“The apologies should be 30X louder” - Lebron James voices support for Terrence Shannon Jr. as Illinois star gets cleared from rape charges
LeBron James stood by Terrence Shannon Jr., as the former Illinois basketball star was cleared of rape charges. On Thursday, the verdict found Shannon Jr. not guilty of felony rape and aggravated sexual assault.
The 6-foot-6 guard was backed by several Illini supporters along with his family, friends, and teammates. James was among the latest to show his support.
Known for his vocal presence both on and off the court, James took to X/Twitter and wrote:
"To my Young [king] Terrance Shannon Jr! Love and Salute you! Proud of you!! God is Good!" LeBron tweeted. "The apologies should be 30X louder than the hate he got but we know how it goes. Anyways back to the regular scheduled program. Great days ahead!"
In September 2023, Shannon Jr. was accused of raping a woman at Jayhawk Cafe. He was arrested in December, but later released on $50,000 bail, which led to him missing six games due to suspension. His school launched its own investigation but it was dropped afterward due to a lack of evidence.
Ultimately, he was found not guilty on June 13.
Amid the scandals swirling around him, Shannon Jr. maintained a strong performance on the court, averaging 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, as he led Illinois to the Elite Eight in the 2024 March Madness.
Terrence Shannon Jr. is a potential first-round pick in NBA draft
Terrence Shannon Jr. had to go through a lot in the previous season. These included a six-game suspension, a decline in his draft prospects, and being excluded from the All-American team.
"As to the criminal charges against me, I am declaring my innocence, as I did back in September," Shannon wrote in a letter to the University of Illinois student-athlete conduct panel.
"While I appreciate my lawyers and their ability to fight the case in court, I know that the criminal justice system takes time. So my day in court will not come about for a long time, most likely long after the NBA Draft, and I may not be cleared of the charges until it's too late."
However, now that he has been cleared of charges, the Chicago native can direct his attention to the NBA draft. He had a stellar 2023-24 season as a fifth-year senior, and ranked second among Big Ten players in points per game (23.0).
According to ESPN's mock draft, Terrence Shannon Jr. is projected to be picked at no. 35 by the San Antonio Spurs. However, in the most recent CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings, he is slated at number 29 which means that he would go to the Denver Nuggets.