NBA star Chris Paul leaned on LeBron James' leadership when discussing the ongoing fight for social justice and racial equality in this country, noting that he and his long-time friend support the movement that was initiated by Colin Kaepernick.
Rightfully so, the Black Lives Matter movement is gaining steam, but there is clearly still work to be done. Paul, who serves as the president of the players union, says he and many other NBA athletes feel empowered to make a difference.
As part of a recent discussion on CITIZEN by CNN, Paul noted that these conversations must continue to go on:
“Players are woke, they're aware, they know what's going on. We just have to continue these conversations,” Paul said during a discussion on CITIZEN by CNN, referring to LeBron James as an inspiration in the fight.
“I think it all just came to a head and guys started really communicating and started realizing that you don't have to just shut up and dribble,” the NBA star added, via The Philadelphia Tribune.
Paul's “shut up and dribble” reference is directly related to LeBron James. In 2018, journalist Laura Ingraham sought to rebuke James for his political remarks during an ESPN interview with Cari Champion.
“The No. 1 job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn't understand the people,” NBA superstar LeBron James said at one point during the interview, adding that some of the president's comments are “laughable and scary.”
Ingraham responded to James' comments, calling them “barely intelligible” and “ungrammatical” on her Fox News program The Ingraham Angle:
“It's always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball,” she said. “Keep the political comments to yourselves. … Shut up and dribble.”
For Paul, the Black Lives Matter movement is about banding together. After the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many others by police officers, many professional athletes have come forward to voice their opinions:
“Everyone started banding together,” Paul said. “We realized how much stronger we are together so we support each other in whatever it may be.”
In closing, Paul proclaimed his support of Colin Kaepernick, who was basically pushed out of the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. He remains out of the league to this day, but his message is resonating louder than ever.
“We support our brother Colin Kaepernick,” Paul, an NBA veteran, said. “There is a whole entire community of us that know we're more than just athletes.”
The NBA has cooperated with its players in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. For instance, players are allowed to wear unique messages as nameplates on their jerseys, such “equality” or “justice.” Commissioner Adam Silver says he expects the players to continue fighting for social justice issues.
“I'm not naive; I understand that people see this as politics. To me, there's a long through-line of social justice that's been part of this league since its earliest days,” Silver told CNN, via The Philadelphia Tribune.
Paul and James will continue to carry this message of racial equality, but it will be up to the people of this country to make a lasting difference.
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