>> Yeah, you still have to believe in what you do and reach for it.
>> This is AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic criticizing- >> Shut up and dribble.
>> A man who was chastized from every corner of the earth.
>> I will never shut up about things that's wrong.
>> The King, LeBron James. The Swede would say, do what you're good at. Do the category
you do. I play football because I'm the best at playing football. Which is, I mean, highly
debatable, as long as this guy and this guy are still active. So technically, Zlatan is
lying to himself with his own reasoning.
>> I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social injustice, racism, systematic
voter suppression, things that go on in our community.
>> While LeBron is a fighter of the people, Zlatan said he doesn't do politics. If he
would be a political politician, he do politics. Which is, lo and behold, a political opinion.
>> There's no way I will ever just stick to sports because I understand how this platform,
how powerful my voice is. >> That is the first mistake people do when
they become famous and they become in a certain status, Ibra said. Stay out of it. Just do
what you do best, because it doesn't look good.
He's telling LeBron to shut up and play. Even after all the criticism, Zlatan doubled down,
saying in part, athletes unite the world, politics divide it, he said. Our role is to
unite the world by doing what we do best. Athletes should be athletes and politicians
should do politics.
>> Look, sports have tremendous power to unit us.
>> Sound familiar? The thing is, to no surprise, Zlatan is being a total hypocrite. Let's explain.
>> You my opposer when I want freedom. You my opposer when I want justice. You my opposer
when I want equality. You won't even stand up for me in America for my religious beliefs,
and you want me to go somewhere and fight?
But you won't even stand up for me here at home.
>> Muhammad Ali was the embodiment of being more than an athlete.
>> My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor
hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what?
>> He was stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing to serve in the military at 25,
when the average age to be drafted was 18 to 22. This is a man who did not agree with
war, and the United States government shunned him for it. As USA Today wrote, Muhammad Ali
lost everything in opposing the Vietnam War.
This was a man who, after winning the gold medal at the Olympics in 1960, was refused
service because he was black. These reasons and many more are why he inspired tons of
athletes who followed to do more than what they accomplished in stadiums, arenas, and
pavilions. >> This is one of my role models.
One of my others in sport and outside the sport also, Muhammad Ali, of course.
>> An idol outside of sport, eh, Zlatan? But it wasn't just this one instance.
>> My big idol passed couple of days ago, it was Muhammad Ali. For me, he was a big
inspiration.
He was my idol. What he did in the ring, outside ring, nobody will reach halfway of what he
did. He put it color, not for one country, put it color for the whole world. And what
he stood for, so he's a big inspiration to take after.
>> I mean, I'm just confused.
He praises Ali, yet tells LeBron to shut up and dribble? Wasn't this the guy who, when
asked why he removed his jersey after scoring a goal he said, I had 15 removable tattoos
on my body. They are the names of real people who are suffering from hunger in the world,
Ibrahimovic said.
While those tattoos have gone now, these people are still here. I hope that you can see them
through me. Per The Guardian, the Swede said he agreed to the venture to raise awareness
for the UN's World Food Program, which fights against hunger worldwide. You know what we're
about on the show.
We believe in freedom, equality, and an anti-racist society, to name a few. In recent years, Zlatan
felt he was discriminated against. He felt the Swedish media was unfair to him. He claimed
racism in their attacks. He said, my name is not Svensson or Andersson. If I were blonde,
they would still defend me if I robbed a bank.
So here he is, speaking out, yet criticising those who do the same. But in ways that don't
paint themselves as the victim, rather spot shadowing the victims of unwanted practices
that continue the systemic racism and unequal treatment. LeBron started more than a vote
to not only expose the tactics that take place to disenfranchise minority voters from casting
their ballots in present day.
But giving Americans the tools to fight against these racist practices that lead to systemic
racism remaining in place. In Florida, LeBron and others paid court fines and fees to the
disenfranchised who couldn't vote. The very same people governor Ron DeSantis craps on
every day and could give two bleeps about.
He opened an entire school in his hometown of Akron, Ohio to give kids and their families
a shot. The very opportunity he did not receive as a youngster. At the school they offer free
tuition, uniforms, bikes, transportation to school, free meals, food for families, GED
services for parents.
And one year since it opened, 90% of students have met or exceeded their growth goals. He
was outspoken when Trayvon Martin was preyed upon and murdered by a frail minded wannabe
officer biggot George Zimmerman. He was, of course, shunned for it. But what LeBron James
is doing is carrying the torch from Ali, just like Kaepernick did, just like Tommy Smith
and John Carlos did, just the way Tony Smith Thompson did.
As Howard Brian would say, they're part of the heritage. Zlatan is just sideline hating.
>> If you'd like to hear more thought-provoking content, like TYT Sports on Facebook. And
to help in my journey to keep media independent, go to TYT.com/Rick