NBA legend LeBron James has declared an indefinite hiatus from social media following his criticism of what he described as “negative” coverage in U.S. sports media. The Los Angeles Lakers star, who has over 212 million combined followers on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), announced his decision on Wednesday.
James had earlier shared a post by Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant’s agent, lamenting the prevalence of negativity in sports reporting. “With so much hate and negativity in the world today, it confuses me why some of the national sports media still think that the best way to cover sports is through negative takes,” Kleiman wrote. James endorsed the sentiment with a simple “AMEN!!”
Shortly after, James informed fans of his decision to step away from social media. “And with that said, I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,” he wrote on X.
This is not the first time the NBA’s all-time leading scorer has taken a break from social media, often stepping away during the season to focus on his performance. However, his recent frustrations seem tied to criticism surrounding his public statements. After the Lakers’ win against Utah on Tuesday, James defended himself against accusations of dishonesty online, referencing his familiarity with rookie Dalton Knecht’s collegiate career.
“Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time,” James remarked. “They say I lie about everything. So what am I now? I’ve been said it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot.”
For now, fans will have to follow James’ on-court exploits as he takes time away from the digital sphere.
