Every post-season, LeBron has gone dark on social media to eliminate distractions in an annual tradition that he calls “Zero-Dark Thirty-23 Mode.” In 2018, James switched up that strategy by staying silent on social media himself and handing over his platform to the next generation of social influencers. He posted a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that reads, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that,” and he captioned it, ‘Zero Dark Thirty-23 Mode is about to commence. I’m going dark so others can be the light. Watch this space. Peace. #AlwaysBelieve ✊??’
During his social media hiatus, several videos were posted to his Instagram Story of a different teen or young adult with experience in business, social justice, or philanthropy, letting them share their passions, work, and wisdom. Other videos have included messages about nutritious food, community-police relations, literacy, rising sea levels, plastic pollution, homelessness, and even the epidemic of bees dying at an alarming rate.
