On Wednesday night, LeBron James appeared on the premiere of “Cari & Jemele: Stick to Sports” on Vice TV.
During the interview James revealed that he would be campaigning for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. He also campaigned a bit in 2016 for Hillary Clinton.
“We are in a time where we need change,” James said. “In order for change, it’s all about leadership and leadership starts at the top.”
In 2016, James campaigned for Hillary Clinton is his native Ohio just months after winning an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He appeared at a Clinton rally, but because of the coronavirus pandemic James won’t appear at any rallies this year. It is doubtful that Biden and Harris will hold any rallies going forward.
James was asked if he ever considered running for office at some point down the road after his time on the court comes to an end.
“The people who’s in office right now, let’s get them to the side, let’s get them off first,” James said. “And then, you know, you can come back to me.”
The hosts attempted to get James to elaborate on his answer, but he declined.
Right now, James is focused on a title, but he has also made time for social justice issues. On Monday, his More Than A Vote coalition released an open letter detailing its goals and calls to action.
The nonpartisan initiative is working to combat voter suppression and help to create a fair election process.
“More Than A Vote is not only about getting people in our community to actually go out and vote, but it’s giving them the knowledge and the power and the mechanism to know that they can create change,” James said. “And that’s all we hear in the black community all the time. They say we want change.”
“We’ve been lied to for so many years in the black community saying that we can’t do this or we can’t do this or do that because we’re so bottom-of-the-barrel. Change starts at the very top when it comes to leadership, but it also is going to continue beyond November, going into December and also 2021.”
James shared that he was 21 when he first voted. He says that he didn’t vote at 18 because the “narrative that was taught to us” that his vote didn’t count or matter. He added that seeing “Barack Obama’s strength, power and dignity as a senator and then as president made him want to be better.”
Tammy Marie Rose is a mom, author, journalist, environmental and social justice activist, mental health advocate, dog non, and professional wrestling fanatic.