Lebron James is a popular athlete in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers but dove deep into a controversial quarrel when playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was widely discussed in cable news and on social media.

On February 15, 2018, Fox News Host Laura Ingraham criticized LeBron James’s verbal assessment of President Donald Trump. When discussing politics with Kevin Durant, former Golden State Warriors player, and Cari Champion, TV personality/broadcaster, James commented that President Trump is someone who doesn’t “give a [expletive] about the people.” Kevin Durant added, “I feel like our team as a country is not run by a great coach.”

The next night on her prime time show, Ingraham added to the controversy by accusing James of being “barely intelligible” and “ungrammatical”. She closed the segment by finishing with the words “shut up and dribble”. The backlash of the soundbite drew stark criticism and Kevin Durant even went as far as accusing Ingraham of racism. “I get to sit up here and talk about social injustice, equality and why a woman on a certain network decided to tell me to shut up and dribble,” James said. “So, thank you, whatever her name is — I don’t even know her name.”

On her show the next day, Ingraham clarified her remarks. “I’m an equal opportunity critic when it comes to left-wing celebrities, sounding off on topics of which they know precious little,” Ingraham said, “And as you can see, the race has nothing to do with it.”

The country is split on this. Some people think athletes should be able to express their viewpoints publicly, however, some think they should remain silent to preserve the enjoyment of watching a sports game. About 73% of the country says, yes, and 27% of the country says, no.

The people who believe LeBron James should be able to publicly express his beliefs argue that there is no good reason why he shouldn’t be able to. They provide the fact that freedom of speech in the Constitution is granted to everyone, not just some. Every American citizen should be allowed to exercise their rights to direct attention and raise awareness because it is documented in the Bill of Rights, they state.

The basis of their claims can be supported by numerous sources, including the Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” says the Constitution of the United States, Amendment Ⅰ. The first amendment is listed in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments in the Constitution.

The people who believe LeBron James should not raise his voice also make some good points as well. They commend that no one with the large popularity and platform James has been given should be used for political statements. They feel that it would have a large impact on people who look up to them as idols and could result in indoctrination. 

According to Forbes, most people make athletes famous and glorify them, intending to improve their overall ability in skill and character, which leads to a state of welfare. Their motivation becomes their followers’ motivation in their own daily challenges. If sports figures are promoting, protesting, or supporting a cause, people are more likely to formulate the same opinions, even without doing any further research or examining acknowledged facts.

There is no doubt that James’s freedom of speech comports with the First amendment. Yet, the viewpoints on the necessity of speech still differ, which is still relevant in our political era. Do you think athletes should express their political views?

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Yes, I feel like no one should be silenced. They shouldn’t be restricted by their organizations. They have a first amendment right to speak out.

— Pratik Yarlagadda, Sophomore at North Allegheny Intermediate

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No, because people may disagree with their view, and it may reflect bad ticket sales, television ratings, etc. People follow sports to escape politics, not to listen to it.

— Emily Gierczynski, Sophomore at North Allegheny Intermediate