Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James offered a harsh criticism of gun laws in the United States in the wake of the deadly shooting at a college in Las Vegas — the city where the NBA is hosting the final games of its in-season tournament.
In comments to reporters, James, the league’s biggest star, said the U.S. is the “only” place that keeps “dealing with the same story,” but that nothing is being done about gun violence. He has been critical of gun laws in the past, repeatedly calling for change when it comes to gun control.
“The ability to get a gun, the ability to do these things over and over and over, and there has been no change is literally ridiculous,” James told reporters, according to multiple outlets. “It makes no sense that we continue to lose innocent lives on campuses, on schools, at shopping markets and movie theaters. All types of stuff. It’s just ridiculous.
“It’s ridiculous and the fact that we haven’t changed anything, it’s actually been a lot easier to be able to own a firearm. It’s stupid,” he added.
Three people were killed and another critically wounded in the shooting at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Wednesday. The gunman was later shot and killed in an encounter with university police, according to authorities.
Officials have not identified the victims or the gunman. The Associated Press reported that the gunman was a professor who had recently tried to get a job at the university but was unsuccessful.
The NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament is slated to kick off on Thursday in the T-Mobile Arena — just a few miles away from the University of Nevada’s Las Vegas campus. The university’s own basketball team’s game at the University of Dayton, Ohio, was cancelled Wednesday night due to the shooting.
The shooting occurred on the same day Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ move to pass an assault weapons ban and universal background checks legislation. The effort came after the U.S. broke its record for the most mass shootings in one year over the weekend.
President Biden also pointed to the shooting as a reason for gun reform and urged Congress to work to pass gun control legislation.
“For all the action we have taken since I’ve been president, the epidemic of gun violence we face demands that we do even more. But we cannot do more without Congress,” Biden said.
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