LeBron James quit Dallas Cowboys over Jerry Jones kneeling stance but supports Browns, Watson
LeBron James is officially done with the Dallas Cowboys and apparently has been for awhile.
The NBA superstar grew up a Cowboys fan and unabashedly proclaimed his love for America’s Team over his hometown Cleveland Browns early in his career.
Those days are over.
During an Instagram Live with his business partner Maverick Carter recently, James said he’s done rooting for the Cowboys because of the organization’s and owner Jerry Jones response to players kneeling during the national anthem during the height of the protests of police brutality against people of color from 2017-2020.
“Nah man I had to sit put on the Cowboys man,” James said when asked about his fandom. “It’s just a lotta things that was going on, when guys were kneeling...[The] organization [was] like ‘If you do that around here, you won’t play for this franchise again.’”
In 2017, Jones made it clear that his players would stand during the anthem with toes on the line or they would not play for the Cowboys.
“We cannot in any way give the implication that we tolerate disrespecting the flag,” Jones said. “We know that there is a serious debate in this country about those issues, but there is no question in my mind, that the [NFL] and the Dallas Cowboys are going to stand up for the flag.”
“I’m very supportive of the team, but under no circumstances will the Dallas Cowboys -- I don’t care what happens -- under no circumstances will we as an organization, coaches, players, not support and stand and recognize and honor the flag. Period.”
In 2020, Jones somewhat pivoted his stance and requested fans understand his players have issues they need help on.
“That’s the great thing about America: Everybody has a difference,” Jones said Sept. 4 on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “If our players are there, they are sensitive to and respect what America is as it relates to the flag. I’ll assure you that. I’d hope that our fans—and I think they will—understand that our players have issues that they need help on. They need help from the majority of America.
“They need help.”
The Cowboys even had a player in defensive tackle Dontari Poe who knelt during the anthem before a game for the first time.
But it was already too late for James.
The Akron native has now thrown his full support behind the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was suspended by the National Football League for the first 11 games of the 2022 season over allegations that he has sexually harassed more than 24 massage therapists over several years.
James even tweeted his support of the Browns and Watson when the team acquired him in a trade with the Houston Texans, giving him a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract.
This story was originally published October 30, 2022 at 11:09 AM.
