LeBron James

[czvo]

I get where you are coming from, but I personally don't agree with "stick to sports/entertainment" refrain. Politics has a real impact on all of us...even those in their "secluded bubbles" as you called them. It's not clear to me why an athlete should be disqualified from speaking about politics but a trust fund baby born with a silver spoon can create a political blog or run for office - are they not living in a secluded bubble too? And yeah maybe athletes don't always have the ideal nuanced knowledge to discuss some issues but neither do half the radio hosts and pundits on both sides of the aisle that get to spout their opinions on the airwaves.

I respect those who have used their platforms to speak up on issues that matter to them like Ali, Kareem, Russell, and Brown did...and I respect that LeBron chooses to do the same. And by the way that goes to people on both sides of the political spectrum. I couldn't disagree more with Clint Eastwood politically, but I respect his willingness to speak his mind and he remains one of my favorite all time actors and directors. I have never owned a gun in my life and know like a grand total of one person who owns one, and yet I have a poster of Charleston Heston hanging in my office.

That being said, I think @TyGuy and @The Human Q-Tip make a salient point. Where LeBron erred in his recent round of comments was to make blanket assetions, intentionally or not, about a large set of voters that should not be generalized the way that he did. So yea I definitely don't agree with his assertions about Trump voters even though I generally applaud him for having the fearlessness to speak his mind without regard for the effect it might have on his brand.

Tl;dr - I support LeBron, other athletes, and other entertainers being active in politics. But for the reasons outlined eloquently by @TyGuy, I don't agree with LeBron's recent generalized comments about Trump voters.

I've gone back and read that part of the piece several more times, and I'm STILL not seeing these things people are pointing out.

Here's the exact quote when asked "Can a state that voted for Donald Trump also love LeBron James? Is that actually possible?"

"That's a great question. I think, um, they can love what LeBron James does. Do they know what LeBron James completely represents? I don't think so. So those people may love the way I play the game of basketball, because they might have some grandkids, you know, they might have a son or a daughter or a niece that no matter what they're talking about, the kids are like, 'LeBron is LeBron. And I don't give a damn what you talking about. I love him.' So they don't have a choice liking me. But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are. So do I have a definite answer to that? My state definitely voted for Donald Trump, the state that I grew up in. And I think I can sit here and say that I have a lot of fans in that state, too. It's unfortunate."

If someone could point out where he's "calling everyone racist," I would appreciate it.

The way I read it, it's a minority man in America genuinely confused as to how so many could, at the very least, ignore the rhetoric of the man in charge. But that's me. Like I mentioned in the other thread, his comment is really a whole lot of nothing, so everyone is reading into it whatever they want.

 

[Ohio]

If someone could point out where he's "calling everyone racist," I would appreciate it.

"But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

What do you think he's saying here?

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

he said and I'm paraphrasing :"they can be a fan of my game, but me and what I'm about. No...it's unfortunate"....I think that is kind of unfair. Politics shouldn't be so personal...I promise there are a shitload of Ohioans that love LeBron and only voted for Trump as lesser of two evils in their mind.

Agree completely.

I'm a fan of LBJ's "game", and also a fan of the outstanding philanthropic work he's done. In terms of his political opinions....I just don't care. If I cared about his, there's no reason I shouldn't care equally about the opinions of every other Cleveland athlete, and that's way too much, and too divisive as well.

 

[czvo]

"But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

What do you think he's saying here?

Well, if you view it in the context of the entire quote:

"I think, um, they can love what LeBron James does. Do they know what LeBron James completely represents? I don't think so. So those people may love the way I play the game of basketball, because they might have some grandkids, you know, they might have a son or a daughter or a niece that no matter what they're talking about, the kids are like, 'LeBron is LeBron. And I don't give a damn what you talking about. I love him.' So they don't have a choice liking me. But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

LeBron is fundamentally opposed to the things the President does and says. So they may like him because he plays for their favorite team, but would they like or agree with him as a person? Even he doesn't haven't an answer for that.

 

[LeShaq]

I like Trump, I like LeBron and I know a few things about politics.

Q. What is the whole deal with this "LeBron and Ohio Trump Voters" issue? Why is this such a thing?

Politics is incredibly personal, particularly when you are involved, yourself, or someone you are friends with is involved. People get pulled into politics, emotionally, in a way that doesn't often happen with other things. Feelings are magnified, grudges are created, and so forth.

