LeBron thinks BLM is more than a movement: 'This is a walk of life'

LeBron James is pushing back against the characterization of the phrase "Black Lives Matter" as a movement. The Los Angeles Lakers star says it has a distinctly personal meaning for Black people in America.

"A lot of people kind of use this analogy about 'Black Lives Matter' as a movement. It's not a movement," James said after Thursday's scrimmage against the Dallas Mavericks. "When you're Black, it's not a movement; it's a lifestyle.

"We sit here and say 'it's a movement' and, 'OK, how long is this movement gonna last? Don't stop the movement.' This is a walk of life; when you wake up and you're Black, that is what it is. It shouldn't be a movement, it should be a lifestyle. This is who we are."

James added: "I don't like the word 'movement,' because unfortunately in America and in society, there ain't been no damn movement for us. There ain't been no movement."

The phrase "Black Lives Matter" often refers to the decentralized organization of the same name, which describes itself as a movement. According to the group's website, its mission is "to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes."

James also used his media availability to call for the arrest of the police officers responsible for the killing of Louisville EMT Breonna Taylor.

"We want the cops arrested who committed that crime, obviously," James said. "In the state of Kentucky, what's going down there, I know a lot of people that's feeling the same. Us as the NBA and us as players, and me as one of the leaders of this league, I want her family to know, and I want the state of Kentucky to know, that we feel for her and we want justice."

None of Brett Hankison, Jonathan Mattingly, or Myles Cosgrove have been arrested for the March 13 killing. Only Hankison has been fired by the Louisville Police Department; the other two remain on administrative reassignment.