LeBron's Dangerous And Misguided Stance

If LeBron James was "literally, honestly" interested in educating himself and others on the impact of Covid-19 and the omicron variant, there are far more effective ways than sharing a Spiderman meme.

For those that have followed me on social media or read my work over the years, you know I've been a staunch defender of LeBron James, the basketball player. 

I have written countless columns (such as "These Stats Suggest LeBron James Is The Greatest Basketball Player Ever") protecting LeBron's legacy from MJ-loyalists (or folks still mad about 'Bron's stupid and ill-conceived "The Decision" television event) who are quick to trash LBJ by falsely claiming James isn't clutch or foolishly hold his NBA Finals record against him (instead of crediting him for carrying a terrible supporting cast to the Finals).

LeBron is one of the three greatest players of all time. Not only is he arguably the most talented, all-around athlete to ever play in the game, but his basketball IQ is as high as anyone that has ever set foot on a court. When he finally hangs up his Nikes, we'll be able to make a strong case that he's the GOAT.

That said, his on-court prowess doesn't mean he's incapable of making missteps off the floor. And that's what has happened recently. 

Over the summer, when fellow all-stars such as Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal made headlines by refusing to get vaccinated, James declined to disclose his vaccination status. During training camp, LeBron acknowledged he had received his shot but said he was "very skeptical" about the vaccine before getting inoculated and stated he would not encourage others to get their jabs. "We're not talking about something that's, you know, political or racism or police brutality," James said. "So I don't feel like, for me personally, I should get involved in what other people should do with their bodies and their livelihoods."

Then, late last week, LeBron stirred up controversy by sharing a meme on his Instagram account, which effectively equated COVID-19 to the flu.

The post remains up for all of LeBron's 106 million Instagram followers.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Peter Hotez earlier this (you can check out the podcast here). He explained why it's so crucial for James and other players of his magnitude to promote public health. Dr. Hoetz argues that LeBron's comments empower the anti-vaccine movement, which is incredibly dangerous. As Hotez notes, over the last seven months, dating back to June 1, more than 160,000 Americans who have refused to get vaccinated have been killed by Covid. Consequently, Hotez characterizes the anti-vaccine movement as one of the leading killers of young and middle-aged adults in the United States. 

"That's why I push back so hard against Aaron Rodgers and Kyrie Irving, and even with LeBron, making these kinds of half statements, it's really dangerous," Hotez explained. "And it's leading to losses in life. And that's what has to stop."

Hotez added that he believes no one has ever adequately educated LeBron, and other superstar athletes, about the true impact of the anti-vaccine movement. "I think no one has ever sat down and explained that to them. That it's not enough to say, 'I got vaccinated…." When the stars in the NBA and the NFL, when they speak, it goes through a bullhorn. It's spread across the nation and has a very powerful impact. And it gives people justification for doing things that are putting them in harm's way."

It should be noted a few prominent current players, such as Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost his mother and six (!!) other families members to Covid last year, have spoken up, calling out the misinformation campaign that has ensnared several fellow players. 

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has also taken James to task. Kareem wrote in his substack newsletter that "while LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now." Abdul-Jabbar details in depth the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on the African-American community in the U.S.

Kareem notes studies that found nearly 98 out of every 100,000 African Americans have died from COVID-19, which is far higher than the rate for Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double that for whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000). "The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system," according to a recent study published by the National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

After a win over the Rockets on Tuesday, reporters asked LeBron if we would like to reply to Abdul-Jabbar. "No, I don't have a response to Kareem at all. And if you saw the post and you read the tag, you know that I'm literally, honestly asking, 'help me out.' Help me kind of figure it all out, like we're all trying to figure this pandemic out," said James. 

Here's the issue with that weak retort by LeBron: If he was "literally, honestly" seeking genuine advice or asking for assistance, he could get the top doctors in the world on the phone within five minutes. Or he could sit down with Kareem and ask genuine questions, which would enable Abdul-Jabbar to point him in the direction of qualified medical experts. 

For instance, back in October, Warriors superstar Steph Curry invited Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to discuss Covid on his YouTube video series, State of Inspiration. In a lengthy sit-down, Curry asked Fauci questions about the virus and preventive public health measures we can take to slow the spread of Covid.

If LeBron was "literally, honestly" interested in educating himself and others on this incredibly important topic, there are more far more effective ways than sharing a Spiderman meme on Instagram.