After building a reputation following in the apolitical footsteps of his idol Michael Jordan, LeBron James has done an about-face. The latest example is his political endorsement for the 2016 American presidential election. In an 849-word piece released to Business Insider and the Akron Beacon Journal, James explained why he had to speak up in support of Hilary Clinton.
James starts the letter speaking passionately about his own childhood experience. He goes on to say his rationale for backing Clinton is that the candidate is “working to improve public schools, expand access to health care, support children’s hospitals, and so much more.”
“Only one person running truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty,” James writes. “When I think about the kinds of policies and ideas the kids in my foundation need from our government, the choice is clear.”
The language in the piece shows how involved with the political process he rapidly has become. In it, he refers to Barack Obama as a good friend, and his history with the current president dates back to 2008 when he helped him campaign. Later, he appeared in a video about healthy eating with Michelle Obama.
On the heels of the most-watched American political debate ever, James’s announcement could carry great weight. Ohio is an important swing state in the presidential election, and its 18 electoral votes could make a huge difference in the election. The poll are projecting a close race.
LeBron’s endorsement is particularly significant because of the power he wields in the state. James is a living icon in Ohio for winning its first major pro sports championship in 52 years. On the heels of returning home and bringing not just hope but industry with him, no single person is more recognizable within that community than LeBron.
The support for Clinton also comes at complete odds the political inclinations of Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ owner. Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena was the site of the Republican convention, and Gilbert is a registered Republican. Gilbert also hosted a Detroit fundraiser for Trump last week.
The contrast with his team’s owner is noteworthy considering Gilbert’s infamous letter—written after James departed for Miami in free agency in 2010—accused the NBA great of doing and being the opposite of what he is displaying now.
“This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown ‘chosen one’ sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And ‘who’ we would want them to grow up to become,” Gilbert wrote.
James has actually grown up to show tremendous loyalty to his home state (see not only the return to Cleveland in 2015, but also the $41 million in college tuition his foundation is set to give 1,100 kids from Akron). He’s also learned how to leverage his power.
James’s sway has already bared itself out in the NBA arena. It is expected he will be at the forefront in demanding a higher percentage of basketball-related income for the players in the upcoming collective-bargaining negotiations. He’s influenced NBA players to take shorter contracts to keep the pressure on owners and increase the frequency of raises as the cap continues to go up. His Klutch Sports Group has become a force in player representation throughout the league.
He even threatened a player boycott if Donald Sterling remained owner of the L.A. Clippers after tapes emerged of his racist rant.
However, now he is exercising his clout in ways that don’t affect the world beyond the NBA. It’s somewhat unusual for a celebrity pitchman at the level of James, who has multi-million dollar endorsement deals with the likes of Nike, Coca Cola and McDonald’s, to take a stand. The cost-benefit analysis for him is not great simply because, as Michael Jordan is alleged to have said, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.”
But in an August interview with Business Insider, James explained why he isn’t afraid to speak out: “If it feels right to me, then I believe it should be spoke upon.”
He took a similar tone when he joined Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to speak out for social change at the start of the ESPYs in the wake of two police shootings of African Americans, and the shooting in Dallas that killed five officers.
“It’s time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing to create change?'” James said. “Let’s use this moment as a call to action for all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence.”
This was not the first time James used his platform as a player to shed light on societal issues. His first public political gesture was the protest of the killing of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teen who was shot to death by a neighbourhood watch volunteer. He and the rest of the Miami Heat wore hoodies in his memory and he also wrote “RIP Trayvon Martin” on his shoes.
He was then one of several NBA players to wear “I can’t breathe” T-shirts in support for Eric Garner after a New York grand jury did not indict the police officer involved in his choking death.
Most recently, James backed Colin Kaepernick’s decision to protest the national anthem:
Even his decision to continue to stand for the national anthem was a newsworthy item given the power a pre-game protest from the likes of him would carry.
What makes James’s political activity surprising is most recent athletes at the level of James—like Sidney Crosby, Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning—have been overwhelmingly politically correct.
But in his case, we really should have seen this coming. His “Coming Home” letter wasn’t just a free agent declaration—it hinted to his knew purpose.
“I feel my calling here goes above basketball. I have a responsibility to lead,” he wrote. “I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there’s no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business…. Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get.”
The effect of that decision is that James’s hashtag collection includes not just #StriveForGreatness but also #ImWithHer.
LeBron James might still be chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan in terms of on-court accomplishments. But he’s already surpassed him in the activism realm. Due to a mixture of high achievement, charisma and social responsibility, James continues to build his legacy as the most influential athlete of his time.