Lebron's Refusal to "shut up and dribble."
As of late, athletes have not hesitated to voice their opinions in regard to political issues. This has greatly sparked since Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem years ago. He used his platform and actions to show the media that athletes are more than what meets the eye. Athletes actually care about what’s going on off-field and around the world, as everyone should.
In a recent interview that ESPN’s Cari Champion had with Lebron James and Kevin Durant, viewers were able to witness Lebron’s and Durant's stance on Donald Trump.
“And this time now with the President of the United States, it’s at a bad time," Lebron stated, "And while we cannot change what comes out of that man’s mouth, we can continue to alert the people that watch us, that listen to us, as this is not the way.”
“What’s going on in our country, it’s all about leadership,” Durant said. “I learned that playing basketball. I learned a lot of life skills from playing basketball. You need to empower people, you need to encourage people. That’s what builds a great team. And I feel like our team, as a country, is not run by a great coach."
Recently, Fox reporter Laura Ingraham made remarks targeting Lebron James, stating “shut up and dribble”.
On air, she continued to degrade his accomplishments as an athlete, and made it clear that we should not take political advice from anyone who “dribbles a ball for a living”. There are reports that reveal that this is not Ingraham’s first time attacking a public figure, but why has it continued? Despite a person’s status or occupation, everyone is entitled to voice their own opinion. Ingraham made it seem as if Lebron, and all athletes, should sit down whenever it comes to politics.
Laura Ingraham's comment “This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA”, was insulting to Lebron James character because she is trying to define his intelligence by his educational background. When in reality, Lebron did finish high school and did not leave early.
“We will definitely not shut up and dribble,” James said. “I would definitely not do that.”
