Earlier this year, Fox News Anchor, Laura Ingraham, made headlines when she infamously told Kevin Durant and Lebron James to “shut up and dribble” instead of speaking social issues. Since then, Durant and James have done the complete opposite. The two top players in the world of basketball have been beacons of light for their prospective communities both on the court and off the court. Durant has won back to back championships with the Golden State Warriors, but he’s made an even bigger impact by giving $10 million to his hometown community in PG County Maryland. Lebron James has done much of the same. While the Cavaliers fell short in the NBA Finals, he’s exceeded expectations off the court. James has stood tall and made influential statements about the state of American society in the face of backlash from the President of the United States. More importantly, he’s been an active participant in his children’s lives and he’s managed to open up a school that will allow him to be an active participant in other children’s lives. In short, they both have done much more than just shut up and dribble.
James is taking the next step in speaking up and taking shots. The Akron native will be working with Showtime to produce a documentary series called Shut Up and Dribble. The premium cable series will chronicle the history off the NBA and how its players have built their own brands that allow them to do much more than shut up and dribble. Showtime CEO, David Nevins, said “If being a star athlete is inherently a political experience, ‘Shut Up and Dribble’ tells that complex and dramatic story from the past to the present and from the inside out.”
There is no projected air date for the series, but that news will come in due time. In the meantime, James will prepare for the debut of his HBO series, The Shop, next month.
