Throughout the grueling 82-game NBA season, social media could be detrimental to one’s mental health, and it seems LeBron James required a much-needed break. The Lakers star announced his leave of absence from social media platforms following his decision. Fox Sports analyst, Emmanuel Acho understood the intent behind James’ decision. However, he took a shot at the 20-time All-Star for announcing it to the world.
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The topic of conversation came following a post by LeBron to X. The 6-foot-9 forward revealed in a post that he’s “getting off social media for the time being.” His decision came out of left field but sparked reactions in the sports media landscape.
And with that said I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care ✌🏾👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 20, 2024
Emmanuel Acho took to Fox Sports’s ‘The Facility’ to send a passionate message to James. Although he is in support of James’ break from social media, he doesn’t believe it is necessary to announce it to the world. He went on to say,
“You don’t have to announce you’re leaving social media…Just leave. No one is that important. We don’t actually care.”
.@EmmanuelAcho reacts to LeBron announcing his departure from social media:
“You don’t have to announce you’re leaving social media…Just leave. No one is that important.” pic.twitter.com/cIVxYyj270
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) November 21, 2024
Acho’s words appear harsh on the surface, but he doesn’t diminish James’ mental well-being. “I think everybody at some point in time should take a break from social media,” said Acho. This wouldn’t be the first instance LeBron has taken a break from social media.
Before the 2015 playoffs commenced, James coined the term “Zero Dark Thirty-23 Mode” ahead of the NBA playoffs. He would share a post on social media highlighting that phrase, which signified that he’d be eliminating any distractions from basketball.
Acho’s comments imply that LeBron’s decision to announce his break from social media is something that people do not need to know. He believes that it wouldn’t have changed anything if LeBron didn’t make an announcement. However, there are many things to take into consideration.
Acho’s comments would be justified had we been talking about any other player, but LeBron James isn’t just a basketball player. James’ social media interactions are more than just him posting photos.
He uses his online presence to announce new deals, like him posting his new LeBron XXII colorways. He uses it to praise rising stars in basketball and to shout out and support his teammates too. Coming from a veteran and one of the greatest players to play the game, small words of support can go a long way in building a player’s confidence.
There’s no telling how long James will be away from social media. The Lakers are currently at 10-4 on the season and, if this truly is an updated version of ‘Zero Dark Thirty-23’, they will now have a focused LeBron with no distractions. A scary sight to behold for the rest of the league.
