Laura Ingraham and LeBron James are fighting. I know. Two unlikely characters, right?
It all started after James and Durant criticized Trump in a video.
Ingraham wasn’t having it.
“Look, there might be a cautionary lesson in LeBron for kids,” Ingraham said. “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 from someone who gets paid a hundred-million dollars a year to bounce a ball.”
We’re ALL sick of celebrities spouting their uninformed opinions, TBH. I don’t think his misguided opinions have anything to do with his education level. The smartest, wisest people I know don’t have college degrees. Just sayin’.
Ingraham ultimately told the athletes to “shut up and dribble.”
“Must they run their mouths like that?” Ingraham said. “Unfortunately, a lot of kids — and some adults — take these ignorant comments seriously.
“Oh, and LeBron and Kevin: You’re great players, but no one voted for you,” she added. “Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself or, as someone once said, shut up and dribble.”
James initially responded on Twitter.
#wewillnotshutupanddribble https://t.co/LyenGRKTUE
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 17, 2018
During the NBA All-Star practice, James elaborated.
'The best thing she did was help me create more awareness' — LeBron on Fox News' Laura Ingraham's comments https://t.co/hp5ATRyXUH pic.twitter.com/DrRUxu38Is
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 17, 2018
“I will not just shut up and dribble. So, thank you, whatever her name is I get to sit up here and talk about what’s really important and how I can help change kids,” he said. “It lets me know that everything I’ve been saying is correct for her to have that type of reaction. But we will definitely not shut up and dribble. I will definitely not do that. I mean too much to society, I mean too much to the youth, I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don’t have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they’re in.”
“I mean too much to society.” Dude. You are WAY too into yourself.
Durant responded by saying that her comments were “racist,” because of course.
“To me, it was racist,” he said.
Ingraham issued a strong response.
“In 2003, I wrote a New York Times best-seller called ‘Shut Up & Sing,’ in which I criticized celebrities like the Dixie Chicks & Barbra Streisand who were trashing then-President George W. Bush. I have used a variation of that title for more than 15 years to respond to performers who sound off on politics. I’ve told Robert DeNiro to ‘Shut Up & Act,’ Jimmy Kimmel to ‘Shut Up & Make Us Laugh,’ and just this week told the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich to ‘Shut up & Coach,'” she wrote.
“If pro athletes and entertainers want to freelance as political pundits, then they should not be surprised when they’re called out for insulting politicians. There was no racial intent in my remarks – false, defamatory charges of racism are a transparent attempt to immunize entertainment and sports elites from scrutiny and criticism. Additionally, we stated on my show that these comments came from an ESPN podcast, which was not the case – the content was unaffiliated with ESPN,” she added.
She had the last word and addressed the controversy on her show.
Is it over? James? Care to respond?