LeBron James might have been the biggest, but he wasn’t the only athlete to speak up in recent hours regarding the devastating police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, and the bevy of responses and debates that have followed. Today, Milwaukee Bucks power forward Jabari Parker, a former #2 overall pick, was very clear in responding to a threat from former Congressman Joe Walsh to President Obama.
Following the shooting of several cops in Dallas and the death of five of them, Walsh blamed Obama for creating an environment in which violence against authorities can thrive, and sent him a very clear message. “Real America is coming after you.” He would soon delete the tweet, but not before it was retweeted thousands of times and virally circulated as a screenshot. A screenshot Parker clearly caught wind of.
@WalshFreedom You ain’t landing a single finger on @BarackObama. No body is. Chicago and myself going to make sure of that.
— Jabari Parker (@JabariParker) July 8, 2016
A clear clapback for a clear shot. Seems appropriate. Parker would later clarify his message, iterating that his tweet wasn’t meant to be a threat, promising that he isn’t “a man of violence.”
Im not a man of violence. I’m a man of God. I have faith that peace will happen. We have to take the higher road and allow God’s will.
— Jabari Parker (@JabariParker) July 8, 2016
This trend of athletes speaking their minds and using their platforms to make real statements is one that should continue.
