LeBron James and other athletes denounce Atlanta shootings, join #StopAsianHate movement

LeBron James expressed his condolences to the families of the eight people who were killed Tuesday night during multiple shootings across the Atlanta area, joining a wave of athletes supporting the #StopAsianHate movement.

At least least six of the shooting victims were Asian women, but authorities said it was too early to say whether the attacks were motivated by race. The shootings follow a trend of rising violence against Asian Americans.

James, a vocal opponent of social injustice, acknowledged the pain the entire Asian community felt at the loss, saying the shootings were “Just senseless and tragic!!” James’ Lakers teammates Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso also commented on the incident via their social media platforms.

Kuzma quoted James’ tweet with praying hands and added his own posts reflecting on the history of race in America. Caruso retweeted Kuzma’s message that read, “Racism isn’t just one race. Sad we’ve got to continue to see hatred among us all.”

Jeremy Lin, who is of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, has shared racially charged incidents he’s been a victim of in the past, including being called “coronavirus” while playing in the G League. He also commented on the Atlanta shootings on Twitter, calling them “heartbreaking,” and adding, “We have to keep standing up, speaking out, rallying together and fighting for change” with the tag #StopAsianHate.

Dwyane Wade also chimed in, posting a statement with the caption #StopAsianHate that read, “The recent attacks against our brothers and sisters in the Asian American communities are heart breaking. The physical assaults and recent killings are rooted in racism. It needs to stop.”