LeBron James is as thoughtful a superstar as there is in sports. You would be hard pressed to find something James did, whether it’s a post to social media or a choice of what to wear, that didn’t have a lot of thought behind it regarding the message it sends.
We’ve seen this from LeBron throughout his career, but as he’s gotten older he’s become much more adept at controlling the narrative about him and making sure people are talking about what he wants them to when it comes to himself and his team. The best example of this from earlier in the season is his Arthur meme post, which took off and became the top NBA story for almost a week. It was a calculated move and one that allowed him to manipulate the conversation about the then struggling Cavaliers.
So, when James showed up to Sunday’s game against the Wizards wearing one white and one black LeBron 15 ‘Equality PE’ sneaker, everyone knew this was far from a random decision made by James. Making this statement in Washington D.C., where Donald Trump and Congress reside, was a purposeful decision. To make sure his message was received, James spoke about what he wanted people to take away from his sneaker choice.
LeBron James explains why he wore the black and white Nike Equality 15s against the Washington Wizards on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/917PzwP65V
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) December 18, 2017
“Well, being, obviously we all know where we are, and we know who is at the helm here,” James said. “Us as Americans, no matter the skin color, no matter the race, no matter who you are, I think we all have to understand that having equal rights and being able to stand for something and speak for something and keeping the conversation going. Obviously I’ve been very outspoken and well spoken about the situation that’s going on at the helm here, and we’re not going to let one person dictate us, us as Americans, how beautiful and how powerful we are as a people. Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men and women, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn’t matter your race, whatever the case may be, this is a beautiful country and we’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are.”
It’s far from the first time James has spoken out against Donald Trump, either to the media or directly through his social media channels. In this case, James felt his first trip to Washington D.C. since Trump took office was something he couldn’t ignore as an opportunity to send a message to fans watching.
James takes his platform as the world’s most famous basketball player extremely seriously, because of the opportunity it provides him to be a catalyst for social change, or at the least sparking conversation about social issues. He’s not alone in that in the NBA, but as the league’s most powerful player voice, when he speaks out about something, people tend to listen.
