LeBron James explains why he wore ‘Equality’ shoes for game in D.C.

LeBron James made a social justice statement with his choice of footwear in Sunday’s game against the Wizards.

The game was played at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., a venue that is located in close proximity to the White House. That’s why James elected to wear one white shoe and one black shoe — both of which were Nike LeBron 15s that had “EQUALITY” stitched on the back — for the first half of the game.

James spoke to reporters after the game, and explained why he wore the customized sneakers.

“Obviously we all know where we are right now, and we know who is at the helm here,” James said, via a video posted by Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports. “Us as Americans, no matter the skin color, no matter the race, no matter who you are, I think we all have to understand that having equal rights and being able to stand for something and speak for something and keeping the conversation going.

“Obviously I’ve been very outspoken and well spoken about the situation that’s going on at the helm here, and we’re not going to let one person dictate us, us as Americans, how beautiful and how powerful we are as a people. Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men and women, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn’t matter your race, whatever the case may be, this is a beautiful country and we’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are.”

LeBron James explains why he wore the black and white Nike Equality 15s against the Washington Wizards on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/917PzwP65V

— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) December 18, 2017

James changed footwear at halftime, and elected to rock a pair of wine-colored shoes in the second half of the game. The Cavs star admitted that he didn’t play well wearing the “Equality” sneakers, which is why he made the switch. It proved to be the right move, as he ended up with a triple-double — dropping 20 points, dishing out 15 assists and hauling in 12 rebounds in the 106-99 win.