A Los Angeles home owned by LeBron James has been vandalized with a racial slur, according to the Los Angles Police Department.
An official with the LAPD confirms to ET that “at 6:44 a.m. this morning, we got a call that a racial slur was sprayed on the private gate. By the time officers responded, someone had already painted over it trying to fix it. The property manager was advised and we are still investigating it.”
The officers elaborated that the racial slur was the N-Word and that it was a neighbour that called the police.
In response to the incident, James said America still has a long way to go when dealing with racism.
“My family is safe and that’s the most important,” he said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “Being black in America is tough. We have a long way to go.”
READ MORE: Raptors season ends in series sweep after 109-102 loss to LeBron James’ Cavaliers
The incident took place early Wednesday morning and has LAPD investigators searching through security footage from neighbours in the hope the footage will reveal the criminal.
The Brentwood home is not James’ primary residence. Capt. Patricia Sandoval, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, told the Associated Press that James wasn’t home at the time.
James, who has reportedly owned the house since 2015, is currently preparing to play his seventh straight NBA Finals.
The 32-year-old Cavaliers star recently spoke out against racism faced by Adam Jones, Orioles outfielder, during a game in Boston.
READ MORE: Boston Red Sox apologize for fans hurling racial slurs at Baltimore Orioles fielder Adam Jones
The centre-fielder was berated by racist taunts at Fenway Park while a bag of peanuts was thrown at him on May 1. Jones called it one of the worst cases of fan abuse he has heard in his 12-year career.
“A disrespectful fan threw a bag of peanuts at me,’’ Jones said. “I was called the N-word a handful of times tonight. Thanks. Pretty awesome.’’
“It’s not great for society,” James said while speaking about the Jones incident. “You’ve got guys like Martin Luther King, who all he talked about was trying to unite all of us, no matter the colour, no matter the race, no matter the shape or size. We know this is going to happen for, racism is going to be a part of time forever, I believe. But I think for us, the people that have opportunities to have a voice and people that have an opportunity to have some play on the youth that’s coming up, we have to lead them the best way we can.”
At this time, it is yet to be determined if the incident at James’ home will be investigated as a hate crime or just vandalism.