Whitlock: LeBron James’ desire to be ‘more than an athlete’ diminishes his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring title



LeBron James’ quest to be more than an athlete has diminished his athletic accomplishments and focused attention on his intellectual shortcomings.

James’ misguided quest to be seen as a social justice activist, talk show host, movie producer, and NBA power broker has demeaned the sport that made him famous.

That’s why ESPN and TNT, the NBA’s television partners, will be forced to manufacture anticipation, excitement, and drama around James’ pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record. That pursuit kicked off again Tuesday night when the regular season opened and James’ Lakers visited the Warriors. Barring injury, James is projected to surpass Abdul-Jabbar in late January.

The timing is poor. James will be hunting Jabbar at the climax of the NFL playoffs. But the timing is irrelevant. A true telling of James’ legacy will encompass his degradation of basketball and sports.

“More than an athlete” translates to “I’m not a dumb jock.” It’s a slogan steeped in identity insecurity. It insinuates James is ashamed of his profession. It strips sports of its exalted place in American culture. It undermines the importance of sports. It disparages jocks.

It’s not an argument athletes should make. It’s an argument best left to pundits, educators, clergy, parents, politicians, comedians, and other culture critics.

Muhammad Ali did not demand that we see him as more than an athlete. He insisted we recognize his greatness inside the ring. At the age of 22, when he stopped Sonny Liston in the seventh round, Ali barked: “I’m the greatest boxer of all time. I shook up the world. I’m a bad man.”

Ali’s organic and authentic actions outside the ring made him more than an athlete. His quest was always to be the greatest boxer.

LeBron James can’t match Ali’s authenticity. That’s why he will never be as revered as Ali or Michael Jordan or even Tiger Woods. The main thing – competition within their sport – was always the main thing with the all-time greats.

LeBron has driven athletes away from an intense focus on winning and dominance. Many athletes now divert much of their attention to setting up their post-sports careers. They want to be moguls. Competition is their side hustle. Cultivating and managing a brand take precedence over athletic feats.

LeBron wants to be judged as more than an athlete. He’s pointing us to his flaws. As a movie and television producer, LeBron is well below mediocre. As a host of “The Shop,” he’s every bit as inept as Magic Johnson was hosting a talk show. As a social justice activist, he’s an uninformed race-baiter who gets his talking points straight from Twitter. As a political activist, he’s controlled by the Clintons and Obamas and compromised by Nike’s ties to China.

I’m a writer and a columnist. It’s the best thing I do, so I insist on doing it. I’m perfectly fine with people judging me based on my work as a journalist. I won’t be wearing T-shirts that say “more than a writer.” I’m not ashamed of my chosen profession. No matter how much money I’m offered, I’m not going to launch a second career as an underwear model or porn star.

Watching LeBron pretend to be a public intellectual is the equivalent of seeing me on the cover of Playgirl magazine. You would never read my columns the same way.

That’s what LeBron has done to basketball. When I watch him play, I can’t shake from my mind all the other aspects of his life he’s forced me to consume.

When I watched Jordan, Magic, Larry Bird, Kareem, and Isiah Thomas, all I thought about was how incredible they were as athletes.

I don’t enjoy sports the way I used to because I know way too much about the men who play the games. I know how phony, easily manipulated, and misguided they are. They’ve removed all the mystery by sharing all of their thoughts on social media.

I’m a consumer. When I walk into my favorite restaurant, I don’t want the chef to be more than a chef. When I visit a church, I don’t want the minister to be more than a minister.

As you read this column, do you want me to be more than a columnist?

LeBron James’ pursuit of Kareem should be a big deal, a really big deal. It won’t garner near the attention and celebration it should, because LeBron has damaged the popularity of basketball. He’s made us evaluate athletes in a way that exposes their shortcomings.

He undermined the magic of sport. He disconnected the game from its most passionate fans, the common man. ESPN, TNT, and Nike will do their best to restore that magic. Barack Obama, Jay-Z, Kamala Harris, and Spike Lee will sit courtside. So will Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, and the other Hollywood elites.

It will feel like the Academy Awards, a night celebrity elites set aside to wag their fingers at the commoners. Short of Will Smith and Chris Rock agreeing to a halftime boxing match, I’ll skip the game and catch the highlights.

I’m more than a sports fan.

LeBron James catches major heat for social media post downplaying COVID-19: 'Blow to his worthy legacy'



LeBron James' social media activity is normally the target of ire from conservatives, but this week the legendary basketball player sparked backlash from liberals after sharing a meme that appears to downplay the dangers of COVID-19.

What are the details?

The meme, which James posted on his Instagram account over the weekend, shows three Spider-Man characters pointing at each other — one labeled "covid," while the other two are labeled "cold" and "flu." In the caption, the Los Angeles Lakers star wrote, "[shrugging emoji] Help me out folks."

With the post, James appeared to be expressing that he finds it difficult to distinguish COVID-19 from other illnesses, such as the common cold and the flu. Though the insinuation was clear, it remained unclear what prompted James to share the meme.

