LeBron James was already a pretty powerful figure in the sports & entertainment world; but the country’s recent events as of late have skyrocketed his reach and influence to another stratosphere.
In his latest statement; James and a group of Cav teammates are refusing to stay in NYC’s SoHo Trump hotel when the Cavaliers meet the Knicks this week.
ESPN has learned, while James and co. will be excused from staying at the Trump, other members of the organization & traveling party will be staying there in order to fulfill contractual obligations the Cavs have with the President-elect.
Cavs G Iman Shumpert previously had some pretty strong statements on the President-elect, that seem to sum up the general thoughts on President-elect Trump within the team’s locker room:
“I understand people’s stance on Trump,” Shumpert said. “I can’t get caught up in the racial, sexist bulls— he’s got going on. That’s his personal thing, ya dig? But I just don’t think he can make anything shake like that. He not finna start no civil war out here. I do think he’s crazy — straight-up. I think he did that stuff to get people to think he’s willing to shake it up. But did I vote for him? No. The other stuff that comes with him, I can’t get with. But now that he’s here, I’m not finna drag my feet. I gotta work here, at least until the offseason, if I wanna go get a crib in the islands.”
I think it’s important that people continue to hold Donald Trump accountable for his campaign rhetoric. He claimed that he understood that becoming the President of the United States meant he’d be the President for ALL Americans…including the ones he’s ostracized and that are now responding just as these athletes are.
It is now up to President-elect Trump to change the way he’s perceived by MANY of the people he’ll be involved in creating & changing policy for.
I hope he’s listening.