Maybe he should “shut up and dribble” like Fox News’ Laura Ingraham would like.
LeBron James has been more and more outspoken about how he feels about the president these days. He’s been one of many cases that have sparked conversation about how celebrities are using their platform.
What’s worth noting is that when making their points, people rarely take into consideration that celebrities are humans too and just like people who are not famous, they have a right to express how they feel.
In fact, if anything, celebrities voicing their opinions can have a very positive effect in the world as in the social media driven world that we live in today, people care and will read or listen to what celebrities have to say.
So maybe he did the right thing. In fact, he’s perfectly within his rights to keep talking.
There are people who strictly look up to their idols and to them, their opinions and views will matter and they could make a difference.
All celebrities and public figures today are gifted with an incredible platform which allows everything that they have to say to be heard. More often than not, when they decide to voice their opinions, it is in a positive way that encourages people to be better in any way that is possible.
James seems to think so, at least.
His criticism (as well as the criticism of him) was subsequently met with a public uproar, particularly on social media. That backlash allowed James to then use his platform to encourage his fans, people that look up to him, kids and fellow athletes to not shut up because their opinions do matter.
No one should concede to shutting up and carrying on when it comes to something important to them.
It is crucial that people are aware of the fact that everyone can make a positive difference in the world.
There are some cases in which celebrities can misuse this platform or cause more controversy by seeming to not be able to handle the responsibility.
An example of that is when famous rapper Kanye West took to Twitter to embark on a political rant in the buildup to the release of his album on June 1, 2018. He followed that with an appearance on TMZ where he gave his thoughts on topics such as slavery. West sparked a major discussion online by his controversial views in support of the current President of the United States and by claiming that slavery was a choice.
“When you hear about slavery for 400 years… 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West said with a grin, live on TMZ.
Whether you agree with West or not, it appears like he took advantage of his platform. The real debate on that issue is whether or not that was actually what he was thinking or if he was just mouthing off to get attention.
The Kanye West case aside, in most instances, celebrities tend to use their platforms positively and aim at young audiences in particular to try and influence them to make a positive impact on the world around them and make it a better place for the generations to come.
LeBron, like many others, should never just shut up and dribble. Like you, they have rights, too. Just more followers.
