LeBron James steps away from social media, citing exhaustion from negativity

NBA superstar LeBron James announced on Wednesday that he is taking an indefinite break from social media after expressing his frustration with "negative" coverage in the U.S. media.

With approximately 212 million followers across his Instagram and X accounts, James made this announcement following a post by Rich Kleiman, the long-time agent of NBA star Kevin Durant.

Kleiman criticized the prevailing negativity in sports media, stating on X, "In a world filled with so much hate and negativity, it perplexes me that some national sports media continue to believe that negative commentary is the best way to cover sports. Personally, I find it to be a waste of breath."

James shared Kleiman's post with a simple endorsement: "AMEN!!"

The 39-year-old subsequently confirmed his decision to step away from social media for the time being. "And with that said, I'll holla at y'all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y'all take care," he wrote on X.

This is not the first occasion on which James has distanced himself from social media. The all-time leading scorer has previously taken breaks, typically to focus on his basketball career.

Following the Lakers' victory over Utah on Tuesday, where rookie Dalton Knecht scored an impressive 37 points, James hinted at his dissatisfaction with online criticism. Reflecting on Knecht's performance, he noted his awareness of the rookie's talent from his collegiate days at Tennessee.

"Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time," James remarked. "They say I lie about everything. So what am I now? I've been saying it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot."

SportsLigue