For all the folks that can’t understand why I’ve got TALL respect for LeBron James. Let me put it where the goats can get it. He’s one of the rare few mega-superstars in sports that understands the magnitude of his platform. Especially in this day and age. With the advent of social media and endorsement contracts these players have world wide reach and mass appeal. So whatever they say or do they’re reachin’ an almost unlimited audience.
Back in the day guys like Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson stood up for racial, social and political issues but at the time of their heightened fame they didn’t have the reach that these players have now. The only person to have more notariety and fame is Michael Jordan. And let’s be honest, while he was playin’ the game he didn’t have more than what LeBron has now because there was no internet and social media.
However, he never opened his mouth to speak about racial or social issues because accordin’ to him republicans wear sneakers too. In other words, he wasn’t ever goin’ to take sides on any debate or social issue. Remember when the dun split the baby in half a couple of years ago durin’ the Black Lives Matter/Police situation? He couldn’t bring himself to say what was real so he gave money to both groups.
I’m happy to see a player with the platform that LeBron has usin’ it to make a difference in the world. So when he spoke out this past Thursday in response to the Parkland school shootings and said that Trump doesn’t care about the American people etc. He had a right to freedom of speech to express his views whether you agreed with hm or not.
By now everybody’s heard the foolish commentary of Fox News anchor, Laura Ingraham, towards those comments. She snapped, essentially callin’ him uneducated and that he should just “shut up and dribble.” I did a crazy Hot Joint in response to her commentary entitled “Same Ole Song” where I essentially said that no matter how much bread we make, to some people we’ll still be what racists people think of us.
Well…on Saturday after All-Star practice he didn’t back down from her foolishness by sayin’, “I will not just shut up and dribble. So, thank you, whatever her name is. I get to sit up here and talk about what’s really important and how I can help change kids.”
He goes on to say, “It lets me know that everything I’ve been saying is correct for her to have that type of reaction. But we will definitely not shut up and dribble. I will definitely not do that. I mean too much to society, I mean too much to the youth, I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don’t have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they’re in.”
Ole boy referenced those that came before him that understood the seriousness of usin’ their platform to help change the world. He talked about Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson to make that point before further sayin’, “We know it’s bigger than us. It’s not about us. I’m going to continue to do what I have to do to play this game that I love to play, but this is bigger than me playing the game of basketball.”
You darn right it’s bigger than basketball!!! He’s got a worldwide audience of people listenin’ to every word that he says. That’s power! He’s got more than 40 million followers on Twitter alone bruh!!! One of the old timers told me a long time ago that God doesn’t just bless you for you. He blesses you so that he can bless others through you. He doesn’t give you it all for you to keep it all. You’ve got to bless other people with what he’s given to you.
The fact that LeBron is willin’ to speak up on the foolishness of racism and social injustice in this country and stand up to bullies like Laura Ingraham and Fox News means everything. The regular Joe out here doesn’t have a voice that the masses will hear but LeBron and others like him can and will be heard. Not to mention all of the philanthropic work he’s doin’ by sendin’ kids to school etc.
The fact that he was able to hold a press conference at the All-Star Game site to address the foolish commentary of a Fox News anchor says that he’s got all of the power to be heard. I just wish that another cat with far more power than LeBron would actually give two dead flies smashed about his people instead of his sneakers. I’m just sayin’ and you can stop me when I start lyin’!
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Spit: verb – to say
2) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
3) Put it where the goats can get it: verb phrase – to make it as elementary as possible. To put it at ground level so everyone can understand it.
4) Ole boy: noun – the person that I’m currently talkin’ about.
The G is excluded from the endings of all words because the G is near and dear to my heart because I’m from “The G” which is Gary, Indiana. So I only use the G when I’m talkin’ about “The G!”
The caption under the photo is real talk today!