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Posted on 01/12/2026 1:36:26 PM PST by nickcarraway
For LJ, pro athletes shouldn’t let themselves be consumed by the ongoing issues in society, most notably racism.
Way before he became the No. 1 overall pick in 1991, Larry Johnson had to overcome numerous obstacles in life. Growing up in the housing projects of South Dallas, Texas, the 6’7″ forward experienced firsthand how tough it was to be a young Black male in the USA.
Despite that, Johnson remained laser-focused on his goal. He tirelessly honed his skills and let nothing stop him from taking his game to the next level, not even racism. Reflecting on his journey, LJ encourages every athlete to do the same.
In a social media post, Johnson even enumerated some unwritten rules every professional athlete should follow. Bottom line, the two-time All-Star wants them to stay away from issues that don’t concern their job.
“All my life, I’ve seen kids killed in the street dealing drugs. That wasn’t my crowd,” LJ wrote. “I did raise a good amount of hell on my own. At an early age, I was going to be a game-changer for every squad I was on.”
“Rule 1: Don’t be a victim,” he continued. “Rule 2: Shut up about things you have no business with. Rule 3: Work hard, play hard, and dominate your lane. Don’t listen to the bozo athletes that claim they’re oppressed; these weaklings are making 50 million a year.”
Every athlete has their own way of fighting racism Johnson didn’t name names in his post. Still, there have been a few famous professional athletes who have been actively fighting against racism. When he was still alive, the great Bill Russell was one of the pioneering social activists in the NBA.
Unlike Johnson, Russell opted to play an active role in advocating for equality. He intentionally used his platform for civil rights activism, which often put him in the spotlight.
Russell’s former Boston Celtics teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, who was one of the greatest white players of all time, once shared his thoughts on the 11-time champion’s fight against racial discrimination. For Cooz, it was totally understandable for Bill to fight for what is right.
At the same time, Cousy also noted that Black professional athletes could have also chosen to do it differently and more peacefully. To make a point, the “Houdini of the Hardwood” cited Black tennis legend Arthur Ashe as an example.
“I had great respect for Arthur Ashe. I remember dropping him a note or two, in terms of how he fought it,” Cousy once said. “He fought it in a different way, without becoming an ‘Uncle Tom’ but also without pissing off the moderates. He reached out and tried to do it, I guess, the way Dr. [Martin Luther] King did it: With love. As opposed to Russ’ approach.”
“You’ve got to follow your instincts in something like that,” the NBA legend continued. “I had great respect for Arthur Ashe in how he fought the battle. But I would never criticize Russ for how his instincts told him he had to fight his battle.”
Many believe racism still exists in sports
The NBA has been around for nearly eight decades and the league has come a long way in terms of the game itself. However, many players believe that racism still exists, but not everybody chooses to do or say something about it.
While that could be true, Johnson has a point. Ultimately, this issue would always boil down to what athletes want to do about it. They could either get involved or just do what they do best, which is to play sports.
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His grandma stuff was awesome
All of the racism I see is coming from black people who hate white people.
On the white people’s side, I don’t think any of it is racism. I think it is “fatigue” of highly privileged people who constantly complain that they are somehow “victims” of racism. All I can say is: They get a better deal than I ever got.
People who annoy you.
Larry Elder used to have good advise along the same lines - “SHOW UP EARLY and STAY LATE”...
“Who’s more racist, black people or white people? Black people, because we hate black people, too!” - Chris Rock
NFL (National Football League): Around 53-70% Black players. Sources vary slightly—some 2023 data show ~53-58%, while others (including more recent 2024-2025 estimates) place it near 67-70%.
UNLV, what a team
For playing a kids game, far removed from the sandlot, folks are paid more than a disabled vet.
Grass stains on the uniform, occasional bumps, without one episode of putting their lives on the line for their fellow countrymen.
Good old Larry Johnson. My college roommate saw him play when he was with UNLV. He was in our band, so he usually had courtside seats. We were playing UNLV in the NCAA tournament. He was heckling LJ before the game: “Hey, Larry, what’s 2 plus 2?”, and stuff like that. Well, of course UNLV beat us, 76 - 65. Larry came back down the court, and yelled, “2 plus 2 is 76 baby!”
There should be Maga citizen reporters who, on tape, say somthing like this too liberal demondtrators and politicians : “ Thank you for being an honest rebel. So, we have this small family with children and no father. Could you possibly take this small family into your home to feed and give toys to them?” THEN post all responses.
That’s right, Jimmy!
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