LeBron James believes he can play in Orlando, still impact social justice

LeBron James has championed an NBA return to play in Orlando.

LeBron also is a public and prominent supporter of Black Lives Matter and other social justice causes. He is putting his money and his social media weight behind “More Than a Vote,” an organization registering voters and teaching them how to combat voter suppression techniques in Black communities.

Friday night, in a conference call of about 80 players, Kyrie Irving was among a group of players concerned that players can’t have it both ways, that a return to play in Orlando would suck momentum and energy away from Black Lives Matter progress.

LeBron was not on that call but doesn’t see it that way. LeBron James believes he can play in Orlando and still impact social change, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.

...sources say James, whose Lakers have as good a chance at the title as any of the 22 teams invited to Walt Disney World, believes playing in Orlando won’t deter his ability to continue inspiring change. He wants to keep making his mark off the court. He wants to play basketball. And as has always been the case, he clearly believes he can do both at the same time.

LeBron’s life is a juggling act: putting in the time to remain one of the world’s best players at age 35, being a father and family man, helping run a production company, and having time for social and charitable causes. He’s been able to keep all those balls in the air — and has the Lakers as the odds-on favorite to win the title heading into the NBA restart at the Walt Disney World complex.

Of course LeBron James believes he can win in Orlando and still have an impact on social justice. He strikes that balance all of the time.

There are things players could do in Orlando — such as taking a knee during the national anthem (even though that is against league rules) — to use the platform of their games to help bring more attention to social justice causes. But would the overall presence of games and a return to “normalcy” — or at least a step in that direction — distract from the Black Lives Matter movement? Some players think it does.

Whether or not to play in Orlando is personal decision for each player to make. There are a lot of factors involved.

We know where LeBron stands.