LOS ANGELES – Lebron James responded to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s criticism regarding his activism and participation in ‘political’ and social injustice issues.
“I’m not going to shut up about things that are wrong,” Lebron James said after the Los Angeles Lakers ’victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. “I preach about my people, about equality, social equality, racism, systematic oppression, oppression towards the citizen vote, things like that happen in our community, because I was part of my community and I saw what was happening.” .
The former LA Galaxy star and current AC Milan player has criticized LeBron for getting involved in political issues, he said in an interview with UEFA on Sweden’s Discovery +. The always-controversial Zlatan said that while he admired LeBron’s talent, it was a mistake when athletes became involved in social and political issues by taking advantage of his status, rather than focusing on his sport.
“I’m the wrong person to attack, because I’m an educated mind, I do my homework before I comment,” LeBron said.
Indeed, Lebron James did his job and called Zlatan a hypocrite who, in 2018, criticized the media in his native Sweden. The striker described as racist what the press attacked him and said they did not give him the credit corresponding to his career for non-surname ‘Andersson or Svensson’. He described this as “covert racism”.
“I find it funny that he says this because he is the same person who, in 2018, when he was in Sweden, complained about the fact that his last name was not a certain last name in his country and he felt there was racism,” he recalled. ‘star of the Lakers.
LeBron James stays active using his platform to drive social causes. He led a campaign in the last presidential election in the United States, encouraging voting; he has raised his voice in terms of police brutality and racism, he has schools and projects that help the community in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, to name a few causes.
“I have over 300 kids in my school who are going through the same things (which I went through) and they need a voice and I am their voice. I continue to use my platform to bring to light situations that continue to happen not only “in my communication, but in my country and in the world. There is no way I can focus only on sport because I understand how this platform works and the power that my voice has,” LeBron concluded.