LeBron James was among those to express support for former University of Illinois men’s basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr. after he was acquitted of rape.
James addressed his post to Shannon, whom he called his “Young [king],” saying he was “proud.”
“The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes,” James tweeted. ”Anyways back to the regular scheduled program. Great days ahead.”
On Thursday, Shannon Jr. was found not guilty of rape and aggravated sexual battery by a Lawrence, Kan., jury, which deliberated for more than 90 minutes, according to Mitch Gilfillan of Quinn Johnston Law.
Others around the basketball community lauded Shannon, including former teammate Coleman Hawkins and head coach Brad Underwood.
The guard was initially suspended by the school on Dec. 28 after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Douglas County District Attorney in Kansas.
Shannon was accused of rape after visiting a bar following the Illinois vs. Kansas football game on Sept. 8 in Lawrence.
The 23-year-old missed six games due to his suspension but was deemed eligible to play after suing the school and receiving a temporary restraining order.
Shannon returned Jan. 21 vs. Rutgers, when he scored 16 points in only 28 minutes.
Just two days later, he played his first road game at Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena, where he was met with deafening boos and chants of “No means no.”
The Illinois guard received similar treatment in road atmospheres through the end of the 2023-24 season.
Shannon was nearly unstoppable in the postseason, catapulting Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament title by scoring 102 points in the team’s three conference tournament games.
The Illini reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 before falling to eventual champion UConn.
Despite the team’s success, Shannon never spoke to the media after he came back from suspension.
Now having been cleared of rape charges, Shannon may be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which starts June 26.
