LeBron James recently went viral for making a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this month. While some fans playfully speculated on a potential move to the Middle East, not everyone was enthused by the Los Angeles Lakers star’s visit.
Footage of James’ visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rapidly made the rounds on social media. The visit came shortly after the Lakers forward had joked about signing an exorbitant 1-year contract to play in the oil-rich nation.
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من تواجد ليبرون جيمس في مدينة الرياض اليوم 🔥 https://t.co/seAO6oE0oq pic.twitter.com/SxIoxdomoI
— Saudi Basketball (@KSAbasket) September 5, 2023
https://twitter.com/saudiarabia/status/1701199436200726545
Unsurprisingly, there have been mixed reactions online given Saudi Arabia’s known human rights violations.
James, who has been a staunch supporter of social justice issues in the past, was also called out for the visit by Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“Another disappointing development. It is important to remember that athletes are not just athletes,” Cengiz told Douglas Montero of RadarOnline.com. “They have a lot of fans following them. It is very sad to see that these people forget that they are also morally exemplary while making their choices.”
Cengiz’s fiancee Khashoggi was a known dissident to the Saudi regime. He was assassinated in 2018 by the orders of the Saudi government and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
It’s not the first time that James has been called out for an alleged double standard on social issues.