The Laker drew criticism earlier this year after admitting that he was "very skeptical" about the COVID-19 vaccine before receiving it and suggesting that he doesn't think it's right to judge people for their vaccination status.

"I don’t talk about other people and what they should do,” James said, according to the Guardian. “We’re talking about individual bodies. We’re not talking about something political or racism or police brutality. I don’t think I personally should get involved in what other people do for their bodies and livelihoods. I know what I did for me and my family. ... But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities and things they want to do, that’s not my job.”

What was the reaction?

Several commenters on James' post, including actor Jamie Foxx and fellow NBA star Trae Young, seemed to nod in approval at the post.

Foxx wrote, "Gotta [sic] point haha," while Young commented with a "100" symbol. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy joked, "It happened. Lebron and I finally agreed on something."

But at least one critic, Hall of Fame Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, did not take kindly to the meme. In a Substack article, Abdul-Jabbar wrote that James’ message was “a blow to his worthy legacy.”

“LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other — one labeled 'covid,' one labeled 'flu,' one labeled 'cold' — with his message: ‘Help me out folks’ was a blow to his worthy legacy."

"By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk," the Lakers legend added, specifically arguing that black communities will be disproportionately affected by misinformation.

"One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters,” he wrote.

Former ESPN host Michelle Beadle also piled on, calling James' post "so irresponsible."

“That one pissed me off bad,” Beadle said on her podcast. "The meme itself was so irresponsible. ... These are those times where we need to stop asking these guys anything important. Stop asking what they think about the world. Stop asking them about their medical opinion."

Whitlock: NBA star Kyrie Irving is Muhammad Ali, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has abandoned his religious convictions



Rolling Stone Magazine and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sold out. They're flacks for the establishment now, fighting to uphold vaccine conscription. Kyrie Irving is Muhammad Ali, a conscientious objector resisting an unjust culture war.

Over the weekend, Rolling Stone published a long-winded hit piece on Irving and other NBA players who are reluctant to take the experimental COVID vaccines. According to Rolling Stone, anti-vax NBA players are standing in the way of the league imposing a vaccine mandate. This is a bad look for a league that prides itself on being to the left of Karl Marx. Irving is seen as the leader of the anti-vaxxers who are pushing around the NBA, according to the writer Matt Sullivan.

The article painted Irving as a nutjob. It criticized him for liking posts from an Instagram account that previously posted messages alleging conspiracies against black people. The magazine trotted out 74-year-old Abdul-Jabbar, a 1960s radical who supported Ali, to reprise the role of David Susskind, the 1960s television host who shredded Ali for refusing induction into the military.

"The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team," Lew Al-Sellout told Rolling Stone. "There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, staff, and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research ...

"They are failing to live up to the responsibilities that come with celebrity. Athletes are under no obligation to be spokespersons for the government, but this is a matter of public health."

Fifty years ago, religious convictions caused Lew Alcindor to change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That same man is now driven by celebrity convictions. He's mad athletes are not living up to their responsibilities as celebrities.

What are the responsibilities of celebrities? Are those responsibilities articulated in the Bible, Quran, the Torah?

Thou shalt not disagree with the satanic cabal running Hollywood. Thou shalt not be seen as black if you don't vote for Joe Biden. When Democrats are in power, thou shalt inject yourself with experimental drugs without complaint.

In one breath Kareem is claiming current NBA players don't grasp the seriousness of the situation, and in the next breath he's arguing that Irving has a duty to live up to the responsibilities of celebrity. Is Kareem serious? Is he a serious person?

Kareem is allegedly a Muslim. Arguing for the responsibilities of celebrity is the promotion of idolatry. Islam strictly prohibits idolatry. It's called shirk. As a Muslim or a serious person, Kareem should realize Irving's only duty is to serve God, not celebrity, not the government, not the desires of a 74-year-old sellout.

Muhamad Ali stood against the draft on religious principle, not celebrity principle. When Ali refused induction, he was smeared as a nutjob who joined a religious organization — the Nation of Islam — that promoted conspiracy theories against black people.

Sound familiar?

Kyrie Irving is being treated like Muhammad Ali. Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Isaacs, and other unvaccinated NBA players face a similar fate as Ali. Their careers could be halted and cut short. They could lose millions of dollars. Irving plays for Brooklyn. Wiggins plays for Golden State. New York and San Francisco have laws that won't allow unvaccinated athletes to play indoors. Irving and Wiggins could be forced to sit at least half of their games.

Here's what Ali told the media years later about his decision to disobey draft orders.

"My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me n****r, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. ... Shoot them for what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail."

Let me paraphrase what Irving would say if he channeled his inner Muhammad Ali.

"My conscience won't let me take the jab, or be used as a celebrity influencer to convince black people or poor people to take the jab for big powerful America. Take the jab for what? COVID never called me a victim, a virus never segregated me to second-class citizenship, never hurt a 29-year-old in as good shape as me."