LeBron is friends with Obama. He has said this before. The 2016 election was not only about Clinton, it was about Obama. Obama's 3rd term, so to speak. LeBron was supporting his friend's chosen successor, the person who would carry on Obama's legacy.

Trump won the election, sure. But it's more than that. Trump won Ohio, where LeBron and Jay-Z and others got personally involved. And not only did Trump win Ohio, he won it with the largest percentage that a GOP candidate has received in Ohio since 1988.

I don't care who you are, that is going to hurt your pride. Particularly when you put your own prestige on the line.

So, if you are LeBron -- or someone writing an article about LeBron -- how do you deal with what happened in 2016 Ohio?

Basically, it seems, those Ohioans who did not vote for Clinton become some version of Obama's "Bitter Clingers." Something like that.

But what I want to communicate here is that this (what LeBron is saying) may not be as dastardly or as putting-Ohioans-down as it might seem.

You have a guy who put his own neck on the line in his home state and he got crushed. What do you expect him to say? "Ohioans are great and woke and they made the right choice"?

Politics is nasty. It brings out the worst in people, often.

I wouldn't hold this against LeBron too much, though. And I say this, again, as someone who likes Trump.

When a high-profile person takes a loss, that loss often has to be "explained" so as to keep up the person's image. There has to be a reason for what happened.

And that's where I think all this is coming from, both from the writer and from LeBron himself.

Image management. At least on LeBron's end of things. The writer may have his own agenda, but I think that LeBron's own words on the subject may be coming from a different place (than where the writer may be coming from).

 

[Ohio]

Well, if you view it in the context of the entire quote:

"I think, um, they can love what LeBron James does. Do they know what LeBron James completely represents? I don't think so. So those people may love the way I play the game of basketball, because they might have some grandkids, you know, they might have a son or a daughter or a niece that no matter what they're talking about, the kids are like, 'LeBron is LeBron. And I don't give a damn what you talking about. I love him.' So they don't have a choice liking me. But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

LeBron is fundamentally opposed to the things the President does and says. So they may like him because he plays for their favorite team, but would they like or agree with him as a person? Even he doesn't haven't an answer for that.

But, he does.

"But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are"

Again. What are these people resorting back to?

 

[Cavatt]

"But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

What do you think he's saying here?

Wow. Do you think any of Trumps words are racist? Weird how people can read so much into what Lebron said, but if we mention the racist rhetoric that Trump uses, "That isn't what he meant".

We read into it too much by saying him going after Obama and calling him lazy for golfing. The not being born in the US isn't racist, but Lebron is calling Trump voters racist?

I think Lebron is calling out the fact that we all knew that the culture with Trump at the helm was going to be more hostile for minorities and immigrants, but they voted for him anyway. Not to mention that the things Trump stands for and him being born into money is exactly opposite of the values that Lebron stands for as a self made man with admittedly unbelievable god given talent, but his business savvy goes further than that. I'd love to see the ratio of failed Lebron ventures compared to failed Trump ventures.

Trump is not philanthropic either. There is no comparison between the character of Lebron and Trump. None.

ALSO THE BIG IRONY IN HERE ABOUT CELEBRITIES NOT TALKING ABOUT POLITICS. THAT IS THE HOW THE PRESIDENT THAT YOU VOTED FOR GOT ELECTED! He was a celebrity commenting on politics. That is his qualification.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

"But at the end of the day, these people are gonna resort back to who they are."

What do you think he's saying here?

Shit that reminds me of that so much.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKj3Zwcy7ME

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

Donald Trump is half-jewish and working with financiers who are Jewish. I suspect Lebron is really mad at the fact white's got picked up, dusted off post-plague and during a religious collapse in the 15th century and over 500 years were made into a rich, capitalist society by Jews. While the Black African was ignored and then enslaved by the Jews for the white man to run and profit from. The difference between the white man and the black man in technological development in 1500 was far less than what came after. Why is that Lebron? Did White's become a merchant driven people that loved Monkey Suits because it was in the DNA?

Maybe Lebron should blame the Papacy and the Feudal Kingdoms that allowed Ashkenazi Jews to acquire great deals of capital during the middle ages, so they could run sleazy businesses because the Papacy said they have no souls. Maybe Lebron should blame them for allowing Sephardic immigrants into Europe during the 15th century and they helped create the Protestant reformation and "bubble economy" of Amsterdam. I mean, they look "white-ish" no?

 

[LeShaq]

Wow. Do you think any of Trumps words are racist? Weird how people can read so much into what Lebron said, but if we mention the racist rhetoric that Trump uses, "That isn't what he meant".

