NBA superstar LeBron James and Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson took to social media their support against racial discrimination following the increasing racism and hate attacks directed at Asians in the United States.
“My condolences goes out to the families of all the victims and the entire Asian community tonight on what transpired in Atlanta at the Aromatherapy Spa. Coward a** young man!! Just senseless and tragic!!” James wrote on his Twitter account, referring to the recent Atlanta spa shootings that killed eight people, including six Asians.
“#StopAsianHate,” Clarkson, who plays for the Utah Jazz, star posted on his Twitter account Wednesday, with over 400,000 followers.
The short post already garnered 3,000 retweets and 16,000 likes in 12 hours. Clarkson also re-tweeted ex-Miami star Dwyane Wade post that reads:
“The recent attacks against our brothers and sisters in the Asian American communities are heartbreaking. The physical assaults and recent killings are rooted in racism. It needs to stop. We cannot be silent. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones due to this senseless hatred. To our Asian community – we love you and we are standing united with you. Enough is enough. #StopAsianHate.”
Fil-American pole vaulter Natalie Uy also shared her thoughts about the shooting in a Facebook post, saying that the incident struck her close as she is currently in the same city.
“Feeling overwhelmed and shaky. Knowing that 6 women were killed in the same city as me, for looking the same as me, leaves me speechless and scared,” wrote Uy, a Philippine record holder.
“No matter what, I will always be proud to be Asian and will not let this taint how amazing it is to be Filipino American. I feel bad for people who can’t see the beauty in other ethnicities. Must be a hard life living with so much hate in your heart.”
“Asian is beautiful, Latino is beautiful, African American is beautiful-every race is beautiful. Please take a look inside and see what’s going on inside you- do you have prejudiced thoughts that still have a hold on you? Let them go already. Be kind and love others. It’s not that hard.”
LeBron saddened, Lin heartbroken over shootings at Asian community
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Basketball stars LeBron James and Jeremy Lin were among those Wednesday condemning acts of hatred directed at the Asian community after a series of shootings in the Atlanta area left six Asian women dead.
Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, took responsibility for killing eight people on Tuesday in spas in the southern state of Georgia, including the women.
Authorities stressed the motive of the shooter had not been determined, yet the incident shook the Asian-American community, whose members have faced a surge in violence targeting during the Covid-19 pandemic.
James, a four-time NBA champion and star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, tweeted, ”My condolences goes out to the families of all the victims and the entire Asian community tonight on what transpired in Atlanta at the Aromatherapy Spa… Just senseless and tragic!!”
”Last night’s tragic events in Atlanta are part of a disturbing rise in violence and discrimination towards Asian Americans,” the NBA said in a statement. ”Today and every day, we stand with the Asian community and condemn all acts of hate and racism.”
Lin, the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, was upset about the shooting, tweeting his pain and hope.
”This is sooo heartbreaking… praying for our world,” Lin tweeted. ”To my Asian American family, please take time to grieve but know youre loved, seen and IMPORTANT. We have to keep standing up, speaking out, rallying together and fighting for change. We cannot lose hope!!”
– ‘Idiotic & devastating’ –
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young tweeted he was ”SICK about what happened here in ATL yesterday, my Condolences go out to the family’s & loved ones who were affected by this tragedy Nothing else needs to be said… I’m with you! STOP ASIAN HATE!!!!!!”
The Lakers said in a statement that ”Anti-Asian racism and violence is deplorable and we do not stand for it,” adding, ”We stand in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We see you.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose father was killed by gunmen in Lebanon in 1984, sent a series of tweets condemning all hate-based violence.
”My heart goes out to the victims and surviving family members of the shootings in Atlanta,” he said. ”Once again our country faces the trauma of hate inspired mass murders.
”It is on all of us to speak up & snuff out hate based violence. The current climate of animosity toward Asian Americans is idiotic and devastating.
”We must value all human life and denounce anyone who displays racial/ethnic hatred in any form. We have to be better than this..
”Ignorant remarks connecting Asian Americans to COVID-19 are leading to widespread racism, which turns into violence and even murder in our communities. We all have to do our part to stop this from happening again.”
