LeBron James is rarely ever shy about expressing his opinion on non-basketball topics. He often gives his opinion on political issues and social concerns. There was recently an incident between LeBron and a female Fox News host. In a video for the platform “The Uninterrupted”, James and Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant addressed some of the country’s political issues.
The host claimed James was not qualified to comment on such matters and said he should “shut up and dribble.” San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich strongly disagreed with the woman’s comments and said she cannot limit anybody’s right to express themselves.
Per Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz:
“To not have a feel for who [LeBron] is, think about when he came into the public view, how young was he? […] He’s been a brilliant example for millions of kids. Especially kids of lesser opportunities who haven’t had the same advantages of others.”
During his 15-year NBA career, LeBron has established himself as a role model for kids and adults alike. He is one of the most active players in communities and never misses a chance to use his platform and influence to help others. Popovich agrees and even compared the Cavs superstar to Marvel’s comic book character Black Panther.
“[Kids] see in [LeBron] someone who’s consistently exhibited excellence in the workplace and it gives them a voice, lets them know you can speak about anything. […] I can have whatever opinions I want and that’s what’s amazing about this when you look at this guy. How many tens of millions of dollars he’s given, tens of millions of kids that see him and are inspired by him.”
Coach Pop closed his statements regarding James and the incident by saying he’s proud to have someone like James in the league.
“He’s very, very special and we should all be proud that we have somebody like that who’s willing to speak about a variety of topics.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had previously supported James and Durant for speaking up.