"LeBron is married to a Black woman" - LeBron James' fans rally to his defense amid backlash following Caitlin Clark appreciation post

LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James recently faced race-related backlash for a social media post praising Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark. However, James' fanbase rallied to his defense, providing examples of the four-time NBA MVP championing Black WNBA stars.

On Friday, Clark recorded a career-high 31 points, 12 assists and five 3-pointers, shooting a blistering 57.1% as Indiana dispatched the Chicago Sky 100-81. The contest marked Clark's fourth and final matchup against her primary Rookie of the Year competition, Sky forward Angel Reese. With the victory, Clark and Co. secured a 3-1 season-series edge.

After the game, James took to X, formerly Twitter, to commend Clark, calling out her critics.

"CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS," James wrote.

The Clark-Reese ROY debate has been heated throughout the season, with Clark continually gaining separation in the betting odds. Some fans have made their battle about race, with Clark being white and Reese being Black. Thus, James, one of the world's most prominent Black athletes, faced pushback for supporting Clark over Reese.

One X user even took a racially charged shot at James.

"Has this [monkey] ever been on [a] Black woman's side?" @Chivie__ said Friday.

However, on Sunday, another X user countered the backlash. The fan highlighted several instances of James shouting out Black WNBA players, including Reese and Las Vegas Aces superstar center A'ja Wilson. She added that James' wife, Savannah James, is Black, seemingly alluding to his naysayers' flawed logic.

"LeBron is MARRIED to a Black woman. He supports all WNBA players. You calling him a monkey to defend Black women is being a HYPOCRITE and GOOFY," @SOULbeautifulme said. "These accounts are IGNORANT and never spoke on ball until it was to discredit the white girl. Be better and try supporting all of the WNBA."

LeBron James' fanbase concurred, citing the 20-time All-Star's extensive contributions to the Black community.

"Probably the most insane take I’ve seen. LeBron [has] literally been loyal to his wife since high school ... He [has] done more to empower Black people, especially women, than most people I know," @GeneralKenobi54 said.

"LMFAO, it’s crazy to say this about Bron 'cause he’s been more outspoken about Black people, including women, than anyone," @BronGotGame wrote.

Meanwhile, others questioned the reasoning behind fans getting outraged at a Black athlete for applauding a white athlete.

"[As] soon as you show Caitlin some love, you're racist. S**t is a joke," @IVatl_ said.

"Some of these women don’t even watch [the] WNBA, they just watched Angel Reese, and the minute you go against their narrative to fit their agendas, they start to shame, insult [and] throw ad hominem attacks," Mr_Yandell wrote.

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Caitlin Clark continues dominance after receiving LeBron James' support

While Caitlin Clark continues to be arguably the WNBA's most heavily scrutinized player, the criticism doesn't appear to be getting to her.

After getting a shoutout from LeBron James on Friday, Clark delivered another standout performance on Sunday. She led Indiana to a 100-93 road victory over the Dallas Wings, tallying 28 points, 12 assists and five 3-pointers, shooting 52.6%.

The win marked the Fever's sixth in seven tries since the WNBA's Olympic break. Meanwhile, they crossed the .500 mark (17-16) for the first time this season, furthering their playoff chances.

Clark and Indiana sit sixth in the league standings ahead of Wednesday's home matchup against the last-placed LA Sparks (7-25).

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