In 2017, America is in a rough place. Social injustice and oppression are issues that many people are trying to defeat through protest. As of lately, pro athletes have been using their platform to speak out on issues like racism and police brutality. In a country where professional sports play such a huge role in the culture, it is good to see the players making an effort to speak to fans on a more personal level, about what is on their mind, and how they feel that America could become a better place. At the 2016 ESPY’s for example, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Lebron James made a speech in the opening, simply encouraging their African-American peers in the pro-sports industry to speak out on issues if they have something to say.
In 2015, LeBron James created a platform called UNINTERRUPTED, where athletes could post videos of anything, because he felt that the media was often min-interpreting quotes, and athletes were getting frustrated with having to constantly correct the press for their mistakes, in order to protect their own image. He also created the platform, so athletes could communicate with their fans on a more personal level, because he feels that people often view athletes of his stature as superhuman, and often overlook that even though he's a freak athlete, he's still a human being just like everybody else. This platform blew up. Athletes everywhere were posting videos of what they were doing, random thoughts, opinions, and eventually as more and more things kept happening, It became a place where athletes were sharing their thoughts and encouragement regarding topic such as social injustice and racism. For example, after the Golden State Warriors had won the finals this year, President Trump uninvited Stephen Curry to the White House for the team visit. Lebron made video which he posted on UNINTERRUPTED, where he basically said that the president’s recent actions are just absurd, and that the people, all people not just minorities, must stick together and not let him use sports and politics to divide us. Out of all of the athletes, I feel that Lebron James has had the biggest Impact on his community, and the country as a whole.
Although many hate lebron for who he is as a basketball player, it is hard to hate a person as genuine and strong-willed as he. As he has grown older, he has become more than just a really good basketball player. He has become an activist, a businessman, and a creator of opportunity. In 2004, James created the Lebron James Family Foundation. He described the foundation in an interview with Business Insider. The foundation is a mentorship program that works with kids from Akron, Ohio, LeBron’s hometown, from 3rd-12th grade and the kids in the program are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA through high school. The foundation has recently developed a relationship with the University of Akron, where the mentorship program essentially continues completely through the schooling process, and ensures that the student gets into a college. In my opinion, his effort to improve the quality of life for the children in his community, and speaking out on social issues in hopes of inspiring others to make change in their communities, has been outstanding. After becoming the 2016 Sportsman of the year, it is easy to say that LeBron James is one of the most influential and inspiring athletes ever.
Works Cited
James, LeBron. “Lebron James Family Foundation.” LeBron James Family Foundation, lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org/.
James, LeBron. “LeBron James Wants To See More Unity.” UNINTERRUPTED - Sign Up for Video and Podcasts from Pro Athletes, 23 Sept. 2017, www.uninterrupted.com/watch/ihXrSC55/le-bron-james-wants-to-see-more-unity.
Ocbazghi, Alyson Shontell and Emmanuel. “Our Full Interview with King James - LeBron Talks about the Insane NBA Finals, Kevin Durant, His Startup, and His Diet.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 22 Aug. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-watch-full-interview-cleveland-uninterrupted-cavaliers-survivors-remorse-space-jam-2-basketball-2016-8.
In 2015, LeBron James created a platform called UNINTERRUPTED, where athletes could post videos of anything, because he felt that the media was often min-interpreting quotes, and athletes were getting frustrated with having to constantly correct the press for their mistakes, in order to protect their own image. He also created the platform, so athletes could communicate with their fans on a more personal level, because he feels that people often view athletes of his stature as superhuman, and often overlook that even though he's a freak athlete, he's still a human being just like everybody else. This platform blew up. Athletes everywhere were posting videos of what they were doing, random thoughts, opinions, and eventually as more and more things kept happening, It became a place where athletes were sharing their thoughts and encouragement regarding topic such as social injustice and racism. For example, after the Golden State Warriors had won the finals this year, President Trump uninvited Stephen Curry to the White House for the team visit. Lebron made video which he posted on UNINTERRUPTED, where he basically said that the president’s recent actions are just absurd, and that the people, all people not just minorities, must stick together and not let him use sports and politics to divide us. Out of all of the athletes, I feel that Lebron James has had the biggest Impact on his community, and the country as a whole.
Although many hate lebron for who he is as a basketball player, it is hard to hate a person as genuine and strong-willed as he. As he has grown older, he has become more than just a really good basketball player. He has become an activist, a businessman, and a creator of opportunity. In 2004, James created the Lebron James Family Foundation. He described the foundation in an interview with Business Insider. The foundation is a mentorship program that works with kids from Akron, Ohio, LeBron’s hometown, from 3rd-12th grade and the kids in the program are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA through high school. The foundation has recently developed a relationship with the University of Akron, where the mentorship program essentially continues completely through the schooling process, and ensures that the student gets into a college. In my opinion, his effort to improve the quality of life for the children in his community, and speaking out on social issues in hopes of inspiring others to make change in their communities, has been outstanding. After becoming the 2016 Sportsman of the year, it is easy to say that LeBron James is one of the most influential and inspiring athletes ever.
Works Cited
James, LeBron. “Lebron James Family Foundation.” LeBron James Family Foundation, lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org/.
James, LeBron. “LeBron James Wants To See More Unity.” UNINTERRUPTED - Sign Up for Video and Podcasts from Pro Athletes, 23 Sept. 2017, www.uninterrupted.com/watch/ihXrSC55/le-bron-james-wants-to-see-more-unity.
Ocbazghi, Alyson Shontell and Emmanuel. “Our Full Interview with King James - LeBron Talks about the Insane NBA Finals, Kevin Durant, His Startup, and His Diet.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 22 Aug. 2016, www.businessinsider.com/lebron-james-watch-full-interview-cleveland-uninterrupted-cavaliers-survivors-remorse-space-jam-2-basketball-2016-8.