“Less black people you see…” LeBron James praised by Damon Wayans for uplifting his childhood friends

Damon Wayans lauded LeBron James for prioritizing his community and childhood friends after rise to fame and wealth

“Less black people you see…” LeBron James praised by Damon Wayans for uplifting his childhood friends

Damon Wayans lauds LeBron James for his loyalty towards friends (image via Reuters/Men's Journal)

Damon Wayans made an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast and pulled the plug on several things. While some were instances from the past, the others were old habits dying hard, leaving lessons. In one of those stories, the In Living Color actor praised NBA star LeBron James for sticking to his friends in adversity.

While speaking to Shannon Sharpe, the veteran comic opened up about his views on fame and money and how they tend to change people. Throughout the episode, Damon Wayans name-dropped people putting his unfiltered thoughts on the table.

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He goes on to say that the increase in money also brings an increase in distance from their community, in this case, “black people”. Money facilitates a better standard of living, urging people to change their company and make it ‘whiter’.

While on this subject, he broached LeBron James‘ loyalty towards his friends, whom he uplifted with himself. He, unlike others, did not leave his people after entering immense fame and money, and power.

The more money you make, less black people you see. Money moves you into a category, you move to a different house, in a different neighbourhood, and get different friends…So that’s what I like about LeBron….. It’s always divide and conquer. At a certain point, they sit you down. Beyonce’s father: ‘Alright, we got it from here.’ The Jackson’s: ‘Alright, Joe. We got it from here.’ Venus and Serena: ‘We got em.’ You become a liability.

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Coming from that point of view, Damon Wayans expressed how it was always “divide and conquer” with LeBron James who has kept strong roots with his community. He also mentioned several Hollywood famed, giving a contrast to the NBA veteran. Speaking of his fame and the peak of his career, the comedy legend was not a fan. For Wayans, it was a burden he compared to that of an attractive woman “on her period”.

While everybody saw the glamour, the struggle behind it was non-existent to them. LeBron James’ life has not been short of challenges and shortcomings. However, the Los Angeles Lakers star managed to pull through them all, with the additional support of his family, especially his wife Savannah James. Not just that, he had his friends, Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, and Randy Mims, to name a few, who forged their own identity with him.

LeBron James’ agent discusses friendship with the NBA star

LeBron James’ association with his agent Rich Paul was a recurring subject of discussion when the two initially started working together. While it was an accidental meeting that acquainted the two, the trajectory of both their lives changed ever since the NBA star’s 2003 NBA Draft.

From being business partners to close friends today, the two have come a long way in supporting their community. Speaking on how all of it played out, the Klutch Sports founder expressed his gratitude over the opportunity.

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Rich Paul shared on Washington Post Live that people thought of his relationship with LeBron James as purely transactional or financially assembled. However, it turned out to be more than that when they got to talking and found similarities between the two. In addition to that, their perspective on community and shared experiences also found compatibility they further built their empire on.

Starting in the league, Paul suggested, was a rocky stage for LeBron James where he had to trust people while treading carefully. Hence, his inclusion was what brought him a piece of reassurance.