Clinton was a vocal champion of equal opportunities for everyone. He wants to see everyone have the same opportunities, irrespective of their status.

To show his support, he had the word Equality embroidered on his shoe, to show solidarity for this purpose. The irony of it is that these very shoes were made by people suffering from inequality. There is no product in this world that currently, doesn’t influence China. But Nike’s products come directly from the exploitation of the labor in that country.

James has been part of the controversy about China before, this is nothing new to him. But to be so “woke” about certain aspects that do not affect his means of life, and remain mum about the ones affecting his paycheck is highly hypocritical. He may be too smart to just shut up and dribble, but he isn’t too ethical about equality either.

Also Read: “LeBron James quotes Barack Obama, advocates for gun control after a mass shooting in Texas”: The Laker superstar looks to use his platform to lead the change

About the author

Arun Sharma

Arun Sharma

instagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Arun Sharma is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. A double degree holder and a digital marketer by trade, Arun has always been a sports buff. He fell in love with the sport of basketball at a young age and has been a Lakers fan since 2006. What started as a Kobe Bryant obsession slowly turned into a lifelong connection with the purple and gold. Arun has been an ardent subscriber to the Mamba mentality and has shed tears for a celebrity death only once in his life. He believes January 26, 2020, was the turning point in the passage of time because Kobe was the glue holding things together. From just a Lakers bandwagoner to a basketball fanatic, Arun has spent 16 long years growing up along with the league. He thinks Stephen Curry has ruined basketball forever, and the mid-range game is a sight to behold. Sharma also has many opinions about football (not the American kind), F1, MotoGP, tennis, and cricket.

Share this article