No one believes Kyrie Irving is jeopardizing his health by refusing the vaccine. He's in peak health. COVID poses no threat to his life. No one really believes the unvaccinated pose a threat to the vaccinated. Vaccinated people are contracting COVID and spreading COVID.

The vaccinated want to impose the vaccine on everybody because they've taken the vax. That's it. "I did it so you have to do it." It's the same reasoning that drove the backlash against Ali. No one believed in the Vietnam War. No one saw the war as central to protecting America and American freedom.

Vietnam was a propaganda campaign for the military-industrial complex. Ali courageously avoided his celebrity responsibility to participate in that propaganda campaign. Kyrie is standing against the pharmaceutical-industrial complex that sponsors a high percentage of the advertisements aired during NFL, NBA, and MLB games.

Rolling Stone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are sellouts.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Crack down on conservative celebrities' speech — and even left-wing luminaries who aren't woke enough



NBA legend-turned-cultural commentator Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said social media companies aren't doing enough to silence "irrational and harmful" posts from conservative celebrities — and even from fellow left-wing luminaries who don't check every woke box.

What are the details?

In his column for the Hollywood Reporter this week, Abdul-Jabbar said that "no matter their previous achievements, celebrities deserve legacy-killing backlash when they spread ignorance."

He first pointed his finger at Rudy Giuliani — the personal lawyer of President Donald Trump — saying that his legacy of "calm authority" in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City has been overshadowed by his Trump alliance and last month's "cringeworthy news conference about unproven conspiracies while black streaks streamed from his hair." Abdul-Jabbar also ripped Giuliani for being on a "hidden camera in the latest Borat movie with his hand down his pants while lying on a bed in the presence of a teenage girl." (Giuliani insists he was tucking in his shirt.)

Problem for Abdul-Jabbar is that the female in question is a woman, and Giuliani said "at no time before, during, or after the interview was I ever inappropriate. If Sacha Baron Cohen implies otherwise he is a stone-cold liar."

Abdul-Jabbar then turned his attention to conservative actors, saying "Roseanne Barr had achieved the near impossible, sabotaging her career not once but twice. After she left her top-rated sitcom, she faded into irrelevance with out-of-left-field political musings. Seeking to connect to the Trump demographic, ABC gave Roseanne new life, but her character was killed off after she went on a racist rant. James Woods, winner of a Golden Globe and Emmy, was once considered a dynamic actor. Now, after his caustic social commentary tweets, he's viewed as the cranky geezer who won't let you get your ball from his yard. Jon Voight, once a shining star among actors, recently posted a rambling video calling the political left "Satan" and promoting conspiracies about the election, reducing him from brilliant Oscar winner to cultural dumpster diver."

Abdul-Jabbar also found fault with Christian actress Letitia Wright, who starred in "Black Panther," because she "posted a link to a YouTube video questioning the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccines in general. After a tsunami of social media backlash, she wrote: 'My intention was not to hurt anyone. My ONLY intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies. Nothing else.'" But Abdul-Jabbar said "at best, that's naive, and at worst, disingenuous. If someone wants to raise concerns — that's legitimate — they need to do basic research: Find facts, statistics and qualified authorities. Because the reality is that when she posts, readers believe she endorses the false conclusions — and that can't be undone."

Left-wingers aren't immune, either

The former NBA great pointed out that famed author J.K. Rowling, a left-winger by just about every measure, took a "stumble from grace" due to her "anti-trans tweets" which "could end up tainting her entire literary legacy." But Rowling doesn't appear to be backing down an inch, most recently declaring that the "climate of fear" around the trans debate needs to end.

"Many are afraid to speak up because they fear for their jobs and even for their personal safety," Rowling said in an interview with Good Housekeeping magazine. "This climate of fear serves nobody well, least of all trans people."

He also ripped John Cleese's "tone-deaf defense of Rowling," saying it "left many fans bitterly disappointed, tarnishing his reputation." But like Rowling, the former Monty Python legend doesn't seem to care about what others think — and unabashedly thinks for himself.

In fact, Cleese accused the rage mob of "wokery, humorless posturing, and moral self-promotion."

"If you can't control your own emotions, you're forced to control other people's behavior," Cleese said of Twitter users who've attacked Rowling and demanded that she shut up. "That's why the touchiest, most oversensitive and easily upset must not set the standard for the rest of us."

Big brother, where art thou?

Concluding his piece, Abdul-Jabbar said social media giants "have begun slapping warnings on some messages that are false, incite violence, or cause harm to society. But this needs to be done with more consistency and vigilance. Studies indicate that when readers see these warnings, they are less likely to read or believe things. However, as another study showed, there can be a backfire effect in which content that isn't flagged, even when inaccurate, is perceived as true."

He added: "The irresponsibility of tweeting irrational and harmful opinions to millions, regardless of the damaging consequences to their country or people's lives, proves that those stars deserve the harsh backlash."