On Wednesday morning, shortly after President Donald Trump expressed the opinion that athletes who kneel during the national anthem make him to turn off the game, LeBron James answered that the NBA will not miss the resident of the White House as a viewer.
Los Angeles Lakers star said the community is not sad about losing the President of the USA. James initially tried to be brief and calm on the subject, because he knows that a possible back-and-forth quarrel with Trump might have no end.
Nevertheless, James is on the spearhead of the More Than a Vote voting rights organization and can’t stay aside from hot debates. That’s why he and other athletes decided to use this new presented on Wednesday opportunity to promote the game and make their points on November’s presidential election.
James stands for the position that he and other players have regarding injustice in society. According to James’s words, basketball players want to show fans not only the beautiful game but also try to bring respect to the community by showing what’s right and what’s wrong. James hopes that his opinion and opinions of other top NBA players will take into account during the November elections. At the same time, James insists that players can’t just stay away from injustice.
Coach Doc Rivers from LA Clippers also stands along with James regarding the issue with Donald Trump. He believes that despite losing one viewer, even such an important viewer, justice is on the NBA side and the major audience supports NBA players.
Nearly all members of the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs kneeled in the unison to support the message “Black Lives Matter” printed on the Sports Complex of ESPN.
On the phone interview with Fox and Friends, Trump expressed his opinion regarding the NBA players who had kneeled down. According to his words, their actions were disrespectful towards the flag and national anthem of the USA. Moreover, he also suggested that it’s just their try to scale up the TV ratings, which, according to the President, were quite low.
What is more interesting is that Trump’s speech to Fox and Friends actually boosted the rating of the NBA. The two games on opening night scaled up to 2.9 million TV viewers, which are much greater results than an average opening during the 2019 season.
Los Angeles Lakers insists that kneeling down had absolutely nothing to do with disrespect towards national anthem and flag. It was just a way to support the Black Lives Matter movement. LeBron James respects the flag and people who serve to protect the democratic values of the USA. At the same time, it’s uncomfortable to hear accusations in the unpatriotic behavior from the President of the USA.
It’s not the first time James and Trump has a fight on media. They continue to call names on each other and fight over sensitive political issues.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29604396/lebron-james-says-nba-miss-trump-viewer
