Popularity is not something new for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Even when he was only in high school, James already had a strong following while being touted as the next big thing in basketball. His fame only ascended to greater heights when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the first overall pick in 2003.

As he further showcased his physical strength and sheer dominance on the court, his accolades grew and so did his legion of fans. At present, The King is arguably the most famous sports icon on the planet as evidenced by his growing number of followers on Twitter, as per Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.

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It's not only amazing that he has over 41 million followers, but also that Kevin Durant is a far second with only 17.3 million. This just goes to show how massive his reach is all over the globe.

LeBron has widely used this medium to express his thoughts on growing national issues – most notably on equal rights for African-Americans – and pushing for certain advocacies to come true.

This may have rubbed people the wrong way, but this hasn’t stopped him from speaking up. Say what you will about James, but his posts, however controversial they may be, have led people to think more deeply about concerns around us.

You go, Lebron James! Don’t ever just shut up and dribble!