LeBron James speaks out following the Jacob Blake shooting: 'For Black people right now, we think you're hunting us'

• After the Lakers' win on Monday, LeBron James spoke about Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
• "I got half my brain locked in on the playoffs and the other half on how the hell I can help Black people," James said.

LeBron James may be in pursuit of his fourth NBA championship, but playoff basketball is far from the only thing on his mind this week.

After police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times on Sunday, James spoke out.

"Having two boys of my own and me being an African American, to see what continues to happen with the police brutality towards my kind... it's very troubling," the Los Angeles Lakers superstar said in his post-game interview after the team's 135-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.

"It's what we've been talking about, and it's what we're going to continue to talk about," James added.

Blake, who was unarmed, was shot Sunday in the presence of his three children after he attempted to break up a fight. The 29-year-old is in stable condition but paralyzed from the waist down.

James also addressed the excessive force used against Blake in a passionate social media post, but used his post-game platform to call further attention to the issue.

"If you're sitting here and telling me that there was no way to subdue that gentleman or detain him, before the firing of guns, then you're sitting here and you're not only lying to me, but you're lying to every African American, every Black person in the community, because we see it over and over," James said. "Why does it always have to get to a point where we see the guns firing?"

He added: "I know people get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified."

James has been outspoken about police brutality and gun violence since the death of George Floyd. He and other NBA players have used their spotlight to call attention to these injustices: They've kneeled during the national anthem, worn "Black Lives Matter" warm-ups, and pushed the league to further support social-justice initiatives.

They've also been careful about using their time in front of the media to discuss these issues.

"I think firearms are a huge issue in America," James said on Monday, after his 30-point, 10-assist performance. "I don't know how to clean that up. I'm not saying I got all the answers, but guns are a huge issue in America. They're not used for just hunting, that a lot of people do for sport."

"For Black people right now, we think you're hunting us," he added.

So even though he's focused on bringing a championship back to Los Angeles, James doesn't view the NBA bubble as any reason not to engage with the challenges of the outside world.

"I got half my brain locked in on the playoffs," James said. "And the other half on how the hell I can help Black people."

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