LeBron James ‘serious’ about Presidential run
A report claims LeBron James already has a plan to run for the Presidency of the United States, despite claims he’s not interested.
NBA
Don't miss out on the headlines from NBA. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Three times an NBA champion, 16 times an NBA All Star, and four times a league MVP, LeBron James is now reportedly preparing to add the title of POTUS to his already legendary portfolio of accolades.
The Lakers superstar’s ambitions to hold the top office in the United States were revealed on Sunday when a report emerged that the 35-year-old already has a plan to run for the White House.
The outspoken superstar has become the moral compass of the NBA in recent years, repeatedly speaking out on complex, divisive societal issues that have impacted fellow players on and off the court.
Watch the 2019/20 NBA Season with ESPN on KAYO. Up to up to 7 LIVE games every week! New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
James has long been touted as having the skills and reputation needed to be a potential presidential candidate in the future — but it’s never been seen as a serious scenario until last week’s NBA All Stars weekend.
The comments from former NBA All Star and Lakers teammate DeMarcus Cousins on an NBA Podcast recently showed James is already having private conversations about the job.
Cousins said on the “All The Smoke” podcast that James “plans to do it the right way” after revealing he had encouraged the Ohio product to seriously think about his political future.
James was eventually forced to respond to the swirling rumours after arriving back in Los Angeles last week following the All Stars event in Chicago.
He flatly denied the rumours, but it hasn’t stopped the speculation.
“No, I’m not considering it,” James said.
Just a few days later, however, a report has emerged that people close to James claim he is already planning on running for office at some point following his retirement from the NBA.
“FYI: I heard today from someone close to LeBron who said he HAS seriously considered running for President of the United States some day,” Fox Sports commentator Skip Bayless posted on Twitter.
Bayless claimed a source close to James said: “It’s a plan of his but not yet a goal”.
FYI: I heard today from someone close to LeBron who said he HAS seriously considered running for President of the United States some day. "It's a plan of his but not yet a goal," the source said.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) February 22, 2020
Despite James’ denial, those around him refuse to pour cold water on the swirling reports.
Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel last week openly spoke of James’ presidential suitability.
“LeBron’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around,” Vogel said.
“I don’t know what his knowledge is of politics. Obviously that would be the first thing that comes into question. But I don’t know how to say it any stronger than he’s one of the best leaders I’ve been around. So I think he would obviously be great in that if that were to happen.”
James in 2018 refused to rule out a run at the presidency and — despite never officially declaring his political views — has been seen in support of Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton, in recent years.
He continues to speak out on complex political issues and was in October criticised across the political spectrum for appearing to criticise Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey for his public comments supporting democratic protesters in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong residents angrily criticised James for failing to support their protests against the Chinese government.
Cousins initially said James’ modest childhood would also allow him to connect with a lot of American voters doing it tough.
“I told him the other day, I’m like bro — he’s probably going to get pissed I’m saying this — I’m like, bro, you need to run for president,” Cousins said.
“If there’s any NBA player to [do it], LeBron James.
“And he going to do it the right way. Obviously, that’s just me talking and my opinion. He probably feels totally different. But I think he could do it. He has that type of impact, influence and just being a genuine person. I think that’s going to take you further than anything.”
"I told him the other day. Bro... you need to run for president." - DeMarcus Cousins on LeBron.â£
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 22, 2020
â£
â£(via @Showtime, allthesmoke/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/Hv1azNoriL
“He understands it, he came from it, he grew up the same way. You can’t beat that.”
Bayliss, a long-time high-profile critic of James, said he has seen enough from James living in the spotlight of the NBA for almost 20 years, to convince him that the former Cavaliers and Heat star would be able to handle the pressures of politics.
“I just think he could handle this,” he said.
“He’s been handling this since he was 15 years old.
.@RealSkipBayless reacts to Boogie Cousins saying LeBron should run for president:
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) February 21, 2020
"I think he could handle this. He’s been handling this since he was 15-years-old.†pic.twitter.com/P7tKC65qL0
Originally published as LeBron James ‘serious’ about Presidential run