LeBron James publicly commented on Fox News host Laura Ingraham when she criticized his political viewpoints and race relations during the show Uber Uninterrupted. LeBron reiterated the stance he took, stating that he won’t use his stardom to just dribble a basketball and will continue to “talk about what’s really important.”
“I will not just shut up and dribble,” James said after All-Star practice. “… So, thank you, whatever her name is. … I get to sit up here and talk about what’s really important and how I can help change kids.”
LeBron James: 'So, thank you, whatever her name is… I get to sit up here and talk about what’s really important…'
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— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 17, 2018
Ingraham initially suggested that James should “keep the political commentary to yourself. Or as someone once said, ‘Shut up and dribble.'” LeBron responded first with an Instagram post with the words “I am more than an athlete” and captioned it #wewillnotshutupanddribble.
“But we will definitely not shut up and dribble. I will definitely not do that. I mean too much to society, I mean too much to the youth, I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don’t have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they’re in.”
During the show Uber Uninterrupted, LeBron James, and Golden State Warrior’s all-star, Kevin Durant were interviewed by ESPN’s Cari Champion. Both James and Durant discussed the all-star game, media scrutiny, their upbringings from each perspective, and how they view what’s transpired politically in today’s world. They both were also critical of Donald Trump as well.
Kevin Durant didn’t directly address Ingraham’s comments, however, he applauded LeBron James for speaking out publicly and advised others to do the same as well.
“I feel like everybody has a voice, especially with our own platforms, we can use our voices for good,” Durant said. “It’s not just me. I feel like everybody in this room has a voice and it’s getting louder and louder every day, so we’ve got to speak what we believe in, we’ve got to speak our truths, and we’ve got to keep it real out here.”
You can watch the entire Uber Uninterrupted episode down below:
