LeBron James and the Hustle Bustle of 2020
By: The Amateurs.
Tags: Basketball, Lakers, Opinion, NBA, LeBron James

LeBron James and the Hustle Bustle of 2020

Celebrating 36 years of basketball greatness in a form of a kid from Akron.

Artwork by Pradipta Alessandro.

More than three decades ago, LeBron James was born from the womb of a 16-year-old mom with no father figure in his life. No one knew what the future holds for him. Yet, since joining the NBA in 2003, James believes his talent will not just make an impact on the court but also off it. He felt he could carry it throughout the boundaries. 2020 itself is a tumultuous year for the United States. Besides dealing with COVID-19, American citizens like James must face at least two big agendas, the protests for equality and the presidential election.

That cacophony pushed James to become something more than just an athlete, proving the belief that had been in his mind for a long time. He realized he could be contributing for the benefit of society. One of the examples was establishing the non-profit movement More Than a Vote alongside fellow black athletes and artists. More Than a Vote activities were focusing on inviting more people to be involved in the election. For example, by encouraging sports arenas to become a safe voting site. More Than a Vote wanted those places to accommodate large numbers of people while exercising the social distancing protocol asCOVID-19 is still a problem for most countries around the world, including the United States.

More Than a Vote itself began from a virtual meeting in response to the Black Lives Matter movement which reverberated back in May 2020, after the death of a black man named George Floyd in the hands of police officers. Sean Gregory from TIME reported that James attended the meeting from his home in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 8. He even moderated the meeting so the conversations attended by more than 20 celebrities could go smoothly. James wanted the momentum that occurred last May to not stop. He hoped people like him can come up with ideas to push society to take more actions against racial injustice and create systemic change at the same time. James stated he was ready to open up the way. “That was my initial actions”, James told TIME in late November, “to let people know what my mission was, what my passion was, and how we were going to deliver.”

On June 23, James and his associates officially launched More Than a Vote. Half a month later, several groups joined in as members of the movement, some of them being active and former NBA players. Ben Simmons, Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, Jalen Rose, Jaylen Brown, Kendrick Perkins, Kyle Lowry, Ray Allen, Trae Young, and Udonis Haslem were some who became part of the movement. James utilized multiple platforms to promote More Than a Vote to his millions of followers. He even looked like a walking billboard when wearing a Vote or Die! shirt, which was part of the More Than a Vote campaign, during practice. James understood the media’s attraction to him and used it as a platform to bring the issue he was raising to become national attention. “We didn’t tell you who to go vote for. We didn’t pick one side versus the other side.” Said James as quoted by USA Today. “We just wanted to educate you, enlighten you, and empower you. And let you know how important your right is.”

More Than a Vote, in collaboration with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, then successfully recruited more than 40,000 people to keep an eye on the general election. They managed the queues and opened access to the election locations. More Than a Vote also recruited young generations to replace older people who are at more risk to be infected by COVID-19. More Than a Vote’s efforts were ultimately worth it. Several media outlets stated that voters growth in 2020 will break the US general election record. Michael Donald, a political observer who was involved in the US election and a lecturer at the University of Florida, had even predicted the growth. Eyewitnesses also witnessed long lines at election venues. Ballot papers were arriving from all over.

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For his efforts to create change, Lebron James was given at least two awards in 2020. TIME rewarded him as Athlete of the Year, while Sports Illustrated named him as Sportsman of the Year. Those awards added more to an already highly decorated cabinet of achievements. James again reminded many people that he could never just “shut up and dribble”, as once asked by Laura Ingraham, a conservative television host at Fox News because the player nicknamed the King knows his big name can be useful for many people. He understands very well that his voice had value. It’s not enough to just focus on his basketball career. He has to keep speaking.

For a long time, James indeed often expressed opinions and was involved in activities off the court. For example, by opening the I Promise School in 2018. The school has helped families in Akron, Ohio, get their children to access better education while offering free transportation, lunch, uniforms, and bicycles. In July 2020, James continued his efforts to help those families by launching I Promise Village. He built a residence so they could have a place to live in. Michelle Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, explained that the foundation has an interconnected program to help families in the United States. “It’s more than just taking the kids to school. It’s about keeping them alive. We see families struggling every day with very real and often unexpected problems that turn their worlds upside down. This will give the family time and opportunity to grow without worrying about them being homeless,” said Campbell in an official statement on the homepage of the LeBron James Family Foundation website.

James’ efforts seemed easy at first glance, considering his name and nearly $ 40 million per year salary from the Los Angeles Lakers. Not to mention his collaborations with big brands. Forbes put him on the list of the richest athletes in the world. However, it’s still such a challenge for him to help people.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an NBA legend and previous Sportsperson of the Year winner agreed with that. He felt that a successful athlete is not always able to do everything easily, especially with regard to matters which are relatively sensitive. Abdul-Jabbar gave an example of several athletes who experienced difficulties, such as Muhammad Ali who lost his boxing title and license was in prison for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War and later, an outspoken objector to the military campaign. Also Colin Kaepernick, who drew controversy after kneeling while the national anthem was played before his NFL game. Abdul-Jabbar knew those who made bold statements could end up trapped in an uncomfortable life. “Success gave LeBron the opportunity to speak out, but it was his own courage that made him seize that opportunity, knowing that discussion hot-button issues like systemic racism and police brutality risked his life and the lives of his family,” said Abdul-Jabbar in his tribute to James, as quoted by Sports Illustrated.