There was a point when it seemed that NBA superstar LeBron James was drawing comparison to boxing legend Muhammad Ali based on his activism, as he was speaking out loudly and eloquently on some issues regarding the nation today.
But then, in the last few days, he has found himself on the wrong end of comments that he made which, at the very least, seem to be politically insensitive. He was commenting after being asked about his thoughts on the Hong Kong protests.
What did he say?
Here are the comments that have gotten James in trouble:
“Yes, we do have freedom of speech,” James said. “But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself.”
He added: “So many people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do. Even though yes, we do have freedom of speech, it can be a lot of negative that comes with it.”
Suggesting that too many freedoms may have “a lot of negative that comes with it” when discussing Hong Kong protesters seems a bit disingenuous from James, who has been supportive of protesters here in the United States who protest police brutality and the shooting of young black men by kneeling during the national anthem. One wonders how James might respond if a prominent Trump supporter would make exactly the same arguments about having too many freedoms if it followed discussion on the kneeling during the anthem controversy. And let us not forget that James is not the first person who expressed the sentiment about too many freedoms, as former President George W. Bush also once suggested that Americans might have too many freedoms, a comment for which he received considerable backlash.
Now, Hong Kong protesters are rebelling against LeBron James. The self-proclaimed “King James,” who has a tattoo on his back where he claims to be the “Chosen 1,” is no longer a favorite in Hong Kong.
Of course, James is a millionaire athlete, with a huge contract with his professional basketball franchise of the moment – the high-profile Los Angeles Lakers – as well as all sorts of endorsement deals and such which provide even more millions. He has been dogged by comparisons – often unfavorable ones – to Michael Jordan, as well as some other great NBA legends, in terms of what he has done on the basketball court.
For a little while, though, it seemed that he lent a presence off the court that many found inspiring, particularly as he got involved in those kneeling protests.
But these comments about “too many freedoms” mixed with his concern about financial concerns and protesters who he seems to claim are only thinking about themselves have rubbed many people the wrong way.
It seems a bit comical0 and ridiculous to me that the man who embraces himself as “King James” and has joked about sitting on a literal throne, and who has that prominent tattoo on his back proclaiming himself as the “CHOSEN 1” can so easily dismiss the activism of protesters literally half a world away for being overly self-indulgent.
Talk about staggering levels of hypocrisy!
I am sure that this will not hurt him too badly. He likely will not lose sponsors or many fans here at home in the United States, probably because too many Americans themselves are overly self-indulgent. But maybe he should be hurt by it. Maybe his legacy, and public persona should be irreparably harmed.
Frankly, it seems so arrogant for this spoiled millionaire athlete, with his business empire, to be blasting Hong Kong protesters for trying to fight for their freedom. One wonders if he might feel differently if his threatened his financial empire on a more serious level. Would he then recognize the threat? Maybe it is time for LeBron James to stick to basketball, and to try and convince skeptics – and I would include myself in these ranks – that he is indeed as good as, or perhaps better than, Michael Jordan. Jordan did not blast the protesters in Berlin for scaling the Wall that divided their city, even though it was technically still illegal to do so. And he did not criticize the protests that subsequently spread across eastern Europe, and brought an eventual end to the Cold War, mostly in a peaceful manner.
Now, LeBron James is backpedaling, trying to undo the damage to his public image that the comments created for him. He sounds like a spoiled millionaire athlete more concerned about the ramifications that his comments might have on his financial empire, than any real concern 0to t0ry0 a0nd understand why so many took exception to his comments.
Again, for a while, some were comparing LeBron to Ali. But when Ali made his biggest stand, refusing to go to Vietnam after being drafter, it cost him dearly. He lost his world championship belt, and lost the opportunity to make money in his chosen field. He was blasted by many for speaking his mind, as there was an angry backlash. But he stood his ground. You did not have to agree with him, but he knew what his position was, and he was outspoken on it, winning the admiration of millions of people, including many of his peers, for sacrificing so much in order to make a stand on an issue that clearly meant something to him.
LeBron, by way of comparison, did not sound particularly well-informed, or even very interested, in the Hong Kong protests. He hardly seems to be paying attention, one way or the other, to these events, which do not impact him, or his financial empire, in an obvious and direct enough way for him to actually bother to pay attention.
It will be hard to take his apologies seriously. *who are facing possible absorption into the infamously undemocratic Chinese republic, which is hardly the most democratic or free society in the world today, would be one of them.
This is a link to the article from which I got most of the information used, including the quotes:
LeBron James no longer King James for Hong Kong protesters By JOHN LEICESTER, October 15, 2019:
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