LeBron James Is Shutting Up And Dribbling On Trump Assassination Attempt | Bobby Burack

"'I will not just shut up and dribble."

Those were the words of LeBron James in 2018, telling reporters he would always use his platform to condemn issues bigger than basketball. He then created a documentary called "More Than an Athlete," a slogan he's since used as a marketing opportunity.

James has spoken out against a plethora of political and social issues. The 2020 election, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade are just a few examples.

"It’s ABSOLUTELY ABOUT POWER & CONTROL!!," he posted on X about the Court giving abortion rights back to the states in 2022.

James says his reach is too profound not to participate in the conversation. Fair. However, James has been noticeably silent on the most significant political and social issue of his career: the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

LeBron does not like Trump, often refusing to refer to him by name. But the events that transpired on Saturday are bigger than both basketball and politics. A mentally ill man tried to murder a former U.S. president and almost succeeded.

Now, there's a difference between James and, say, Patrick Mahomes. The latter excused himself from political commentary.  

"I don't want to make a quick response to something that takes a lot of education to really learn and make a swaying comment based off that," Mahomes told Time Magazine, when said when asked about gun laws following the shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl parade last February. 

"I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain president," Mahomes added. "I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research."

Mahomes just wants to play football. We respect that. Conversely, LeBron James wants to be a social advocate in addition to playing basketball. But James can't be a true advocate of change if he only speaks out when politically and financially convenient.

James is arguably the most influential athlete in American sports today. Young males idolize him and gravitate toward his every word. And instead of lowering the temperatures, he often intensifies division.

In 2020, James posted a tweet to his 53 million followers in which he told black people they "literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME [they] step foot outside the comfort of their homes!"

That was a lie. Unfortunately, some black people believe him – creating a natural resentment of police officers. 

Speaking of police, in 2021, James doxxed an officer who he told his followers murdered a young black woman. In reality, the officer saved a young black woman by killing a woman who was attempting to stab her. 

The officer is a hero. James put a target on his back. He should be ashamed.

In 2019, James sent a message to fellow athletes not to speak out against the genocide of Muslim Uyghurs in China because it could affect the bottom line of players, like himself.

"We all talk about this freedom of speech, yes we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you're not thinking about others," said James. "When you only think about yourself."

Concentration camps, be damned. LeBron has shoes to sell.

LeBron James is currently in Abu Dhabi practicing for Team USA ahead of the Olympics. He is wearing a jersey with "TEAM USA" written across his chest. However, he can't find the time to mention the attempted assassination of a former president. 

Somehow, his Team USA coach, Steve Kerr, and teammate, Steph Curry, could.

"It's such a demoralizing day for our country, and it's yet another example of not only our political division but also our gun culture," Kerr told reporters. 

"A 20-year-old with an AR-15 trying to shoot the former president. It's hard to process everything, and it's scary to think about where this goes because of the issues that already exist in the country. So this is a terrible day."

"It's obviously a very sad time in general," Curry said while speaking to the press.

"All the conversations around the election and the state of politics in our country, and then you have a situation like this, which just [evokes] a lot of emotions around things that we need to correct as a people," added Curry.

That's all they needed to say. In the end, it wasn't just Trump who was wounded by the shooting. 

A local firefighter and father of two named Corey Comperatore, 50, lost his life while shielding his family from bullet shots at the rally. 

David Dutch, 57, suffered damage to his liver and broken ribs in the shooting and has had to have more than one operation. Jim Copenhaver, 74, is reportedly still "fighting for his life" in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds.

LeBron James has a documented history of raising awareness for victims of shootings, including the rioters who Kyle Rittenhouse shot in self-defense. Does the death of Comperatore and the injuries of Dutch and Copenhaver matter less because they attended a Trump rally? 

Otherwise, given his track record, we can't quite reason with LeBron's silence.

There are others, as well. 

Gregg Popovich, Colin Kaepernick, Megan Rapinoe, Kevin Durant, and Britney Griner also have notable histories of using their platforms to speak out against the issues that supposedly plague America. Yet they've said nothing about the shooting on Saturday.

A bullet grazed the ear of a former U.S. president who evaded death by tilting his head at the last millisecond. And it's crickets.

What a time to stick to sports.