Five years ago, LeBron James claimed a vandal spray-painted the N-word on the gate of his Brentwood, California, mansion.

{snip}  James’ employees removed and painted over the racist graffiti before police arrived and could investigate.

Nevertheless, when discussing the “crime” from the NBA’s highest platform, James analogized what he and his family experienced to the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black boy murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for whistling at a white woman.

“It just goes to show that racism will always be a part of the world, a part of America,” James said at the 2017 NBA Finals. {snip}

“I think back to Emmett Till’s mom, actually. {snip} No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough.”

Spray-painted graffiti that LeBron James and his family never personally saw made LeBron think of the pain Mamie Till felt over the murder of her teenage son.

James, in my opinion, was lying. The hate he whined about was a hoax intended to garner sympathy and elevate his brand as a social justice warrior. I believed that in 2017, and I believe it even more today, analyzing his reaction to the murder of Ethan Liming in the parking lot of James’ celebrated, Akron, Ohio, I Promise School.

Liming and his family have far more in common with Emmett and Mamie Till than LeBron James ever will.

Two weeks ago today, three men beat Liming, a 17-year-old honor-roll student, to death near an outdoor basketball court at I Promise School. Liming is white. His accused assailants are black.

Liming and three friends were joyriding in his car and shooting a water paintball gun. They stopped at I Promise School. Two of Liming’s friends – two black teenagers – got out of the car with the water gun and approached four men playing basketball. According to initial reports, Liming’s friends fired the water gun at the men. Three of the men chased Liming’s friends back to Liming’s car. Liming, a 6-foot-1 football and baseball player, stepped out of the car and tried to calm the situation. He was attacked. The three men beat him brutally. According to witness statements and the police report, the assailants punched and kicked Liming after he was knocked unconscious on the ground.

The assailants then allegedly prevented Liming’s friends from rushing him to a hospital. The assailants snatched one of the teenager’s cellphones as they tried to call for help, took Liming’s car keys, and moved his car to the opposite side of the parking lot. Liming’s third friend ran away from the scene and called police. When police arrived, Liming was dead. {snip}

{snip}

Here’s what LeBron James has had to say about the incident:

“Our condolences goes out to the family who lost a loved one!! My the heavens above watch over you during this tragedy! Pray for our community!”

His heartfelt, grammatically challenged tweet included heart and crown emojis. There was no mention of Emmett or Mamie Till. No mention of racial hatred.

Five black kids got in a fight, and the white kid who initially acted as peacemaker got killed. What would LeBron tweet if a black child was brutally beaten by three white men at I Promise School?

{snip}