The superstar said on Wednesday he will be taking an indefinite break from social media after sharing a post railing against “negative” US media coverage.
LeBron James, who has approximately 212 million followers on his Instagram and X accounts, announced his hiatus from social media after sharing a post from Rich Kleiman, the longtime agent of NBA star Kevin Durant.
“With so much hate and negativity in the world today, it baffles me why some of the national sports media still think the best way to cover sports is through negative commentary“, Kleiman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “As far as I’m concerned, I find this all a waste of time“.
Los Angeles Lakers ace James shared the post with his followers with a one-word comment: “AMEN!!!”
The 39-year-old then confirmed he is quitting social media for the time being. “And with that said, goodbye everyone! I’m retiring from social media for the time being. Take care“, James wrote on X.
This isn’t the first time James has stepped away from social media. The all-time scoring record holder has taken breaks before, but usually to focus on basketball.
James had hinted at his disaffection with online criticism after the Lakers’ win over Utah on Tuesday, when Los Angeles rookie Dalton Knecht scored 37 points.
Praising the rookie’s performance, James said he has long been aware of his talent, having followed his career at the University of Tennessee.
“Everyone on the internet always calls me a liar,” LeBron said. “They say I lie about everything. So why am I here? I said it, I followed it. I watched a lot of Tennessee,” he concluded.
