Opinion | US election: NBA’s LeBron James to lead White House return once Donald Trump departs
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When LeBron James takes the Los Angeles Lakers to Joe Biden’s White House next year it will be hard to tell what he is celebrating more: the franchise’s 17th NBA championship or the election result.
There is an argument the NBA Finals MVP played as significant a role in ousting his social media nemesis Donald Trump as he did in beating the Miami Heat.
While James and the work of his More Than A Vote group – which was backed by other high profile athletes such as Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes – have been given credit, the leagues themselves also pushed the political agenda.
This year has been many things, including the final nail in the coffin of the claim that sports and politics do not mix, and athletes have had an impact like never before on this (ongoing?) US presidential election.
The NBA Players’ Association said that voter registration among players was at 96 per cent, with more than 20 teams at 100 per cent. It was a case of practising what they preached.