- Two years after a conservative commentator told LeBron James to"shut up and dribble", the National Basketball Association star has become an increasingly influential political force as issues of racial justice and voter suppression move to the forefront in the November presidential election.
That prompted Trump to denounce the league on Thursday , saying it was"like a political organisation". "LeBron is likely to have a huge impact," said Karen Finney, a Democratic political strategist and aide on Clinton's 2016 campaign.James' longtime activism on racial justice issues and criticism of Trump prompted white Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham in 2018 to tell him and fellow Black NBA star Kevin Durant to"shut up and dribble".
Biden said on Thursday he was arranging a call with the NBA after it reached out to discuss the boycotts.James formed the voting rights group More Than a Vote earlier this year along with other prominent athletes to counter misinformation and fight what he said was voter suppression in Black communities.
That led to long lines, hours-long waits and widespread confusion, particularly in hard-hit African-American communities that felt the brunt of the cutbacks.