Jan 16, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) wears a shirt honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the game against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Originally posted on Lakers Nation | By Daniel Starkand | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 3:47 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has always honored the greats that came before him, whether that be in sports or the world in general.

Monday marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the NBA is celebrating the leader of the civil rights movement with games all day across the league.

The Lakers are not playing on MLK Day this year, but James has previously spoken about the importance of suiting up to honor the activist who was assassinated in 1968.

LeBron also took to social media on Monday to honor the legendary Dr. King:

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James has taken his own role as a civil rights activist seriously over the years, helping out with a number of causes and speaking up when he feels it is important. That is what Dr. King was all about, and it’s great to see his legacy live on through current athletes, politicians and activists across the world as his message remains as important as ever to this day.

LeBron James: Lakers must right the ship while getting healthy

The Lakers have been dealing with a lot of injuries lately, James isn’t in the business of using that as an excuse for this team’s recent struggles and he knows that they must figure out a way to right the ship while they get healthy because no one will feel sorry for them.

“Yeah, we have to. Because at the end of the day, no one is feeling sorry for us, nor are we looking for it. We have what’s available and we gotta go out there and play our game, play the way we want to play offensively and defensively and just try to right the ship until we get whole.”

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Lakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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