Bondy: LeBron James' weak apology for his 'Jewish Money' post was a big missed opportunity for the NBA superstar
There was a regular prank at my New Jersey high school, not too long ago in the 1990s, which LeBron James should be aware of. A coin, usually a penny, would be thrown behind an unsuspecting student. If that student turned around and picked up the penny, they’d be mocked with some variation of “You’re such a Jew.” Sometimes it was a Jewish student who was the victim of the prank. But it didn’t matter. If any student of any race or religion were to appear desperate for money — to sacrifice his pride to bend over for a single cent that was somebody else’s — he was being Jewish.
It was that stereotype — specifically that Jews are obsessed and conniving with money — that Adolf Hitler used to justify his mission of exterminating all Jews. It was perpetuated long prior by Shakespeare with his Shylock character in “The Merchant of Venice,” a ruthless money lender. And still today, Jewish business and financial success remain a major driver of anti-Semitism. Just listen to Minister Louis Farrakhan or the far-right’s demonization of George Soros. Which is why LeBron James was treading on dangerous ground by posting the following on his Instagram account this week: “We been getting that Jewish money, everything is Kosher.” LeBron James offers up a weak apology after posting anti-Jewish lyrics on Instagram. (Frank Franklin II / AP) To be clear, I don’t believe James is an anti-Semite or knew this lyric from rapper 21 Savage was perpetuating a negative stereotype. Money, unfortunately, is viewed as the greatest attainment in American society, so the assumption that 21 Savage was being complimentary is understandable. But James then missed an opportunity with a weak apology issued to ESPN on Monday: “Apologies, for sure, if I offended anyone,” James said. “That’s not why I chose to share that lyric. I always (post lyrics). That’s what I do. I ride in my car, I listen to great music, and that was the byproduct of it. So I actually thought it was a compliment, and obviously it wasn’t through the lens of a lot of people. My apologies. It definitely was not the intent, obviously, to hurt anybody.” James has nobly used his platform to shed light on prejudices and social injustices, so, in this instance, the “not my intent” explanation isn’t acceptable without a follow-up. It certainly wasn’t good enough for James when Phil Jackson used the word “posse” to describe his associates. In that instance last year, James said he lost all respect for Jackson while insinuating the comment was rooted in racism. “I believe the only reason he used that word is because it’s young African-Americans trying to make a difference,” James said. Related: The reason Mario Hezonja didn't see salty Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo story » James and his business partner, Maverick Carter, used the opportunity enlighten on the inappropriateness of the word “posse.” But with “Jewish money,” James and ESPN — a duo whose relationship pushes beyond the limits of objective reporting — decided that an apology of ignorance, provided exclusively to ESPN, was sufficient. While previewing and reporting on a separate exclusive interview with James that aired on Christmas, ESPN never mentioned the “Jewish money” post. So, in the absence of any further explanation from James, it was important to clarify why it was inappropriate, or why Hitler’s message became so popular that my grandparents had to flee their European countries. Or why my grandfather, at just 17 years old, received his parent’s permission to drive a tank against the Nazi army. body{margin:0; padding:0; background:transparent;} " style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block !important; background: transparent !important; height: 16px !important;"> Back then, as it is now or when I was in high school, “Jewish money” was not a compliment