LeBron James will not adhere to sports, no matter who suggests it.
During an interview this week with Discover + in Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan said it was a “mistake” that “doesn’t look good” when James and other “famous” people engage in politics.
James responded to the football star’s comments after the Lakers’ victory Friday over the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I would never shut up about things that are wrong,” James said. “I pray for my people and for equality. Social injustice. Racism. Systematic suppression of voters. Things that happen in our community.
“Because at one point I was part of my community and I saw things happening, and I know what’s still going on because I have a group of over 300 kids [charter] schools that live the same and need a voice.
“I am his voice and I use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that may be happening, not just in my community, but in this whole country and around the world. So there would be no way to keep me in sports, as I understand how this platform and the power of my voice are. ”
James is one of the most active figures in the political and social field in sports, and the 36-year-old has attracted his words in the past. In 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham infamously told him to “shut up and dribble” after James criticized then-President Donald Trump.
Over the past year, athletes like James have been more vocal about out-of-court issues, following social protests across the country.
James and Ibrahimovic moved to Los Angeles for 16 months between 2018 and 2019, when Ibrahimovic was with the Galaxy and James the Lakers.
“It was the same thing he said when he came back to Sweden … because his last name wasn’t a certain last name, he felt there was some racism when he came out on the field,” James said. “I speak from a very polite mind, so I’m the wrong person I have to go to because I do homework.”
James was referring to an interview in 2018, when Ibrahimovic said his Bosnian roots made him the subject of racism, especially in the media, in his native Sweden.
“I’m not Andersson or Svensson,” Ibrahimovic told Canal +. “If that were the case, trust me, they would defend me even if I stole a bank. They would defend me, I tell you. ”
On Friday, James also praised Jaylen Brown, of Celtics and NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Alvin Kamara for using their platforms to fight for social justice. He also recognized Renee Montgomery, a former WNBA player who became the owner of the Atlanta Dream franchise this week after the league pressured Sen. Kelly Loeffler to sell her.
“It makes me proud to be part of a generation where our voices are heard and the boys speak from an educated mindset,” James said. “But most importantly, when you speak from the heart, it sounds even louder.
“And we have a lot of guys who speak from the heart who didn’t think they had a voice at some point, or now they go in and see that they can have a voice and that their voice really matters. That makes me proud.”