LeBron James has announced he is taking a break from social media. The NBA's all-time leading scorer and Los Angeles Lakers star shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram on Wednesday, revealing that he is stepping away from his pages for the time being. James, who boasts 159 million followers on Instagram and 52.9 million on X, began his farewell by reposting a message from Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant's longtime manager, which was originally posted on October 24.

"We can all acknowledge that sports is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can't the coverage do the same?" Kleiman wrote. "It's only clickbait when you say it. When the platform is so big, you can make the change and allow us all an escape from real life negativity. I for one find it all a waste of breath."

James echoed Kleiman's sentiments on Instagram, posting a screenshot of the message with the caption, "Damn shame what it's come to." On X, his repost was simply, "AMEN!!" Kleiman has posted only a few times since his October 24 message, and it appears James is also planning to take a break from posting.

"And with that said I'll holla at y'all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y'all take care," James posted, followed by emojis of a hand holding up two fingers and a crown, a nod to his "King James" moniker. James had hinted at his disaffection with online criticism following the Lakers' win over Utah on Tuesday, when Los Angeles rookie Dalton Knecht scored 37 points.

Speaking about Knecht's performance, James said he had been aware of the rookie's talent from watching his collegiate career at Tennessee. "Everybody on the internet calls me a liar all the time," James said. "They say I lie about everything. So what am I now? I've been said it. I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot."

James, the NBA's oldest active player who turns 40 next month, is a four-time NBA champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, with his most recent gold coming earlier this year at the Paris Games. The Lakers are currently 10-4, winners of six straight, and their next game is Thursday at home against Orlando.

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