As someone who likes Trump, I can't even count the number of times I've thought "What the f*** are you doing?" when he says something that's imprecise or inflammatory.

Trump shorthands things (sentences; thoughts) in a way that is politically suicidal. He also says things to deliberately stoke (SOB players).

He's an amateur politician, and it shows through frequently.

When Obama started his first term, he had a few verbal/thought "mishaps" that struck him. He made a joke involving Special Olympians, and he had the police "acted stupidly" thing. Presidents quickly find out that they can't say things others can say. Anything they say will be parsed and turned on them immediately.

Trump is a time bomb in this respect. He's not a trained politician, and doesn't want to be one. Obama, who is very gifted politically, showed that even trained pols will occasionally make mistakes when they get under the glare of the White House lights.

With Trump, this gaffe-making will happen over and over again. And, as I said, I like Trump. But this is what it is.

 

[Ohio]

Wow. Do you think any of Trumps words are racist? Weird how people can read so much into what Lebron said, but if we mention the racist rhetoric that Trump uses, "That isn't what he meant".

We read into it too much by saying him going after Obama and calling him lazy for golfing. The not being born in the US isn't racist, but Lebron is calling Trump voters racist?

Weird how you just jumped to the conclusion that I'm a Trump supporter. For the record, I'm not...at all. Can't stand the guy, voted against him in both the Primary and the Election.

I think Lebron is calling out the fact that we all knew that the culture with Trump at the helm was going to be more hostile for minorities and immigrants, but they voted for him anyway.

So what are those people resorting back to?

ALSO THE BIG IRONY IN HERE ABOUT CELEBRITIES NOT TALKING ABOUT POLITICS. THAT IS THE HOW THE PRESIDENT THAT YOU VOTED FOR GOT ELECTED! He was a celebrity commenting on politics. That is his qualification.

I didn't vote for him and I don't give a shit about about LeBron or anyone talking politics; people can do what they want.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Donald Trump is half-jewish and working with financiers who are Jewish. I suspect Lebron is really mad at the fact white's got picked up, dusted off post-plague and during a religious collapse in the 15th century and over 500 years were made into a rich, capitalist society by Jews. While the Black African was ignored and then enslaved by the Jews for the white man to run and profit from. The difference between the white man and the black man in technological development in 1500 was far less than what came after. Why is that Lebron? Did White's become a merchant driven people that loved Monkey Suits because it was in the DNA?

Maybe Lebron should blame the Papacy and the Feudal Kingdoms that allowed Ashkenazi Jews to acquire great deals of capital during the middle ages, so they could run sleazy businesses because the Papacy said they have no souls. Maybe Lebron should blame them for allowing Sephardic immigrants into Europe during the 15th century and they helped create the Protestant reformation and "bubble economy" of Amsterdam. I mean, they look "white-ish" no?

I heard Trump was just a friend of David Blatt. They do jewish shit together.

 

[MirORich]

You're being to generous.

Also, would have preferred it if I could have voted "winner" and "funny", but since only one is allowed, I went with "winner"

 

[Ohio]

Shit that reminds me of that so much.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKj3Zwcy7ME

Yeah, I thought of that as well immediately after reading that quote.

 

[Cavatt]

Weird how you just jumped to the conclusion that I'm a Trump supporter. For the record, I'm not...at all. Can't stand the guy, voted against him in both the Primary and the Election.


So what are those people resorting back to?


I didn't vote for him and I don't give a shit about about LeBron or anyone talking politics; people can do what they want.

Sorry. This is a common problem I have, where I respond to part of one person's message and then to thread as a whole.

I think he is saying that you can't change some peoples minds. Lebron will not be able to influence his fans to not vote for a bad guy like Trump.

Make America Great Again doesn't sit well with Black voters at all, and it should be obvious why.

Don't forget someone tagged Lebron's home with the Nword. I think that and all the racist stuff spewed after the NFL protests have minorities on edge. Maybe that was exactly what he is saying, I don't speak for him. I found Cleveland to be more segregated than most cities I have lived in. Maybe Chicago is worse. No one would rent my black friend an apartment in little Italy. Etc etc.

You didn't really answer my question about Trump. Personally, I think he is stoking racial resentment because it serves him to do so, even if he is not actually a racist in his heart. I think he is at least an ignorant racist with the comments about how he wants Jews handling his money and other stupid comments he has made.