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Kim Klacik tells LeBron James to 'read a book' after Ma'Khia Bryant tweet, Internet calls it a 'slam dunk'

In her jab, Klacik told James, 'You can’t support the 1994 Crime Bill author & complain about police brutality, it’s one and the same'

Former Republican congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik slammed NBA star LeBron James over a tweet that his critics believe threatened the life of an Ohio police officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant. The NBA superstar shared and later deleted a photo of the officer on Twitter and declared, "You’re next. #ACCOUNTABILITY."

The comment was construed by many as a direct threat against the officer, sparking a major backlash and forcing James to take down the post. He later claimed that he deleted the tweet because it was "being used to create more hate". Klacik responded to James' frustrations, saying she acknowledged them but urged him to "pls, read a book" and get more informed on the issue.

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"The system in place was created by the very guy you supported in the presidential election," she posted. "This very big mistake makes you part of the problem. You can’t support the 1994 Crime Bill author & complain about police brutality, it’s one and the same." Klacik was referring to President Joe Biden's prominent role in writing and touting a Bill Clinton-era crime bill that is said to have contributed to the mass incarceration of racial minorities in recent decades.

It's worth noting that during the 2020 campaign trail, Biden admitted that his support of the bill as a US Senator from Delaware was a "mistake". However, he defended some parts of the legislation, claiming it had the support of the Congressional Black Caucus and Black mayors across the country. Furthermore, he blamed the worst ramifications of the law on how individual states had chosen to implement it.

That said, Bryant's shooting in Columbus resulted in a new wave of protests against allegations of excessive use of force by police. However, body cam footage released by the department later showed the teenager was attacking another female with a knife. The officer who fired the shots was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, which is the standard operating procedure after the use of a weapon. 

One commenter on Klacik's tweet appeared to praise Biden for his "soul searching" following the 1994 crime bill. "It is ok for a person to realize their error and correct it. The person who never admits fault and doesn’t change while holding onto hate isn’t very Christian right?" they wrote. Klacik, however, was unconvinced and noted how the president had years to address the issue. "He could have tried as VP, but he didn’t. Why? My guess is he really doesn’t care. Look at him now. Has he prioritized police reform? Not at all. Not even on his to-do list," she responded.

Others, however, nodded in agreement with the Maryland Republican. "Kim’s right...unfortunately most supporters of Pres Biden don’t even know about this contradiction...or smart enough to understand..." one wrote. "What do you mean? Lebron has read the first page of like every book ever made!?" another quipped, sharing a collage of photos showing the NBA star reading books. "This is your reminder that President Biden eulogized the exalted cyclops of the KKK," a third added.

One more said, "This is called a SLAM DUNK." Another joked, "Who can forget LeBron reading the first page of books."