The NBA season must be drawing near.
Recently, LeBron James garnered significant attention for his trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this month. While some fans playfully speculated about a potential move to the Middle East, not everyone welcomed the visit from the Los Angeles Lakers star.
Video footage of James’ visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia quickly circulated on social media. This visit occurred shortly after the Lakers forward had jokingly mentioned the possibility of signing a lucrative one-year contract to play in the oil-rich nation.
As expected, there has been a mixed array of reactions online, especially considering Saudi Arabia’s well-documented human rights violations.
James, who has previously been a staunch advocate for social justice issues, faced criticism for his visit from Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the late 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.”
Khashoggi, Cengiz’s fiance, was a prominent dissident against the Saudi regime. He was assassinated in 2018 on the orders of the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
This incident is not the first time James has faced scrutiny for alleged inconsistencies in his stance on social issues.
