Lakers News: LeBron James Explains Decision Behind Speaking Out On Social Issues On HBO’s ‘The Shop’
LeBron James, Lakers
Rémy Martin

In recent years, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has possibly garnered as much attention for what he’s done off the court as he’s done on it.

SHOP NOW: CHECK OUT THE LATEST MERCH ????????????

James has become one of the most outspoken athletes in recent memory, having no issue voicing his opinion on things many athletes have shied away from. He has been at the forefront of a number of racial issues, speaking out about about the need for change in several settings.

One such instance was during the opening of the 2016 ESPYs when James stood alongside friends Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul to call on change. More recently, James has had no issues speaking directly against President Donald Trump.

He even called President Trump a ‘clown’ at one point, and accused him of trying to divide the country by using sports.

James wasn’t always the someone who would speak out against injustices, but some things changed that. On his HBO show “The Shop,” James answered Jon Stewart about how having kids changed his outlook:

“Certain things happened. Things change in your life. Me having my own kids and then seeing the Trayvon Martin thing. It hit home. If I didn’t have any kids at the time, who knows if I would’ve been able to speak up on it because it probably wouldn’t have hit home for me. It wouldn’t have made me feel the same way. At the time, I think my oldest son was nine and my youngest son was six. I can’t imagine sending my kid out and he didn’t return home. Like that. I couldn’t imagine that. Like, that happened. So that’s why I started thinking, ‘OK, if I can get 25,000 people to show up to a basketball game, I can reach so many more platforms when I talk.’”

James has come under a lot of scrutiny for his views and some have compared him to Muhammad Ali. James spoke about dealing with the backlash and not caring about what critics say about him:

“Yeah, because at the end of the day, when I decided I was going to start speaking up and not giving a [expletive] about the backlash or if it affects me, my whole mindset was it’s not about me. I think Ali knew it wasn’t about him; I’m going to get the backlash, I’m going to go to jail. But what this is going to do for the next group, what this is going to do for the next athlete, what this is going to do for the next minority who wants to speak up whenever that happens. Ali’s whole mindset was like, at some point somebody is going to take what I did. And I sensed that. I sensed that on losing this, or losing that, or losing popularity. My popularity went down. But at the end of the day, my truth to so many different kids and so many different people, was broader than me personally.”

Agree with his positions or not, James should be commended for speaking out on these topics and bringing light to subjects that should be discussed in this day and age. James wants to bring people together and by talking about these things, along with the work he does in the community, he is trying to take the necessary steps to do just that.

Are you following us on Instagram? We’ve changed our handle to @LakersNationOfficial! Find us on Facebook at @LakersNation, and on Twitter @LakersNation.

You May Also Like

Why The Jose Calderon Trade Is A Big Win For The Lakers

Dwyane Wade decided to take his talents to the Chicago Bulls, leaving behind his home for the past 13 years, the Miami Heat…

Lakers News: Anthony Davis Praises Kyle Kuzma After Back-To-Back Three-Pointers Against Suns

Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers managed to pull out another close game as they defeated the Phoenix Suns…

Ivica Zubac, Alex Caruso Describe How G League Connection Helped Fuel Lakers Comeback Bid

When the Los Angeles Lakers were down 20 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, one could’ve been forgiven for…

Lakers Nation Podcast: Episode 8

LakersNation.com’s Jabari Davis was joined by Jamieson Welsh (Fox Sports West) and…