LeBron James rejects Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s foolish comments about staying out of politics

Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants LeBron James to shut up and dribble, but the King won’t back down.

James doesn’t back away from serious issues outside of his realm, as the Los Angeles Lakers star is among the most educated athletes when it comes to political and cultural problems impacting his community.

Earlier this week, Inter Milan star Ibra took a shot at James, stating “I don’t like when people, when they have some kind of status, and they do politics at the same time as what they are doing.” This is odd coming from Ibrahimovic, as he has previously spoken out against racism on the pitch. Perhaps his stance has changed?

LeBron pointed out the hypocrisy of Ibra, and clapped back

“He was the same guy who said when he was back in Sweden … because his last name wasn’t a certain last name, that he felt there was some racism going on when he was out on the pitch,” James said. “I speak from a very educated mind, so I’m kind of the wrong guy to actually go at because I do my homework.”

LeBron makes a valid point — athletes shouldn’t merely be allowed to speak out against political wrongdoing when it suits them. As long as they’re educated on the subject, as James frequently is, he/she should feel more than comfortable using their platform for good.

James doesn’t just want to be remembered as an outstanding athlete, but a role model in his community. If he can be a catalyst for positive change by using the elevated platform he’s earned as a basketball player, it’s only expanding his impact. Hopefully, his example will inspire others to do the same.