David Stern says President Trump is jealous of LeBron James.
Former NBA commissioner David Stern believes President Trump is jealous of LeBron James (story by Michael McCurry of The Drew Acorn).
Not because of his money or place in the pantheon of NBA greats but because of his following, particularly on social media.
"“I just think the President is jealous because Lebron has many more social media followers than he does.”"
Those were the words uttered by Stern when prompted to offer his thoughts on the role athletes have taken in social and political activism.
For the record, James has 41 million followers on Twitter, 22.7 million followers on Facebook and 36.1 followers on Instagram (99.9 million followers total). President Trump has 49.1 million followers on Twitter, 24.4 million followers on Facebook and 8.5 million followers on Instagram (82.0 million followers total).
Though President Trump is mostly known for his tweet storms, James has 17.7 million more followers than the nation’s president when combining the three largest social media platforms. Ironically, it shouldn’t be significant.
However, even if Stern was joking, the unsettling truth of the matter is that an individual with President Trump’s level of narcissism probably really cares about that type of thing.
Stern also voiced his opinion on the rights of athletes and Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham’s assertion that James should just “shut up and dribble” after criticizing President Trump on his “Uninterrupted” platform.
"“Just because you’re an athlete that doesn’t mean you give up your rights as a citizen.” He continued, “It’s like asking me if I think athletes should vote.”“As an American you should speak about whatever moves you. If you feel like speaking out on something then you should speak out.”Commissioner Stern also noted his thoughts on Ingraham: “I’m very familiar with that particular group (Fox News), and I’m not a big fan of Laura Ingraham, but she and Lebron are entitled to their own opinions.”"
James, who has been publicly critical of Trump all season, was joined by Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant and ESPN’s Cari Champion in the criticism of President Trump on “Uninterrupted”.
James’ main assertion: the President of the United States that’s currently in office only cares about a radical, right-wing segment of American citizens.
[Editor’s note: The following assertions are my opinion]
Based on President Trump’s actions, tweets and political platform, that’s absolutely true and it’s my opinion that if you don’t agree it’s because you’re part of his political base. It’s hard to see the fire spreading outside when you’re inside of the house.
The President is divisive in a land considered a “melting pot” for world cultures. He’s targeted media who criticize him while applauding those who support him, like a true narcissist. His lack of tact, his name-calling, his overt xenophobia and his scandals are beneath the dignity of the position he holds in American society.
To add, the man whose campaign was based on him being the non-politician has done nothing but be a politician as he tries to appeal to the far-right conservatives. A demagogue indeed.
That’s the end of my soliloquy. However, no matter where you stand in the political arena, my hope is that the nation can come together to fight evils like racism and hatred in order to truly become great.
Stern, who served as the NBA’s commissioner from 1984 to 2014, is often credited with the growth of the NBA both nationally and abroad. He’s been working with the NBA since 1966.
It’s fair to see he’s seen the best and worst of this nation when it comes to matters of race and that he’s seen the role athletes have played in political arena. From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Bill Russell to LeBron James.
His comments shouldn’t be taken lightly nor should anyone’s. We all have a voice that needs to be heard because communication is key in any relationship. In these trying times, one can only hope for the silver lining in the sky to gleam throughout the storm.