Right wing social media star Shelia Zelinsky is getting a lot of attention online today. A video she made claiming NBA superstar LeBron James is an “illuminati wizard” was shared by the Twitter account @RightWingWatch. Fans and sports writers have taken the absurd idea and run with it.
In the video, Zelinsky, providing the voice over, says that the pregame ritual where James throws chalk into the air is actually “a high level conjuring, a spell, an incantation.” She claims that James summons demons before every game.
She calls the act “frightening”, pointing to LeBron pointing his hands up and saying that “Baphomet-style demons appear” in the chalk dust.
The implication here, if Lebron James is indeed a “high profile Illuminati wizard” that summons demons before every game, is that even demons couldn’t stop the 2017 Golden State Warriors from winning an NBA title. That may be even more frightening.
Zelinsky is a YouTuber and popular online conspiracy theorist. Her website says her “firebrand evangelism have earned her international recognition”. She is the author of three books on subjects like human extinction, the conspiracy behind environmentalism, and using prayer as a weapon.
She also hosts a podcast titled The Sheila Zilinsky Show in which she ties religion and conspiracy theories together.
LeBron James’s habit of tossing talcum powder into the air before every game started in his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and continued through his four years as a member of the Miami Heat. He gave it up after returning to the Cavaliers in 2014, but began doing it again in 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
