Posted on 08/19/2018 11:15:40 PM PDT by Kaslin
It’s not unusual for powerful men to get caught up in bluster and name calling, but when it involves the President of the United States and the best basketball player on the planet, it gets the media’s and the nation’s attention.
In his years in the NBA, LeBron James has turned terrible teams into championship contenders and decent teams into champions. He’s a great player and a powerful force for good in his community. LeBron was raised by a single mother in the poorest section of Akron, Ohio. Remembering the challenges he faced, he recently partnered with the Akron school district to open the I Promise School, a public school designed for “at risk” children, eventually providing classes from kindergarten to eighth grade.
When LeBron was interviewed by CNN's Don Lemon, he made some comments about his concern for America. With President Trump in office, LeBron noted that it's "tough" to be African American. Referring to the president’s tweet attacks over the NFL player protests, LeBron expressed dismay that the President was using sports "to kinda divide us, and that's something I can't relate to."
It’s not his first criticism of this president. James has repeatedly criticized him for his comments on the protesting players and for his response to the Charlottesville white supremacist rallies. According to a February Sports Illustrated article by Daniel Rapaport, James called President Trump a "bum” in a tweet after Trump rescinded Stephen Curry's invite to the White House to celebrate the Warriors' championship.
In a January interview with LeBron, Kevin Durant, and ESPN's Cari Champion, LeBron asserted, "The number one job in America... is someone who doesn't understand the people, and really don't give a f--- about the people.” "It's not even a surprise when he says something," LeBron went on to say, "It's like, laughable. It's laughable, and it's scary."
So when President Trump tweeted in response to LeBron’s comments to CNN’s Don Lemon, it was no surprise: “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.”
Out of the growing war of words came a bridge over troubled waters just hours after Trump’s tweet. Melania Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said the first lady is “open to visiting” basketball star LeBron James’s new $8 million school in Ohio for low-income and at-risk students. Grisham said in an emailed statement, “It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation. Just as she always has, the First Lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today.”
According to reports in the Akron Beacon Journal, the Ohio public school that LeBron James helped create, stated that it would welcome a visit from first lady Melania Trump. A spokesman for the Akron school district in northeast Ohio said as of now there aren't any plans for the first lady to visit James' I Promise School, but they would be willing to discuss the possibility.
Maybe sports professionals can look in the mirror and realize that their choice of the national anthem as the vehicle for their protest is not working; it’s alienating half of their fans. Not to be left out, maybe it’s time for President Trump to also look in the mirror and realize that attacking and demeaning others may get you headlines and please some, but it’s not presidential. He is not just the president for those who support him. Once elected, he became the president for all of us. As a president, one can strongly disagree without being quite so disrespectful.
LeBron and President Trump, do our country a favor and embrace the bridge that Melania has suggested. Let the better angels of your natures take one small step toward bridging our divide by meeting at the I Promise School and sharing a common commitment to let that promise spread.
Trump wasn’t attacking Lebron’s school or philanthropy. I am sure he’d commend all that too.
The hoopla was over some other politically charged comments Lebron made. I don’t remember anymore quite honestly.
How much of that $8 million came from his own pocket?
There is zero political gain from sucking up to black progressives with mediocre smarts
Nada
Move on
What he’s doing is working
Blacks love him relatively speaking
Pointing out liberal fantasies is racist doncha know.
Lebron James’ current net worth is $440 million. I am sure the $8 million did not strain his finances too much.
And should be in debt, the Lakers have just signed him for $154 million.
Indeed.
Whoa!
She left her headlights on...
Interesting how our Melania has matured into the graceful, elegant woman she is today.
Left unsaid in the article: how much local taxpayers will chip in for said school.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer estimates their tab will run between 50 to 75 percent.
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/08/whos_paying_for_lebron_james_n_1.html
As ol’ Pappy Boyington reportedly said, “Show me a hero, and I’ll show you a bum.”
Ohio taxpayers are bearing the brunt of the cost of the school at 75%.
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Looks like that school LeBron James is starting up in Akron will cost LOCAL taxpayers a LOT https://thenationalsentinel.com/2018/08/08/looks-like-that-school-lebron-james-is-starting-up-in-akron-will-cost-local-taxpayers-a-lot/
“ LeBron ‘s $8 million dollar school” is actually taxpayer supported and paid for
To set that part of the record straight
See the above
Its taxpayer money
Much hoopla
His part of the plan - to pay college tuition - remains to be seen
LeBrons school
Taxpayers will fund 75% of it
About $2 million will come from a LeBron foundation - so this will be funded from contributions made to LeBron’s ( nonprofit?) foundation
By who? Surely corporate and athlete and show biz donors will be hit up to contribute to “ LeBrons foundation”
So who is really “ paying” for the school?
Credit to the man for lending ( or selling) his name to the project
But lets get straight on who is taking care of who here and this guy has great lawyers accountants and PR people
Cool deal if you can set it up
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6034091/LeBron-James-Promise-public-school-set-cost-taxpayers-8m-year.html
They can’t stand the fact that Trump defends himself.
I would not have even read the article except for the title.....which is blatantly misleading!!!!!!
And our First Lady would not deign to visit this place......regardless of her love for children.....after the disrespectful comments from LeBron!!!!!!!
LeBron who? Or more like what’s a LeBron ?
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