LeBron James: I Will Never 'Shut Up' And 'Stick To Sports' - Forbes

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Topline

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, responding to recent criticism from AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, pledged to continue fighting against racial injustice in the United States and to "never shut up about things that are wrong" despite some preferring he'd focus solely on playing basketball and not political matters.

Key Facts

In an interview on Thursday, Ibrahimovic declared it was a "mistake" for athletes to get involved in politics because "it doesn't look good" and singled out James specifically.

Ibrahimovic said James "is phenomenal at what he's doing, but I don't like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time."

Speaking with reporters after the Lakers' 102-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, James stated, "there's no way I would ever just stick to sports, because I understand how this platform and how powerful my voice is."

James vowed to use his platform "to continue to shed light on everything that's going on around this country and around the world."

Key Background:

This isn't the first time James has been told to avoid voicing his opinion on societal issues or politics. In February of 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham characterized James and Kevin Durant's comments regarding then-President Donald as "ignorant." Ingraham, addressing James and Durant, stated: "You're great players, but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself or, as someone once said, shut up and dribble." Last summer, after Saints quarterback Drew Brees said fellow players shouldn't kneel before games, Ingraham defended him, stating Brees should be "allowed to have his view of what kneeling and the flag mean to him." The following day, James pointed out the hypocrisy, tweeting that Ingraham's remarks demonstrate "why the protesting is going on" in the first place. Similarly, on Friday, James noted Ibrahimovic spoke out publicly three years ago against what he claimed was the media's "undercover racism" related to his Muslim background. "I am not Andersson or Svensson," Ibrahimovic said in 2018. "If I would be that, trust me, they would defend me.

Crucial Quote:

"He was the same guy who said when he was back in Sweden ... because his last name wasn't a certain last name, that he felt there was some racism going on when he was out on the pitch," James said. "I speak from a very educated mind, so I'm kind of the wrong guy to actually go at because I do my homework."

Tangent:

James also proudly addressed Friday's sale of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream to an ownership group that included former Dream star Renee Montgomery, after WNBA players had called for former Sen.Kelly Loeffler, (R-Ga.) to sell her share in the team over her hostility to the Black Lives Matter movement. "[Ibrahimovic] can just ask Renee Montgomery if I would have shut up and just dribbled," James said, "just seeing that beautiful Black woman today be part" the Dream's ownership group.

Surprising Fact:

In October of 2019, James faced significant criticism from human rights activists worldwide after he failed to speak out against China’s treatment of its own citizens. After former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for protesters in Hong Kong, James said Morey was “misinformed or not really educated on the situation.”

Big Number:

$42 million: In 2015, James partnered with the University of Akron to provide a guaranteed four-year scholarship to the school for students in James' I Promise program who qualify, which is expected to cost approximately $41.8 million. The I Promise School is an elementary school in LeBron's hometown of Akron, Ohio.