FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS AN OUTSPOKEN JOURNALIST WHO
SPENT 12 YEARS AT ESPN AND IS NOW A STAFF WRITER AT "THE
ATLANTIC," PLEASE WELCOME JEMELE HILL!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU FAMOUSLY TWEETED ABOUT DONALD TRUMP.
>> MMM...
>> Stephen: AND IF I CAN GET STRAIGHT THIS, THIS IS AFTER
CHARLOTTESVILLE, RIGHT?
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: AND YOU AID DONALD TRUMP IS A WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO
HAS LARGELY SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH OTHER WHITE SUPREMACISTS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> YEP.
SHOW ME THE LIE.
>> Stephen: I THINK A TWEET THAT HAS HELD UP LIKE A FINE
WINE.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT HERE'S THE THING, THE
PRESIDENT TWEETED BACK AT YOU AND SAID, "WITH JEMELE HILL AT
THE MIC, IT'S NO WONDER ESPN RATINGS HAVE TANKED, IN FACT
TANKED SO BADLY IT'S THE TALK OF THE INDUSTRY."
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU SEE THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES IS TWEETING AT YOU?
>> WELL, NUMBER ONE, I WAS SUPER IMPRESSED H HE SPELLED MY NAME
RIGHT.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, ONE L.
ONE L, THREE Es.
THAT TRIPS A LOT OF PEOPLE UH BECAUSE GRAMMAR ISN'T EXACTLY
HIS THING.
>> Stephen: NO.
BUT AS A JOURNALIST YOU SORT OF LIVE FOR THAT MOMENT BECAUSE
MOST OF US LIVE FOR THE DAY WHEN CITY HALL COMES AFTER US, SO I
WAS AMUSED AND TOOK IT AS A REALLY BIG COMPLIMENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, HIT DOGS HOLLER.
>> Stephen: I'VE HEARD THAT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I'VE HEARD IT.
( LAUGHTER ) SPORTS AND POLITICS HAVE BEEN
INTERTWINED FOR A LONG TIME.
WHAT -- WITH TRUMP INTERJECTING HIMSELF INTO SPORTS A LOT, DO
YOU THINK THEY'RE MORE CONNECTED NOW THAN EVER OR IS THIS JUST
PAR FOR THE COURSE?
>> NO, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN CONNECTED.
I MEAN, THERE'S A HUGE BASTION OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE SPORTS AND
POLITICS DON'T MIX.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE VEGGIES AND MASHED POTATOES
TOUCHING, BUT IN THIS CASE THEY'VE ALWAYS MIXED TOGETHER.
JACKIE ROBINSON INTEGRATED BASEBALL 20 YEARS BEFORE THE
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT, MUHAMMAD ALI, BILL RUSSO.
WE'VE HAD THESE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN SPORTS, RACE, POLITICS
AND GENDER AND USUALLY I FIND THE PEOPLE WHO OBJECT AT THE
INTERSECTION DON'T LIKE THE VIEWS EXPRESSED.
THEY'RE MIXING IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM UNCOMFORTABLE.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE IF A MEMBER OF THE TEAM SAID
SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT, HE WOULDN'T OBJECT IN
ANY WAY?
>> EXACTLY.
I HARKIN BACK TO MY COLLEAGUE TIM TE TEBOW.
EGAVE HIM A LOT OF CREDIT BECAUSE HE PUT HIS NAME BEHIND
SOMETHING HE BELIEVED, ONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE THINGS IN THE
COUNTRY.
I DIDN'T HEAR A LOT OF BACKLASH.
COLIN KAEPERNICK TALKING ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY AND EQUALITY,
THESE ISSUES AREN'T NECESSARILY POLITICAL, SOME OF THIS IS JUST
SIMPLY RIGHT AND WRONG.
TO ME, POLITICS IS WHEN YOU HAVE A PRO AND CON ARGUMENT.
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE PRO RACISM?
IS ANYBODY OUT THERE PRO POLICE BRUTALITY?
SO WHAT ARE WE ARGUING ABOUT.
>> Stephen: I'LL SEND YOU SOME DISTURBING TWEETS.
