In the debut episode of his new HBO show "The Shop" that aired Tuesday night, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said white and black athletes are held to a different standard in the United States.
As part of a broader discussion with a group of prominent athletes and entertainers — Odell Beckham Jr., Draymond Green and Snoop Dogg among them — James described a hypothetical situation in which a star white athlete and a star black athlete are approached by a fan while out in public with their families and asked for a picture.
"If it's (Tom) Brady, if it's (Aaron) Rodgers, if it's (Peyton) Manning. And we're doing the same (expletive), the same exact (expletive)," James began. "I'm talking about a phone is out. We're like, 'Yo, get that (expletive) phone out of my face. I'm with my family.'
"If we're out with our family and we say that (expletive) and somebody posts it, and if Aaron Rodgers or one of those guys say that (expletive) and they post it, somebody's going to be like, 'Hey, you guys should respect Aaron Rodgers.'"
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Beckham expressed similar thoughts last year, doubting that he would have gotten the same pass as Tom Brady did when the star quarterback was caught on camera yelling at his offensive coordinator
James' thoughts on racial double standards for athletes was one of several topics covered in the premiere of "The Shop," which HBO has described as "unfiltered conversation and debate" set in a barbershop. James, who signed with the Lakers in the offseason, is an executive producer of the series.
The 33-year-old, who is a three-time NBA champion and four-time MVP, also touched on his willingness to speak out about social issues.
"At the end of the day, when I decided I was going to start speaking up and not giving a (expletive) about the backlash or if it affects me, my whole mindset was it's not about me," James said, according to a transcript of his remarks from ESPN.
"My popularity went down. But at the end of the day, my truth to so many different kids and so many different people was broader than me personally."
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
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