LeBron James says 'being black in America is tough' after racist graffiti sprayed on LA home

Hitting out: LeBron James
Getty Images
David Gardner1 June 2017

Basketball star LeBron James said “being black in America is tough” after racist graffiti was sprayed on his Los Angeles home.

The sportsman, 32, spoke out after police launched a hunt to find the person who daubed the n-word on his front gate.

He said the vandalism shows “racism will always be part of the world and part of America”.

Speaking at a press conference for the National Basketball Association finals in Oakland, California, James — one of the richest people in sport — said money did not hold all the answers.

“No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough,” he added.

“We’ve got a long way to go for us as a society and for us as African-Americans until we feel equal in America.”

Racist attack: The front gate of the star's home
AP

The Cleveland Cavaliers player was not at home when his house was targeted. He reportedly bought the property in Brentwood in 2015 for $21 million (£16.3 million).

“Hate in America, especially for African-Americans, is living every day. Even though that it’s concealed most of the time,” he added. He mentioned the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, 14, who was murdered for supposedly whistling at a white woman.

“I think back to Emmett Till’s mum actually,” James said. “It’s one of the first things I thought of.

"The reason she had an open casket was because she wanted to show the world what her son went through as far as a hate crime and being black in America.”

James is the highest-paid player in the NBA, reportedly earning more than $30 million (£23.3 million) a year.

Last week he became the all-time leading scorer in the play-offs, surpassing the record of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

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