Why LeBron Can Say Whatever He Wants About Politics

Five Thirty Eight ^ | July 31, 2018 | Perry Bacon, Jr.

[GuavaCheesePuff]

LeBron James attended a Cleveland campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in 2016 even though she was likely to lose his home state of Ohio. After Donald Trump’s election, James repeatedly blasted the president. When Laura Ingraham said James should “shut up and dribble,” he rebutted the Fox News host by saying he had never heard of her before her remark. And now this: On Monday, James wouldn’t rule out running for president in 2020.

James began to get involved in political issues during the Obama years — publicly backing the first African-American president and the Black Lives Matter movement, for example — but he’s been ramping it up lately. We often think of athletes as doing something risky when they interject themselves into politics. But I don’t think James really has to worry about any backlash. The wall between the worlds of sports and politics has increasingly broken down, and James’s place in those worlds gives him extra protection.

[Rummyfan]

Of course he can say whatever he wants. It doesn’t make him Immune from criticism however.

[WashingtonFire]

He can say whatever he wants and when he personally insults the President, He is very much entitled to a right of reply

[chief lee runamok]

lebr0n does have a right to free speech, and American citizens have the free speech right to condemn his ignorant, divisive remarks.

[BenLurkin]

He is very open about his being a racist.

[butlerweave]

Did LeBron announce he’s running for President ,LOL

[Gay State Conservative]

Nobody's debating his right to speak.He has broken no laws by speaking.But just as surely as he has a right to speak *I* have a right to respond to him and/or to tune him out.

He has the right to speak...I have the right to ignore him.

[antidemoncrat]

“And now this: On Monday, James wouldn’t rule out running for president in 2020.”

I don’t think he would be happy unless hie title was “King James” for real.

[DesertRhino]

Of course he can. The first amendment allows him to. Just like I can say anything I want about bastit-ball. (* proper ebonics pronunciation)

[Don Corleone]

publicly backing the first African-American president

publicly backing the first African president

Fixed it.

[JBW1949]

Did LeBron even graduate from high school before going to the NBA????

[Steely Tom]

FiveThirtyEight is a blog run by Nate Silver, who gained fame by correctly predicting the outcome of baseball games using an algorithm called PECOTA.

He became the darling of the MSM when he correctly predicted the election outcome in 2008, and slightly less accurate predictions of the outcomes in 2010 and 2012. Wikipedia doesn't document his performance in 2014, but in 2016 he gave Hillary Clinton a 71% chance of winning over Donald Trump.

Basically, he does very well predicting the outcomes of elections that Democrats end up winning.

[JBW1949]

... bastit-ball...

I thought it was “basit baw”

[jjotto]

Note that the blog and Silver are now owned by ABC News. ESPN had enough.

[Eagles6]

Trump beat the candidate that blacks blindly supported so he's a racist.

Got it...

[ealgeone]

Because no one really cares what choke boy thinks?

[aumrl]

run lebon run

[Chode]

Cause you know whatever an ignorant, low-class, Geechee like James has to say ain't worth paying attention to. Is it?

[TheConservativeTejano]

He can say whatever he wants and when he personally insults the President, He is very much entitled to a right of reply

Partner, u are so correct and that is because President Trump is a street fighter. It seems like our darling clueless MSM does not know these plain simple facts aobut President Trump.

The MSM completely sucks right now since I do not know too many folks that will watch the news broadcasts anymore unless the newscaster is a known "Conservative Newscaster".

Unfortunately, Journalism is dead in the U.S.A. and has been dead for way too long.

[Cats Pajamas]

Doesn't Football need to go ahead and die already? How many self-inflicted wounds can it stand?