Chris Broussard: “They both have done tremendous things off the court, and LeBron has done more ‘practical things’ off the court than Ali. He started schools, he’s got kids in his ‘I Promise’ program, he’s obviously built businesses, and he’s taken some of his high school friends and put them in position to be business moguls. But Ali did more symbolic and heroic things, and made more sacrifices… LeBron has not ‘sacrificed.’ I’m not saying that in a negative way, but I’m just saying that Ali is so respected because he sacrificed what he had fought for his whole life, which was to be heavyweight champion of the world and was willing to give that up for his religious beliefs, because he didn’t believe in the Vietnam War. He spoke out for black people, and spoke against the government and the system that was oppressing them at a time when it was dangerous. LeBron has done great things –Trayvon Martin and the hoody was great. But if a black man in 2016 can’t speak out on an injustice, then what are you? We should be able to do that. That’s not a risk. Taking on President Trump is not a ‘risk.’Everybody has taken on Trump. A ‘RISK’ would have been speaking out on China. A ‘RISK’ would have been when activists were calling on him not to play when Tamir Rice’s murderer didn’t even get charged. “ (Full Audio Above)
Listen to Chris Broussard and Rob Parker push back against a tweet that former NBA player Kendrick Perkins made earlier this week that read:
“We can debate about who’s the GOAT on the court but when it comes down to who’s the GOAT off the court it’s not even a DEBATE!!! LeBron James is the Greatest Athlete off court EVER.”
Broussard and Parker were befuddled that Perkins would rank LeBron over Muhammad Ali when it comes to being a transcendent athlete off the court.
Broussard says although LeBron has accomplished countless good deeds off the court, he also says LeBron has never taken ‘risks’ or ‘made sacrifices’ like Ali did. Broussard says LeBron never once put his career or livelihood on the line for a dangerous cause he believed in like Ali, and said LeBron ultimately punted on the one controversial stance he could allied with regarding last year’s NBA PR catastrophe from Daryl Morey's pro-democracy in Hong Kong tweet that triggered backlash in China, and caused monumental friction between the NBA and some of its biggest sponsors.
Broussard says whether it's trolling Donald Trump on Twitter, or supporting mainstream cases of already heavily publicized stories racial injustice, LeBron is taking zero 'risks' by aligning with overwhelmingly supported positions and clearly established stances.
Check out the audio above as Broussard and Parker wonder if Perkins accidentally forgot about Ali when he made the tweet.