The four-time NBA champion uses his fame and wealth to elevate his community.
As LeBron James ramps up his intensity in the NBA Playoffs, James has upped his intensity to help facilitate change. The Los Angeles Laker forward launched the initiative “More Than A Vote.” Falling in line with his “More Than An Athlete” message, James is trying to better the black community by ensuring that they vote.
The three-time NBA champion’s campaign has worked to register poll workers, open up more voting centers and assist those needing to pay the fees to be qualified to vote. “More Than A Vote” is also selling merchandise on its website. James, a multi-millionaire athlete, will not be keeping the money. The proceeds will be going to social justice organizations.
LeBron James has been very active in his pursuit of change in such a diverse time globally. From his social media posts to his founding a school, James has been at the forefront, along with Maya Moore, of athletes trying to create change. James has always been in the pursuit of the elusive greatest of all time (GOAT) title. The title that for so long has been out of reach is within his grasp. Heck, you can make the argument that he’s already the GOAT. He has done better than Michael did during his career to use his platform to better others.
People have heard or remember the infamous Michael Jordan quote, “Republicans buy sneakers too.” It was a different time and era, but Jordan chose to stay neutral when many African-Americans wanted him to support a black, democratic senator in the senate race for North Carolina. Athletes speaking up during that time period wasn’t as popular as it is today. An NBA player, Chris Jackson — later turned Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf — knelt for the national anthem, and felt an immediate backlash. Abdul-Rauf was suspended for the incident because the NBA said he “violated a league rule.”
During that era, the best players just played basketball and nothing else. The outlaws during the era were Craig Hodges and Abdul-Rauf. They let it be known that America wasn’t treating African-Americans right. Hodges even wanted to protest game one of the 1991 NBA finals, but he couldn’t get the support of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Hodges even showed up to the White House wearing a dashiki, a garment worn mostly in West Africa.
After his activism, Hodges believed that he was barred from the league because of his beliefs. He paid the price for speaking up. Hodges and Abdul-Rauf made a sacrifice, but it went largely unnoticed because they were two of hundreds of NBA players who protested.
LeBron James, the face of the NBA, constantly posting about Breonna Taylor matters. The Akron native using his Instagram to draw attention to the fact that the Breonna Taylor case had not any justice is, and was, important. James building a school matters. Following James’ lead have been a host of players who are using their voice to help facilitate change.
James is still entrenched in the GOAT debate, but there’s no debating James’ impact off the court.
