Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James responded to Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday and vowed never to remain silent on social causes after AC Milan forward criticized him for sticking his nose into politics.
Ibrahimovic in an interview on Thursday said athletes such as four-time NBA champion James, who has been one of the NBA’s leading voices against racial injustice and police brutality, should avoid making the mistake of getting involved in political affairs and Instead, focus only on sports.
“I will never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people and about equality, social justice, racism, voter suppression, things that happen in our community, ”James told reporters after the Lakers’ 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I will use my platform to continue shedding light on everything that is happening in this country and around the world. There is no way I am just playing sports, because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is. “
James also pointed to comments made by Ibrahimovic in 2018 when the Swedish forward claimed that “covert racism” had caused the media to treat him differently than players who had traditional last names like Andersson or Svensson.
“He’s the guy who said in Sweden, he was talking about the same things, because his last name was not a (traditional Swedish) last name, he felt there was some racism,” James said.
“I speak with a very educated mind. I’m the wrong guy to go to, because I do my homework. “
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