NBA superstar LeBron James announced Wednesday he is taking an indefinite break from social media, citing frustration with “negative” coverage in the U.S. media.
With a combined 212 million followers on Instagram and X, James made the announcement after sharing a post from Rich Kleiman, a longtime agent of NBA star Kevin Durant, that criticized the media’s negativity.
“With so much hate and negativity in the world today, it confuses me why some of the national sports media still think that the best way to cover sports is through negative takes,” Kleiman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I, for one, find it all a waste of breath.”
Los Angeles Lakers star James shared the post with his followers, adding a one-word comment: “AMEN!!”
The 39-year-old followed up with another post confirming his decision to leave social media – at least temporarily.
“And with that said, I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,” James wrote on X.
This is not the first time James has stepped away from social media. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has taken breaks before, typically to focus on basketball.
James had hinted at frustration with online criticism following the Lakers’ win over Utah on Tuesday when rookie Dalton Knecht scored 37 points in a standout performance.
Speaking about Knecht’s game, James said he had been aware of the rookie’s talent from watching his collegiate career at Tennessee.
“Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time,” James said. “They say I lie about everything. So what am I now? I’ve been said it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot.”