Jim Brown, an all-time great running back for the NFL and a social activist, recently passed away, and LeBron James, a legendary player for the NBA, shared a touching message in memory of the model for all NFL players.
On Thursday night, one of football’s all-time greats passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home. In addition to holding the single-season (1,863 yards in 1963) and career (12,312 yards) rushing records for the NFL, he also holds the all-time records for rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126), and all-purpose yards (15,549).
The legendary player stunned the football world with his running style and athletic prowess in just nine seasons in the NFL and is commemorated with his statue outside Cleveland Browns First Energy Stadium for his extraordinary performance.
What was LeBron James’ response to the news of John Brown’s passing?
The death of Brown not only shocked the NFL world but also the NBA world. The NBA’s great player James paid tribute to Brown in memory of his passing by remembering his greatness both on and off the field. Every black athlete should look to the former Cleaveland Browns player for inspiration according to LeBron and he also claimed that Brown was his constant source of inspiration.
Lebron James on the passing of Jim Brown:
“We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown. I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim… pic.twitter.com/qhvEvR2Go6
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 19, 2023
“We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown. I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown.”
If you grew up in Northeast Ohio and were Black, Jim Brown was a God. As a kid who loved football, I really just thought of him as the greatest Cleveland Brown to ever play. Then I started my own journey as a professional athlete and realized what he did socially was his true greatness. When I choose to speak out, I always think about Jim Brown. I can only speak because Jim broke down those walls for me,” he said.
“I am so grateful that I was able to call you my friend. I hope I can continue to honor your legacy with my words and actions. My prayers to your family. I know they are all incredibly proud of everything you did for our community! #LegendsNeverDie”
The small forward expressed his desire to use his words and deeds to be like Jim by using the hashtag #LegendsNeverDie and also kept in mind Jim’s social well-being throughout his life.
The NFL fans, however, reacted negatively to his message after learning it and criticized the Lakers players for bringing up the issue of color. They asserted that James intended to bring the 87-year-old’s criminal history into this discussion because he had been detained more than a dozen times, including for numerous allegations of violence against women.
Why does he always have to put race into everything
— Kyle Anderson (@AwkerTanner) May 19, 2023
Color again.. u really wanna bring up color in this.. considering his criminal record.. why does it have to be black athletes and not them all in general. Yall just wanna keep it about color instead of unifying.. it wont end unless u stop talking about it .
— John fluhr (@john_fluhr) May 19, 2023
LeBron, therefore, arrived to provide relief but instead encountered criticism for a simple error.
Let us know your thought on LeBron’s touching message in memory of the model for all NFL players. Do you think the Legend of NBA deserved the backlash from the fans he encountered?
