LeBron James: Racism is a Serious Issue, but Not in the King's Court

In a recent interview with CNN's Soledad O'Brien Miami Heat forward LeBron James was asked if race played any role in the media and fan backlash he has received since his now infamous decision to join the Heat.

James responded by saying he definitely felt race played a role to some degree and says it always has.

James' business partner Maverick Carter went on to say he was sure race played a role in the sentiments of some fans, and the same racial undertones were echoed by members of the media.

Racism is always a touchy issue in America, and the dark history associated with the word will never be completely erased from society's conscience because of events from our country's past.

Great strides were made during the civil rights era of the 60's, and many of the freedoms people of color now enjoy are a result of the struggles faced by our ancestors.

But, there is still work left to be done.

Some people like to think racism is an issue that our country has moved past, but every now and again something happens to let you know that 1960 wasn't really that long ago.

The James Byrd incident in Texas is one of those moments.

The Jena 6 episode in Louisiana is another.

However, I would be hesitant to add James' situation to those categories, because although there may have been some incendiary comments made by the media and fans, I'm not sure they were of the same inhumane nature.

Of course racism doesn't have to be as overt as it was in either of the previously mentioned cases, because we do live in a culture where the practice has become more systematic and thus hidden, I'm just not sure James' case fits the bill.

ESPN's Jalen Rose doesn't share my opinion.

Rose recently said that he agrees with James' concerns, and that some of Cleveland's corporate sponsors, and other skybox-fatcats had made remarks that could be considered racially motivated.

Rose went on to say that those same luxury suite residents were upset that James had bucked the employer/employee establishment, and had caused a rupture in the good, ole boy system.

I agree with Rose to a point, because there are people who may have made statements that serve as a reminder to the pervasiveness of racism, but do those people represent the whole?

I have heard many people, black and white, express reservations about James' decision to join Miami, and not one of the reasons was racially motivated.

Likewise in the media there have been numerous objections to the manner in which James chose to extend his career, but none of the dissent centered around race, and most of the commentators were black.

Instead of race I heard things questioned like leadership, desire, killer instinct, and Charles Barkley's memorable episode where he called James' decision a punk move.

In fact, most people who have voiced an opinion that I heard have based their theories mostly on the topics listed above, and that goes for people of every color.

James' most recent decision to label some members of the media and fans as racists unfairly tags a larger group of people who based their opinions strictly on matters of basketball.

One thing that is just as bad as racism is finding bias where none really exists.

The race card has been so overly-used that some people refuse to acknowledge actual cases of racism because of fradulent cases put forth by those such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

If you forgot Jackson was one of the first people to cry race after Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert unleashed his fierce tirade against James' announced departure.

Most people dismissed Jackson and chalked up Gilbert's remarks to the pain he was going through from James' perceived betrayal of his team.

Maybe we should do the same with James' most recent comments.

James has taken some serious abuse during the NBA offseason, and it's easy to see that his feelings and image has suffered from the very public, verbal beating he has endured.

But is it really fair for James to consider himself a victim of racial injustice?

When the charge of racism is leveled there is usually someone who has been denied a basic civil right due to bias, but in James' case it's hard to really see where his rights were infringed.

Let's see.

James was not prohibited from joining the team of his choice, he was not physically abused, and most of the verbal abuse he took was from upset Cavaliers' fans or people who felt he took the coward's way out.

James was not denied his basic civil rights to do anything, and in fact, he likely changed the way free agents will do business for years to come.

With so much real racism left to eradicate in the world, James' claims fall on deaf ears.

America does still need to have a very serious conversation concerning race and how it still cripples members of our society today, but first we must separate the frivolous claims from the real ones so that we can have an honest discussion.