NBA: James calls out Fox News host for defending Brees’ anti-protest remarks
In 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to “Shut up and dribble” instead of commenting on political issues.
Wednesday night, on “The Ingraham Angle,” she defended New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees’ comments about “disrespecting the flag.”
“He’s allowed to have his view about what kneeling and the flag means to him. He’s a person,” Ingraham said, adding, “This is beyond football.”
On Thursday, James retweeted a video mashup of Ingraham’s 2018 comments about him, alongside her remarks about the controversy surrounding Brees. James suggested in his tweet that the countrywide protests in the wake of
George Floyd’s death are occurring “because we are simply (expletive) tired of this treatment right here!”
James also had a message for those fighting for racial justice: “(D)on’t worry I won’t stop until I see CHANGE!!!”
Thursday night on her Fox News Channel show, Ingraham addressed James’ criticism, saying the circumstances surrounding her 2018 comments and the ones she made on Wednesday were different.
“Every American has the God-given right to speak his mind on any issue,” Ingraham said.
“I think in order to heal and shed light on gross injustices, our country needs more dialogue, not less. And we need more respect, less retribution.”
She concluded: “Right now Americans, I think most of them, are looking for reconciliation. That means politicians, police, and even cultural figures all working together. All of us.”
A number of athletes — including James, Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans Saints teammate Malcolm Jenkins — criticized Brees for his comments in an interview Wednesday about players kneeling during the U.S. national anthem. Brees has since apologized.
“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centred around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country,” Brees said Thursday.
Later in the day, James took to Instagram to reinforce his message with a video with numerous “shut up and ...” phrases flashed over the sound of a bouncing basketball.
It concluded with the words: “This is why we can’t just stick to sports.”