The 80-year-old also notes in a new interview that he is still a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers player although he no longer supports the Dallas Cowboys.
- Dec 4, 2022
AceShowbiz - Jerry Jones proved he has nothing against LeBron James. The Dallas Cowboys owner showered the NBA star with praises when responding to the latter's comments about his viral desegregation picture.
"First of all, you have to hear me say how much I think of LeBron," Jerry told 105.3 The Fan on Friday, December 2. "I don't know of anybody that I respect more, I don't know of anybody that's taken every opportunity he's had and maximized it."
"Not only [has he been] a great ambassador for sport, he has taken sports, he has taken his venues, and used those platforms -- I want to be sure that you know where I'm coming from," he added. "It made buttons pop off my vest, so to speak, when he would talk about how much of a Cowboy fan he was."
Jerry went on to note that he is still a big fan of LeBron although he no longer supports the Dallas Cowboys. "He would've made a great tight end. That doesn't change. There's nothing about any of that that changes," Jerry stated.
"Certainly, he has influence, and just because of all of the above. His accomplishments, how he's utilized his sport and how he's utilized his platform," the 80-year-old continued. "How we have done it. He has enhanced basketball, he's made a lot of people a lot of money. I hope I have too."
During a press conference after the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazer, LeBron called out reporters for not asking him about Jerry's desegregation photo but were "quick to ask" about Kyrie Irving's anti-Semitic controversy.
"I got one question for you guys before you guys leave. I was thinking when I was on my way over here, I was wondering why I haven't gotten a question from you guys about the Jerry Jones photo," the 37-year-old said. "But when the Kyrie [Irving] thing was going on, you guys were quick to ask us questions about that."
"It seems like to me that the whole Jerry Jones situation, photo -- and I know it was years and years ago and we all make mistakes, I get it -- but it seems like it's just been buried under, like, 'Oh, it happened. OK, we just move on,' " the professional basketball player continued. "And I was just kind of disappointed that I haven't received that question from you guys."
The said photo was taken when Jerry was 14 in 1957. In the image, he could be seen peering over a crowd of white students who were trying to block six Black students from entering the doors of North Little Rock High School. Jerry, however, has clarified that he wasn't taking part in the demonstration but he was there out of curiosity.
