Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ BFF and LRMR Marketing CEO, told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien that he could have handled The Decision better.
“The execution could have been a little better and I take some of the blame for that,” Carter said in a story that aired Wednesday on CNN’s Rick’s List.
The Decision did great ratings for ESPN, but sparked a backlash that has damaged James’ reputation heading into the upcoming NBA season.
Carter thinks race played a factor in the negative reaction generated towards James when he decided to take his talents to South Beach to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
“It definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media, things that were written for sure,” Carter said.
James chimed in as well with a similar stance as Carter.
“I think so at times,” James said. “It’s always, you know, a race factor.”
Whether race was a factor or not, his comments will only fuel the media as we approach the start of the NBA season on Oct. 26.