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By Rickey Hampton, Editor and Founder of TheAfricanAmericanAthlete.com,
As great as LeBron James has been throughout his remarkable basketball career, I am convinced that his greatest achievements are ahead of him, and will have nothing to do with ‘just dribbling’ a basketball. He has already become a philanthropist, giving $41 million to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, for kids to attend college. One click to the LeBron James Family Foundation will inform you of just some of the things the 33-year-old superstar is up to off the floor. He is the template for the 21st century superstar, using his platform for activism and philanthropy.
In many ways, LeBron James is our 21st century version of Muhammad Ali. Of course, there was only one Ali, whose courage, swagger and confidence uplifted black and poor people around the world.
However, James certainly embodies some of Ali’s tenets, and that is to speak boldly.
His recent take down of Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham, who responded to James and Kevin Durant, following their recent criticism of the current racist president.
James in particular, has been outspoken against the obvious incompetence and hatred of the current president. He has called him a ‘bum’ and accused him of ‘not giving a fuck’ about the people he was elected to serve.
Ingraham hit back:
“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.” Translated, Ingraham meant: “Shut up, you uppity niggers”
Ingraham also incorrectly stated that James left high school early, which she had to know was a lie. She did what most people who are racist do when black men, who are incredibly successful, decide to speak out on an issue. She thinks James and Durant should be ‘grateful’ that he is able to make millions of dollars playing basketball.
Of course, she is totally incapable of understanding that because James and Durant are multi-millionaire athletes, as black men they are still prone to the racism that exists in America. Last year vandals who spray painted his L.A. home with the word ‘nigger’.
James spoke insightfully about Ingraham’s comments during the All-Star game media session. “I will not just shut up and dribble because I mean too much to my two boys here, and their best friend here, my daughter that’s at home and my wife and my family. And for all these others kids out here that look up to me as inspiration to try to find a way out.”
Click to watch James’ speak more on the issue. Then check out Ali taking on a white woman who called him ‘arrogant’.
