LeBron James to Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 'There's no way I would ever just stick to sports'
LeBron James broke his silence on Friday after being criticized by soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his strong political and social views. The A.C. Milan striker basically told James to shut up and dribble and do what he's good at and stay away from politics.
After a 102-93 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, James used his postgame media availability to respond to Ibrahimovic, saying, "there's no way I would ever just stick to sports."
"At the end of the day, I will never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social justice, racism, voter suppression, things that go on in our community because I was a part of my community at one point and saw the things that were going on, and I know what's still going on because I have a group of 300-plus kids at my school that are going through the same thing and they need a voice," James said. "I'm their voice and I use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that might be going on, not only in my community but in this country and around the world."
James has been a force for social change in America, focusing his attention on police brutality and racial injustice against African Americans.
He was outspoken about the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin and, on many occasions, criticized former President Donald Trump. James also helped found the More Than a Vote organization, which boosted voter turnout in Black areas during the recent U.S. election.
James' recent comments will likely warrant a response from Ibrahimovic. We'll just have to wait and see.
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