By: Manuel Polanco
Last week, during the National Basketball Association (NBA) all-star weekend, an Israeli reporter asked LeBron James what message he would send to Israel and what he thought about the Portland Trail Blazers and Israeli athlete Deni Avdija.
“(Avdija’s) playing exceptional basketball, so that’s that. And then, if I had fans over there, I’ve never been there,” James said. “If I have fans over there, then I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but to be better in general in life. So, hopefully, someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard great things. I appreciate the question.”
This response came off as tone deaf and irresponsible to many, like political commentator Medhi Hassan, who wrote an open letter to James, saying, “ In fact, ‘worse’ than nothing. This past weekend, we heard praise from you for the very same country that has been doing the mass killing and starving in Gaza.”
Lebron’s comment comes off as highly tone deaf since the Israeli government has been under constant criticism by the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for their unruly treatment of the Palestinian people during their military occupation of Gaza.
Back in January, it was revealed that the Golden State Warriors point guard and future Hall of Famer, Steph Curry, was investing in Israeli tech companies through his venture capital firm, “Penny Jar Capital.”
One of these companies is called “Zafran Security,” which is run by ex-Israeli intelligence operatives, and many of the other companies Curry invested in have deep ties to the IDF, and some even played a role in the Gaza War.
Curry is hypocritical in his social justice as he is financially war-profiting off the suffering of others, yet calls out racism in America in the same breath (don’t forget how opposed he was to affordable housing). I can’t forget Kevin Durant’s investments in Skydio, an American drone company that made drones for the Israeli Govt, some of which were used during their military occupation of Gaza.
Three major athletes, two war profiteers, and Lebron, who has become a brand so big he dishes out PR responses for everything. What happened to the Political Athlete?
Short answer long, they died. Just 10 years ago, we were exposed to Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality in America. Now fast forward to 2026, and Anthony Edwards can’t be brought to condemn the brutality of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in his team’s state of Minnesota.
60-70 years ago, political activism in sports was plenty. Athletes understood the power they had to speak out on social issues. Muhammad Ali famously protested the Vietnam War and was arrested for it.
Ali famously said, “If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people, they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. But I either have to obey the laws of the land or the laws of Allah. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail. We’ve been in jail for four hundred years.”
Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, and the list goes on and on were some of the most famous political athletes who used their platforms and positions to take a stand and have their voices heard.
But as more athletes enter the league already wealthy, the class divide and consciousness grow wider, with many becoming disillusioned with what’s right and wrong.
Many use the same copy and paste response of “Hopes and Prayers” and “I’m not educated enough on the issue,” rather than give a staunch response and take on a key issue, like Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren.
Not all hope is lost, however, as many athletes in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) have taken a stand and created a movement demanding that the league begin paying them fairly. Many WNBA players would hold up signs reading, “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” in protest. Indiana Pacers player Tyrese Haliburton rightfully called out the murder of Alex Pretti at the hands of I.C.E agents, and Milwaukee Bucks coach is critical of ICE as well.
“I look at our league. I look at the NBA. We’re celebrating Pioneer’s Day today, right? And I look at our league and think (Hakeem) Olajuwon could have been taken off the streets. But we would, right now, the way Brown people feel, only the Brown people would be taken off the streets, and it’s just not right. And it’s not morally right, so I stand by my words 100 percent.”
The three most important figures that aren’t politicians are artists, actors, and athletes. They have the power to reach those that regular people cannot, and we, as fans, must implore them to use their influence and status for good.