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LeBron James laughs off Cincinnati bar's NBA boycott demanding his expulsion from league

An Ohio sports bar has announced it will no longer show NBA games until LeBron James is expelled from the league. James doesn't seem too worried.

The Los Angeles Lakers star responded to a story about the bar, Linnie's Pub in Delhi Township, via Twitter on Saturday, jokingly lamenting that he had plans to watch his team play at the bar that night:

Linnie's Pub reportedly announced its new policy in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The owner of the bar, Jay Linneman, spoke with the Cincinnati Enquirer, and his justification is right out of the "shut up and dribble" playbook:

"They just need to play the game and that’s it," he said. "Their opinion doesn’t really matter. They’re using their position to push their opinions, and that’s just not right."

The bar's NBA ban is likely in response to the recent controversy regarding James' now-deleted tweet in reaction to the Ma'Khia Bryant shooting in Columbus.

Hours after the deadly confrontation on Tuesday, James posted an image of the officer who shot Bryant with the caption "YOU'RE NEXT." Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had been convicted of murdering George Floyd the same day.

Screengrab of LeBron James' deleted tweet. (Twitter)
Screengrab of LeBron James' deleted tweet. (Twitter) (Twitter)

The post sparked a firestorm from conservatives on social media, including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. Mike Loychik (R-Ohio), with the former claiming James was inciting violence against the officer. Former president Donald Trump also addressed the situation in a statement, accusing James of "RACIST rants."

James later deleted the tweet, saying it was "being used to create more hate" in another tweet.

James has been off the court for the Lakers since mid-March with a high ankle sprain. He was recently reported to have progressed to light work on the court with his rehab, and could be nearing a return.

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