DELHI TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) — A Cincinnati area bar owner has added to the now-deleted LeBron James tweet firestorm, saying he would not show any more NBA games at his establishment due to the basketball player’s online sentiments.
“If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub,” owner Jay Linneman said on Facebook of his Delhi Township bar. “We will not air them until LeBron James has been expelled from the NBA.”
Akron’s own James took to Twitter earlier this week, following the police-involved shooting in Columbus that left 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant dead. The now-gone tweet showed a photo of the officer involved in the shooting with a statement that said “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY.”
Later, James explained his reasoning for removing the original tweet, saying:
The bar owner is not the only one taking a stand against James. The National Fraternal Order of Police also took to Twitter this week saying James needed to “educate himself.”
“.@KingJames, with his vast resources & influence, should educate himself and, frankly, has a responsibility to do so, on the facts before weighing in. This is disgraceful & extremely reckless. The officer saved a young girl’s life. No amount of gaslighting will change that fact.”
Meanwhile, this incident remains under investigation. Ohio BCI is conducting a criminal investigation, while the Columbus Division of Police does an administrative review.