By Montanna Chambers
Politics has always been in sports. It dates back to the 1980 Summer Olympics when the United States and 65 nations boycotted the games in Moscow due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. However, many athletes take a different perspective on involving politics in sport in today’s society.
One of the most recent political movements that affected sports was the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement was during the 2021 National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) seasons, and many players wore shirts and knelt to show signs of protest.
Social media played an impactful role during this time. Players took to Instagram and X — formerly known as Twitter — to show their support for the causes they were aligned with.
This included Lebron James, who was and still is one of the most outspoken NBA players.
“Protect our Young Black Women & Men! 🙏🏾✊🏾🤎👑,” said James in a post on X in 2021.
Although this was a light-hearted tweet, it was because of other posts James posted that sparked controversy.
“I’m so damn tired of seeing Black people killed by police. I took the tweet down because it’s being used to create more hate. This isn’t about one officer,” James posted on X. “It’s about the entire system and they always use our words to create more racism. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY.”
He was referring to the shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, an Ohio resident just like James. In 2022, NPR reported that the Ohio court found the shooting was justifiable.
“Under Ohio law the use of deadly force by a police officer is justified when there exists an immediate or imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another,” the prosecutors stated.
Not only did James speak out about social injustice, but so did the NBA and NFL. They included “Black Lives Matter” and “End Racism” on their fields and courts. Once again, this stirred controversy, as many people turned to sports to escape from political issues.
So, should politics be in sports? This is the burning question, as many people debate whether politics should or shouldn’t be in sports. I believe that every person is entitled to their own opinion, and they should be allowed to express that opinion as long as it is peaceful. Lebron James is entitled to his own opinion and is allowed to express it however he wants.
However, I feel it is too much when the NFL and NBA are leaning extremely on one side. These two organizations are not people. They are entertainment businesses, according to their mission statements.
“We unite people and inspire communities in the joy of the game by delivering the world’s most exciting sports and entertainment experience,” states the NFL’s mission statement.
Similarly, the NBA’s mission is, “To inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.”
The sole purpose of these organizations is to inspire and unite people in the joy of the game. Unfortunately, politics doesn’t inspire and unite people in today’s society. The world is so divided that it is best for the NFL, NBA, and other sports leagues to stay neutral so they can unite people with the joy of football, basketball, hockey, and baseball.
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Thumbnail image caption: Members of the San Francisco 49ers kneeling during the National Anthem before a game against the Washington Redskins on Oct. 15, 2017. Photo courtesy of Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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