Of course Trump attacks LeBron James: the NBA star is a true role model
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
I n the last week we have witnessed LeBron James , a global sports star, open his new school for underprivileged children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and his nation’s president publicly attack him in retaliation for remarks James made about Trump. This one case highlights two extremes of leadership; James, who is showing just how to utilise the status and platform of a professional athlete for the benefit of society, and Trump who epitomises petty, divisive and valueless leadership. So let’s focus on the positive, and James’s project. The basketball player’s progressive approach is all too rare in elite sport, but provides for us a vision for how we could develop our athletes in the future, and the hugely positive effect that could have.
This is a crucial time for elite sport where there is something of a global crisis. Corruption and greed eroding trust in Fifa and the International Olympic Committee; horrifying stories of abuse by those in positions of power; endless doping scandals; the apparent blackballing by the NFL of Colin Kaepernick ; to name just a few. Those in the upper echelons of sport have lost connection with its true values. The innate value and dignity of striving to be the best version of yourself through sport has been eroded and replaced by a no-compromise approach to winning; where bullying and abuse are considered necessary tools to “harden” athletes; where depression and burn-out are common even among those who “make it”; where athletes must fear for their jobs if they dare to speak out on issues they care deeply about.
And this is where James most emphatically breaks the mould, and in a fashion that should garner respect from people who sincerely want to see the positive potential of sport truly unleashed. Another such role model is the American footballer, Michael Bennett . In the same league where Kaepernick has been blackballed by a collusion between the owners of all the league’s teams, Bennett is still actively protesting that decision, is a vocal advocate for Black Lives Matter and for the Women’s March , has scathing words for the NFL organisation, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), police treatment of people of colour, and has plenty of other opinions that he is not shy about sharing publicly.
Bennett has recently authored a highly politicised book, Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, centred around his experiences growing up in rural America and in high-level sport. What shines out is that he is a man driven by his own values; values derived from his position as a husband, father, brother, son, member of his community and then also as an athlete with a following of millions.
I try to teach my athletes the importance of knowing their values and their “why” in sport, and that knowing these things will help them better fulfil their potential as people and as athletes. It can provide them with a vision of their best selves, and push them to live up to that vision as much as possible. It can also act as a mirror to highlight when they are falling short of living their best values. It is heart-wrenching to see young athletes striving to live their values day by day, and at the same time witness the overarching culture of elite sport undermine its own value with devastating effects.
This is why Michael Bennett and LeBron James are essential role models, the kind that society needs now more than ever. It certainly won’t be the super-rich, politically motivated figures in charge of sport that are going to lead on this; change will need to be driven by a new generation of athletes who are still in touch with their love for sport and for its true developmental power.
"What if we re-imagined the idea of an athlete as someone who develops their mind and body, in order to help others and make the world a better place?” writes The True Athlete Project . Bennett is a pioneer of this vision. He views sport as a means to an end, entirely more valuable than Super Bowl rings. His dedication is to self-fulfillment and to the opportunities it provides him to make a real difference in the world. Football just happens to be the vehicle. In Bennett’s own words: “You have to be involved in projects that impact the world or you’ll devolve to dust.”
What gives Bennett’s book added weight, alongside the power of his personal journey from farm boy to football pro, is that Bennett knows his history; the history of his family, of black Americans, the history of his sport and of activist athletes from other sports . He has done his homework and learned from the stories of his forebears and that makes it impossible to throw the usual “just shut up and play” abuse at him.
It is no surprise that the powers-that-be are clamouring to gag athletes who have a point to make. That’s because those athletes are role models and they wield real power. If we started systematically developing athletes in alignment with the commonly touted values of elite sport – responsibility, leadership, fair play – then the effect on society could be immense. You only need glance at the Fundamental Principles of Olympism to see where sport can rediscover its true meaning: “The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” This is the clearest possible call to arms for athletes to take a stand against the injustice and inequality that they see in the world.
Sporting bodies should be standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Bennett, James and Kaepernick, staunchly defending their right – and even responsibility – to fight to preserve the dignity of their fellow human beings. The Trump White House is clearly not interested in such values – so it’s time that sport took up the baton.
• Laurence Halsted is a two-time British Olympic fencer and performance director at the Danish Fencing Federation
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"What if we re-imagined the idea of an athlete as someone who develops their mind and body, in order to help others and make the world a better place?”