Ohio bar owner refuses to show NBA games until LeBron James is ‘expelled’ from the league

An Ohio bar owner announced that he will immediately stop showing NBA games until LeBron James is expelled from the league.

“If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub,” Jay Linneman, owner of Linnie’s Pub in Delhi Township, wrote on Facebook last Wednesday. “We will not air them until Lebron James has been expelled from the NBA.”

 

If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub. We will not air them until Lebron James has been expelled from the NBA.

Posted by JC Linnie on Wednesday, April 21, 2021

James tweeted and then deleted a post saying “YOU’RE NEXT,” referring to a Columbus police officer who was involved with an incident that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. James’ tweet likened the Columbus officer to Derek Chauvin, the officer prosecuted for the death of George Floyd.

James faced swift backlash for suggesting the officers were in the wrong for defending the girl involved in the altercation with Bryant threateningly wielding a knife, according to video footage of the incident.

Linneman explained that he doesn’t appreciate when athletes use their public platform to promote political causes.

“They just need to play the game, and that’s it,” Linneman told the Cincinnati Enquirer in an interview. “Their opinion doesn’t really matter. They’re using their position to push their opinions, and that’s just not right.”

He added that high-ranking government officials would have faced more serious consequences for making a similar statement.

Linneman’s social media post was met with a mixed response.

“Thank you! This has nothing to do with race….it has to do with facts, and Lebron should never have said what he said. That police office is a hero. He saved a young girls life!” one person responded.

“Y’all want LeBron to shut up and dribble well how about you shut up and pour!” another person said.

James responded to the bar owner on Twitter, saying, “Aww Damn! I was headed there to watch our game tonight and have a drink! Welp.”

Protests erupted nationwide after the death of Bryant headed by the Black Lives Matter movement, despite many saying that it appears the officer was only doing his job in preventing a stabbing from occurring.

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