>> DO I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT'S JUST THAT PEOPLE HAVE
BECOME SO PORLZIZED ABOUT ISSUES THAT FRANKLY WE SHOULD ALL BE ON
BOARD WITH AND IN AGREEMENT WITH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOW, YOU'RE
NARRATING A THREE-PART DOCUMENTARY SERIES CALLED SHUT
UP AND DRIBBLE.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY LeBRON JAMES.
I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT WHERE -- WHO SAID SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE?
>> SOME WOMAN ON FOX.
>> Stephen: I'M SERIOUS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER -- >> I THINK IT WAS LAURA INGRAM.
>> Stephen: WHO DID SHE SAY THAT?
>> THE PRESIDENT AND LeBRON WERE BOTH IN AN UBER COMMERCIAL.
LeBRON MADE IT NO SECRET HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
ONE OF THE MOST RETWEETED TWEETS OF THIS YEAR IS WHEN HE CALLED
THE PRESIDENT A BUM.
NO 144 CHARACTERS, YOU GET FOUR.
YOU BUM.
NOT EVEN Y-O-U -- U BUM.
SO LeBRON MADE IT NO SECRET HOW HE FEELS ABOUT HIM.
THAT WAS HER RESPONSE.
I SHOULD BE THANKING HER.
SO WAY TO GIVE HE ANOTHER CHECK.
>> Stephen: WHERE DO YOU PUT LeBRON IN THE HISTORY OF
SPORTS AND ACTIVISM, IF NOT POLITICS.
>> HE'S DEFINITELY NEAR THE TOP.
THINK ABOUT HIS STORY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST AMERICAN STORIES WE'VE EVER
HEARD.
SOMEBODY WHO HIS MOTHER WAS 15 WHEN SHE HAD HIM, MOVED AROUND A
LOT AS A KID, CAME FROM POVERTY.
IT'S FUNNY THAT DONALD TRUMP FASHIONS HIMSELF AS SELF-MADE.
LeBRON IS THE SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE WHEN YOU LOOK AT
EVERYTHING HE'S DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED.
SO WITH HIM BEING WILLING TO USE HIS VOICE AND PLATFORM TO GET
OUT HIS MESSAGE AND TO TELL THE TYPE OF STORIES HE FEELS LIKE
SPEAK TO THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL LAYERS OF ATHLETES, HE'S REALLY
SET A TONE.
I ALWAYS THINK THAT IN EVERY GENERATION, WHOEVER IS THE
ATHLETE OF THAT GENERATION, THAT'S THE ONE THAT OTHER
ATHLETES FOLLOW.
NOW THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ATHLETES OF THIS GENERATION ARE
COLIN KAEPERNICK AND LeBRON JAMES.
NOW YOU SEE OTHER ATHLETES WANT TO BE VOCAL AND ACTIVATED.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU THINK COLIN KAEPERNICK WILL BE
REMEMBERED?
>> I THINK AS A HERO.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK HE'LL PLAY AGAIN?
>> NO.
IT PAINS ME TO SAY THIS BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMEBODY THAT WAS ONE
UNDERTHROW FROM GOING BACK TO BACK SUPER BOWLS BUT I DON'T
THINK HE'LL EVER PLAY AGAIN, THEY'RE KIND OF DUG IN ON THAT.
REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY TODAY AND HOW THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED
LATER.
20 YEARS AGO, THE N.F.L. WILL HAVE TO BE ANSWERED THAT THEY
BLACKBALLED SOMEBODY FROM THE LEAGUE AND STOOD FOR EQUALITY.
IF COLIN KAEPERNICK HIT A WOMAN, HE WOULD BE BACK IN THE N.F.L. L
BUT BECAUSE HE'S NOT PLAYING BECAUSE OF HIS STANCE ON SOCIAL
JUSTICE AND IT MAKES THE OWNERSHIP AND FAN BASE
UNCOMFORTABLE.
>> Stephen: "SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE" AIRS SATURDAYS AT
9:00 P.M. ON SHOWTIME.
JEMELE HILL, EVERYBODY!