At the end of the fourth period of an ugly game in Memphis, Tennessee, LeBron James made his way to the free-throw line before turning his back on the ring and swinging hard over his right shoulder. Disappearing with the game in doubt, James hit what was essentially the winner of the game, placing a hand towards the court to let Grizzlies defender Dillon Brooks know he was just too small.
In a game defined by errors – and there were so many of them, including two James aerial balls – the Lakers star made the biggest strokes in his team’s 94-92 victory. The victory ended a trip of 4-0 and sends the Lakers home with the best record in the West.
The shot James made was probably not possible for almost the entire population of the planet. But the fact that he fired on Tuesday, when so many other things in James’ orbit outside the court collided, reinforced why he is different from everyone else.
In Georgia, another initiative by James, “More Than a Vote”, was involved in a historic second round for two seats in the Senate, with control of the legislative branch in dispute. The drive to make actionable changes and fight voter suppression has been James’ main cause since the summer.
And on Tuesday, news that the Kenosha, Wisconsin, officer involved in the Jacob Blake shooting last summer would not be charged, hit James hard. He and his NBA brothers interrupted athletics from inside the NBA bubble with their decision not to play, the issue of shootings involving people of color involving the very personal police.
“To see that verdict, it was just a blow to the stomach … and a blow to the heart. But we have to stay strong, continue to believe in each other and fight for greater change and for the greater good, ”said James. “And to know that my people went to Georgia the way they did – I will definitely get more information about that, but I heard that they went to Georgia and that is commendable. It’s something that we started with ‘More than one vote’ and we want to continue to do that, to continue to support actions like this and causes that happen today. This is happening, obviously.
“I am proud of my people for getting there and doing what they do best, being heard, seen, powerful and engaged.”
James somehow managed to be powerful and engaged on the court while everything was happening on Tuesday. Along with the struggles against racial injustice and electoral repression, James also received the news that Dr. Dre had been hospitalized in Los Angeles.
After the game, James posted pictures of the two together – he is a longtime ambassador for Beats by Dre headphones – saying he was praying for his “brother”.
With all this excitement, James still scored 26 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, a performance good enough to keep the Lakers in the “winning business” that James said they are focused on.
“He is obviously one of the most impressive people I have ever met,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “I think what you just mentioned is one of the ways that makes it special, your ability to compartmentalize, but also to have an interest and a care factor with other things that happen in the world. Being able to think about some of these things and still act the way you do, part of what makes you special. “
The decision on Blake’s shot affected players other than James, with former Buck and Wisconsin native Wesley Matthews visibly and audibly shaken when talking about it.
“In fact, it’s disheartening just for all the work that everyone has done, for all the headaches of the families involved, the children involved in the car, the city that has come together around the community. I mean, it’s just right and wrong, ”said Matthews.
“We cannot start the revolt. We cannot, I mean, we have to be calculated. We have to keep our foot on the pedal. We must continue to keep our foot on the gas. “
The influence that athletes can have on society was exhibited on Tuesday. WNBA players were a driving force in the Senate election between Reverend Democrat Raphael Warnock and Senator Kelly Loeffler (R – Ga.), Co-owner of the WNBA Atlanta Dream. Loeffler criticized the league’s support for Black Lives Matter, causing players to respond by asking for his expulsion during the campaign by his opponent.
After leaving the building, James tweeted a photo of the Atlanta Dream players wearing T-shirts that read “Vote Warnock” with the caption “I think I did, set up a group of owners to … The Dream. [Who’s] inside? #BlackVotesMatter
“I am smart enough to know that even though we are playing basketball, there is much more going on in the world,” said James, “much more that is even more important than playing a game.”
And he is not running away from these things. He is moving towards them – at the same time as he is making twists in the fourth period.