>>> UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF KIDS, AND SOME ADULTS, TAKE
THESE IGNORANT COMMENTS
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. LOOK, THERE MIGHT BE A
CAUTIONARY LESSON IN LeBRON FOR
KIDS.
KIDS. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
ATTEMPT TO LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL A
YEAR EARLY TO JOIN THE NBA.
AND IT’S ALWAYS UNWISE TO SEEK
POLITICAL ADVICE FOR SOMEONE WHO
GETS PAID $100 MILLION A YEAR TO
BOUNCE A BALL.
OH, AND LeBRON AND KEVIN, YOU’RE
GREAT PLAYERS, BUT NO ONE VOTED
FOR YOU.
FOR YOU. MILLIONS ELECTED TRUMP TO BE
THEIR COACH.
THEIR COACH. SO KEEP THE POLITICAL COMMENTARY
TO YOURSELF, OR AS SOMEONE ONCE
SAID, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE.
>> I’M CRINGING FOR YOU, LAURA.
OF ALL THE UNSOLICITED ADVICE,
THAT MAY BE THE MOST
HUMILIATING.
HUMILIATING. STAY IN YOUR LANE, LeBRON JAMES,
JUST BE QUIET AND PLAY
BASKETBALL.
BASKETBALL. HOW IS THIS, THE EYE PROMISE
SCHOOL IS OPEN IN AKRON THANKS
TO LeBRON JAMES FOUNDATION.
240 THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS
WITH PLANS TO EXPAND OVER THE
NEXT FOUR YEARS.
THESE ARE AT-RISK KIDS WITH FREE
TUITION, FREE UNIFORMS, PLUS
CAREER AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
SO NO, LeBRON JAMES ISN’T
STICKING TO DRIBBLING.
HERE IS WHAT HE IS SAYING ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. >> WE ARE IN A POSITION RIGHT
NOW IN AMERICA MORE IMPORTANTLY
WHERE THIS WHOLE RACE THING HAS
TAKEN OVER, YOU KNOW, AND
BECAUSE, ONE, I BELIEVE OUR
PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO DIVIDE
US.
US. BUT I THINK --
>> KIND OF?
>> YEAH, IS.
IS, NOT KIND OF.
HE’S DIVIDING US, AND WHAT I
NOTICED OVER THE PAST FEW
MONTHS, HE’S USED SPORTS TO
DIVIDE US, AND THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT I CAN’T RELATE TO.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE
PRESIDENT IF HE WAS SITTING
RIGHT HERE?
RIGHT HERE? >> I WOULD NEVER SIT ACROSS FROM
HIM.
HIM. >> YOU WOULDN’T TALK TO HIM?
>> NO.
>> NO. >> MIKE IS AN AUTHOR AND MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR.
CONTRIBUTOR. WHAT DO YOU MAKE NOT JUST OF
WHAT LeBRON JAMES PUTTING HIS
MONEY WHERE HIS MOUTH WASN’T,
BUT DOING BY DEEDS WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE DON’T SEEM TO DO IN THE
TIME OF TRUMP, AND WHAT DO YOU
MAKE HOW TRIGGERED SOME ON THE
RIGHT WERE ABOUT HIS HAVING
OPINIONS ON POLITICS OR RACE AT
ALL?
ALL? >> IF YOU LOOK AT THIS YOUNG
MAN’S LIFE, NICOLLE, HIS LIFE
SPEAKS TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. AND HE HAS PUT HIS MONEY WHERE
HIS MOUTH IS.
I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT SOMEWHAT
HE HAS DONE, JUST IN TERMS OF
ERNLG
ERNLG EDUCATION AND IN TERMS OF HIS
HOMETOWN AKRON, THIS I PROMISE
SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE GREATEST
THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN A
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE BE INVOLVED
IN, IN THIS COUNTRY.
HE’S ALREADY SENT THOUSANDS OF
KIDS TO COLLEGE IN THIS COUNTRY.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE’S DONE,
BEFORE HIS CAREER IS OVER, THE
CONTRIBUTIONS HE HAS MADE TO HIS
COUNTRY, I LOVE THEY’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT,
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY MORE
QUALIFIED THAN THE GUY WE HAVE
RUNNING THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
>> HE ALSO IS FILLING A VOID
CREATED BY WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. IT’S NOT JUST DONALD TRUMP
DEBASING THE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENCY, BUT HE’S GOT IN THE
CONGRESS THESE ENABLERS OF THE
WORST TENDENCIES.
WORST TENDENCIES. I WONDER IF WE THINK THIS IS A
MOMENT, THINKING OF COACH KERR,
STEPH CURRY AND LeBRON, RIVALS
IN BASKETBALL, BUT JOINING
FORCES, SAYING WHOEVER WINS, WE
WILL NOT GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL THIS?
>> I THINK IT’S BEEN ELOQUENT
AND POWERFUL AND I THINK IT’S
BEEN IMPORTANT.
BEEN IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU HAVE BASKETBALL COACHES
AND PLAYERS DOING WHAT ELECTED
OFFICIALS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING, AND SPEAKING TO THE BEST
COUNTRY THAT WE’RE SUPPOSED TO
ASPIRE TO BE, THAT’S A VERY COOL
THING.
THING. THAT’S ACTIVISM PUT INTO
PRACTICE.
PRACTICE. NICOLLE, ELECTED POLITICIANS ARE
SUPPOSED TO MAKE LIVES BETTER.
SOMEBODY SHOW ME HOW LeBRON
JAMES ISN’T DOING THIS WITH HIS
FOUNDATION AND HIS I PROMISE
SCHOOL, AND SENDING AT-RISK KIDS
AND GIVING THEM A BETTER CHANCE
AND A BETTER LIFE.
HE’S DOING WHAT THE GUYS IN
WASHINGTON ARE SUPPOSED TO DO,
EXCEPT SO MANY OF THEM NOW SPEND
THEIR DAYS HIDING UNDER THEIR
DESK.
DESK. >> IT’S ALSO -- AND I’M SURE
THIS ISN’T LeBRON JAMES’
MOTIVATION, BUT LeBRON JAMES IS
RICHER, MORE FAMOUS, MORE
POPULAR, WOMEN LIKE HIM MORE
THAN TRUMP.
THAN TRUMP. IT IS A GREAT TRUMP TROLL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE
COULDN’T CARE LESS, HE DOESN’T
KNOW HALF THE SENATORS ARE IN
EITHER PARTY.
EITHER PARTY. IT’S A GREAT TRUMP TROLL TO GO
OUT THERE AND BE AND DO ALL THE
THINGS DONALD TRUMP CAN’T BE AND
DO IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> TRUMP COULD GO AFTER HIM THE
WAY HE’S GONE AFTER THE ATHLETES
WHO KNELT DURING THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM.
ANTHEM. HE CAN’T HURT LeBRON.
HE CAN’T DO ANYTHING TO LeBRON.
WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE, IN HIS
WORLD, NO TURN GOES UNSTONED.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO
OTHER ATHLETES WHO TRIED TO BE
ACTIVISTS.
ACTIVISTS. COLIN KAEPERNICK CAN’T GET A
JOB.
JOB. IT’S A SHAMEFUL THING IN THE
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
BUT IN A WAY, LeBRON JAMES IS
SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY.
POPP IS SPEAKING FOR EVERYBODY.
STEVE KERR IS SPEAKING FOR
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. AND ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, WHO
HAVE THIS BONEHEADED IDEA THAT
SOMEHOW IF YOU COME OUT OF THE