Ohio Bar Owner Says He Won't Show NBA Games Until LeBron James Is Expelled

Brittany M. Hughes | April 26, 2021
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One bar owner is saying he won’t broadcast any NBA games until LeBron James is expelled from the sports league over a threat the NBA player made against an Ohio police officer.

Jay Linneman, owner of Linnie’s Pub in Cincinnati, posted to Facebook that patrons looking to watch a professional basketball game should go elsewhere, saying he won’t show any games at his establishment “until Lebron James has been expelled from the NBA.” 
 

If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub. We will not air them until Lebron James has been expelled from the NBA.

Posted by JC Linnie on Wednesday, April 21, 2021


James sparked backlash on social media last week after he appeared to threaten the officer who shot and killed Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old black girl who was shot while trying to stab another girl in a fight in a Columbus, Ohio neighborhood. Both the officer’s body cam and home surveillance footage from across the street from the incident confirm the officer had seconds between exiting his car and when Bryan emerged from a nearby house with a knife, charging another girl who was pinned against a car. The officer shot Bryant four times.

But basic facts, video evidence and the fact that the officer prevented another black girl from being stabbed to death didn’t much matter to the NBA star, who tweeted a screenshot of the officer along with the caption “YOU'RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.”

James later took down the tweet with the explanation, “I took the tweet down because its [sic] being used to create more hate — This isn’t about one officer. it’s [sic] about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism.”

But when it comes to NBA stars who make nearly half a million per game weighing in on crime and threatening cops, it looks like most people would perfer if he’d just shut up and dribble – including Linnerman.

"They just need to play the game and that’s it," Linnerman said. "Their opinion doesn’t really matter. They’re using their position to push their opinions, and that’s just not right."

James heard about the bar owner’s threat to stop airing NBA games, posting, “Aww Damn! I was headed there to watch our game tonight and have a drink! Welp.”

Lame.

Before he gets too snippy, perhaps James should remember that the only reason he sits in the lap of luxury is because the people he’s busy dismissing are the ones who watch his games, buy NBA tickets and purchase his merchandise.

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