NBA superstar LeBron James confirmed Tuesday he received the Covid-19 vaccine, months after being initially skeptical of it. Him admitting to it came a little too late for Stephen A. Smith.
“Everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family and things of that nature,” James said during the Los Angeles Lakers media day in El Segundo, California. “I know that I was very skepticism (sic) about it all. But after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt like it was best suited for not only me but my family and my friends. That’s why I decided to do it.”
He added that while he is vaccinated, it wasn’t his place to impose that decision on others.
“We are talking about people’s bodies and well beings. 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,” James said.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is questioning what took James so long to publicly admit he’s been vaccinated.
“I don’t think he needs to be more vocal now, but what he did yesterday, he should have done a long time ago,” Smith said Wednesday on First Take
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“He is an individual that has been an incredible role model on so many levels and needs to be applauded for all of that,” Smith said. “He took the liberty to take the bull by the horn and be front and center on a plethora of issues that affect our community.”
“I was hesitant to take the vaccine myself,” Smith admitted. “A guy by the name of Dennis Pullin…brings me to an ICU where I saw nothing in there but Black people because so many Black people were hesitant to take the vaccine…when you saw the detrimental impact that it was having on our community, that’s when I felt compelled to step up and take the vaccine.”
Smith believes James could have saved the lives of many Black people who died from COVID.
“People were dying in our community,” Smith said. “I feel like anybody who had a voice should have done their research sooner than later and made sure they made a decision and moved forward and at least be open about what YOU chose to do.”
“Vaccines been out for a damn year a near now, and we just heard from LeBron James yesterday,” Smith added.
