While Magic Johnson's latest video aboard a superyacht showed plenty of the Basketball Hall of Famer getting nothing but net, the footage went over like an air ball to eco-conscious viewers.
A Reddit user shared a clip of the hoops legend's social media flex to r/NBA, with users chiming in with a combination of outrage and sarcasm at its optics.
Johnson expressed his excitement at returning to the site of the Dream Team's exploits to shoot hoops. However, instead of in an indoor arena in Barcelona, Spain, with thousands of fans and a global TV audience, this action took place on a massive yacht in front of a few onlookers documenting the action.
"Guys, remember to recycle and turn off your lights to save the planet," a user reacted sarcastically. "We are all in this together."
In Johnson's defense (never a strong suit for the Lakers legend), a user did point out that he took some measures to reduce his carbon pollution by powering the yacht with 80,000 liters of cooking oil, per French outlet Midi Libre.
That move theoretically cuts down on carbon pollution by 90%, according to Luxurylaunches. Still, a user noted that a Guardian report revealed that a fully stocked superyacht can pollute more than 1,500 times more than a conventional family car annually.
So while Johnson is taking some initiative in making the 312-foot superyacht more eco-friendly, it's still likely polluting on a grand scale compared to the actions of regular folks. At $1 million a week to charter, it's also an exorbitant expense that screams wealth inequality.
If you feel like you've seen the yacht before, it was formerly known as Kismet and owned by NFL owner Shad Khan.
Unsurprisingly, the superyachts of fabulously wealthy and famous individuals like Jeff Bezos and Roman Abramovich have similarly drawn the ire of observers and locals wherever they crop up. The market for superyachts is also booming, even as the environmental toll caused by the ultra-wealthy is becoming more apparent.
Commenters on Reddit sounded off on the tone-deaf nature of Johnson's social post.
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Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 "I will never understand rich people who post stuff like this on social media," a user wrote.
"2 cameramen, a drone operator, and a rebounder," another Redditor observed. "Just shoot some hoops bro we don't care."
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