NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has responded after Lakers star LeBron James recently seemed to downplay the deadliness of the virus.
James came under criticism last week when he posted the infamous "pointing Spider-Man" cartoon meme, with three identical-looking versions of the superhero all pointing a finger at each other. In the version of the meme shared by James, the Spider-Men were labeled "cold," "flu," and "Covid." In the post's caption, James said "help me out folks."
Abdul-Jabbar, writing on his Substack page, explains that James' post, combined with his previous expressions of vaccine skepticism, are "politically impactful," given his huge reach on and off the platform, where he has some 106 million followers.
He begins by praising James' careerlong efforts in advocating for social and economic justice, and says that the four-time MVP's casting of doubt on the severity of the coronavirus is a disservice to his place in league history.
"But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other ... was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press."
He continued:
"Vaccine hesitancy is higher in the Black community than in any other. While there are certainly justifiable historical reasons for Blacks to be skeptical of the health care system that has routinely marginalized, ignored, and even illegally experimented on them, that is not enough to justify compromising their health and even losing their lives during the current health crisis."
James' vaccination status was something of a mystery until training camp this season, when he confirmed he had gotten the jab over the summer. He acknowledged having been initially hesitant about the vaccine, and he declined to encourage others to get it, saying it was a personal choice and not his job to evangelize the vaccine.
"We are talking about people's bodies and well beings," James said. "I don't feel like for me personally that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and livelihoods. ... You have to do what's best for you and your family."
But on Monday, Abdul-Jabbar said more must be expected from LeBron and others with a similar reach. The answer, he said, is not to downplay Covid, but to advocate for the flu vaccine as well as the Covid vaccine, since flu deaths, like Covid, disproportionately affect Black communities.
"One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters. Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.
"While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases."
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