LeBron James has decided he’s going dark, at least on social media.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Los Angeles Lakers star announced Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram that he is quitting social media.
“And with that said, I’ll be cheering you all on! Stay off social media for a while. Take care,” he added in another post where he included a peace sign and crown emoji.
James posted the farewell to his 159 million followers on Instagram and 52.9 million on X in response to a message from Rich Kleinman, Kevin Durant’s longtime manager.
He shared a screenshot of a lengthy X-post from the NBA agent, written on October 24, condemning the negativity in sports coverage.
‘We can all recognize that sport is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can’t coverage do the same? It’s only clickbait if you say it,” Kleiman wrote at the time.
LeBron James announced in a post on Wednesday that he is quitting social media
James posted the farewell to his 159 million followers on Instagram and 52.9 million on X
“If the platform is that big, you can make the change and let us all escape the negativity in real life. I think it’s all a waste of breath. The Olympics and JJ [Redick] and Bron’s show was the future of what this all can and should be.”
‘AMEN!!’ James posted a message, along with a greeting emoji.
Just minutes later, he posted his bizarre farewell on social media, which also came a day after he said, “Everyone on the internet called me a liar all the time.”
James’ social media departure also comes just two weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris, who had publicly supported the NBA icon, lost to Donald Trump at the polls.
In the run-up to the election, the basketball legend suffered major backlash when he endorsed the Democratic candidate by sharing a controversial anti-Trump video.
And after the Republicans’ victory, LeBron took to Instagram to send a message to 10-year-old daughter Zhuri Nova.
“HEAVY ON MY HEART AND MIND, THIS IS MY PRINCESS,” he wrote alongside a photo of him holding his young girl.
“Promise I’ll protect you with everything I have and more!! WE DON’T NEED THEIR HELP!’
The NBA legend’s departure came after he reported a post from NBA agent Rich Kleiman
James’ post also comes just two weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris, who had publicly supported the NBA icon, lost to Donald Trump at the polls.
Earlier this week, the Lakers icon said, “Everyone on the internet called me a liar all the time.”
The topic of abortion proved to be a major talking point in the election, with Trump facing criticism for his previous claim that he had “killed” Roe vs. Wade – a Supreme Court ruling that protected the right to abortion.
Still, the controversy surrounding his position on abortion rights was not enough to make the majority of voters ultimately side with Harris.
LeBron urged people to vote for Democrats after posting a clip that appeared to show several members of Trump’s party using offensive and violent rhetoric.
He captioned the post: “What are we even talking about here? When I think about my children and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE FOR KAMALA HARRIS!!!’
Meanwhile, James, who celebrates his 40th birthday next month, isn’t the only sporting figure to have left social media in recent weeks.
Shortly before his online departure, the Atlanta Falcons’ social media team announced that they too would be taking a break to “ensure our mental peace, rest and prepare for what we expect to be an exciting finish.”