Published 13:28 IST, March 1st 2021
LeBron James called 'Chinese finger puppet' in EPIC insult from UFC star Colby Covington
In a recent quote tweet, UFC's Colby Covington called out Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James for not speaking up on the NBA-China and Hong Kong controversies.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
For the past few years, LeBron James has been vocal about various political issues in the USA. While many people view it as his way of using his platform, the NBA icon has received his fair share of criticism. While the NBA-China controversy is usually under scrutiny, James has often been called a hypocrite for only speaking up about what he wants to.
Colby Covington calls out LeBron James China hypocrisy
A few days ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic took a dig at James, calling him out for speaking up on political matters. James had reacted to the same, talking about how he will always speak for his people, equality, voter suppression and more. "There’s no way I would ever just stick to sports, because I understand this platform and how powerful my voice is," James added.
As people debated over the same, UFC's Colby Covington replied to James' video. He demanded to know when James would speak about Hong Kong and called him a 'Chinese finger puppet'. "You make millions playing a kids game & talk about “social justice” but have no problem paying Chinese women in sweatshops pennies to make your products." Covington wrote on Twitter, also referring to James as a 'slimeball'.
Fans reacted to the comment, some defending while some agreeing. To many, James has been a hypocrite. However, others believe the 36-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star is doing what he can to help those he can.
Fans react to LeBron and Covington
Last year, Joshua Wong, a 23-year-old student activist from Hong Kong, had also spoken on James. Wong, protesting since around 2014, noted that James chose to remain silent when the 2019 mass protests in Hong Kong were held. He referred to James as a 'hypocrite, who only speaks up in the USA and nowhere else.'
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(Image credits: LeBron James, Colby Covington Instagram)
Updated 13:28 IST, March 1st 2021