Barack Obama Slammed For Reportedly Convincing LeBron James To Save NBA Season
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • 4 years ago • 24 commentsBy: TylerWriter (The Inquisitr)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Barack Obama is facing criticism for his alleged role in convincing LeBron James and his fellow NBA players to resume the season after a strike sparked by the shooting of African American Jacob Blake, as reported by The New York Post .
"Wow so when Black men took a stand by boycotting, Barack Obama behind the scenes undermined those brothers using his position to make Black men stand down. This is so sick," one user wrote.
"Obama just hides in one of his mansions until he senses structural change in the air and immediately gets on the phone to make sure it doesn't happen," wrote another.
"Barack Obama will be one of our biggest obstacles for positive change for DECADES to come," another user chimed in.
Striking could put pressure on Joe Biden to stop saying that he's going give *more* money to the police right now. By telling the NBA to play ball, Obama is taking the pressure off of Biden at the expense of poor, Black people vulnerable to police violence. Its disgusting
— derecka (@dereckapurnell) August 28, 2020
I just can't believe he ended the nba strike. I mean I can but he literally just stopped what could have been the most impactful protest yet. Thanks Obama!
— Dary Rezvani for SCCCD Trustee Area 3 (@DaryRezvani) August 29, 2020
"The only strike Obama likes is a drone strike." - @unionguy216
— Green New Deal Compost Enforcement Unit (@peterpattakos) August 29, 2020
According to CNN , a person familiar with the call between the NBA player and former president claimed that National Basketball Players Association President Chris Paul — who was involved in the conversation — asked Obama to speak to the NBA players.
Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said the former leader spoke to the players to advise them on how to best leverage their platforms.
"They discussed establishing a social justice committee to ensure that the players' and league's actions this week led to sustained, meaningful engagement on criminal justice and police reform."
As noted by The Hill , NBA players have long supported the Black Lives Matter movement as well as police and criminal justice reform.
A day after the players announced they would return to the court, the NBA announced that it would work with them in the fight against social injustice and racial inequality, advocate for police betterment, and work to promote voting access.
Getty Images/Getty Images
Before Obama spoke to the NBA players, he praised those who organized the strike and NBA figures who supported it, including Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers and the NBA and WNBA organizations. As reported by HuffPost , the former U.S. leader stressed that standing up for American values will take the cooperation of all the country's institutions.
Obama has faced criticism from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party for his reported work behind the scenes in opposition to former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. In a previous podcast, late political commentator Michael Brooks pointed to reports of Obama pushing former Democratic presidential nominees to rally around current nominee Joe Biden. The late commentator also claimed that one significant part of Obama's legacy is preventing the reform of the Democratic Party.
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Hey ! Whats going on here? I thought Obama was a communist.
Communists play basketball too.
There were some players that were interviewed before Obama became involved saying that one day was enough and they could do a lot more for the cause by playing again.
Creative idea to open the venues for voting if it can be worked out with the local governments.
Lots of parking, access and egress are already well defined
and assuming the voting booths will be on the playing floor, easy social distancing.
For most people, a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the arena from the players perspective.
I thought Trump wanted all sports to begin again. But of course, if Obama is involved, that is a bad thing to him.
Trump had nothing to do with this.
I suppose you have a quote of Trump criticizing the move?
Seems the NBA players didn't want to miss their paychecks. Their morals only go as far as their wallets will take them. Time for the social justice warriors to take Obama and the NBA players to task.
Obama doesn't really a damn about black people. He's got his, so screw the rest of them. The same can be said about a lot of this high paid players.
That sounds like a very productive kind of conversation to have. He is well qualified to speak to them on ways to exercise real influence and actually accomplish something. Just because someone with feelings does something (like go on strike) that doesn't mean they have taken the most useful action.
It's perfectly reasonable to ask what good an NBA strike is. To whom does it apply pressure? What does that accomplish? Is there another, better path to progress?
I think it's sad and thoughtless to just mindlessly attack Obama because he might have said something like "I appreciate what you are trying to do here, but I advise you to do this other thing instead."
Obama is a huge basketball fan. It was a self serving gesture at best.
I am really disappointed. I was looking forward to reading the stories of those NBA superstars going bankrupt that have no idea how to manage money.
Coincidentally, I happened to watch this episode of South Park only last night. It's musicians instead of pro athletes, but the truth still applies.
Obama has $ 5 million riding on the Lakers to win the series against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers lead the series 3 games to 1. Of course Obama is going tell the players to get their asses back on the court to play ball.
He’s having withdrawals from not being able to fill out a March Madness bracket.
I have no interest in sport so I don't follow the NBA.
What was the purpose of their strike?
Was it to pressure the NBA owners to pledge to work with players and staff in the fight against social injustice and racial inequality, advocate for police betterment, and work to promote voting access?
Did that happen?
If it did, why continue to strike?
If the owners would then fail to own up to their pledge in a timely fashion; could the players not strike again?
Here’s an idea.
Rather than screwing your fans by not playing how about putting a commercial or public service announcement out there stating your opinions. God knows they make enough money to pay for it. Hell, they could pay for Super Bowl commercials.
Thats something I could respect. They lose me when they kneel for the NA or punish fans by not playing. That’s all chickenshit imo.
The response to that would be "Hey honey, pass the Chex Mix"
Buttered and salted or plain?
Our response is still the same to them.
At least with Sparty On's idea the most important thing to them is protected their current pay and future earnings.
Of course we know they have all the morals in the world; so long as it doesn't affect their almighty contracts.
Yep like actors/actresses whom, like many athletes, don't have much of an education but they do have a very high opinion of their opinions just the same.
Why people care, what folks like that think of anything, is beyond me.
Another commercial to annoy the viewer with, but at least it would cost the loudmouths some money
Pass the ball, hit the ball, drive the car, play the role, sing the song, even advertise stuff but keep your BS opinions to your self, they are hurting what they make too much money doing
Yeah, i hear you but it's a more respectfully way to put out a message imo.
Pro sports is going to find that out the hard way if they keep this nonsense up.
Thus completing the action of shooting themselves in their own foot as it were.
Yep, spot on imo.