Racial injustice was probably the last thing LeBron James wanted to be talking about before Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors, but he chose not to shy away from the difficult topic.
James sat in front of reporters and delivered a long speech on Wednesday discussing the racial slur that was reportedly painted on his California home, and race relations in America in general. One point that James drove home was that he believes that money, fame and admiration don't shield African-Americans from racial prejudice.
"No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is -- it's tough," James said. "And we got a long way to go for us as a society and for us as African Americans, until we feel equal in America."
You can see LeBron's full comments here.
According to USA Today, on Wednesday morning the gate of James' estate in Brentwood was painted with an unidentified racial slur, which was quickly covered by property management. The LAPD is reportedly investigating the case as a hate crime.
James has spoken out about racial issues in the past, including an opening speech at the 2016 ESPY Awards.
